Thames Valley Police is appealing for witnesses following a burglary on Cheddington Road between 11am and 1pm on Thursday (14/3).

Offenders attempted to force the front door of a house but were unsuccesful. They then smashed the rear patio door to enter the house and stole jewellery.

If you have CCTV or dash-cam footage from the area between 11am and 1pm or if you saw or heard anything suspicious please get in touch.
You can contact us using the online form on our website or by calling 101, quoting reference number 43190078616. Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

To reduce your risk of becoming a victim of burglary, follow these steps when leaving your home.
• close and lock all your doors and windows, even if you’re only going out for a few minutes
• double-lock any door
• make sure that any valuables are out of sight
• keep handbags away from the letterbox or cat flap and hide all keys including car keys, as a thief could hook keys or valuables through even a small opening
• never leave car documents or ID in obvious places such as kitchens or hallways
• in the evening, shut the curtains and leave lights on
• if you’re out all day, then it’s advisable to use a timer device to automatically turn lights and a radio on at night
• set your burglar alarm
• make sure the side gate is locked
• lock your shed or garage

Message Sent By
Mel Reedman (Police, Communications Officer, Thames Valley)

23 March, 7.30am-10am FREE entry to the gardens and New Inn visitor centre

Support our Head Gardener Barry Smith as he begins his 129 mile march at 9.30am on 23 March from the Palladian Bridge at Stowe to the one at Prior Park, Bath.

Arrive early to help us send him off in style and entry to the gardens will be free of charge if you arrive before 10am.

For centuries Stowe Gardens has inspired poets, artists, its owners and now our Head Gardener Barry Smith who has dedicated his life to Stowe Gardens. Barry will be walking 129 miles to the Bath Prior Park Palladian Bridge to help restore Stowe forever for everyone.

Celebrating The Start of the Palladian Way Walk:

Date:                     Saturday 23^rd March 2019

Timings:               Entrance to the gardens between 7:30am and 10am is free

Barry’s Charity Breakfast at New Inn 7:30 – 8:15am please book ahead by calling 01280 817156.

Wave Barry off at 9:30am from the Palladian Bridge at Stowe to Aynho

Venue:                 National Trust Stowe, New Inn Farm, Buckingham, Buckinghamshire, MK18 5EQ

Car Parking:        Free all day

Stowe has been a visitor attraction for over 300 years offering fantastic walks along with amazing views across the gardens, temples and monuments.  National Trust Stowe looks forward to welcoming you or members of your community for an early dog walk, run or a family day out.

The funds raised will go a long way to ensuring everyone can enjoy this special place for years to come. We’re looking for people to dig deep and help Barry reach his £5,000 target.

To donate, please visit: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/BarrySmith38

A word from Barry:
“Those who know me understand how much Stowe means to me and so I wanted to step up to the plate, challenge myself and get fit all at the same time.”

Buckingham, MK18 5EQ | Telephone 01280 817156 Registered Charity: 205846

On Saturday 30^th March the new accessible National Paralympic Heritage Centre will be opened at Stoke Mandeville Stadium, the birthplace of the Paralympic Movement.

Telling the story of the Paralympic Movement, the Heritage Centre showcases objects, documents and memorabilia including tickets, medals, sports kit, photographs and programmes that were previously held in storage and not available to the general public. The Heritage Centre also incorporates interactive displays, videos and a handling collection, highlighting sports unique to the Paralympics such as goalball and boccia.

The Paralympic Movement began in the late 1940s at Stoke Mandeville Hospital where Professor Sir Ludwig Guttmann encouraged wounded veterans to play sport as an aid to rehabilitation from spinal injury. This led to local competitions, to the Stoke Mandeville Games and to the Paralympic Games which today attracts international support and a global broadcast audience of more than 4 billion.

The National Paralympic Heritage Centre will celebrate and explore this unique history. The displays illustrate the determination, sportsmanship and vision that gave the world the Paralympic Games including:

• The life and work of Professor Sir Ludwig Guttmann.
• Key milestones in the journey from the 1948 Stoke Mandeville Games

to the present day Paralympic Games.

• The development of wheelchair sports and technical innovations.
• Paralympic ceremonies.

This inspirational project would not be possible without the support of the British Paralympic Association, WheelPower – British Wheelchair Sport, Aylesbury Vale District Council and Buckinghamshire County Council. With grant aid from the Heritage Lottery Fund, AIM Biffa Award ‘History Makers’ Programme, Rothschild Foundation, Aylesbury Vale Community Chest, Heart of Bucks and the Wellcome Trust. The local community, who played an integral part in the establishment of the Paralympic Movement, continue to help by sharing their stories and volunteering as Ambassadors at the National Paralympic Heritage Centre.

Sir Philip Craven, Honorary President of the NPHT, said: “My first recollection of Stoke Mandeville was from the 1967 National Games when as a 17-year-old I saw wheelchair basketball being played outdoors and thus dependent on the weather. Looking back, I recall a small area of not too attractive land sandwiched between the back of a large hospital and a railway embankment. To think that this is where the unique Paralympic sporting spirit was born fuelled by the human energy of the athletes, coaches and volunteers. To know now that this fiery furnace of positive human energy will be remembered forever makes me very happy”.

Nigel Purse, Chairman of the NPHT, said: “Sports heritage has a wide appeal to the British public and with the support of our funders and founding partners we are able to celebrate the story of Professor Sir Ludwig Guttmann and the development of the Paralympic Movement where it all began at Stoke Mandeville.  As well as protecting the unique heritage that could so easily be lost, the real satisfaction will be to share the inspiration behind the Paralympic heritage sport stories which are ‘life changing’.”

At its meeting on 12 March, Aylesbury Vale District Council (AVDC) Cabinet recommended an increase in the maximum New Homes Bonus (NHB) micro grant from £1,000 to £2,000, effective from 1 April 2019.

Since the scheme launched in September 2017, 60 town and parish councils and community groups have benefitted from these micro grants, using the funds for a variety of purposes such as, village hall refurbishments or the purchase of sports equipment.

Micro grants are funded from the existing 20% NHB allocation set aside for town and parish councils, and in the last two financial years, this represented £80,000 per annum. The total amount available in 2019/20 will remain at £80,000.

Micro grants are open to applications from across the district, unlike larger project grants – which are only open to town and parish councils in areas affected by growth. All awarded grants are listed on AVDC’s website.

Speaking after the Cabinet decision, Cllr Angela Macpherson, Leader of AVDC, said:

“New Homes Bonus micro grants are clearly appreciated, especially by smaller parishes and voluntary organisations, and provide valuable benefits to local communities. We have kept the application process as simple as possible and by making awards on a monthly basis, groups can approach us throughout the year, as and when the need arises.”

Kaya Mallinder, Fundraising and Communications Officer at Buckinghamshire Mind, commented:

“We were awarded a £1,000 micro grant from AVDC in May 2018, which we used to purchase suitable chairs for our counselling rooms in Aylesbury. Given our experience with the scheme, I’d have no hesitation in recommending it to other local community groups – especially now that the amount been raised to a maximum of £2,000.”

To find out more about the scheme, town and parish councils or representatives of community organisations should go to www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/newhomesbonus or contact the Grants Officer, Jan Roffe, at jroffe@aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk.

Applications from community organisations must be endorsed by their local town or parish council, and the closing date for applications is the 15th of each month.

This is to confirm that Hertfordshire County Council’s admission arrangements for 2020/21 were determined at Cabinet on 18 February 2019. The arrangements are now published on their website at the following link:

Hertfordshire County Council’s school admission arrangements for 2020/21

6 to 18 April

Due to works in Ivinghoe by Anglian Water, bus services will need to divert.

Passengers are advised that the nearest served stops are as follows:

Service 61 / 61A: After serving Pitstone ‘Playing Fields’ stop, buses will divert via Vicarage Road and vice versa.

167 (Tuesday only): Services will start / terminate at ‘Albion Road’ stop in Pitstone

164: 6:20am service will terminate at the Pitstone ‘Playing Fields’ stop

50 (Sunday only): After serving the ‘College Lake Nature Reserve’ stop in Marsworth, buses will divert via Vicarage Road and then serve the ‘Playing Fields’ stop in Marsworth.

Please note works are subject to change at short notice.

 Keep up to date on our Service Disruption page at: www.buckscc.gov.uk/travelinfo

BCC will be displaying notices at affected shops and asking bus operators to display notices in their buses.

School buses are not affected as these works are during the school easter holidays.

Buckinghamshire County Council’s Cabinet agreed a series of changes to the county’s Household Recycling Centre (HRCs) service in January 2019. A public consultation about possible changes ran in Autumn 2018 for 8 weeks and received over 6,000 responses. For more information you can see the full decision report and associated documents or view the cabinet meeting webcast.

Key changes which start on 1 April 2019, are:

• all sites will introduce charges for non-household waste
• Aylesbury (Rabans Lane), Burnham, and Chesham household recycling centres will close 2 days a week on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
• Bledlow Household Recycling Centre will permanently close

The changes will make important cost savings that the council’s budget requires. They will also make sure that Buckinghamshire residents, as a whole, experience as little change as possible when using their local recycling centre.

New charges for non-household waste

From 1 April 2019 you will be charged for disposing of non-household waste items such as, bags of rubble, kitchen units, fence panels etc.

Read about what constitutes chargeable waste and how much this will cost.

Weekday closures

Aylesbury (Rabans Lane), Burnham, and Chesham household recycling centres will close 2 days a week on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Read more about why they were chosen and alternative sites.

Bledlow household recycling centre closure

Bledlow Household Recycling centre will permanently close at 4pm on Sunday 31 March 2019.

Read about why this site is closing and alternative sites.

BefrienderPosterV4

Representatives from Luton Airport will be at the Local Area Forum being held at Ivinghoe Town Hall this Thursday from 7pm if any members of the public wish to attend and ask questions.

The February 2019 edition of Our News is out now.

In it we reveal the theme of this year’s Neighbourhood Watch Week in June. We also report from the pre-launch of a new NW force association that will cover the West Midlands and we round up the national media coverage in recent weeks since we challenged portrayals of our members in the media.

All this and more in the latest edition of Our News.

Please find the newsletter attached or download it form our website here: https://www.ourwatch.org.uk/new-issue-of-our-news-now-out/

The role of Local Area Forums is to strengthen local democratic accountability by empowering locally elected councillors to take decisions, shape and influence service delivery and Council priorities in the local community area.

Membership includes County, District and Parish Councillors and representatives from the Police, Health Authority and other organisations.   Local people are encouraged to participate, and there will be time set aside at each meeting for public questions.

The next Local Area Forum meeting is being held at Ivinghoe Town Hall, so is a perfect opportunity for local residents to attend and put their questions to BCC.

The agenda can be found here: https://democracy.buckscc.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=624&MId=12321&Ver=4

and includes:

• Luton Airport Expansion – staff will be on hand to answer your queries
• updates from Thames Valley Police, Transport for Bucks, Bucks County Council and Aylesbury Vale District Council
• A local priorities updates

(Please note that BCC will hold a separate public meeting to discuss proposals for Brownlow Bridge at a future date and therefore this topic will not be covered at this LAF meeting.  Due to the very large amount of correspondence the council has received regarding this matter, transport officers are currently considering very carefully the views expressed and all aspects of the issue are being explored.)

Learn to Nordic Walk

This activity is aimed at inspiring you to get fitter and is specifically for older adults or if you are currently inactive.  These walks include exercises that will help with flexibility, balance and strength whilst using poles to improve general fitness and increase joint mobility.

Every Thursday from 7 February.   £4 per session.  2-3pm.  For 24 weeks.

Meet at Pitstone Memorial Hall, Vicarage Road, Pitstone, LU7 9EY.

All equipment provided

For more information contact Karen Lem

Email: karen@vivo-shapehealthlife.co.uk

www.ridgewaynordicwalking.co.uk

Tel: 07766 366388

Road Closure. Ivinghoe High Street. Due to water leak repairs. Could be closed for a week. Water will probably be turned off later today until repaired maybe just overnight.
Will affect most of Ivinghoe and probably all of Pitstone

Closure requested from 7-13/2/19

No emergency vehicle or bus access through closure.

Diversion route:

By spring 2019 there will be a brand new Paralympic Heritage Centre of 54sqm situated within Stoke Mandeville Stadium, close to the entrance and café. It will tell the story of Paralympic movement starting with its pioneer Dr Guttmann, followed by a timeline, the technical development of sports wheelchairs, celebrations and ceremonies and an area devoted to changing displays selected by the public from our growing collections. To enhance the visitor experience we wish to purchase a range of items and develop a range of activities that will enable our public to learn more and leave with a level of understanding about what makes a good inclusive society. We aim to make everything accessible, meeting a wide range of needs . Volunteers will be recruited to support this area of activity including the building of relationships with many communities, local schools, deaf and disabled groups.

What we’ll deliver:

• 2 iPads for exploring additional information in more depth
• An online tour of the Centre to help people with autism prepare for a visit, or the housebound to visit virtually
• Purchase of sports wheelchair parts for technology exploration
• Activity sheets design and print
• A handling collection that relates to Dr Guttmann’s experience of being a war refugee
• A handling collection that relates to equipment used in different summer Paralympic sports
• A handling collection that relates to equipment used in different winter Paralympic Sports
• An audio visual display that shows how the sports wheelchair has evolved.
• Makaton software to enable greater access for people with learning needs and talking cans for visually impaired
• Seating and tables for resting and handling items

Why it’s a great idea:

The Paralympic Movement is a story with unique British involvement; there is nothing comparable to it. As well as showing how disability sport has developed it also captures and tells the story of the prowess, courage and endeavour of hundreds of individual athletes over its 65-year history. It starts with the story of Dr Ludwig Guttmann, a German Jewish refugee, his success in keeping spinally injured people not only alive but also fit and active shows that one man can literally ‘change the world’. The athletes within the story are powerful and inspiring role models for people from all walks of life. They also provide particular resonance for the ten million disabled people in the UK who have very few ‘celebrity’ or ‘historical’ role models to refer to. The UK has continued to play a key leadership role in the development of the Paralympic movement, However, further attitudinal shift is still required with disabled people still experiencing societal barriers and discrimination.

Steps to get it done:

• Purchase of furniture – End March 2019
• Purchase of iPads – End March 2019
• Commissioning of virtual display and audio – Early April 2019
• Purchase of sports wheelchair parts – End March 2019
• Purchase of items for Refugee handling collection – End March 2019
• Purchase of items for summer sport handling collection – April 2019
• Purchase of items for winter sports handling collection – May 2019
• Audio Visual for technological development of the sports wheelchair
• Makaton software – Early March 2019
• Talking tins for audio description – May 2019
• Activity sheets design and print

The interest from the general public in Britain in the Paralympic Games has grown enormously since London 2012 and engendered an interest in sports heritage. The national Cultural Olympiad project, ‘Our Sporting Life’, of which Stoke Mandeville was a part, included over one hundred exhibitions attracting over a million visitors in the run up to 2012. This, alongside the outcome of our extensive audience development work inspires confidence that an audience is ready and waiting to hear this story. Local pride has generated interest in the history of the Paralympic movement in and around the area where it began in Buckinghamshire and, evidenced through several local Cultural Olympiad projects involving the public and many local schools with the story, alongside on going audience development research in 2015-2018. The National Paralympic Heritage Trust was incorporated as a company limited by guarantee and registered with the Charity Commissioners as a Charity in July 2015

Link to Crowdfunding page: https://www.spacehive.com/paralympic-heritage-centre

For the quarterly updates from County Councillor Anne Wight, and District Councillors Derek Town and Sandra Jenkins, please follow the link to Issue 119 of PPP:

Pitstone Parish Post Issue 119

Updates include:

• changes to local government in Buckinghamshire
• AVDC comments, compliments and complaints policy
• AVDC car parking strategy
• Remembrance Sunday
• Brexit
• Transport for Bucks update
• Brownlow Bridge weight limit proposals
• Time to Change Champion
• NPHT Update and Heritage Centre

Unfortunately, the adverse weather conditions are making all recycling and waste collections dangerous. As such, we’ve reluctantly decided to cancel collections for today, Friday 1 February. This means that today’s collections will be rescheduled to Monday 4 February, and all of next week’s collections will be a day later than usual

If the weather gets worse there’s a chance we may have to revise the collection times again, but we are hopeful that we’ll be able to stick to the schedule shown in the image below.

Please help us spread the word by sharing this post and talking to your friends, family and neighbours in Aylesbury Vale.

We apologise for any inconvenience.

Inform January 2019-1

The latest update from London Luton Airport is available by clicking the link.  This edition includes updates on passenger numbers, noise monitoring, airspace change update, Department for Transport Green Paper on new avaiation strategy and public surgeries.

Please note that their Noise Monitoring Program will be in Pitstone in October/November 2019.  If you are interested in hosting their equipment for 6-8 weeks, you are able to email them with your details.  (See bottom of second page.)

DIC poster V3 (1)

The Dignity In Care Awards celebrate outstanding examples of how carers demonstrate dignity and respect across Buckinghamshire.

We want YOU to nominate individuals, teams and organisations that have gone above and beyond to support you, your family or friends in a way that promotes dignity, respect and wellbeing.

Full information here: https://www.buckscc.gov.uk/services/care-for-adults/dignity-in-care-awards-2019/

Local cafe & catering firm, CuriosiTea, has set up a new home delivery service for fresh, home cooked meals.  Whilst we don’t normally share commercial business information, we are are letting residents know about this new local service as it may be a valuable service for some of our residents.  With the bad winter weather coming, some of our more vulnerable or elderly residents may not be able to get to the shops as easily and may find this service particularly useful.

If you know someone local who may benefit from a home cooked meal and a local person to check that they are ok, you might like to consider passing the information along to them or getting in touch with Hayley at CuriosiTea.

🚨 APPEAL 🚨

Officers are appealing for witnesses following a serious injury collision in Slapton, Aylesbury Vale.

At 8am on Wednesday a black Hyundai Coupe was travelling on the B488 Horton Road when it was involved with a collision with a pedestrian near Willow Park.

Footpath 2 Jan 19 Closure

We understand from Bucks County Council that BOAT (Byway Open to All Traffic) number 2 (which runs alongside the brook next to Brookmead school) and part of public footpath number 2 (the section through the new houses) will be closed from 7 January 2019 to allow for the surface to be upgraded.  Works are estimated to be complete by mid-February.

Alternative access will be available via the normal path on Williamson Way, Rushendon Furlong and then B489/Marsworth Road.

Any queries should be directed to alempkowski@buckscc.gov.uk.

Aylesbury Vale District Council (AVDC) is encouraging residents to make the most of their recycling bins this Christmas and to be aware that over the festive period all Aylesbury Vale households will be affected by revised waste collection dates.

Over the festive season households generate around 30% more waste, so it’s even more important to reduce, reuse and recycle. As most of the extra waste created at Christmas can be recycled, AVDC will collect extra recycling if it is presented in a clear bag or cardboard box next to your recycling bin on collection day.

So at a time when your home is overflowing with wrapping paper, boxes and empty bottles of festive fizz, please help us by filling your blue-lidded recycling bin with; Christmas cards and crackers (without the snap), paper hats, non-glittery wrapping paper, chocolate boxes, gift packaging and all the usual items you regularly recycle. If in any doubt over which items can and cannot be recycled, check out the online Waste Wizard: https://www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/section/recycling-and-waste

Residents who have subscribed to AVDC’s garden waste collection service can put natural Christmas trees, wreaths, holly and mistletoe in their brown garden waste bin. Remember to remove any decorations and cut the tree down to smaller, manageable pieces first. Garden waste collections will recommence from Monday 28 January 2019. If you are not subscribed to AVDC’s garden waste collection service you can still recycle your Christmas tree by taking it to a local recycling and waste centre. Find your nearest centre and its opening times here: https://www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/section/recycling-and-waste

Your revised Christmas bin collection dates can be seen here:

The latest news on any further changes to bin collections due to unforeseen circumstances, such as inclement weather, can be found on the AVDC website or on its Facebook page and on Twitter.

AVDC is making progress towards a final version of the Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan, after the independent Planning Inspector who assessed it during the summer gave his response to the council’s comments on his Interim Findings.

Following the issuing of his Interim Findings in August, which set out areas where further work was needed to make the plan ‘sound’, the Inspector agreed to consider a number of comments from the council about the issues he’d raised; he has now supplied his response to these comments.

Amongst the content in this document is an acceptance from the Planning Inspector that the Oxford-Cambridge Corridor should not affect the housing figure used in the VALP, as AVDC had suggested. The Inspector has also asked the council to suggest what adjustments should be made to matters such as migration and housing affordability which affect the calculation of housing need in the Aylesbury Vale.

The council will now take these matters into account in producing modifications to the plan, and it will be offering the public a chance to give their views on these latest changes. The timetable for this further work, the consultation and the next phases of the work to progress VALP to adoption will be published as soon as it has been confirmed.

Cllr Carole Paternoster, AVDC’s Cabinet Member for Growth Strategy, said: “VALP will be crucial in shaping the future development of the Aylesbury Vale and ensuring its ability to respond to future needs of residents, communities and businesses alike. We are pleased to receive the Inspector’s latest response and to see that he has agreed with our assessment of the impact of the Oxford-Cambridge Corridor on housing numbers. We are investigating the issues he has raised, so we can continue to progress the plan.”

Anyone interested in reading the Planning Inspector’s latest response in full will find the document (called Discussion Document D5 – Acting on Interim Findings) on the council’s website at www.avylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/discussion-documents-main-modifications. The Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan and other related documents can also be found on the website.

The Ivinghoe Neighbourhood Plan Referendum took place on the 6 December 2018. The result of the referendum was 137 votes ‘yes’ out of 186 Votes cast (73.6% ‘Yes’). The Turnout was 24.5% of the electorate. The plan will in due course be ‘made’ by AVDC.

If you click the word “result” above, it will take you to the AVDC page with the breakdown of the voting.

The policy that guides the allocation of social housing in Bucks is changing due to alterations in government legislation and increasing demand for social and affordable properties to rent – and Bucks Home Choice is asking people for their views on the plans.

Bucks Home Choice is a partnership of Aylesbury Vale, Chiltern, South Bucks and Wycombe District Councils. Officers manage the Housing Register through Bucks Home Choice, where applicants are prioritised according to their needs and circumstances and placed in different housing ‘bands’. In addition, Vale of Aylesbury Housing also works closely with AVDC to manage applications in the Aylesbury Vale.

The proposed changes are designed to prioritise accommodation to those who need it most and make the best possible use of the housing stock available. The partnership wants to prevent people and families at the highest risk from becoming homeless. Some groups will now have greater priority than before and others will be classified as lower priority.

Cllr Mark Winn, AVDC’s Cabinet Member for Communities, said: “Faced with the huge demand for social and affordable housing in Bucks, we have decided to look again at how we identify those in greatest need. We have worked hard to create what we think are simple, fair and transparent rules, ones which should help anyone applying to the Housing Register to understand their realistic prospects. By making more efficient use of the housing stock we plan to cut down on the use of emergency or temporary accommodation for applicants who are actually homeless.

“I’m urging you to have a look at what we are suggesting and give your comments, so we can do the best job possible with the available housing, in a very challenging situation where demand is increasing all the time.”

Bucks Home Choice wants to hear from residents, those on or applying to the Housing Register, Registered Providers of social housing, community groups, those providing support and those with an interest in how housing is allocated across Buckinghamshire. The consultation can be found at www.buckshomechoice.org.uk and runs until 5.15pm on Monday 7 January 2019.

Thank you to all the residents that volunteered to help Santa this year.  Rennie Grove Hospice are pleased to confirm that they are able to visit on 17th December (around Castlemead) and 18th December (around the rest of the village).  Below you will find the route maps for each date.   Please be aware that Santa’s sleigh needs lots of space to turn around and we have many cul-de-sacs and tight roads in Pitstone, so whilst Santa will try his best, he may not be able to pass right by your door.  Santa hopes to set off at about 5.45pm and won’t be out later than 8.15pm as he needs his rest before Christmas Eve.

Santa Float Pitstone Village 181218

Santa Float Pitstone-Castlemead 171218

If you would like to find out more about the amazing work of Rennie Grove, please visit the website:  https://www.renniegrove.org/

Please provide a donation when Santa visits, if you are able, to help fund their vital work.

unitary Statement from the four Bucks district councils re the new unit…

County councillors have today launched their annual Christmas present appeal to help Buckinghamshire’s vulnerable children and young people.

The annual appeal, now in its fourth year, is being led by Paul Irwin, Deputy Cabinet Member for Transportation and Mark Shaw, Deputy Council Leader & Cabinet Member for Transportation.

Residents, staff from across the County Council and county councillors are invited to donate Christmas presents throughout December for disadvantaged and vulnerable children across the county. The donated presents will then be wrapped and handed over to deserving children and young people by members of the Council’s Children’s Services teams in time for Christmas.

Supporting the Council’s appeal this year is the congregation of Aylesbury’s Salvation Army Church as well as a number of other local organisations and businesses.

Paul Irwin said: “I’m so thrilled that we are running the Christmas present appeal again – it’s honestly one of the best things I get to do all year! I know how much everyone at the Council wants to help local vulnerable children and young people, and I’ve seen for myself what a difference it makes to so many families.

“The response from local organisations and businesses has been overwhelming and we would like to thank them all for the help and support they have given us.”

Warren Whyte, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said: “It’s fantastic to know that at such a hectic time of year, our staff and councillors pull together to help make other families’ Christmas that little bit better. Thank you in advance to everyone who brings in a present; it will really make a big difference to the children and young people we work with.”

Please drop off your gift, unwrapped, to County Hall Reception in Aylesbury before the 13th of December, to allow staff time to check and wrap them.  You are welcome to donate anything suitable for girls or boys from babies to 18 years.

Local Government Reorganisation

The Secretary of State, James Brokenshire, has decided that a brand new county-wide unitary council will be established in Buckinghamshire.The announcement by Secretary of State James Brokenshire has been hailed as a ‘truly historic day’ by County Council leader Martin Tett.

The new council, which will replace the county council and four districts, will be simpler, better value and more local to Buckinghamshire communities than the current two-tier system, ultimately moving to a more sustainable future for the county.

Services which complement one another but are currently divided between the district and county councils such as bin collections, waste disposal, planning and roads, would be brought together under the single unitary council, resulting in more efficient, joined-up services for residents.

The Secretary of State said in his statement: “Having assessed both proposals against the criteria that we announced to the House on 28 February 2017 (PQ 65271), I have concluded that whilst both proposals meet the criterion for a “good deal of local support”, only the proposal for a single unitary council satisfies the criteria for “improving local government” and for “being a credible geography” and that in any event the proposal for a single unitary council is better able to meet the criteria overall.

“Accordingly, I am today announcing that I have decided to implement, subject to Parliamentary approval, the locally-led proposal to replace the existing five councils across Buckinghamshire – the two tier structure of Buckinghamshire County Council and the district councils of Aylesbury Vale, Chiltern, South Bucks and Wycombe – by one new single unitary district council, and that I have decided not to implement the proposal for two new unitary councils.”

The full statement of the Secretary of State can be found at this link:

https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2018-11-01/HCWS1058/

 Remembrance Day Services and Events

 I was very honoured to have been able to attend the Remembrance Day services at Ivinghoe and Pitstone this year, where I laid wreaths to remember all those who fell in the service of Buckinghamshire.   It was lovely to see such support for the events to commemorate the Centenary of the Armistice, both in Ivinghoe Division and throughout the entire nation.  I found the services poignant and moving, and I was especially grateful for lovely curry lunch which was provided by Royal British Legion in Pitstone after the services for all those who attended.

Brownlow Bridge Update

As you may know, the Brownlow Bridge in Ivinghoe was badly damaged last spring by a van and was subsequently repaired by the Canal and River Trust.  The C&RT stated it was their view that the bridge should have an 18 tonne weight limit put on it going forward, which would mean HGVs would be unable to use the bridge and would need to use alternate routes.   This would have the effect of mitigating some of the HGV traffic through Horton and Ivinghoe on the B488 and Pitstone coming down the B489.

After much discussion and bridge loading analyses, Transport for Bucks has agreed the C&RT weight limit for the bridge in the short term, and is in the process of issuing a TTRO to limit the maximum weight on the bridge to 18 tonnes.   However, they are also currently analyzing the traffic diversion effects for local businesses and residents, and so in the longer term it remains to be seen whether they will propose any alternative arrangements going forward.

Anglian Water Works in Ivinghoe

A road closure for the junction of the B488 and B489 by the church in Ivinghoe had been planned for the end of January.  These works are necessary to place a meter on the main water service for the village to monitor leaks in the future. However, due to concerns raised by an Ivinghoe parish councillor regarding timing of this work in conjunction with the current diversions in place in Pitstone, the works are now being moved to the school summer holidays, and planned to take place from the end of July for approximately ten working days.

Final confirmation of these works will follow in the coming months, at which time I can provide more information to PPC regarding diversion routes.

Bucks County Council Christmas Present Appeal

The BCC Christmas present appeal for children in care across the county is due to be launched next week.  Cllr Paul Irwin will be launching the appeal on behalf of all our children in care.  The appeal has been well supported in previous years and has made a real difference to our looked after children, for many of whom Christmas can otherwise be a very difficult time.  If you would like to help with present donations, the deadline is 17 December, to allow for staff to wrap them before Christmas.  I will send more information through after the official launch of the appeal next week.

The latest edition of the e:newsletter from London Luton Airport has been published:

Inform October 2018 NEW

As many of you will now be aware, there was a fire at the hay barn beyond Pitstone Green Farm at the weekend.

The fire service has now handed the site back to the National Trust.  The fire continues to smoulder and will remain hot for several days.  The barn has suffered substantial damage and there is a risk of a serious collapse.  The asbestos roofing on the barn has exploded as a result of the fire and there is debris covering a substantial area. Whilst the risk from the asbestos is low, it will require specialist clear up and removal.

National Trust have erected temporary fencing around the barn and padlocked the gate that leads from the Pitstone Green Farm into the Windmill fields.  There is no right of way between the farm and the fields. It is essential that people DO NOT try and go to look at the damage.

This incident is being treated as a crime.  If anyone has any information that may help  identify who is responsible for this act, we would be most grateful if they would call it in to the police on 101.  The crime reference number associated with this incident is 43180351690.

BVCL 100 CLUB
Now in its 5th Year!
Come and join our many prizewinners and help to support your local Library. Three guaranteed cash prizes every month!
Why not pick up a pack at the Library in Ivinghoe? Or email treasurer@bvcl.org.uk for further details and an online application form.

Beacon Villages Community Library
Run by the community, for the community
www.bvcl.org.uk
General enquiries: info@bvcl.org.uk 01296 387890
Committee enquiries: secretary@bvcl.org.uk

Opening times:
Tuesday 2pm – 5pm
Wednesday 10am – 12pm
Thursday 2pm – 5pm
Friday 2pm – 7pm
Saturday 10am – 1pm

Every year, Rennie Grove Hospice Care bring their Santa Float to Pitstone, bringing seasonal cheer to our residents and raising vital funds for the hospice.

This year, the scheduled dates are:

Mon 17 Dec – Pitstone 1 (starts Westfield & Corfe Road)

Tues 18 Dec  – Pitstone 2 (starts Cheddington Road / Marsworth Rd)

As always, these lovely events can only take place if enough local volunteers are willing to walk around the village with the float, carrying out the door-to-door collections.

If you are willing to be a helper (elves) please email Alison Parker at Rennie Grove on : Alison.parker@renniegrove.org

Thank you.

This year the Friends of Pitstone Church will be holding their third Christmas Memory Tree event.

As both previous ones have been dogged by bad weather, the event will take place on two Sundays, the 2nd and 9th December, 12 to 4pm.

The choir will be singing at 3pm on 2nd.

Come and visit the church to include someone you like to remember on our tree, enjoy the decorated church and sample our mulled wine and mince pies.

A warm welcome is promised to all.

Donations will be welcome towards the upkeep of our beautiful church.

This Christmas why not support your local Scouts and save yourself some time posting Christmas cards around the villages by using the Scout Christmas post instead?

You can buy the special Scout stamps from St Marys Christmas Market on 17 November and then from local retailers.  Stick them on your cards and post them in one of our many special post boxes dotted around the villages.

The Scouts will ensure that all cards posted by the ‘last post’ (5pm on Friday 14 December) will be delivered across the weekend of 15 and 16 December 2018.

Look out for the posters, check their facebook page (1st Ivinghoe & Pitstone Scout Group) and village web sites for more information.

BCC have just advised that Stocks Road will be closed from 8-12/11/18 for carriageway repairs.

Please use Northfield Road to access Aldbury during this period.

More information from NHS on the flu vaccine is available here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/flu-influenza-vaccine/

Help protect yourself and your family.  Vaccines are available in the village via your GP or via the Windmill Pharmacy in Ivinghoe.  If you don’t qualify for a free vaccine, they are available at a cost of £10 from the pharmacy, where no appointment is necessary – just pop in.

I am writing with great enthusiasm to inform you that the new Draft AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) Management Plan is open for public consultation and we would welcome both you and your residents thoughts on how you think the AONB should best be cared for and looked after.

The new Plan covers a range of issues from biodiversity and wildlife conservation to looking after the special character of the Chilterns villages, managing access and recreation and helping local businesses to thrive.  You might be concerned about climate change or the loss of hedgerow trees, perhaps it’s the impact of housing and infrastructure development or the loss of wildlife due to poor condition of chalk streams. If you have particular concerns about the area or ideas for how best to protect it and use it, we want you to have your say.

• The draft Plan can be viewed, and any comments submitted at: https://www.chilternsaonb.org/management-plan-review
• The deadline for feedback is 31 December

It is also worth noting that if you only have a few minutes to spare, you don’t have to read the entire document. We’d particularly like to hear peoples thoughts on the Vision and General Policies set out on pages 15-18 of the Plan. Any feedback people are able to provide would be welcomed.

Bucks County Council announcement:

AVDC, and the other district councils, announcement:

We are disappointed that the Secretary of State, James Brokenshire, has announced he is supporting a new single unitary district council that will cover the whole of Buckinghamshire, excluding Milton Keynes.

The Secretary of State has previously stated there was a need to ensure broad consensus and we do not believe this has been achieved with the new single unitary district proposal.

All four district councils, as well as many key stakeholders, firmly believe that the two unitary authority approach, based on the two different economic geographies in Buckinghamshire, is the best option for protecting, delivering and transforming the services needed both now and in the future.

We will now be considering our position, seeking further advice and reviewing the options available to us.

Bucks CC have today announced a consultation on the future of School Bus Services within the County. One of the 3 proposals on the table for discussion directly affects the Ivinghoe Division, including Ivinghoe, Ivinghoe Aston, Pitstone, Cheddington and Edlesborough.

All parents are strongly advised to complete the online survey at the following web address

https://democracy.buckscc.gov.uk/mgConsultationDisplay.aspx?ID=8420

There are some background documents available as follows

1. Page 5 of this document explains the ‘Ivinghoe Promise’ and the effect of its removal, https://democracy.buckscc.gov.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=123660
2. Further background information is also available at
   https://democracy.buckscc.gov.uk/mgConsultationDisplay.aspx?ID=8420

There was a series of public meetings and drop in events about this, the nearest was being held at Cheddington School, High St., Cheddington – Thursday 8th November 2018 at 7pm.

Subsequent update (20/11/18):

In Pitstone, the national statutory guidelines continue to apply, ie the child would qualify for free school transport to the NEAREST secondary school (ie Tring) if that school was more than 3 miles away/unsafe walking route.  If parents elect to send their child to an alternative school, they do not qualify for free transport.  If the nearest school does not have capacity to offer the child a place, the child will qualify for free transport to the second nearest eligible school (ie Cottesloe).

BCC are also consulting on the possibility of utilising public transport for some routes, rather than dedicated school buses.  Many Pitstone children attending the Aylesbury schools already utilise public transport, as this tends to be cheaper than purchasing a ‘paid for’ place on the school buses.  A number of residents have raised queries regarding this element of the consultation and Anne Wight, County Councillor, has clarified:

https://www.buckscc.gov.uk/services/council-and-democracy/finance/budget/budget-consultation-201920/

The major services we provide in Buckinghamshire play a part in most people’s lives, whether that’s through education and learning, roads and transport, health and social care, household waste recycling or just using our country parks.

Our Strategic Plan sets out our clear aims that we want to achieve for our 536,000 residents; these are:

• safeguarding our vulnerable children and adults
• creating opportunities for everyone and building self-reliance
• ensuring Buckinghamshire is a thriving and attractive place to live and work into the future

However, in working to accomplish these we are facing some very big challenges. Our population is growing rapidly including, for example, more young children needing school places, more elderly people as people live longer, and the type of services that people need from us is changing and demand is also growing. The increase in people we need to support means overall higher costs for us. Buckinghamshire is also growing in terms of housing developments with thousands more homes set to be built across the county. This brings additional pressure on us to provide new roads, schools and other infrastructure to serve these new and growing communities.

We are amongst the increasing number of councils who now no longer receive any central government funding for day to day services, which means that despite having made savings in our budget of £102 million over the last five years which has helped us manage our increasing costs so far, we will need to make further cost savings in order to balance the books next year.

We have statutory responsibilities – things we that we must legally do, like safeguarding vulnerable children and adults. There is also a long list of other work that, although not set by Government, we still want to do to ensure all our communities are safe, prosperous and healthy. The funding for the running of our schools is not set or controlled by the Council; this goes directly to schools from government.

We are now working to set our budget for the next financial year, 2019/20 and beyond. In doing this we will need to make some difficult decisions about the level of spending across the board – making changes in how we provide some services, in places reducing what was done previously, and in other areas working smarter and becoming more commercially-minded to maintain the level of service.

The next few weeks is your opportunity to help shape what we spend and where we spend it across all of the services we provide for you. Please give us your views; your input is important and will help decide spending on the services you receive next year.

The survey is open until 14 November and you can complete the short online survey here which will take less than 10 minutes. If you need it, you can get support to complete the online survey at one of our main libraries – these are Amersham, Aylesbury, Beaconsfield, Buckingham, Chesham, Hazlemere, High Wycombe, Marlow and Princes Risborough.

We are ready and waiting to hear your views.

Thank you.

Councillor Martin Tett

Leader of Buckinghamshire County Council