2ND APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED BY NICHOLAS KING HOMES FOR LAND ADJOINING THE RECREATION GROUND – PITSTONE DEVELOPMENT AREA (OR “PDA SITE”) COMMUNITY FACILITIES OR MORE RESIDENTIAL HOUSING ??

Residents may be aware that Nicholas King Homes PLC, the developers of the PDA Site (being marketed by them as their “Ravensmoor” development), have recently submitted second planning applications for the two small remaining pieces of the overall site.

They are new applications from Nicholas King Homes in addition to the ones they made last summer.  If you have views on these new applications, you should make them known in the normal way – please do not assume that any comments previously submitted will be considered by Buckinghamshire Council when determining these new applications.

These are the land parcels which the Pitstone Neighbourhood Plan, adopted in 2016 following a referendum in which 97% of the votes cast were in favour of the Plan, requires to be made available (subject to viability) for community purposes such as a pub/restaurant and nursery.

The planning application which has been submitted is for residential housing.

You can view the application and supporting documents on the Buckinghamshire Council website, by clicking here.  The reference numbers of the latest applications, which you will need to enter in order to find them, is 22/00452/APP for the restaurant/pub site and 22/00451/APP for the nursery site .  You can also submit comments online (and will need to indicate whether you support or oppose the application, or are neutral about it).

The application will be considered at the planning committee meeting convened for 7.30pm on Thursday 10 March 2022 at Pitstone Pavilion.  Residents who would like to express any views about the application can email the Parish Council in advance, or attend the meeting, or indeed both.

The Parish Council has no power to decide this application.  It is simply being consulted by the Local Planning Authority (Buckinghamshire Council), as part of its overall consideration of the application. 

We would therefore encourage any residents with views about the application to submit them to Buckinghamshire Council online so that they can be taken into account.  The deadline for comments is Thursday 11 March.  If doing so, please send a copy to the Parish Council at the same time.

We would also encourage any potential operators of community facilities, that might be interested in purchasing either land parcel, to make themselves known to the Parish Council.  We can therefore put them in touch with the developers / its agents to initiate discussions about a potential purchase.

18 February 2022

Help for the birds

Link for Sunnyside: https://www.sunnysideruraltrust.org.uk/our-sites/northchurch/

Link for the RSPB: https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/how-you-can-help-birds/

Youth Cafe – February half term & Easter holidays

We are aware that for both the February half term, and the Easter school holidays, that the Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire school holiday dates do not tally. We also know that children attend the cafe, that go to school in both counties.

We are therefore confirming that the youth cafe will reflect the Bucks holiday dates: ie in February the cafe will be open on 16 Feb (Herts school holiday) but there will be no cafe on 23 Feb (Bucks school holiday).

At Easter, the cafe will be open on 6 April (Herts school holiday) but there will be no cafe on either 13 April (both counties on holiday) or 20 April (Bucks school holiday).

Thank you.

Pitstone Parish Post, Feb 2022

The latest edition of Pitstone Parish Post is currently being distributed to all homes and business units within the Parish.

If you wish to read the online edition, you can find it here: https://pitstone.co.uk/ppcpublications/general/pitstone-parish-post-ppp/

The parish council information is replicated below (note that the briefing deadline was the end of December so some of this information is now be out of date):

Youth Café

Youth café re-started on Wednesday 8 September.  Until there are any changes in government guidelines, we have reverted to one session from 6.30-8.00pm each Wednesday during term time at Pitstone Pavilion.  £2 per child (school years 7+).  No need to book.  Just come along.  We are enjoying seeing everyone and look forward to welcoming more new faces as the term progresses.

We are also seeking new volunteers to supervise the young people as some of our long-standing team members have had to step down this term.   If you have time to join our friendly team, please do get in touch, so that we can continue to offer these vital youth services (please phone 01296 767261 or email parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk)

Pitstone Pavilion

Bookings continue to increase.  As well as junior and senior football, youth café and council meetings, you can now join dog training classes, yoga, Hartbeeps pre-school music classes, JD Ballers football or the >60s club.  We have also hosted some parties, committee meetings for village groups, taekwondo sessions, and we are a training centre for Bucks Council.  We were also pleased to support the Village Health Centre who operated their flu and covid vaccination clinics from the site.  Whilst evenings are very busy, we have some weekday, daytime availability at the moment, so if you run a pilates / yoga / craft etc class and would like to expand into a new venue, please do contact pavilion@pitstone.co.uk.

We continue to improve the venue and have been pleased to fit black out blinds within the community room,  increase the number of tables available, motorise the roller shutters to improve ease of access, increase the number of litter bins within the grounds and provide a new noticeboard in front of the premises for council & pavilion related materials.  A number of 12-month remedials have been undertaken and the final outside remedials will be completed in January.  

We are also delighted to welcome Dave Burton to the council team.  Dave has become the Facilities Manager for the pavilion and is now your first point of call for all things pavilion related.  You can reach Dave on pavilion@pitstone.co.uk or 07939 809281

Skate Park

After a few delays being able to complete their previous project, Bendcrete will commence work on the Pitstone Skate Park on 11 January and they hope to be complete by 6 April 2022, which will hopefully coincide with the better weather and lighter evenings so you can all maximise the benefit of the new facilities.

The site works will also complete the footpath links to the play space, Pitstone Memorial Hall, the multi-use games area and the Nicholas King Homes new housing development.

The works will require a temporary access track across the Recreation Ground to the construction site.   We apologise for any inconvenience caused during this time and encourage everyone to take extra care in this area.

Multi Use Games Area and replacement car park

Discussions are ongoing with Nicholas King Homes and Buckinghamshire Council regarding these facilities.   We will provide any further updates whenever we receive them.

Alphabet Snake and Hopscotch

We were pleased to gain permission from Buckinghamshire Council for the parish council to replace the thermoplastic graphics on their land outside of the Windsor Road play space (as BC were not going to update these and local parents said that they were well used).  The new graphics should last for many years and bring much enjoyment.

Commemorative benches

We’d like to thank the Morris family for their kind donation of two wooden picnic benches in memory of Jean and Mike Morris.  These are now located in the Hever Close play space, bringing this children’s area up to the same standard as our other play spaces and enabling local families to picnic whilst enjoying the amenities.

Christmas Lights

The Recreation Ground Christmas lights were relocated to the larger tree nearer the roundabout this year (as the tree near the entrance to the Memorial Hall had needed to be felled in the summer) and received very positive feedback from residents, along with the Christmas lights in the tree in front of the pavilion.

Children’s Photography Competition

Six young people had their photographs selected as winners in the photography competition.  Their photographs have been turned into canvas’s and displayed on the wall in the pavilion community room.  Each child will be presented with a copy of their canvas and a certificate at a celebratory event at the pavilion on 13 January 2022.   Look out for photographs after the event has taken place.  Thank you to everyone who entered, we really enjoyed seeing all your amazing photographs.

Fibre to Property Broadband

We are currently working with some local volunteers to set up a Community Fibre scheme with Openreach to bring superfast fibre to participating properties.  The new Nicholas King Homes and Bellway developments already include fibre to property, and Church Road/top of Vicarage Road have recently completed their Community Fibre scheme with Openreach.  With the scheme, the cost of installation is covered by pooling vouchers provided to each property.  Please look out for details very shortly.

Thank you to all our volunteers and staff

Did you know that more than 90 local people volunteer their services to the parish council, in more than 100 capacities, throughout the year.   These volunteers help run the youth café, drive for the car scheme, deliver and produce Pitstone Parish Post, run the allotment site, help with our leisure projects, participate in the sports & leisure committee, check streetlights and are helping with an initiative to bring fibre broadband to Pitstone.   Your parish councillors are also all volunteers.

We also have a number of part time staff who co-ordinate the car scheme, keep the noticeboards up-to-date, look after the pavilion, litter pick and check our playgrounds & other assets every week.

Covid permitting, the council hopes to host its annual volunteer thank you event on 13 Jan, to express how grateful we are for everyone’s support.  You are all amazing!

Voluntary PPP Editor Required

This quarterly magazine is pulled together by our volunteer Editor who coordinates all the adverts, editorials and news articles, undertakes all the artwork and sends the document off to the printers.  Sue Nicholls has sadly decided to step down, so we are on the look-out for a new Editor.  This is a voluntary role.  Technical skills required – MS Publisher & Word, Adobe Photoshop for photo editing & email.  Personal skills required – organised, literate, reliable, methodical, careful and happy to work as part of the team.  If you are the person with the drive to love & nurture PPP, please contact the parish clerk on 01296 767261 or parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk.

Volunteer of the Year

Thank you to everyone who took the time to submit their nominations for the Volunteer of the Year, generating a very high number of nominations this year.   We hope that we will be able to hold an annual assembly this year (covid permitting) and revert to announcing the winner at this event.   Watch this space.

Audit for 2020-21 Financial Year

All three levels of audit for the year ending 31-3-2021 have now been successfully passed.  Details remain available on our website for any interested parties.

Grants for local community groups

The council was pleased to support an initial request from the Party in the Park Committee for a grant towards helping the event get back off the ground after Covid.  They have a provisional date lined up for July 2022 on Pitstone Recreation Ground.  

We are also currently working with the Ivinghoe and Pitstone United Cricket Club regarding a double cricket practice net, available for all to use, to be located on the Recreation Ground.  This unit requires planning permission due to its cubic capacity, so we’ll update you all once planning has been granted.

If you belong to a local community group, that benefits the residents of Pitstone, please find full details of our grant scheme on www.pitstone.co.uk.

Business Park litter

There has been an increase in litter around the business park roads.  The carriageways & verges (not the individual units) remain under the responsibility of Taylor Wimpey and will eventually pass to Buckinghamshire Council.  Neither of these bodies carry out frequent litter picking.  Parish Council staff have been litter picking this area on a quarterly basis and this has now been increased to monthly in response to the uplift in rubbish volume.  We are also appealing to the business owners for their assistance with keeping the area clean.

Coronavirus regulations

Our meetings remain open to the public.  At the time of writing, the Government advice is to wear a face covering inside public buildings (eg the pavilion), especially whilst moving around.  For your safety, you are encouraged to use hand sanitiser and scan/provide details for track-and-trace.  Our room will be well ventilated, the tables/chairs will be cleaned before & after use, and seating will be arranged 1m apart.  Please check each agenda for any changes to guidance.

Devolved Services on behalf of Buckinghamshire Council

Many of you will be aware that the parish council accepted devolved services from Buckinghamshire Council to cut some of the grass verges, undertake some siding out of footpaths, clear rights of way and some other minor works.  BC extended the initial 4-year term for a further 2-years and have now extended the contracts by a further 12-months to cover 2022 whilst they are working on a new highways contract.   We have no visibility of what, if any, devolved services might be offered to the parishes after this date.  However, we will continue for 2022, which means that Pitstone can benefit from an increased level of service (BC only cut verges 4 times per year) and we will keep you updated regarding subsequent years as soon as we have any news from BC.

And an update on local matters within the control of Buckinghamshire Council:

Westfield Road / Castlemead

As previously reported, Buckinghamshire Council had hoped to adopt Westfield Road and the Castlemead residential roads (Phases I to IV) from Taylor Wimpey before the end of 2021 but the necessary remedial works, whilst started, had not been completed.  The latest revised date submitted by Taylor Wimpey, for all scheduled works to be complete, is 14 January 2022.  The parish council will continue to chase TW and BC until all the works have been fulfilled, including the installation of the traffic monitoring strips which will be undertaken by BC themselves and therefore follow after all the TW scheduled works.

Please note that this phase of adoptions does NOT include Phase V of Castlemead residential area nor the business park, both of which will follow at a later date.

Highways/paths updates

Several highways and path issues remain on the Buckinghamshire Council remedial list (including the resurfacing of Glebe Close) and will be actioned once their budget & scheduling permit.   The latest estimate provided by Buckinghamshire Council is 2022.    Any resident can report a defect with the highway (eg pothole) or footpath to Buckinghamshire Council via their website https://www.buckscc.gov.uk/services/transport-and-roads/report-a-highways-problem/ or via the Fix My Street website.

There are numerous street lighting and illuminated bollard issues along Marsworth Road which Buckinghamshire Council are working to resolve (no eta provided), and the replacement lighting/signage for the Westfield Road roundabout is now due to be undertaken on 17/1/22).  The cutting back of the vegetation along the footpath between Pitstone & Marsworth also remains outstanding from BC.

Bellway have now completed footpath improvements along Vicarage Road, stretching from their development down to the bus stop on Marsworth Road.   The stretch from Bellway up to Church Road, falls within the responsibility of BC themselves and we have no visibility of any implementation date as yet.

Buckinghamshire Council are undertaking a final phase of design work relating to safety scheme improvements by Brookmead School.  This should have been complete by the end of September but has been subject to delays.  Once we are in receipt of their final proposals, we will publish these and re-consult with the residents.

The Buckinghamshire Council Freight Strategy consultation concluded, and they report that there were a high level of submissions asking for the B440 to be included.  This has meant that the work needs to be re-scoped and re-consulted including reaching agreements with both Beds and Herts councils. 

At the time of writing, Buckinghamshire Council’s consultation about parking restrictions near the quarry has concluded.  They are yet to issue confirmation of the outcome however it is anticipated that the previous restrictions will remain in place.

Planning

There are several local planning applications for which we are still waiting for Buckinghamshire Council to provide a determination including the commercial areas within the Nicholas King Homes development (their application sought to convert these sites to residential use), the additional properties by The Haldi and the business park development off Westfield Road.   Some of these are now over 18 months old. 

The Planning Authority refused the application for business units & one retail unit next to Portland House, and the Cala Homes application for the site in Ivinghoe.

As always, you can find full details of all planning applications on the Buckinghamshire Council Planning Portal.

Beginner yoga classes now available at Pitstone Pavilion on Thursdays

Castlemead & Westfield Road

Transport for Bucks has now completed the repairs to the Westfield Road roundabout (17-1-22).

Taylor Wimpey (TW) has now completed the majority of the remedial works within the programmed residential phases and on Westfield Road. There are still a few street light repairs outstanding and some signage missing from the bottom end of Westfield Road, which TW have in hand. Buckinghamshire Council will commence proceedings to adopt the completed highways, which will take a few more weeks.

Youth Cafe restarts 5/1/22

We hope you all had an enjoyable Christmas break.

Pitstone youth cafe will restart on Wed 5/1/22 at Pitstone Pavilion. 6.30pm-8pm. £2 per child (senior school aged children). No need to book.

To keep all our attendees and helpers safe, please remember to carry out all your lateral flow tests twice per week for school and only to attend if your last test was negative and you have no new symptoms. Please make use of the hand sanitisers when you arrive and wear your face covering when walking about indoors, especially in confined spaces such as the corridors and toilets. Activities will be arranged outdoors where possible, so please wear suitable clothing.

We look forward to welcoming you all back.

Pitstone Pavilion update (Dec 21)

New black out blinds installed in the community room

Bookings at the pavilion continue to increase.  As well as junior and senior football, youth café and council meetings, you can now join dog training classes, yoga, Hartbeeps pre-school music classes, JD Ballers football or the >60s club.  We have also hosted some parties, committee meetings for village groups, taekwondo sessions, and we are a training centre for Bucks Council.  We were also pleased to support the Village Health Centre who ran their flu and covid vaccination clinics from the site. Whilst evenings are very busy, we have some weekday, daytime availability at the moment, so if you run a pilates / yoga / craft etc class and would like to expand into a new venue, please do contact pavilion@pitstone.co.uk or parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk

We continue to improve the venue and have been pleased to fit black out blinds within the community room,  increase the number of tables available, motorise the roller shutters to improve ease of access, increase the number of litter bins within the grounds and provide a new noticeboard in front of the premises for council & pavilion related materials.  A number of 12-month remedials have been undertaken and the final outside remedials will be completed in January.  

Thank you for the kind donation of picnic benches

We would like to thank the family of Mike and Jean Morris for the kind donation of memorial picnic benches. They have now been installed in the Hever Close play area, bringing this play space up to the same standard as all our other play grounds and meaning that young families can now picnic whilst at any of our parks.

Inscription plaque on picnic table
Picnic table in the park

Westfield Road / Castlemead remedials 23/12/21 (& 10/1/22 update)

10/1/22: Taylor Wimpey have advised Buckinghamshire Council that works are a few days behind schedule but they hope to be complete by Friday 14/1/22.

Taylor Wimpey’s contractors are behind schedule. Their original target to complete the remedial works to Westfield Road and the residential areas had been by 24/12/21. Earlier in their works schedule, they had hoped to complete ahead of schedule by 17/12/21. The works to the residential roads have yet to be completed, and therefore they have not yet moved out to undertake the remedial works to Westfield Road.

Taylor Wimpey has now arranged a new completion date (weather permitting) with Buckinghamshire Council of 10 January 2022. Taylor Wimpey’s contractors are now on Christmas shut down, and due to return from 4 January 2022.

(Note that the current phase of remedials/adoption does not include the final phase of the residential area of Castlemead, nor the business park, both of which will follow at a later date.)

Skate park construction commencing 11 Jan 2022

Pitstone skate park

We are pleased to let you know that work on our skate park is now confirmed to start on 11 January 2022. At the moment, everything should be complete by 6 April 2022.

The contractors will also join up all the sections of existing footpath providing pushchair / disabled access to the Memorial Hall, the new housing development and the play space.

We apologise to recreation ground users for the inevitable disruption at the site during the construction period. Please take extra care in this area.

Seasons greetings from Pitstone Parish Council

As the tree at the entrance to Pitstone Memorial Hall sadly had to be removed by that Charity earlier in the year, the Christmas lights have been relocated closer to the roundabout this year. We hope that you all enjoy the new display at both the Recreation Ground and the Pavilion.

Christmas lights on Pitstone Recreation Ground
Christmas lights at Pitstone Pavilion

Fresh new alphabet snake and hopscotch

Reminder that nominations for Pitstone Volunteer of the Year 2022 need to be submitted by 14 Jan 22

Could your local community group benefit from a grant?

The parish council offers grants to local community groups and local charities that specifically benefit Pitstone residents.  Applications are considered quarterly.   The next opportunity for grants to be considered is coming up next month on 27 January 2022.

Some of our most recent recipients include Windmill Pre School for outdoor play equipment, Pitstone Memorial Hall Charity to fix their roof and South Central Ambulance for a further dedicated kit for our Community First Responders.

Please see the grant policy on this web site (http://pitstone.co.uk/ppcinfo/grant-policy/ ) for further information or contact the parish clerk.

Applications must be received at least 10 days ahead of the meeting date so that the information can be circulated to all members ahead of the meeting and your application can be advertised on our agenda.

Westfield Road update 6/12/21

As a further update on Westfield Road, Buckinghamshire Council confirm today (6/12/21) that the Taylor Wimpey works (within which they have included the Westfield Road amends) are due to be complete by 17/12/21.  TW apparently hope to move out to Westfield Road, from the estate roads, within the coming week.  They still plan to also undertake the road markings, weather permitting.  We will obviously continue to monitor the situation and liaise with BC during the forthcoming 2 weeks and beyond. 

JD Ballers at Pitstone Pavilion on Tuesdays

November 16th every Tuesday until March 15th with 2 weeks off at Christmas  (🎄December 28th and January 4th🎄) 

£8 per week. Pay upfront for 10% off or pay in 2 instalments (by 16th November and by January 11th) 

Pitstone Pavilion 📍

Ages 4-7 – 4pm-4:45pm 

Ages 8-11 – 4:45pm- 5:30pm  

Please message me to secure your place as there are limited numbers available! Don’t miss out – 07928667099

Westfield Road update 29-11-21

At the parish council meeting on Thursday we were asked by a member of the public to provide an update on the Westfield Road amendments that Buckinghamshire Council agreed to action. 

You will recall that delivery of the works was divided between Buckinghamshire Council (BC) and Taylor Wimpey (TW).  BC installed the street light columns back in May.  TW then needed to complete the bulk of the remedials before BC will install the speed monitoring strips.  It is the works that are due to be delivered by TW that keep failing to materialise.

The latest information we have from Buckinghamshire Council is that Taylor Wimpey will undertake these works during the current 6-week remedial work period for all the works they are due to complete both within the esate and along Westfield Road.  All Castlemead residents have already been advised of this work, via a leaflet hand-delivered to all properties by TW.

We have not been posting updates during the intervening months, because every other date we have been given for BC/TW to rectify the issues has not been fulfilled and there seems little benefit to disappointing residents again and again by passing on information from BC/TW when we are not confident it will be accurate.   The works were incorrectly carried out by TW in June.  At the time we were advised they would be rectified immediately.  In July, they advised that they would be rectified shortly as needed to source additional materials.   In August, BC advised that the work would  be done by the end of the month.  By September, TW advised that the works were being incorporated into their remedial program and they were waiting for authorisation of the expenditure.  In October, we were advised that the works were approved and scheduled to start in mid-November.    The works are now in progress.  We chase BC reguarly, members are updated monthly and updates are posted within the parish council minutes.

The parish council therefore hopes that the works will be completed correctly, as stated, within the current remedial program.  In honesty, we remain doubtful.  Back in the spring, when the remedials were first agreed, BC had advised that the bulk of the work would be completely ‘shortly’ but that the painting/road markings would need to follow ‘in the summer’ as they could not be applied during winter weather.  We have been reminding BC of the ever decreasing window of seemingly appropriate weather, but suspect that as these were not applied at the start of their 6-week program, that at the conclusion of their current remedials TW will advise that they will be unable to carry out this aspect until the spring.   BC continue to advise that the works commissioned include the painting and all works should be completed.  We hope that our fears are unfounded.  BC will not attend and install the traffic monitoring strips until the TW works have been installed, so this aspect will not be completed by TW during their current works.   We will continue to liaise with BC as the TW works progress, and beyond, until all the works agreed by BC are delivered.

At least one of our Buckinghamshire Councillors always attends our meetings and we regularly discuss both Westfield Road and all the other outstanding BC matters.   The Wing & Ivinghoe Community Board also regularly provide updates from BC Development Management (the department in charge of liaising with TW) on this matter.  Representatives of the Parish Council attend all the Community Board meetings.  These meetings, and their minutes, are also open to the public should you wish to attend.  However, the Community Board also has no power to ensure delivery of these works, you will recall that they had agreed to look at the Westfield Road situation after all the current remedials were in place if further activity needed to be considered.  BC Development Management is itself beholden to TW for implementation, as no bond was taken from this developer by BC, and therefore BC can’t carry out the works itself & deduct the costs from the bond held.

We completely understand, and share, the frustration and disappointment felt by residents relating to the poor service delivery provided by BC and TW in relation to this matter and will continue to liaise with both BC and our Buckinghamshire Councillors until the matter is successfully resolved.

Who is your volunteer hero this year?

All your nominations for the Pitstone Volunteer of the Year 2022 need to be sent to the parish council by Friday 14 January 2022, so if you know of someone that is giving up their time and making a difference to the lives of the people in Pitstone, then please let us know.

A huge army of volunteers make our village special.  Did you know that volunteers manage the Memorial Hall; the Pitstone Heritage Park/museum; the Pitstone Windmill open days; are parish councillors; form the governing body of Brookmead school; deliver and edit Pitstone Parish Post; operate Pitstone Youth Café; form the management committee for Windmill pre-school; drive for the Community Car scheme; run mums & toddlers; run Brownies/Rainbows/Cubs/Scouts; are trustees for The Williamson Trust and Pitstone Town Lands Charity; run sporting groups such as I&PUCC, P&IUFC and P&IJFC; check street lights; provide ground-keeping on the cricket square; manage our allotment site; help at the Beacon Villages Community Library; organise community events and form the Friends of St Mary’s church in Pitstone. Just think what our village would be like without all these facilities!

As well as being an opportunity for you, and the parish council, to thank our Volunteer of the Year in public, the winner receives £50.00 and a framed certificate.

Previous winners include: Linda Howarth, Geoff Bratt, Gill Arney, Rob Spiller, Margaret Cole, Klaus Ginda, Dave Clifford, Mary Saintey, Joe Marling, Michelle Lee, David Hawkins, John Groom and Elaine Thorogood.

Please email or write to the parish clerk on: parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk or at

Pitstone Pavilion, Marsworth Road, Pitstone, Beds, LU7 9AP

providing the full name of the person you wish to nominate and the reasons why you think they deserve to win.

If you have some spare time and would like join this volunteer army and start enjoying the benefits that volunteering brings, please do get in touch or check out the list of opportunities published here: https://pitstone.co.uk/ppcinfo/vacancies-and-employment/

Could your local community group benefit from a grant?

The parish council offers grants to local community groups and local charities that specifically benefit Pitstone residents.  Applications are considered quarterly.   The next opportunity for grants to be considered is coming up on 28 October 2021.

Some of our most recent recipients include Windmill Pre School for outdoor play equipment, Pitstone Memorial Hall Charity to fix their roof and South Central Ambulance for a further dedicated kit for our Community First Responders.

Please see the grant policy on this web site (http://pitstone.co.uk/ppcinfo/grant-policy/ ) for further information or contact the parish clerk.

Applications must be received at least 10 days ahead of the meeting date so that the information can be circulated to all members ahead of the meeting and your application can be advertised on our agenda.

Please don’t use portable barbecues in our playgrounds & open spaces

Sad to see that one of the picnic tables installed in the recreation ground play space just last year has been badly burnt by someone using it as a base for a portable barbecue.

It is not appropriate, nor safe, to light barbecue’s anywhere in any of our playgrounds or open spaces, and least of all on wooden tables.

Please take care in this area until we can arrange a repair.

JOB VACANCIES – FACILITIES MANAGER AND CLEANER FOR COMMUNITY BUILDING

Are you the person we are looking for, to take a pride in and care for, our lovely new community building (Pitstone Pavilion)?

We currently have two vacancies:

Facilities Manager

We are seeking a Facilities Manager for the new Pitstone Pavilion. This will be a varied role encompassing everything to do with the pavilion including the maintenance, liaising with customers, promotional activities, policies, systems, overseeing contractors etc.

Estimated at 5+ hours per week, £12 per hour.  Must be able to work some weekend and evening time if required, and able to attend at short notice if hirers encounter a problem.  Must be flexible and able to adapt to meet the needs of our hirers (both those hiring the community room and those holding outdoor sporting events).

The applicant must be reasonably fit, self-motivated and trustworthy.   Must be happy to work alone at the site and be IT literate.

Cleaner

Estimated 2-4 hours per week (exact hours paid from worksheets submitted).  We can often be flexible with the work windows but the candidate must be able to work weekends as well as evenings/early mornings if necessary (based around our bookings).  Must be flexible and able to adapt to meet the needs of our hirers (both those hiring the community room and those holding outdoor sporting events).

Duties will include:

  • cleaning the pavilion including the community room, kitchen, toilets, corridors, walkways and changing village (depending on hirers usage),
  • monitoring and refilling dispensers as necessary,
  • periodic deep cleaning (such as descaling shower heads),
  • litter picking the grounds,
  • completion of accurate records of work undertaken.
  • The applicant must be reasonably fit (as the cleaning work after muddy footballers can sometimes be strenuous), self-motivated and trustworthy.   Must be happy to work alone on site.   Experience of cleaning similar premises an advantage, but training can be provided.

    Please find attached a full Job Description, Person Specification and Lone Working advice for both roles.

    If either are the role for you, please apply in writing to: Mrs Laurie Eagling, Clerk to Pitstone Parish Council at email: parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk or via mail at Pitstone Pavilion, Marsworth Road, Pitstone, LU7 9AP, enclosing a curriculum vitae or providing written details about yourself, your experience and your suitability for the post.    

    Can you join our volunteer team at the youth cafe 6.30-8pm on a Wednesday?

    Some of the volunteers that have been with us for very many years (some since the cafe opened in 2011) have sadly had to step down this term, so we are desperately seeking local adults (must be over 18 years to comply with adult/child ratios, no upper age limit) that can help at the youth cafe on Wednesday evenings during term time.

    There is a happy, relaxed atmosphere. You can join in with sports & games, do crafts or activities, or just chat/supervise.

    If you can come each week, that is wonderful. If you prefer to come every other week, that is also fine.

    Some more information about the youth cafe is available from the link below.

    Please do consider coming forward to help ensure that our vital youth service can remain operating. Thank you.

    https://pitstone.co.uk/ppcinfo/youth-cafe/

    Could you artwork & edit Pitstone Parish Post?

    We are looking for a local volunteer with an eye for detail and layout & an ability to create an eye catching cover, to pull together our quarterly magazine – Pitstone Parish Post. You’ll collate articles, adverts and photographs, work up the artwork, proof read and send to the printers. Once published, you’ll upload the digital artwork to the website and ensure the hard copies are delivered to the Distribution Manager. You’ll become a valuable source of local information.

    You’ll work alongside our Advertising Manager, Distribution Manager and the Parish Clerk.

    Below we have listed some of the technical and personal skills we are seeking but if you don’t match completely please do still get in touch.

    PPP is only produced quarterly, so this role would suit someone with a concentrated window of time available to volunteer once every 3 months.

    If you would like to discuss this opportunity further, please contact either Laurie Eagling (Parish Clerk on 01296 767261 or parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk) or Sue Nicholls (current PPP Editor on 01296 661910 or pppeditor@pitstone.co.uk)

    We look forward to hearing from you.

    Technical Skills

    MS Publisher. Use of Styles and paragraph formatting an advantage.

    MS Word. Most articles arrive in this format. They might need reformatting for Publisher.

    Photo-editing skills. There is the ability within Publisher to crop and edit photos but an understanding of the difference between screen and print requirements is needed. Adobe photoshop experience preferable. Also understanding of copyright imperative.

    Email. Contributions arrive by email. There is an auto-reply set, which is managed using webmail. You’ll also send an email with the upcoming PPP deadline advice to a mailing group.

    Personal skills

    Organised: able to keep to a routine of sending deadline email, completing magazine, sending to printer, maintaining and sticking to the table of dates.

    Literate: editing, precis, language, communication

    Teamwork

    Reliable

    Methodical

    Careful

    Design: helpful

    Updated skate park design

    Following the consultation events with various sectors of the community, Bendcrete have considered all the feedback received and made the following revisions to the Pitstone skate park design:

    • The street platform has moved sides
    • The volcano has moved from the side of the jump box to after
    • The grind rail has moved
    • The euro gap has been removed and replaced with a stair set
    • An additional quarter-pipe has been added after the jump line replacing the corner brick bank
    • A rainbow end has been added to the descending rail

    The design is still very inclusive and features elements for all skill levels, ages, wheel types and course styles, whilst maximising the number of users that can participate at any one time.

    Updated images of the proposed skate park are shown below.

    If anyone would like to submit any further thoughts/comments, please email them to parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk by 5pm on Thursday 26 August 2021.

    The designs will then be submitted to RoSPA for a pre-installation inspection report. Assuming the report is favourable, Bendcrete will then be able to commence scheduling and production of the components etc.

    Thank you to all those that have participated and helped to shape the skate park being proposed.

    Revised skate park image 1
    Revised skate park image 2

    Buckinghamshire Council home to school transport for 2021/22

    Buckinghamshire Council have made us aware of the following: They recently wrote to the parents of all children eligible for home to school transport and issued the bus passes for the forthcoming year. The same letter also advised that full bus timetables and route information would be added to their website by 15 August. Hard copies will not be sent in the post. Link to the timetables available here: https://www.buckscc.gov.uk/media/4517079/2021_timetables.pdf

    It is important that parents do check the new bus times, numbers and stops, for the forthcoming year, as most services have changed.

    Tring school parents please note that the bus services are now the MTRC910 and MTRC911. There are now only 2 buses instead of 3 (Cheddington children are now on a different route which doesn’t stop in Pitstone). Both collecting from Vicarage Road (by the Memorial Hall) at 8.13am. Buckinghamshire Council are aware that some children have been issued bus passes which don’t show a bus number, in which case your child can get on either bus service.

    Cottesloe school parents please note that the bus service MCOT900 will be collecting from Vicarage Road (by the Memorial Hall) at 8.10am. This service no longer routes via Westfield Road.

    Buckinghamshire Council’s policies allow for children to walk up to 1 mile to access the bus stop. The Vicarage Road location being the most central point in Pitstone.

    Please check the Buckinghamshire Council website for full details : https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/schools-index/school-transport/

    Should any parent have any queries, please contact the Buckinghamshire Council School Transport team on 01296 387439.

    LAND ADJOINING THE RECREATION GROUND – PITSTONE DEVELOPMENT AREA (OR “PDA SITE”) COMMUNITY FACILITIES OR MORE RESIDENTIAL HOUSING ??

    Residents may be aware that Nicholas King Homes PLC, the developers of the PDA Site (being marketed by them as their “Ravensmoor” development), have recently submitted a planning application for the two small remaining pieces of the overall site.

    These are the land parcels which the Pitstone Neighbourhood Plan, adopted in 2016 following a referendum in which 97% of the votes cast were in favour of the Plan, requires to be made available (subject to viability) for community purposes such as a pub/restaurant and nursery.

    The planning application which has been submitted is for residential housing.

    You can view the application and supporting documents on the Buckinghamshire Council website, by clicking here.  The reference number of the application, which you will need to enter in order to find it, is 21/02999/APP.  You can also submit comments online (and will need to indicate whether you support or oppose the application, or are neutral about it).

    The application will be considered at a specially-convened meeting of the Parish Council at 7.30pm on Thursday 19 August at Pitstone Pavilion.  Residents who would like to express any views about the application can email the Parish Council in advance, or attend the meeting, or indeed both.

    The Parish Council has no power to decide this application.  It is simply being consulted by the Local Planning Authority (Buckinghamshire Council), as part of its overall consideration of the application. 

    We would therefore encourage any residents with views about the application to submit them to Buckinghamshire Council online so that they can be taken into account.  The deadline for comments is Thursday 26 August.  If doing so, please send a copy to the Parish Council at the same time.

    We would also encourage any potential operators of community facilities, that might be interested in purchasing either land parcel, to make themselves known to the Parish Council.  We can therefore put them in touch with the developers / its agents to initiate discussions about a potential purchase.

    6 August 2020

    Parish Council updates from July/August PPP

    Skate park

    The long-awaited skate park will sit between the multi-use ball court and the new play space on the recreation ground, to enhance our facilities so that there are activities that all age groups and abilities can engage with and the whole family can spend recreation time together.  The tendering process has now been running for a while and the parish council appointed a suitably qualified contractor at the end of June, subject to a number of conditions.   Initial designs have been produced, based on the features specified by local users and these will be published shortly.   A further public consultation & design meeting, hosted by the contractor, has been held, where everyone was invited to come along and provide feedback on the initial design and discuss any different features or flows etc that they might like to be considered. Feedback is being reviewed by the contractor and we will provide an update in due course.

    Youth Café

    Youth café re-opened and has been operating from the new Pitstone Pavilion each Wednesday evening during term time.   We held introductory sessions for the Year 6 Brookmead pupils on 30 June, 7 July and 14 July during the first part of the café session.  Our regular users attended the second sessions on each of these nights.   Thank you to all the young people that have come back to café – it has been amazing to be able to see you all again.

    Pitstone Pavilion

    We were pleased that the covid regulations lifted enough to permit both outdoor sports, yoga and meetings to resume at the new pavilion site and look forward to even more activities taking place there as the restrictions lift further as time passes.

    Westfield Road speed mitigation

    At the top end of Westfield Road, BC’s proposed mitigation measures have started to be installed but the process has not run smoothly.  Firstly, the Buckinghamshire Council contractors installed the lamp posts in the wrong place, once that had been resolved, the Taylor Wimpey contractors then installed the signage incorrectly.   We understand new signage is on order and the contractors will return to fit and rectify the other errors.  Carriageway painting will follow later in the summer.  The parish council will continue to try to ensure that Buckinghamshire Council deliver their promised measures.

    At the other end of Westfield Road, the 30mph signs have now been relocated to their correct position at the junction but 40mph signs for the backs of these posts have not yet been installed.  Again, we understand the Taylor Wimpey contractor is due to return and retrofit.

    Multi Use Games Area and replacement car park

    These items are being installed by Nicholas King Homes.  We are currently working with the developer to resolve a number of outstanding issues and queries.

    Picnic Table

    We’d like to express our thanks to the Morris family for their kind donation of funds for the purchase of a memorial picnic bench to be located in the Hever Close playground. The unit is currently being manufactured and will be installed once complete.

    JOB VACANCY – CLEANER FOR PITSTONE PAVILION

    Due to a change in personal circumstances, we are seeking a new cleaner for Pitstone Pavilion.

    Estimated 2-4 hours per week (exact hours paid from worksheets submitted).  We can often be flexible with the work windows but the candidate must be able to work weekends as well as evenings/early mornings if necessary (based around our bookings).  Must be flexible and able to adapt to meet the needs of our hirers (both those hiring the community room and those holding outdoor sporting events).

    Duties will include:

    • cleaning the pavilion including the community room, kitchen, toilets, corridors, walkways and changing village (depending on hirers usage),
    • monitoring and refilling dispensers as necessary,
    • litter picking the grounds,
    • periodic deep cleaning (such as descaling shower heads),
    • completion of accurate records of work undertaken.

    The applicant must be reasonably fit (as the cleaning work after muddy footballers can sometimes be strenuous), self-motivated and trustworthy.   Must be happy to work alone on site.   Experience of cleaning similar premises an advantage, but training can be provided.

    For full details, please see the attachment below.

    If this is the role for you, please apply in writing to: Mrs Laurie Eagling, Clerk to Pitstone Parish Council at email: parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk or via mail at Pitstone Pavilion, Marsworth Road, Pitstone, Beds, LU7 9AP, enclosing a curriculum vitae or providing brief written details about yourself, your experience and your suitability for the post.    

    Deadline: 12 August 2021.

    JOB VACANCY – FACILITIES MANAGER FOR PITSTONE PAVILION

    We are seeking a Facilities Manager for the new Pitstone Pavilion. This will be a varied role encompassing everything to do with the pavilion including the maintenance, liaising with customers, promotional activities, policies, systems, overseeing contractors etc.

    Estimated at around 5 hours per week, £12 per hour.  Must be able to work weekends and evenings, and able to attend at short notice if required.  Must be flexible and able to adapt to meet the needs of our hirers (both those hiring the community room and those holding outdoor sporting events).

    The applicant must be reasonably fit, self-motivated and trustworthy.   Must be happy to work alone.   Must be IT literate.

    Please find attached a full Job Description, Person Specification and Lone Working advice.

    If this is the role for you, please apply in writing to: Mrs Laurie Eagling, Clerk to Pitstone Parish Council at email: parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk or via mail at Pitstone Pavilion, Marsworth Road, Pitstone, LU7 9AP, enclosing a curriculum vitae or providing written details about yourself, your experience and your suitability for the post.    

    Deadline: 12 August 2021.

    Pitstone Skatepark Design Meeting with Bendcrete Skateparks

    Come along to Pitstone Recreation Ground at 6.30pm on 28 July 2021 to meet the skatepark designers and have your say in the final design for the skatepark.

    To view the proposed skatepark including the list of features & heights, please click here:

    Asset of Community Value

    We are delighted that our Community Right to Bid application to Buckinghamshire Council to re-list the land to the south side of The Crescent as an Asset of Community Value has been successful, and the parcel of land has been re-entered onto the register (listings expire after 5 years).

    Buckinghamshire Council’s decision notice is attached below.

    A warm welcome to Councillors Alistair Kirk & Jack Heyman

    Pitstone Parish Council would like to extend a warm welcome to two new councillors. Here they tell you a little about themselves:

    Councillor Jack Heyman

    “My family and I moved into the area in 2015, we feel lucky to have found such a wonderful community that is so warm and welcoming. I jumped at the chance to join the Parish Council so I could help add to it, as much as anything else, for my two young children and to give back to the community.  My father and I run a family business in haberdashery and I’m hoping to utilise some of my skills in sales and problem solving.  I have great passion for our village and will put my all into it.”

    Councillor Alistair Kirk

    “I have lived in Tring, Berkhamsted or in one of the surrounding villages all of my life. I settled in Pitstone with my now family of four 8 years ago and we love where we live. I have always been keen aware of local community projects & local news and feel it is now the time to serve the local community as a parish councillor. I have attended Pitstone Parish Council meetings prior to submitting my interest in joining the parish council and hope I can add to the great work undertaken by the both current and previous parish councillors. I have always believed in working together with other local parish councils and look forward to supporting my local community.”

    No local election called, Pitstone Parish Council to co-opt to fill vacancies

    Buckinghamshire Council has confirmed that no local election has been called and therefore the parish council will be co-opting 3 individuals to fill the current 3 vacancies for members of the parish council.

    We thank everyone that has expressed an interest and/or submitted an application to date. Please do continue to reach out to us if you are interested in becoming a parish councillor. Initial information can be found in the web post link below, along with the associated links that explain who is eligible to stand and how much time might be required. We are happy to provide full information packs about Pitstone Parish Council specifically, so do give us a call.

    Voting and appointments will take place at the next council meeting on 24 June 2021. Appointed members will then serve a 4-year term of office until the next election.

    We look forward to hearing from you.

    Westfield Road update 11-6-21

    Buckinghamshire Council have today advised the following:

    • Both Buckinghamshire Council and Taylor Wimpey visited the site yesterday and Taylor Wimpey’s contractors have been instructed to carry out the following remedial works:
    • The badger and exclamation mark signs to be relocated next week (they did not have the correct size clips available yesterday).
    • The duplicate derestriction signs on the gates to be removed.
    • The old post that housed the badger signs to be removed.
    • The 30mph signs to be re-ordered (as they are still too small) and to be fitted once available.
    • At the other end of Westfield Road, the 30mph signs have now moved to the correct position by the junction but 40mph signs need to be added to the back.

    Westfield Road sign errors

    We are aware that the BC/TW installers have made a number of errors when installing the new signage on Westfield Road today (9/6/21) which is incredibly frustrating.

    The parish council is trying to liaise with Buckinghamshire Council and we will update residents as soon as we have any news.

    Update: Taylor Wimpey are now due to visit site tomorrow (10/6/21) with a contractor to try and sort out the latest issues. If necessary, Buckinghamshire Council will come out later in the week. They are hopeful that the current issues will be sorted in the next couple of days.

    Volunteers’ Week – Pitstone Parish Post

    This week is Volunteers’ Week.

    Today is an opportunity for us to say thank you to all our Street Light Champions. Thank you for helping to ensure all our lights are operational.

    The parish council owns and maintains 120 street light lanterns within the original residential part of the village. The columns along Marsworth Road are maintained by Buckinghamshire Council. Those within Castlemead and along Westfield Road are maintained by Taylor Wimpey, those in the new development off Rushendon Furlong are still maintained by Croudace and those within the development off Vicarage Road are still maintained by Bellway. There are also a couple of columns around the village which are maintained by housing associations.

    Each month a team of volunteer residents & councillors walk the road in which they live (or those they jog past) once at night to check that all the lanterns are illuminating, and once during the day to check that none of the lanterns are on when they shouldn’t be. If any issues are identified, they drop a quick email to the parish clerk who can then get the matter reported to the appropriate body so the remedial works can be carried out.

    This volunteering opportunity takes up hardly any time and helps to ensure the lights in your road are maintained in a timely manner. The checks can be undertaken at any time to suit you, within a one week window. We simply send out a reminder at the beginning of the month & you only need to respond to us if there is anything that needs fixing.

    If you would like to join this team please do get in touch with the parish clerk on 01296 767261 / parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk.

    Volunteers’ Week – Pitstone Parish Post

    This week is Volunteers’ Week.

    Today is an opportunity for us to say thank you to everyone involved in the production and distribution of Pitstone Parish Post. Everyone on this team is a volunteer – including the Editor, the Cover Designer, the Distribution Manager, the Advertising Manager and the small army of distributors that pop the magazine through your letterbox. We are most grateful to each and every one of you for the vital role that you play in helping to keep all residents informed of local affairs.

    We are always open to expanding the content of our quarterly publication if we have willing helpers to produce it, so if you’d like to get involved with reporting on local events, taking photographs, writing articles, producing regular features etc then please do get in touch with Sue, our Editor, via email on pppeditor@pitstone.co.uk or phone 01296 661910.

    If you have time once a quarter to pop some copies of PPP through letterboxes (the magazine is delivered to every home and business in Pitstone), then please contact Rachel, our Distribution Manager, on 07717 471584. Also reach out to Rachel if you would be willing to provide relief cover for those that might be unable to complete their round, as there are often a few routes that need covering if people are away on holiday etc.

    If you would like to place an advert in the magazine, or have some time to help us contact potential advertisers to let them know about our magazine, please contact either Klaus, our Advertising Manager, on 01296 668911 or the parish clerk on 01296 767261 / parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk.

    Volunteering as a PPP distributor is a more solitary role than some of the other volunteering opportunities with the parish council but takes hardly any time and gets you out in the fresh air once a quarter. The other roles can evolve around your available time & skill set.

    Please do get in touch today, and start reaping the benefits of volunteering within your local community.

    Could your community group benefit from a grant?

    The parish council offers grants to local community groups and local charities that specifically benefit Pitstone residents.  Applications are considered quarterly.   The next opportunity for grants to be considered is coming up in July.

    Our most recent recipients include Windmill Pre School for outdoor play equipment, Pitstone Memorial Hall Charity to fix their roof and South Central Ambulance for a further dedicated kit for our Community First Responders.

    Please see the grant policy on this web site (http://pitstone.co.uk/ppcinfo/grant-policy/ ) for further information or contact the parish clerk.

    Applications must be received at least 10 days ahead of the meeting date so that the information can be circulated to all members ahead of the meeting and your application can be advertised on our agenda.

    Volunteers’ Week – Pitstone Youth Cafe

    This week is Volunteers’ Week.

    Today is an opportunity for us to say thank you to all those that volunteer at the Pitstone Youth Cafe. The parish council employs one qualified youth worker and all the other adult helpers are volunteers, so without you our young residents wouldn’t be able to access youth support, participate in informal sports & games, nor have somewhere safe and dry to hang out with their friends that have gone to other senior schools.

    More helpers are always needed as we need at least 4 on site each week. Sadly many of our volunteers are having to travel to us from Aylesbury and the villages surrounding Pitstone, as there have not been enough local helpers (despite most of the young people that attend coming from Pitstone). If you enjoy skateboarding, netball, basketball, badminton, frisbee, console games, board/card games or table tennis then this is the opportunity for you. Likewise if you can run craft, digital photography or music sessions with a group of young people then we’d love to hear from you too as this enables us to put together a varied program of activities for the young people to participate in (in the past the teenagers have helped to build go-carts, skate ramps and bird houses, made jewellery or light pictures using digital cameras). So if this is something that appeals to you, please do call Dave, our Cafe Manager, for an initial chat on 07977 926596 or email youth.cafe@me.com

    You can find out more information about the youth cafe here: https://pitstone.co.uk/ppcinfo/youth-cafe/

    Volunteering at the youth cafe (Wednesday evenings 6.30-8.15pm in term time) is a lot of fun – you get to meet lots of lovely new people, keep active and feel more connected to our local community. There is no age limit, many of our volunteers are retired and enjoy attending the cafe as much as the young people do. You don’t need to commit to coming each week, some volunteers just come once a month. The cafe operates in a covid secure manner.

    Please do get in touch today, and help us to support more young people. They are the future of our village.

    Volunteers’ Week – Pitstone Community Car Scheme

    This week is Volunteers’ Week.

    Today is an opportunity for us to say thank you to all those that volunteer to drive for the Pitstone Community Car Scheme. All drivers are volunteers, so without you our residents wouldn’t be able to reach their hospital, doctors and medical appointments – thank you very much.

    More drivers are always needed as there are sadly sometimes people we can’t help, so if this is something that appeals to you, please do call Stephen, our Community Car Coordinator, for an initial chat on Tel: 01296 767116 or email communitytransport@pitstone.co.uk

    Driving for the car scheme is very rewarding – you get to feel good about helping someone, meet lots of lovely new people and feel more connected to our local community. There is no minimum or regular commitment required – you only accept a booking if it suits you (some volunteer a few times a year, some a few times a month, some people only need to get to the doctors surgery & safely back home so the time commitment isn’t huge). Petrol expenses are paid so you are not out-of-pocket. The scheme operates in a covid secure manner.

    Please do get in touch today, and help us to help more people.

    3 vacancies – Pitstone Parish Council

    ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT OUR VILLAGE?

    WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN PITSTONE PARISH COUNCIL? 

    3 VACANCIES

    We currently have 3 vacant seats on the parish council.  At the 6 May 2021 election 1 seat remained unappointed (for which we can co-opt).  2 candidates that were offered seats (Dr Frearson and Mrs Stoddart) have been unable to take up their posts due to unforeseen changes in personal circumstances (for which we can co-opt if 10 electors do not request a by-election within 14 working days, see attached notices).  Therefore, there are 3 remaining positions available on the parish council.

    Each member will serve a four-year term of office with the parish council, until the next election.

    The corporate body of the parish council also acts as Sole Trustee to two local charities.

    Initial information about the role of parish councillors, and charity trustees, is available on our website www.pitstone.co.uk.

    If you are interested in joining us, have plenty of spare time (an average of 3 hours per week) to volunteer (councillors receive no wages or allowances), and are passionate about the village we live in, please contact the parish council for a full information pack as soon as possible to ensure you have plenty of time to read through all the materials.

    Applications for co-option should be submitted by email to parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk by close of:

    THURSDAY 17 JUNE 2021

    If no by-election has been called, the parish council will arrange interviews and seek to appoint 3 individuals to fill all 3 vacancies at the next full council meeting on Thursday 24 June 2021.

    If a by-election has been called, the parish council will seek to appoint 1 individual to fill the initial seat at the next full council meeting on Thursday 24 June 2021 and the remaining 2 seats will be filled by local election (dates will be confirmed by Buckinghamshire Council in due course).

    If you are interested in calling for a by-election, please see the information in the attached two notices and replicated below:

    PITSTONE PARISH COUNCIL

    Local Government Act 1972- Sections 87 and 89

    NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that due to the resignation of Councillors Dr Frearson and Mrs Stoddart (who were unable to take up their elected posts due to a change in personal circumstances) two casual vacancies have arisen in the Office of Parish Councillor for Pitstone Parish Council.

    If by 14 June 2021 (within 14 days excluding Dies Non after the date of this notice) a request for an election to fill the vacancies is made in writing to the Returning Officer, Buckinghamshire Council, King George V House, King George V Road, Amersham, HP6 5AW or via email to elections@buckinghamshire.gov.uk* by TEN electors for the Parish, then an election will be held to fill the vacancies, otherwise the vacancies will be filled by co-option.

    Dated: 24 May 2021

    Signed: Laurie Eagling, Parish Clerk

    Pitstone Parish Council, 9 Warwick Road, Pitstone, Beds, LU7 9FE

    ** Residents of the parish who wish to request an election must include their names, addressses and a signature and if using the email address we recommend a scanned copy.

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