'Town plan should be supported'

Thank you for such a stimulating and well-illustrated article in last week’s BFP about the town centre and, in particular, the opening up of the Wye.

There seems to be debate between those who agree or disagree with the removal of the flyover which is the vital precursor to the opening up of the Wye and the reunification of the divided town centre.

I suggest we all ask ourselves what the purpose of our town centre is, or what we want from it, especially as town centres throughout Europe face decline as shoppers go elsewhere or use the internet more and more.

Do those who advocate keeping the flyover think that the prime purpose of the town centre is to encourage the passage of vehicular traffic through it as quickly as possible, mostly without stopping? Is it just a junction of roadways?

Our town centre contains the visible evidence of its history as a river valley settlement where mills were water-powered and where produce was bought or sold in its markets and shops, where timber was brought to be milled and furniture factories were built to make High Wycombe the foremost furniture production centre in the UK.

The facades of buildings, the old street patterns, the roof-scapes of clay tiles, with church steeples rising above form a richly historic civic environment encapsulating centuries of tradition and growth.  

Then came the 1960’s during which our town, like many others in Britain suffered from the belief of town planners that speedy traffic was more important than the use of the town by people on foot.  

This was partly reversed in many towns in the 1980’s when ‘pedestrianisation’ became a key word but with little success here in our town. Too late for High Wycombe which was cut in half by its four-lane flyover, its many roundabouts and traffic lights, all dividing the town and creating no-go areas for walkers or shoppers alike.

Our town and county councils have now cooperated to produce the new master plan... to try to restore the town as somewhere we would actually like to spend time, walking, shopping, living, going to school or university, visiting theatres, museums, and relax by the river, without having to cross dual carriageways, endless traffic light crossings, or to dodge speeding cars.

This seems to me to be the best thing that planners have created for half a century.

Let’s give it our support and hope that it helps to restore our town centre to a place we would all like to spend time and enjoy.

Let’s hope it attracts new residents as well as shopping and leisure, and the potential for cultural pursuits which enrich our lives. It could be a great turning point and one which I look forward to eagerly.

Stefan Zachary, Naphill

'River is miserably inadequate' 

Plans to “open up the river” in the town centre must have been thought up by people who cannot remember what the river looked like before it was culverted.

Most likely they are fairly recent arrivals who imagine that somewhere below lies a babbling brook that deserves to see daylight again.

As a chalk stream it depends of the flow from springs further up the valley and the flow is determined by the amount of water they provide.

For only a few weeks each year would the flow support the sort of scheme now proposed. That was only too obvious in the past where the river was most visible along the Oxford Road where, for much of the time, it was a muddy trickle full of debris which nobody seemed to care about. There were good reasons for culverting it at the time.

Below Wycombe Marsh the river is topped up by water pumped back from the treatment plant at Little Marlow.

That was achieved at considerable cost to prevent the river drying up but back in the town centre there is no such help to keep the flow going.

Also just look at the river as it runs parallel to London Road where it meanders through almost bank to bank weeds which seems to indicate the lack of regard whichever authority is responsible has towards its appearance.

Then wander over to The Dyke and see how the weeds are growing in the water. Are they ever cleared away?

This leads me to think that a nicely landscaped scheme in the town would not be kept in good order in the long term and in any case relies on a miserably inadequate river at its centre.

I have known the river and the town since the 1930s so applaud the vision of those who have given thought to it but it is just impracticable.

The enormous cost would just not be worthwhile or affordable in view of the many restrictions of public finances. 

Do whatever is deemed advisable for traffic flow measures but please keep the river out of the equation.

David Wiltshire, Flackwell Heath

'Traffic worse without the flyover'

I can't begin to imagine how the traffic will flow through the town centre without the flyover!  

Have Wycombe District Council seen how much traffic comes from villages like Prestwood, Hughenden Valley, Bryants Bottom in order to travel on the various routes to the  town centre? 

Taking out the major route through High Wycombe will cause a huge backlog of traffic right back to Cryers Hill and far beyond.

Even with the flyover, it is commonplace to see traffic backed up to the Cryers Hill roundabout during rush hour.  

It would look lovely to have the River Wye reopened in parts of the town, but not if it means removing the flyover.

Wycombe District Council need to consider all the commuters who come from the villages mentioned above.

These commuters need to get to work in a reasonable amount of time and do not want to follow a route that goes alongside Morrisons, past Sainsbury’s and then through Desborough and ultimately past Wycombe Hospital.

That could take at least 20 minutes to half an hour during the rush hour.

Commuters need to get to work and then in their leisure time may spend time and money in the town.

If Bucks County Council makes this any harder than it already is, people will avoid Wycombe at all costs with or without the river being reopened.

Mrs Darvill, Prestwood