Former Councillor’s anger as areas of Waddesdon left to disrepair

Bec Small has called for more action from the county council and the local MP to tackle the issue.

In a Facebook post on Monday (January 19), Small expressed frustration over what she described as a lack of action to repair a damaged pedestrian island and lamppost in Waddesdon, an area now also affected by local flooding.

Small, who recently stepped down from the Parish Council, said “nothing is being done” to address the issue, despite MP Greg Smith visiting the site more than a year ago and promising improvements to pedestrian safety.

She said the island has still not been repaired properly, and continues to pose a risk to both pedestrians and motorists. Last summer, she claims, a piece of the damaged island struck her car as well as a police vehicle.

According to Small, issues are repeatedly logged for repair but little visible action follows.

In her post, she also highlighted ongoing concerns about damage linked to HS2 works in the area, saying it is often difficult to pursue accountability due to outsourcing by the project’s contractors. She added that recent flooding along the Greenway, where HS2 work is continuing, has contributed to wider concerns about infrastructure in Waddesdon.

Small said her inbox has been “overflowing” with messages from residents, but stressed that despite her efforts she is “just one person”.

She concluded by saying: “If things are to change, the headaches need to be directed to the right people, and Council MUST do better. Our MP MUST do better.”

She urged residents who share her concerns to contact their Unitary Councillors, Buckinghamshire Council, and EKFB Public Relations, which manages the HS2 project. You can see her social media post below.

In response, MP Greg Smith provided the following statement to Bucks Radio:

“I fully understand why residents are angry and frustrated about this issue. I know Buckinghamshire Council has made temporary repairs in that location and that full repair works are now being scheduled, but I accept that this has taken too long and that residents quite rightly expect better.

I have repeatedly raised HS2 and EKFB’s impact on local communities, pressing for accountability where damage has been caused and making clear that outsourcing cannot be used to dodge responsibility. It is not acceptable that issues logged months ago remain unresolved.

Highways safety sits with Buckinghamshire Council, but that does not mean I will ignore hazards that remain unfixed. Where defects and safety risks persist, I raise them directly with senior officers and will continue to do so.

I have consistently challenged development being imposed without the infrastructure to sustain it. I will keep pushing HS2, EKFB and Buckinghamshire Council to deliver real, visible improvements for residents.”

Bec Small's social media post in full:

A year ago this month I was stood on this pedestrian island as a Parish Councillor with our local MP, who gave his word to oversee Bucks County Council making our village pedestrians safe again after escalated wear and tear of our village.

The island had various temporary repairs and over Summer, the huge chunk that remains was knocked out by a HVG, hit my car and proceeded to roll under the car of our local policeman. It was reported at Unitary and PC level, and the Council confirmed the one person responsible for clean up was 'off at the moment'. Another patch up job was done, and I carried it out of the road and onto the Island. Over 6 months have passed and no clean up has been done.

I also oversaw the Greenway Iron Footbridge pass through in October ago overnight with a contracting company used on behalf of HS2... to record damage and direct impact... Any damage done cannot be taken up with EKFB because they outsourced. Our street light on another island was broken off, and again remains unfixed and left like this . Everything remains logged for fixing. Nothing is being done.

My inbox has been 'flooded' this weekend with regards to the state of our village and the Greenway floods, where the HS2 project continues. I'm no longer sat with Council because priorities of my own house need to come first, but I've never stopped losing heart over these 2 areas being put right. The below flooding is worse than ever because as I've said before, the pump set up has never been adequate, people will decide to go and project flood plains and water basins, AND eventually the area is due to be raised.

I am one person. There are many voices out there that could do better. At this point the issues are bigger than a PC and I. Unitary members and our local County Council are responsible for clubbing together and representing constituents. I registered as a ward Councillor back in May 2025 to tackle local issues with a big voice, and came close to helping at that level. If things are to change, the headaches need to be directed to the right people, and Council MUST do better. Our MP MUST do better.

It's our current Government's prerogative to override County Council in a bid to enhance housing and infrastructure for a growing population which they cannot sustain. That doesn't mean everyone at the bottom needs to roll over gently. If you are as passionate as I am, please press your Unitary Councillors, Bucks County Council, and EKFB Public Relations who manage the HS2 project. I've made the post public to share as I cannot deal with everything in my personal inbox.