BUCKINGHAMSHIRE Council is proposing a big expansion of double yellow lines in Penn and Tylers Green to stop parking near Tylers Green First and Middle Schools and by Penn Surgery in Elm Road.
It is asking for people’s views in a public consultation that ends on 12 March.
If the plans are approved it will mean double yellow lines around the Barnes Corner junction of New Road/Cock Lane/Church Road/St John’s Road. In Cock Lane the yellow lines will be on both sides of the road as far as the car park opposite the middle school, but will only apply Monday to Friday between 8am and 5pm
There’ll also be yellow lines around the corner in front of St Margaret’s parish rooms and on the opposite corner, outside Zenopa’s office and extending up School Road towards the first school. Further parking restrictions are planned in front of the first school and nearby junctions.
In Elm Road yellow lines are proposed along a long stretch on both sides of the road going towards Hazlemere from the entrance to the front common in an attempt to stop people parking there to visit Penn Surgery.
The proposals follow various complaints about inconsiderate parking and a campaign from the schools themselves – only partially successful – asking people dropping off and picking up children to park well away from the school entrances.
The council says the restrictions are needed for safety reasons. Last year a nine year old pupil from the middle school broke her leg when she was hit by a car near the school as she was walking home.
Many people will be disappointed over the additional urbanisation of the village, while others will wonder how the council will enforce the restrictions as a number of motorists ignore the double yellow lines currently in place.
You can see the proposals in detail and comment on them on this link https://yourvoicebucks.citizenspace.com/roads-parking/tylers-green-parking-review/
And that’s not all…
PLANS for double yellow lines in Coppice Farm Road, between its junctions with Hazlemere Road and Chilton Close; and on the junction of Ashley Drive and New Road; and the junction of Ashley Drive and The Lawns have also been published for public consultation which ends on 12 March.
Details of these proposals can be seen on this link https://yourvoicebucks.citizenspace.com/roads-parking/ashley-drive-penn-parking-review-statutory-consult/
For sale: Tylers Green’s oldest building; its newest mansion and a rare bit of development land on the common
GORSE Glade, the 90 year old three bedroom house at the bottom of the back common is on the market for a cool £1.25 million.
Not bad for a modest home built without planning permission in 1931 – planning laws were a little more lax back then and it wasn’t until a year later that the Town and Country Planning Act introduced the concept of planning permission.
In his book Mansions and mud houses, village historian Miles Green says: “It was built on a cherry orchard by the son of Thomas Barnes, a successful fruiterer. The orchard used to be called Morley’s Orchard after an earlier owner, Luke Morley.”
Of course the price indicates what the estate agent calls “great potential to extend into a substantial home” so don’t expect to see much, if any, of the original still standing in a few years time.
Meanwhile, you will need even deeper pockets to buy a couple of homes recently put up for sale in the village…
This modern-designed Opus House in Hammersley Lane, which seemed to take forever to build, boasts a a private cinema, swimming pool, gymnasium, an underground garage space and Japanese themed rock gardens. All yours for around £7.6 million. Picture: Bovingdons.
And Town Farm, in Beacon Hill, the oldest building in Tylers Green, was also put on the market last month.
Built in the mid 1500s of wattle and daub it has undergone a few transformations since then.
Again, I’m indebted to Miles whose captions in the book Penn and Tylers Green in Old Photographs (2000) reveals this piece of history: “In 1531 it was given, with about 200 acres (now the Wycombe Heights golf course) to the Borough of Chepping Wycombe, hence its name, Town Farm. It was the main source of income for the borough’s charities.”
Miles has discovered there was a building on the site in 1185 named Remes or Rhemes that was owned by the Hospital of St John in Wycombe.
Today Town Farm awaits new owners to be part of its 500 year history. But you’ll need at least four million for it to be you.
Local MP seeks a community bank
PENN’s MP Sarah Green is set to meet with Treasury officials to explore the possibility of setting up a banking hub in her Chesham and Amersham constituency.
In the House of Commons she told Treasury Minister Andrew Griffith that the rash of local bank branch closures had caused “great concern” among her constituents.
“Some of those affected will struggle to make the journey to the next nearest branch, and they are not confident that the promised alternative provision will meet their needs,” she said.
Banking hubs have been established in other towns in the country where banks have closed their branches. They comprise a counter service run by Post Office staff where customers of almost any bank can withdraw and deposit cash, make bill payments and carry out regular transactions.
They also provide private spaces where customers can speak to someone, with trained specialists from different banks available on certain days.
Lloyds Bank at Hazlemere Crossroads is now the only physical bank branch in this area. Remaining banks in Amersham and Beaconsfield are soon due to close their doors.
In the Commons, Mr Griffith said he would be happy to meet Ms Green to “talk about the challenges your constituents face”.
He pointed out that when Barclays announced the closure of its Amersham branch it said that only 22 customers used the branch regularly and 92 per cent of its customers had said they could meet their financial requirements through other means.
Ron’s prostate cancer walks to be featured on TV
FAME is spreading for the campaign spear-headed by Tylers Green prostate cancer sufferer Ron Hedley, who has vowed to undertake 33 fund raising walks in conjunction with Prostate Cancer UK and the Bob Willis Fund.
In June Ron’s efforts will be featured on Sky TV as part of their Edgbaston Ashes Test coverage.
Ron and local cricketers from Warwickshire are expected to be joined by broadcaster Nick Owen, former England footballer Mick Harford, himself being treated for the disease, and Warwickshire cricketers during their Edgbaston walk on 22 March. Four days earlier he’ll join local cricketers in Norfolk for a walk in Old Buckenham.
In April there are walks planned in Wokingham, Berks; West Horsley in Surrey and Abergavenny in Monmouthshire.
You can find out more and contribute on https://bobwillisfund.org/news/ronsmarch
Local news
New vicar – Applications for a new Church of England vicar for Penn and Tylers Green closed at the end of February following the retirement last year of the Rev. Mike Bisset. Shortlisted candidates are expected to meet parishioners informally on 23 March. Meanwhile, the Rev. Vida Foday, minister at Tylers Green Methodist Church, has announced she is retiring in the summer.
MP’s health crisis – Wycombe (and Tylers Green) MP Steve Baker told the BBC he had a major mental health crisis in November 2021 suffering anxiety and depression. “I couldn’t go on but people didn’t know,” he told Newsnight. Mr Baker said growing a beard and wearing jewellery had played a part in helping his recovery.
Pauline’s award – Pauline Quirke, the Penn-based actress, received her MBE awarded for services to young people, entertainment and charity, from the Prince of Wales at a ceremony in Windsor Castle.
Bird danger – Notices have been placed by Widmer Pond on the common asking people to follow RSPB advice and not feed the ducks during the current bird flu epidemic. Thousands of water birds have died throughout the country and feeding ducks encourages birds to mingle together, increasing the chance of spreading the disease.
Tree cull – Work starts this month to remove a number of trees suffering from Ash dieback disease along the edge of Common Wood Lane, Penn.
School secretary dies – Eirwen Coombs, who was the secretary of Tylers Green Middle School for 18 years while her husband Peter was head teacher, has died. She retired with her husband in 1990. Mr Coombs died in 2010.
Gomm Valley moves – House builder Taylor Wimpey has told Buckinghamshire Council it will supply additional and amended information regarding its planning application to build over 600 homes and other facilities in the Gomm Valley, between Cock Lane and Hammersley Lane. Farmers began preparing fields in the valley last month indicating the developers don’t expect any groundwork will start before this year’s harvest.
Office improvement – Chepping Wycombe Parish Council has approved a £40,000 refurbishment of its offices in Cock Lane, Tylers Green.
All weather pitch – Penn Street Cricket Club has applied for planning permission to construct an all-weather training pitch on part of Penn Street Common.
Property developer – Leigh-Anne Pinnock, the former Sir William Ramsay School pupil and member of the pop group Little Mix, is investing her money in property. She and her fiancé, the footballer Andre Gray, have formed a company that has purchased a former factory in Wolverhampton with the intention of converting it into flats.
Raheem’s visit – England international and Chelsea footballer Raheem Stirling came to Penn to watch a relative play in the Penn and Tylers Green v Burnham match last month, mixing happily with spectators and players.
Sites, camera, action – how we find ourselves in the middle of Britain’s Hollywood
IT WON’T have gone unnoticed that we are slap bang in the middle of what’s developing into Britain’s new Hollywood.
Plans for several major studios and sound stages have either been approved or are under consideration within a 20 mile radius of Penn and Tylers Green.
Last month Buckinghamshire councillors approved a big extension of Pinewood Studios, amid much local complaining that it will destroy the Green Belt around Iver Heath.
The studio, which will become the biggest studio complex in the world with 51 purpose-build sound stages, maintains the expansion will create 8,000 jobs.
There’s similar environmental complaints over at Marlow where some locals say that the proposed Marlow Film Studios, by the Little Marlow Lakes country park near the Marlow by-pass, will wreck the Green Belt. Proponents say it won’t and point out it will create over 4,000 jobs.
In addition, plans are in the pipeline for new studios at Wycombe Air Park, Holyport and Bovingdon, plus extensions to existing studios at Bray, Shepperton, Ealing, Hayes and the former Gillette factory in Hounslow.
Further afield, but not much, Warner Brothers have permission to extend their studios at Leavesden in Hertfordshire, while both Sky and the BBC are planning expansions to their separate studios at Elstree.
Blackstone Pictures has approval for Sunset Studios at Waltham Cross and a major studio development has been approved at Shinfield near Reading, while another is planned for Winnersh, near Wokingham.
There’s already debate within the industry whether there will be enough skilled people around to fill all the jobs, but one thing is for certain: the film, tv, video and animation industry is going to be a major employer in this area for years to come.
Regional news
Red kites boom – A new book on red kites says Britain now has ten per cent of the world population of the birds since their successful reintroduction to the Chilterns 30 years ago.
RAF Halton homes – Discussions have begun on how to best transform RAF Halton into a 1,000 home estate once the RAF have vacated the base.
Crime figures – Statistics released by the Home Office show crime in this area was barely affected in the pandemic. In the Chepping Wye police area, which includes Tylers Green, there were 1,179 crimes reported last year compared to 1,146 in 2021 and 1,158 in 2020. In the Chalfont St Peter police area, which includes Penn, there were 1,238 crimes reported last year compared to 1,328 in 2021 and 1,304 in 2020.
Council tax gesture – Buckinghamshire Council is giving council-tax payers the option of paying the council tax over 12 months instead of the usual 10 months, as a gesture to easing financial pressure on household budgets.
Golf course development – A public consultation begins this month on plans to build 2,000 homes, two schools and other facilities on Maidenhead golf course.
Fighting drugs – Plans for a Buckinghamshire Combatting Drugs Strategy are being drawn up which will involve combining the efforts of all local public, charitable and health organisations to reduce drug use, drug-related crime and drug deaths over the next 10 years.
Helping Ukraine – Music students in Bucks are performing a classical concert at Amersham’s St Mary’s Church next month to raise money for Ukranians suffering in Russia’s invasion.
My my, how you’ve grown
THE building of the country’s longest railway viaduct over the Colne Valley at Denham for HS2 is either an impressive piece of engineering or a monstrous intrusion on the countryside, depending on your view. It is certainly not what was expected though.
The top picture shows the North Orbital Road before work began. The middle picture shows the artist impression of what the viaduct would look like supplied by Buckinghamshire Council. The bottom picture shows today’s reality.
Pictures by Keith Hoffmeister of the Chiltern Society who is photographing before, during and after pictures as the high speed railway makes its way through the Chilterns.
Baker, ‘bus’ station, grocery store, art gallery and finance office. The varied life of Penn Barn.
Philip Harper, from the Penn-based financial advice company fmifa, has been researching the history of the familiar building in which the company is based.
He’s kindly given permission to republish his article from the latest edition of fmifa Review.
PENN Barn is quite an iconic building in the village. Sitting in the heart of the community it is known by most residents and those who drive through the village on the B474 to and from Beaconsfield.
It was originally part of four adjoining buildings and Penn Barn, as it’s known today, was then referred to as The Stables. The earliest records show evidence of a tenancy agreements being signed in 1800 for two pounds five shillings per annum.
In 1824 the properties were sold at an auction and were eventually acquired by the Wheeler family of Penn. In 1846 we know a bread oven was built and, interestingly, a conversation with the resident baker in 1971 suggested the oven was still being used to bake bread 118 years later in 1964!
In the early 1900s a horse bus service was established and ran from the barn providing transportation to and from Beaconsfield station. The business was operated by a Mr Reid and his niece Violet Rayner and a photograph exists (above) of Violet perched on her carriage in 1913, waiting for passengers to join her.
In 1915 the Wheeler family sold the properties to William Woodbridge and the main structure was turned into the general store which served Penn and surrounding areas for many years.
In 1978 the barn was sold to Paul Hunnings and his wife, the TV cookery writer Mary Berry, and converted into shop selling antiquarian maps, books and paintings and fondly remembered by many residents today.
Art exhibitions were regularly held, including an event featuring Jeremy Barlow ROI, a highly acclaimed British artist. During his time in Penn he painted the barn in watercolour and this original piece still hangs in the barn today.
I purchased the barn from Paul and Mary in 2005 and converted the property into an office. We have thoroughly enjoyed operating here ever since, providing financial advice to many clients from Penn, Beaconsfield and surrounding areas.
In 2012 the property went through a dramatic visual change when the exterior colour was changed from white to black to give the building a new, improved look
Being in a lovely Chilterns location, this section of Elm Road has attracted the interest of many film crews and our barn has featured in a collection of TV programmes, including Midsomer Murders and Endeavour. In fact the last film set saw the barn converted to a 1950s post office and looking highly authentic (once the satellite dish was hidden!).
The building was extended in 2019 to provide more office space and although the project was delayed due to the discovery of an underground brick built well, the extension blended in perfectly and now looks like it has been here since the general store days.
All of fm’s staff commented that they feel very lucky to have Penn Barn as their workplace. Having the Red Lion pub next door also provides some essential sustenance at the end of a hard day’s work!
You can contact this blog at peter@pennandtylersgreen.com. It is scheduled to be next fully updated on 1 April.