Plans to make home for elderly at school site move closer

12:25pm Thursday 14th November 2002

CONTROVERSIAL plans to build a home for the elderly at a former school site have moved another step closer prompting the resignation of a parish councillor.

The proposals for the Cedars County First School site, in Hazlemere, look set to be accepted by Wycombe District Council despite objections from the parish council and local residents.

A final decision has been deferred until a legal agreement is approved concerning a financial contribution from the developers, English Churches Housing Group (ECHG), to the Hazlemere community.

The decision to build the home caused a split in Hazlemere Parish Council between Cllr Jenny Sugg, chairman of its planning committee, and parish council chairman Cllr David Cox, who is also vice-chairman of Wycombe District Council's development control committee.

Cllr Sugg, who has resigned over the plans, wanted the district council to conduct a site visit to the school site to consider the parish council's wishes for the proposed development to be in the western part of the site.

She said: "I wanted them to visit the site and make a balanced decision. They needed to go there and visit for themselves and I thought the chairman would recommend the site visit but he did not."

"I resigned as a point of principle. I genuinely feel the whole thing has been handled badly."

Cllr Cox (Con, Hazlemere East), who is backing the proposed elderly home, did not request the site visit as Cllr Sugg had hoped, fearing he may contravene Nolan Report recommendations concerning the conduct of councillors. The report says councillors cannot be seen to pre-empt planning decisions.

He was also concerned the collapse of the proposal could jeopardise a £150,000 community payment from ECHG.

Cllr Cox said: "As a member of district council development control committee, I have to look at the wider picture and the benefit of the community as a whole, and we are going to get money for community use."

A majority of Hazlemere parish councillors had wanted a community centre to be built at the Cedar school site instead, but Cllr Cox backed the home for the elderly as Hazlemere has more elderly people than any other ward in Wycombe.