SENSE / Parish Council Meeting

I've posted this on the CSP forum I guess I should have posted it on here. Better facts are probably available from the C-Sense web site.

It was a very interesting meeting and the clarity of the presentation of facts rather than assumptions was particularly impressive. The SENSE people really have put a lot of time and effort in on behalf of the whole of the village - and indeed surrounding villages (when they discover the A413 grinds to a halt for example). I think it was Glynn who was particularly impressive in his speaking and knowledge.

Two main areas arose in my brain from last night -

1. The need to actually raise money to bring the buildings up to national care standards
- a few of the buildings are quite obviously not up to scratch and need to be demolished however, they are proposing way and beyond this
- they made great play of the deadline of 2007 to implement these changes - they have 'buried' in their planning documents that they will keep coming back to planning if they fail - therefore clearly missing the deadline and it has been indicated that they wouldn't be closed down if they weren't on track
- there is no reason why they couldn't make some of the changes to meet the care standard act and then maybe over the next 10 years develop the facilities further to get to where they wish to get to in one year - they seem to have developed revenue to put in the plans - a figure of £0.5m was mooted - but I suspect that was conjecture rather than fact - however if this is correct and they were able to raise £0.5 each year they could go someway to meeting the upgrades
- the rest of the revenue could come from selling existing property which is on the periphery of the site - quite simple to sell some of the existing houses which would raise substantial money and not therefore need to build on green belt and the substantial amount of houses needed to fund the infrastructure upgrades which wouldn't therefore be required

2. The actual plans -
- they are in green belt and point 1. proves that it is not an exceptional circumstance as they could fund the meeting of the care standards act
- the infrastructure cannot take it - interesting to hear the education part - sounded like Bucks CC was keen to take the money but then would be completely unable to take the money and actually build any more capacity at Robertswood as that is on green belt! Doctors I wasn't so convinced about - I'd have thought fairly easy to add additional Doctor capacity - a great place to work I'd have thought and recruit. Sewers are the most obvious - but again Thames Valley may just turn round and say more money for no work and sod the consequences.

However, need to go along to the public appeal meeting, register, maybe speak (speak to SENSE) and fingers crossed when it lands on Prescott's desk!!

Then went to the Waggon bumped in to someone and got chatting and it wasn't the quick pint i'd envisaged!