Save pool, residents tell council in online poll

1:05pm Wednesday 11th November 2009

By Oliver Evans

RE-OPENING Holywell Mead swimming pool, protecting Wycombe Museum and cutting CCTV are among residents’ priorities in a first-ever online poll of where they want council cash spent.

Website users are given a virtual budget and asked to say what Wycombe District Council services matter to them, for example street cleaning and council houses. They then see the affect on council tax.

The pool, by The Rye in High Wycombe, is a major topic among those who left comments on the site (see link, bottom of story).

Some asked why there was no question to re-open it while others said a volunteers’ plan to save it should not have been snubbed. Bosses said it did not address safety concerns.

One wrote: “I would be happy to pay extra to continue or enhance the provision of public facilities - I want to live in an area where we have world class facilities.”

A user wrote: “I’ve saved WDC two per cent which would like spent ensuring Holywell Mead pool is re-opened as a pool!”

Rubbish collection, housing and Wycombe Museum also featured. The council has said the museum could be moved from Priory Avenue to save cash.

One wrote: “When budgets are tight, leisure services are always seen as an easy target for cuts.

“But I would rather see people learning about and enjoying the heritage [provided by the museum] than contribute further to surveillance or bureaucratic planning procedures.”

And the council’s CCTV operation was slammed with one writing: “CCTV has been found to be not effective as popularly thought. So cut.”

Some questioned the usefulness of the survey, advertised with a massive banner across the authority’s Queen Victoria Road, High Wycombe offices.

One wrote: “I think that this exercise is a waste of time, as it is not specific.”

Another there was “no mention of controlling staff costs, expenses or pensions” and this jarred with tough times in the private sector.

But another wrote: “Having completed this, I appreciate the hard task that the actual budget setting individuals go through.”

Today the council said almost 500 people had taken part. It warns low Government cash support and less income from services such as car parks is hitting funds.

Deputy leader, Councillor Tony Green said: “All too often people tell us we don’t listen to their views. “Now is the chance for local people to give us their views and to help influence how we spend their council tax.”

The authority gets about 10 per cent of the final council tax bill, which it collects on behalf of fire, police, parish council and Buckinghamshire County Council bosses.

The consultation ends at the end of this month and results will be published in the spring.

Residents can complete the survey at the council’s offices and information centres in High Wycombe, Marlow and Princes Risborough. Hard copies are available on 01494 421311.