This is what you have been writing to us about this week.

If you would like to submit a letter, email bfpletters@london.newsquest.co.uk or write to Bucks Free Press, Loudwater Mill, Station Road, Loudwater, HP10 9TY.

Water supply a concern

In BFP letters, August 16, was a letter from Anthony Mealing “Housing explosion’s effect on sewage system”.

I share his concerns but perhaps an even greater concern is the supply of clean water!

Most of our potable water in the Chilterns comes from the chalk aquifers.

Existing demand seems to exceed the capacity of the aquifers to replenish as witnessed by the lack of flow in the Hughenden and Hambleden Streams (both chalk streams dependant on adequate levels in the local aquifers).

How can it be possible to cater for all the additional demand when the existing supply is struggling ?

Added to this is the huge uncertainty of how the HS2 tunnel through part of the Chilterns will affect the aquifer(s).

Dave Scott, address withheld

Do travellers want to cooperate with us?

I feel that I must reply to the letter from Mary Simmons which featured as Letter of the Week in last week’s BFP (August 16).

In said letter, she states that we must cooperate and have understanding with the traveller community.

To an extent, she is quite correct in that we should have proper sites designated with proper facilities and running water that they could use but obviously this would cost a great deal of money so it would be a judicious idea if the travellers paid a fee whenever they stayed at the said sites.

In Wycombe District, for weeks now we have been plagued with travellers trespassing on land here (on no less than twelve separate sites!)

Some of this land has been privately owned whilst some has been owned by local authorities.

There was a large group of travellers on Desborough Park recreation ground. Whilst they were there, I took the opportunity to speak to a number of them.

It was immediately, abundantly clear that they had a massive chip on their shoulder to put it mildly all due to the days of Oliver Cromwell and the fact that he had invaded Ireland and murdered lots of innocent people whilst there.

I did try to point out that this highly regrettable chapter of history took place some four hundred years ago. The travellers’ response however was simply, 'Well, it's now payback time!'

The travellers on site subsequently split into two groups with one group descending upon Rose Avenue in Hazelmere whilst the other one settled on Booker Common (after illegally uprooting steel bollards to allow access!)

We were fairly fortunate on Booker Common in that the travellers here were fairly well behaved and as Mary Simmons stated, they did in fact attempt to clear up their own litter, placing it in plastic bags for the council to collect.

That was the case at least until the last full day they were on site when another dozen or so travellers caravans descended here from the Rose Avenue site.

Mary stated in her letter that as they (herself and the WI) were away for the day, she asked a traveller if they could look after her car for the duration of her absence. This seemed to me to be a very strange thing to do - to tell a complete stranger that one is going to be away for the day(!), however there would have been no problem with the cars on Booker Common at any rate, as there was a police presence maintained at all times at the location (due to the presence of the travellers!)

It was a different story however at Rose Avenue as the travellers there caused absolute chaos and mayhem.

It eventually took a very large (and costly!) police operation to remove the travellers from both sites.

When the travellers eventually left Booker Common there was about nine cubic metres of domestic rubbish left behind plus around a ton of builder’s debris on the Common itself which local residents cleared up.

Mary stated that we should seek to cooperate with the travellers - but do they really wish to cooperate with us is the big question?

When they arrive at chosen sites, they invariably gain entry via breaking and entering (which is both an illegal offence in itself and additionally very costly to repair - the bill fitted by we, the taxpayers and landowners!)

The main reason that the police were finally enabled to issue the Section 61 Eviction Notice on Booker Common was due to the state that the travellers left the woods in and on the public footpaths, which were covered with human excrement. The resulting malodorous stench was both abominable and overwhelming.

Several dog owners actually reported that before they could prevent them from doing so, their dogs had opted to roll in the filth - resulting in the owners having the decidedly grim task of washing them afterwards.)

One afternoon we had a meeting between myself, a traveller spokesman and the police.

The police pointed out that they had checked with Google and that there was a site at Aylesbury which could accommodate nearly forty caravans and which was at the time, completely empty.

When the relevant officer asked politely why the travellers didn't go there, the somewhat abrupt reply from the traveller was simply, 'Nah, we like it here.'(!)

So much for cooperation!

Cllr Brian Pearce, Booker and Cressex ward, Wycombe District Council

Thank you for your kind help

I AM a 97-year-old woman who had a fall on the hillside at Aston Rowant on Sunday, July 28.

I would like to tell the Good Samaritans who helped my son get me up and back to his car how very grateful I am.

Thank you so much.

Gwen Francis, Cookham

Town council argument is spot on

Hurrah for Willie Reid! His marvellous letter headed ’10 reasons for a town council’ in the Bucks Free Press of August 9 says it all. Thank you for publishing it.

J. Somerville, High Wycombe

Constituency needs a vote on MP

Dominic Grieve, MP for Beaconsfield was elected as a Tory representative supporting the Party’s manifesto, the Referendum and Article 50, the result of which he no longer supports.

In view of his wish for another referendum he shows that he does not support democracy except where it suits him. He disowns his own Party and is now supporting the Opposition in order to bring down a Tory Government, totally lacking all loyalty and integrity.

Is this the sort of man we want representing us in Westminster? Surely the time has come for the whole constituency to have a vote, not just the Tory party?

John Fagan, Fulmer

EU citizens are left in limbo

The citizens of the other EU countries who are living in the UK have now been in limbo for over 1000 days.

They face the prospect of having to apply for permission to stay in the own homes, with the possibility of being turned down - and the danger of Home Office mistakes.

Being married to a British citizen does not guarantee anything because Theresa May changed the rules on family immigration in 2012.

I have met Nicolas Hatton, who is one of the leaders of 'the3million' campaign group (please see their website, the3million.org.uk).

Nicolas Hatton has been able to get meetings with EU leaders such as Guy Verhofstadt MEP. At the same time, Hatton tried and failed to get a single meeting with David Davis.

Phil Jones, member of the European Movement UK, High Wycombe

Another important reason for a town council

RE: ’10 reasons for a town council’, Bucks Free Press letters page, August 9

Bravo Willie Reid. Let’s add an eleventh reason. The urgent need for the removal of the buddleia damaging and disfiguring Brunel’s magnificently breath-taking and immense wall at Wycombe Railway Station, linking Totteridge Road to ground level. In this century, the workmanship is irreplaceable.

D. Martin, High Wycombe

Speeding in my village is rife

I was thankful to the BFP for obtaining the latest figures regarding the amount of drivers caught for speeding on our county’s roads (Bucks Free Press, page 2, August 16). It is sad, but no surprise that this figure has increased so much, it pleases me that so many will be prosecuted for this unnecessary offence.

It seems the only time that drivers obey the speed limit is when they are confronted by a camera, they obviously don’t possess the intelligence and skill to operate their feet and eyes to operate the vehicles pedals and look at the speedometer and of course the large white and red signs that instruct us what the speed limit for that particular road is.

It is not a difficult task compared to some other aspects of propelling a motor vehicle so why do so many drivers insist on not doing it?

I have witnessed many times that drivers behind or in front of me take no notice when leaving or entering a different speed area yet when they were taught to drive (and I fear some out there never were!) they would have been told to be aware of all road signs that warn or give information about speed and hazards yet I’m sure never even bother to look.

Likewise all drivers should keep up to date with the Highway Code as laws change as does new technology that affects our vehicles.

Speeding on the highways is a mind-set thing, how many times are you overtaken by a speeding car only to pull up behind it at the next set of traffic lights, it then proceeds to accelerate rapidly away and lo and behold you’ll be behind them again some miles later, by so doing they not only present a danger to other road users and pedestrians but they invariably wind themselves up in frustration at trying to go faster.

Think about it, drive within the speed limit, be calm and don’t think you have to hurry, no need to dawdle but do not exceed the maximum speed for the road, yes the signs we read are the maximum allowed for that section of road, weather, road surface or many other things might mean you need to drive slower.

I live in the village of Hazlemere and speeding on the predominantly 30mph roads here is rife, I’m sure that most of these speeding motorists just never pay attention to what speed they are actually doing yet I’m sure they know a built up area is invariably 30 mph.

I feel very strongly for the case of compulsory retesting for all drivers at periodic times throughout their life, it’s a known fact that bad habits soon set in after passing, what really is only a very basic driving test.

I took my Advanced Driving Test in 1976 and have done several times since, now known as IAM Road Smart this charitable body exists to train and teach drivers to up their skills at the wheel and in turn make them much safer drivers, I enjoy every mile I drive thanks to their training and every mile I cover is always within the speed limit too, my need for speed is taken care of on a race circuit or a karting track, never a public road.

Driving a vehicle is a weapon if in the wrong hands and sadly thousands of people are killed and injured on our roads every year, a large percentage of road traffic crashes are caused by excess speed.

I frequently travel on motorways and at the legal 70mph the amount of vehicles that pass me well in excess of that is ridiculous, it is when they have to react to something they are at a loss as to what to do and at that speed it can only mean crashing - just take a look at the dash cam videos on You Tube, you’ll see hundreds of examples.

Roy Craig, Hazlemere