Residents quiz councillors and one storms out at annual town meeting

He said: "I'm leaving, this is bo***cks, you're talking about flower displays and notice boards and you should be talking about incinerators and the core strategy."
Anthony Meaven, of Wattleton Road, complained that a neighbour had fenced off part of Mill Lane. He said: "It would appear that it's become part of their garden, and that effectively removes Mill Lane from public access. This isn't illegal, and it will pass by default to that occupying person if not challenged by the town council within a given period."
Councillor Alan Walters explained that the council had been trying since 2001 to establish who owns Mill Lane. He said the road was a magnet for anti social behaviour including dumping and this had been making residents' lives a misery. The owner had suggested that either the council intervene or that he put up a fence at his own expense, and because the council was not able to clear the land without knowing who owned it, it allowed the fence to be built.
John Glasson, of Beaconsfield Concerts, said the council had last year promised to pay for a notice board dedicated to the promotion of arts in the town, and asked why it had instead replaced its own existing noticeboard.
A man suggested: "There are plenty of empty shops in Beaconsfield. Have you considered talking to them about using a window?" to which Cllr Walters retorted that an arts board was essential, particularly if it had been discussed. He said a new town council notice board had been bought because Cllr Wilson "had said the old one was a bit tatty" and said he would push for funds to buy an arts board.
Dermot Cox of The Beaconsfield Society demanded to know what progress had been made since last year on getting a new crossing at Maxwell Road, and on persuading Waitrose to allow the general public to use their toilets.
He said: "I came here last year, I raised the issue, there was an action, what was the outcome? Do I have to wait another year? South Bucks originally provided public toilets, the town council didn't make Waitrose provide public toilets, therefore the town council has a responsibility to provide them."
Another resident called out: "Perhaps we should use the toilets at the motorway service station, they're the nearest."
Alan Walters said the council should look into asking pubs and restaurants to allow the public to use their toilets, in exchange for a fee from the town council.
Mayor Henry Wilson outlined the work the council had done over the past year. It has renovated recreation grounds at Holtspur Way and Malthouse Square, but regrettably had not had the funds to renovate the Garvin Avenue playground. Other achievements included the building a new traffic island on Grove Road, the putting up of a new town notice board outside WH Smith on Station Road, a new town newsletter, and agreement to fund a new CCTV camera at Mayflower Way, Holtspur, to cut anti-social behaviour.
The council has spent £33,000 on renovating the town hall roof, basement and balcony. Regrettably it has not found tenants for the first or second floors, but it has made £8,000 in fees including £3,000 from weddings, Councillor Wilson said. The council will have a budget of £257,407 in 2009-10.