The Chilterns Conservation Board have launched a survey on the Chilterns.  They want to hear from local organisations and members of the public about what they value about the Chilterns, what their concerns are and what the priorities should be for the future.  The survey will form part of their review of the Chilterns AONB Management Plan.  The link to the survey is here: www.surveymonkey.com/r/FutureOfTheChilterns.

Please see some photos of wintery scenes in the village.

The Christmas Lights event was very well attended, despite really cold conditions. Everyone gathered around the Norwegian Fir tree adjacent to the War Memorial. Soft drinks for the kids and warm mulled wine for the adults were served by councillors, along with mince pies and chocolate treats. Chesham Bois C of E Combined School children began the singing with ‘Bleak Midwinter’, followed by the children of Chestnut Lane Infant School, singing ‘Children of the World’. All the children were then invited to hang their homemade decorations on the tree. Then, after a countdown, the Christmas Tree lights were switched on.

Thank you to all the staff of Chestnut Lane and Chesham Bois Church of England schools, who came along on a bitterly cold afternoon to direct their school choirs.

We managed to acquire the Christmas Tree Farm’s largest tree, this year. As you can see, transporting the tree was no easy task! Fortunately, Councillor Heath provided his trailer and we transported the tree up the Amersham Road.

Transport for Bucks will be carrying out remedial road works on Hollow Way Lane, between Latimer Road and Bois Lane.  This part of the road will be closed  from 07:30 and 16:00hrs.

Management Plan for Chesham Bois Common and Woodlands

At the turn of the last century you could see across the Common from North Road to South Road; there were a few trees and some gorse but mainly grass. When grazing stopped saplings could grow and gradually trees self-seeded and the wooded area expanded, particularly with ash, sycamore and cherry until the appearance of the Common evolved into the one we know today.  But letting nature take its course brings some difficulties: the woods are too uniform in age and species structure to be resilient with a lot of crowded trees of a similar (old) age.  Ash, for example, has a normal lifespan of 100-150 years, wild cherry, 70-100 years, so a number of these are failing and the Parish Council has been clearing them individually. There is insufficient space or light for new growth in many areas.  The Forestry Commission recommends that sustainable management of woodlands is crucial to their long term future and that their social and environmental value can be improved gradually – the Parish Council share this view and in short we want to ensure that our unique Common and woods are not only still here for future generations but are also better and healthier.  With that in mind we have been working with experts from the Chilterns Woodland Project, a charity with the Chilterns Conservation Board, to devise a Management Plan for the next 10 years and beyond.

There are a number of key elements to our vision:

To improve the public amenity of the Common and woodlands for formal and informal recreation

To improve the health and resilience of the woodlands by diversifying age and species structure

To protect the Common’s aesthetic appeal

To continue to encourage biodiversity and protect wildlife

To ensure the safety of the public by removing dead and deteriorating trees

To encourage learning about the natural world

The strategy to achieve these aims proposes some thinning and selective felling in some areas in order to increase light levels and therefore encourage natural regeneration. A continuous cover approach is proposed so that the best trees are preserved and new growth for the future encouraged around them.  In some other areas of woodland owned by the Council, such as Bois Wood, which has not been managed for some time, it may be appropriate to fell a higher percentage of poor trees and the supplementary planting of native broadleaved trees may be needed.  The Chilterns are already threatened with ash dieback disease and some has been found on the Common already, so we must monitor and manage the health of our trees very carefully, otherwise a larger number may be lost.  We are already trying to control invasive species such as laurel and holly in our woods but in some areas we propose to maintain holly as a screen and as a valuable habitat.

The Council consider it vital to conserve the character of Chesham Bois Common; we do not wish it to become a parkland landscape, but we can enhance the woodland in many ways whilst ensuring its long term viability. All of this work needs to be within the financial constraints of the Parish and the Management Plan will first have to be approved by the Forestry Commission and Chiltern District Council.  More details will be available on the Parish Council website and we are inviting your feedback and opinions.

Bucks County Council are carrying out a public consultation on the future of the mobile library services. They are proposing to discontinue the current service as of May 2018 and replace it with community-based options.   For more information Click Here

They are asking all residents to let them have their views on the proposals.   There is a survey to complete on tinyurl.com/bucksmobile or  views could be emailed to library@buckscc.gov.uk.  The closing date for the consultation is 31st December 2017