Aylesbury Vale District Council (AVDC) and the Paralympic Heritage Flame Lighting Ceremony’s organising committee are excited to announce Ali Jawad and Sophie Christiansen CBE as official torchbearers in this year’s event, ‘Spirit of Endeavour’.
Paralympians, Ali Jawad and Sophie Christiansen, will take centre stage at this year’s Paralympic Heritage Flame Lighting Ceremony on Friday 2 March at Stoke Mandeville Stadium, as part of the lead-up to the twelfth Paralympic Winter Games. Para-equestrian Dressage rider, Sophie Christiansen, has competed in four successive Paralympic Games and is an eight-time Paralympic Champion with multiple World and European titles. She was awarded a CBE in the 2017 New Year Honours List for services to Para-equestrianism. Ali Jawad is a British powerlifter who won his first Paralympic medal in Rio, after securing silver in the men’s -59kg category, lifting a best of 190kg.
The Ceremony will see the first flame of the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games Torch Relay ignited in Stoke Mandeville, the birthplace of the Paralympic movement. It will then continue to take place in South Korea between 2-9 March with torchbearers covering a distance of 2018km. The relay’s motto is “Let Everyone Shine” and embodies the Paralympic spirit of creating infinite possibilities and outcomes by incorporating the infinity symbol (∞) in the form of the number ‘8’ throughout the journey.
Eight flames will be lit over the eight days and the journey will feature 800 torchbearers. This includes one in our very own Stoke Mandeville Stadium, one in South Korea’s capital, Seoul and one each from Jeju Island, Anyang, Nonsan, Gochang, and Cheongdo, all cities which provide accessible tourism facilities and services in South Korea for people with disabilities. The eighth and final flame will be a digital flame, formed by all the virtual sparks sent by fans all over the world.

Pitstone Town Lands Charity provides support for people in the parish of Pitstone who are in conditions of need, hardship or distress.

The charity owns 4 one bedroom flats on Cheddington Road and will soon have a vacancy for a ground floor flat.  We only consider applications from people with a close connection to Pitstone.

For an application form and to find out more, please email kate.smethers@pitstone.co.uk or call 01296 661499 before Sunday 11^th March

The Williamson Trust is a local charity which provides fixed grants to those who are 65 years or over on 31 March and live within the parish of Pitstone.

Please click below to visit the Williamson Trust page for more information and to read their latest leaflet.

The Williamson Trust

If you know someone who would be eligible, or are eligible yourself and are not on the Williamson Trust list, please contact Gill Lowe (details via the link above) as soon as possible.

Please see the information below from AVDC:

You may have seen on social media that Keep Britain Tidy group have launched the Great British Spring Clean campaign for 2018.

To support this campaign we will be spreading the word through our social media streams, encouraging local groups to get involved.

As a way of supporting this we will also be offering litter bags and the collection of the litter following the event. Please see our webpage for full details.

https://www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/keep-britain-tidy-great-british-spring-clean-2-4-march-2018

We would be grateful if you could pass this onto your parishioners and encourage local support.

Any queries please do not hesitate to get in contact via streetscene@aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk.

Kind regards

The Street Cleansing and Horticultural Team – AVDC

Many of us want to help our elderly or frail neighbours but we may not always be sure how to go about it, or even whether it’s appropriate. After all, no one wants to seem nosy or interfering, but a few simple steps can make a world of difference to someone who may be reluctant to ask for help themselves.

Buckinghamshire County Council and your local NHS organisations have jointly developed a campaign, “Be a Good Neighbour”, to show people easy ways in which they can help.

Please follow the link for details: https://spark.adobe.com/page/mb1c25mSMdCOh/

Pitstone to Marsworth Footpath

This has now been commissioned by TfB and the works are scheduled to commence from the 5^th of February for 8 – 10 weeks.  All site clearance should be completed before March.  It is envisaged that work teams will be on the carriageway between 9:30 – 15:30 each day and traffic arrangements are being finalised at the moment.

Marsworth Airfield Planning Application 15/00374/APP

The deadline for comment on this application is 31 January, 2017 via the AVDC website.  I have already commented to oppose the application and Bucks County Council is also opposing the application on the grounds of highway safety.   This application is likely to go to Committee at AVDC some time in the next few weeks.

LLACC and Heathrow Expansion consultations

At the LLACC meeting on Monday 22 January, during which the subject of aircraft noise was raised by councillors from surrounding councils.  It was noted that noise complaints were up significantly between July to September 2017 at 5,785, as compared with the same quarter last year which had only 1,866 noise complaints logged.

With regard to future expansion, Luton Airport will start consultation later this year on expanding the airport from 18 million passengers a year to 38 million. As part of the expansion the Airport will need to also consult three times on changes to airspace as they refine options down to dedicated flight paths. If you are affected by aircraft noise from Luton Airport and want to influence future flight paths then you should complain if an aircraft is unusually low or noisy. Complaints can be made at:

https://www.london-luton.co.uk/corporate/community/noise/making-a-noise-complaint

Opportunities in Bucks

The Opps in Bucks website is a really useful tool for any local businesses who would like to get involved in offering young people in our area apprenticeships or work opportunities.  This is a networking tool which puts young people in Bucks in touch with businesses and education opportunities to allow them to obtain further skills and work experience, and at the same time means that our local businesses can tap into the energy, enthusiasm and skills base that our young people have to offer.

The website is easy to navigate, and for young people looking for opportunities, there is a Wannabe icon at the far right of the page which links to specific work experiences on offer by businesses along with apprenticeships and various jobs currently being advertised.

The links are below, and well worth exploring for any young people wondering about their next steps as they move into work experience.

https://oppsinbucks.org

https://wannabebucks.org/?utm_source=Oppsinbucks&utm_campaign=icon&utm_medium=homepage

Royal British Legion News

With Remembrance being led by the Legion since 1921, the commemoration of the end of the First World War is going to be one of the most memorable and significant moments in the history of the charity and the entire nation.

During the last 100 days of the centenary, from 8^th August to 11^th November, the Royal British Legion wants to encourage everyone to thank those who fought, those who returned, and those who worked to rebuild the country for future generations and achieved incredible advancements in many areas including medicine, the arts, and everyday life.

Please visit the Thank You Webpage which can be found at the link below to find out more and watch their short film. Further news about the Thank You movement will be released in the coming months.

https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/remembrance/ww1-centenary/thank-you/

Also as part of the centenary commemorations, this summer the Legion will re-enact the original ‘Great Pilgrimage’ of 90 years ago, when 11,000 people visited the battlefields and the graves of their loved ones in France and Belgium. On August 8^th, thousands of Legion members will re-tread those footsteps and proudly march through the famous Menin Gate in Ypres.

The occasion will be a powerful act of Remembrance, bringing together Legion Branches and local communities. It is the presence at the ceremony of representation from more than 1,000 towns and villages from across the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, which marks this event as unique within the UK’s recent commemorative programme. Further details about how your community can become involved will be released in the coming months. Please visit the Great Pilgrimage 90 website at the link below to find out more.

https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/community/calendar/remembrance-services-and-events/great-pilgrimage-90/

Active Bucks

Pitstone residents may be interested in the Active Bucks website –  www.activebucks.co.uk – which holds over 1800 activities across Bucks and allows residents to filter activities by distance, activity type and day/time.

By registering on the website, residents can also download a voucher that allows them to access their first session free!

I’m delighted to send you the latest edition of our interactive newspaper Transform. Click here to read

In this edition we look ahead to LLA’s 80th and most exciting year yet, look back on two years of fundraising for Keech Hospice Care and find out more about the complicated construction of our new taxiway. Follow the clickable links in the stories for video content.

Neil Bradford
Stakeholder Communications Manager
London Luton Airport
Navigation House
Airport Way, Luton
Bedfordshire LU2 9LY

T 01582 405100
E neil.bradford@ltn.aero
W www.transforminglla.com

As part of our preparation plans, UK Power Networks has organised for additional staff in our contact centre to help customers whose electricity supply might be affected by the predicted weather, and we have called up additional engineers to carry out repairs to overhead lines and poles as soon as the wind reduces to a speed at which it is safe to work.

We would be very grateful if you could share the information below with your local residents and constituents, so that they are aware of who to contact in the event their electricity is interrupted by the weather.

Anyone experiencing a power cut should:

• Call 105 to report power cuts and damage to the electricity network, or 0800 3163 105 (from a corded phone or mobile phone if you have no power)
• Visit ukpowernetworks.co.uk for the latest updates
• Visit ukpowernetworks.co.uk/powercut and type in their postcode to view our live power cut map
• Tweet @ukpowernetworks to report a power cuts or to receive updates

We advise people to stay clear of power lines and report damaged power lines immediately by calling 105 free from either a landline or a mobile phone. If they see electricity lines that are down or causing significant risk to the public they should call 999.

We provide extra help to customers on our Priority Service Register during a power cut.  Households with older or disabled people, those with children under five, or where someone uses medical or mobility equipment that requires electricity as well as other reasons can join the register.  You can find out more information about our Priority Service on our website: ukpowernetworks.co.uk/priority.

If you would like to share information about preparing for the storm or the priority service register on social media you might like to use the following:

@UKPowerNetworks has extra staff on hand 24/7 to deal with the impact of #stormFionn

Call 105 to report a powercut and visit www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/powercut for the latest updates

Do you, or someone you know, need extra support during a power cut?

@UKPowerNetworks provides free services to vulnerable customers. Visit ukpowernetworks.co.uk/priority for more information #stormFionn

This winter’s weather has been tough on Buckinghamshire’s roads – while the heavy snowfall in December was the most remarkable weather event, the worst conditions for roads are actually when the ground temperature fluctuates constantly between just above and just below zero.

Pothole formation is accelerated by this ‘freeze-thaw’ effect, whereby moisture gets into small cracks in the the road surface and expands when it freezes, then thaws out when the temperature rises. This process repeats until the road surface begins to break up and potholes are formed.

County Councillor Mark Shaw, Cabinet Member for Transportation, urges road users in Buckinghamshire to report potholes when they see them:

“Transport for Buckinghamshire will investigate every pothole reported to them, and react on a risk based prioritisation process – put simply, that means the worst ones will be attended to first, as a matter of urgency. But we’re not mind readers, and the road network is far too vast for us to possibly know where all the potholes are, so we need members of the public to report them to us either using the online form, which only takes a few minutes, or by calling if it’s dangerous or an emergency. I would ask that everyone be patient while we deal with the fallout of a bad winter – potholes are as inevitable as weather, roads are made of a porous material so that they don’t flood constantly in rain and so when water within the structure freezes, defects will form.”

On average, when there are no severe weather issues, TfB repairs over 4,000 potholes every month.

Pothole FAQ:

• You fixed one pothole, why didn’t you fix the one next to it while you were here?
  Potholes are prioritised according to risk – if they are on very well used roads, they are more of a priority. Size and depth are also factors. Resources have to be used responsibly, and cannot be used up fixing a more minor road surface defect when there are more urgent defects needing attention just up the road.
• Why can I only report one pothole online at a time?
  Our online reporting system works on an interactive map, so that each individual defect can be risk assessed and dealt with on a case by case basis. The map allows for accurate pinpointing, which saves time when it comes to inspections. There are drop-down menus to allow you to input as much detail, such as size and position, as possible.
• Why do you make temporary repairs that don’t last?
  Temporary repairs, where the pothole is filled in with hot material and made smooth, are often carried out as a safety measure when a permanent repair cannot be carried out at that moment, likely due to the location of the defect. That is to say, where a larger area of road needs to be cut away to make a full repair, likely requiring a road or lane closure, a temporary or ‘make safe’ repair is an effective way of keeping the road safe in the meantime.
• How do I report a pothole?

You can report potholes, as well as any other road issue, using the Report It forms on the county council website. In an emergency, for instance a severe road defect, a flooded road, or a tree in the road, you can always call Transport for Buckinghamshire on 01296 382416 or 486630 (out of hours). The online reporting tool is at www.buckscc.gov.uk/services/transport-and-roads/report-a-problem/report-a-pothole/

Do you ever wonder what happens to the things you put in your waste bin?  Your recycling is sorted and passed onto recycling companies, but what about your non-recyclable waste?

So far over 2500 visitors to Greatmoor Energy from Waste have found out.

All of the residual (non-recyclable) household waste generated in Buckinghamshire is now processed at the Greatmoor Energy from Waste facility, at Woodham, near Aylesbury.  Greatmoor is operated by FCC Environment, in partnership with Buckinghamshire County Council.

Greatmoor has the capacity to treat up to 300,000 tonnes of waste a year (approximately 900 tonnes a day), waste which would otherwise have gone to landfill.   As a result, it generates a minimum of 22 megawatts of electricity to the national grid – meeting the energy needs of around 36,000 homes.

This alternative treatment of waste will result in a saving to Buckinghamshire County Council of approximately £150 million over the 30 year life of the contract.

Guided tours of Greatmoor are available by prior agreement and at no charge.  Visiting groups have included WIs, U3As, Rotary Clubs, Scouts, Cubs, Primary Schools, Colleges and lots of others.

A group visit to Greatmoor can be tailored to your requirements and will include a tour around the facility, which includes the control room (where you will be able to see the cranes loading the waste), a visit to the viewing hatch providing an exciting view into the heart of the fire, the turbine hall and the huge condenser fans, which is an experience not to be missed.

The maximum group size for a tour is 15.  School visits are available for Key Stage 2 upwards.

Cllr Bill Chapple OBE, Buckinghamshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning & Environment, said: “Greatmoor is a great asset to Buckinghamshire, and I’d really recommend that people take this opportunity to see the plant in operation and find out how it helps us reduce the environmental impact of our waste while at the same time saving money.”

Feedback from visitors includes “ The tutor had a really good knowledge and explained it all well.  The tour was such a good experience and really interesting.  I think that all the general public should have an opportunity”   and  “Very informative but not too much sitting around so the children got bored or disruptive – they were kept engaged throughout”

If you aren’t a member of a local group but would like a tour, why come to one of our open tour days?

Greatmoor is holding four public open tour days in 2018.

These are on the following Saturdays – March 17^th, June 30^th, September 22^nd and November 24^th.

On each day there will be tours, at 10am, 12.30 and 3pm.  Please note that places are available on a strictly booking in advance basis only.  There is a minimum age limit of 12 on open tours.

For more information about Greatmoor please visit  www.Greatmoor.co.uk

chilterns We need your views! Poster

Appeal for witnesses regarding a stolen van – Ivinghoe Aston & Buckingham

A van has been reported stolen in Ivinghoe Aston on Monday morning (08/01).

At around 6am a Citroen Berlingo had been left running, whilst it was being defrosted. When the owner returned to the vehicle it had been stolen, with the keys and his wallet inside.

The van is white with distinctive red rear panels.

A vehicle matching this description, but bearing Irish number plates, was seen in suspicious circumstances at 11pm the same day, in the Linden Village area of Buckingham.

The vehicle contained three men, one of which is described as white and a large build. There is no description for the other two men.

The van was later found and recovered in the Bedfordshire area, containing a number of tools, which are believed to be stolen.

Investigating Officer PC Dean Kingham, based at Aylesbury Police Station said “I want to speak to anyone that might have seen this van, or can give me a description of the men.

“Enquiries are ongoing to find out who the recovered tools belong to and I will be in contact with the owners when this has been done.

“I would also like to remind residents not to leave vehicles unattended when they are being defrosted. Not only does this provide opportunist thieves a chance to steal it, your insurance company may not pay if it is stolen under these circumstances.”

If you have any information regarding this crime please call PC Kingham on the 24 hour non-emergency number 101, quoting reference number 43180006624.

If you don’t want to speak to the police or give your details you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or report it online.

Crime prevention advice and information can be found on the Thames Valley Police website.

Message from Anne Wight, County Councillor
Diversion signs at Ivinghoe King’s Head and church

Dear all,

Please find below a copy of the report presented by Cllr Anne Wight at the Pitstone Parish Council meeting on 4/1/18:

Happy New Year Pitstone!

I would like to take this opportunity to wish Pitstone Parish Council a very Happy New Year and hope that 2018 brings much happiness and prosperity to PPC and all the residents of Pitstone.

Station Road Cheddington Diversions

From 10^th January for approximately one month, Station Road, Cheddington will be closed completely from the junction of Mentmore Road for 640 meters. Diversion routes are being set up which will include Long Marston Road, Cheddington Lane, Tring Road, Wingrave Road, Lower Icknield Way, Marsworth Road, High Street, Church Road, Station Road, and Horton.

These works are expected to cause minor delays for local residents and restrictions on road parking in that area, but they are necessary due to Anglian Water pipe repair in Cheddington.

Castlemead Road Adoption Update

Following recent exchanges of emails and telephone conversations with the developer and their consultant, our officer was able to confirm that contractors have set up a site compound and commenced work on the remedial works for Westfield Road.

Subject to further discussions, it is my understanding that the remedial works for the rest of the estate roads will follow on once Westfield Road has been completed and I am happy to provide PPC with further details as they become available.

College Lake

I was very pleased last month to have been invited to see the wonderful nature reserve on our doorstep which is College Lake by the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT).

As Pitstone residents may already know the Trust looks after 88 nature reserves across the three counties, covering about 2,500 hectares. Working closely with local communities, decision-makers, landowners and businesses, they work with and for nature.

All three counties have suffered 70 years of habitat destruction, with meadows, hedgerows and woods having disappeared under houses and roads. Consequently, BBOWT is restoring and creating more places for wildlife and people, where even small changes make a big difference.

Their aim is to lead the way for nature’s recovery, and connect people with nature, and their vision is for an environment rich in wildlife, valued by all.  Everyone can make a positive difference to their local environment.

If anyone is interested in joining the BBOWT, do please have a look at their website for the Highlights of 2017 below:

https://youtu.be/sYmGL7V9av8

as well as their website at:  bbowt.org.uk

If anyone is interested in supporting the Trust, or would like more information about their work, please use the following email and they will be very happy to help you.

biancarush@bbowt.org.uk

LLACC and Heathrow Expansion consultations

In the next few weeks, many residents in Bucks will receive a Heathrow Airport Expansion and Airspace Principles Consultation Leaflet.  This will provide details about the next public consultation, which will start on 17 January and run until 28 March 2018.  The leaflet will provide details about the consultation, how to respond, and a list of local consultation exhibition events that will be held during February and March.

There is a short video which explains more about Heathrow’s forthcoming consultation below

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&;v=TboP3BBiQRY

The link below provides more information about Heathrow’s expansion plans.

https://www.heathrowexpansion.com

I am happy to take any resident viewpoints to the next LLACC meeting on 22 January later this month, as the officer working on this at BCC is also working on the Luton airport expansion as well.

According to our BCC aviation planning officer, the next stage of this consultation in late 2018 will have some indication on possible impacts for Luton airport expansion.  Luton interim airspace change principles (2018 to 2025) are also likely to be consulted on from summer this year.

Two local school busses are affected by the new road closure at Cheddington station – the 883 Cheddington-Ivinghoe-Pitstone-Tring School service, and the 885 Ivinghoe Aston-Cheddington-Aylesbury Schools service (which does not affect Pitstone, and where there is a new shuttle bus 886T operating from Cheddington to the Aylesbury schools instead).  All other local school bus services (including the 885 to Tring school) are operating as normal.

BCC have advised the affected schools and also emailed to parents on the BCC email list.  Schools have been told to make announcements and bus drivers informed the students on the affected buses yesterday.  Therefore, the information below (a copy of the BCC email to parents) is just for clarification/reminder:

RE: Road Closure on Station Road, Cheddington from 10^th January 2018 until Spring Half Term, 9^th February 2018

You may be aware of a road closure coming into force tomorrow morning along Cheddington Station Road to the junction with Mentmore Road. Unfortunately we have been advised by Transport for Bucks that the nature of the works means that we are unable to access any part of this road during the closure, until otherwise notified. For this reason, we have had to alter the route of the 883 to avoid closed sections of the road.

The following boarding point adjustments will be in place until Friday 9^th October (commencement of Spring Half Term Holiday) or until further notice:

• Students boarding at Cheddington Station will need to walk to Cheddington, The Green to board. This is due to the nature of the road closure not allowing access to through traffic.
• Students boarding at Ivinghoe, Ford End Farm / Station Road B488 will need to walk to Ivinghoe, The Green as this section of the route will not be accessible due to the earlier road closure.
• Students boarding at Pitstone, Vicarage Road, Playing Field will need to wait on the opposite side of the road and board at the May Fu restaurant. This is to allow the bus to serve the route in a workable order
• Students boarding at Pitstone, Vicarage Road / Ship Lane will need to walk up to and cross the Marsworth Road and board at the May Fu restaurant. The Vicarage Road cannot be served due to the direction the bus must be travelling to arrive at Tring School

In order to make the boarding points in time, the route will run 10 minutes earlier than usual, as follows:

0743   Cheddington, The Green

0753   Pitstone, Vicarage Road, Playing Field (outside May Fu)

0800   Ivinghoe, The Green

0821   Tring School

The drivers will have been briefed to keep an eye out for any students not at their correct boarding point, so please advise your children to wave the bus down should they see it on route.

Parents will note that these adjustments are the same as put in place in October 2017, due to the Horton Road closure, so students and parents should be familiar with the changed route.

Please call us on 01296 387439 if there are any concerns.

Daniel Leaver

Client Transport Officer

Transport Ÿ Economy Ÿ Environment | Client and Public Transport

The National Trust attended the parish council meeting on 4-1-18 and gave an informative presentation on their current review of car parking along Monument Drive.

Please find below links to the following documents:

(1) A summary letter from National Trust – 20171031-Ashridge-CarPark

(2) A Frequently Asked Questions summary relating to the project – Ashridge Car Parking Project – FAQ’s

A public consultation will take place in the visitor centre at Ashridge later this spring.

The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Thames Valley, Anthony Stansfeld, has today launched a survey seeking public views on an increase in the police element of the council tax by £1 a month (for a band D property).

On Tuesday 19^th December the Home Secretary announced a substantial £450 million increase in police funding across England and Wales. However, this funding package assumes that all PCCs will raise the police element of council tax by £1 a month (or £12 a year) for a band D property which, collectively, will raise £270 million of the £450 million increase. This settlement will allow forces to continue to provide an effective service in their critical work to fight crime and protect the public.

At present around 60% of Thames Valley Police’s £393 million annual policing budget is funded by central government, with the policing element of council tax making up the remainder. Since 2010/11 the police grant has been cut by around 38% in real terms which has resulted in Thames Valley Police (TVP) having to make £99 million of savings in order to balance the budget.  These cuts have already led to a manpower reduction of over 1,000 full time equivalent posts, including more than 450 police officers.

Anthony Stansfeld, Police and Crime Commissioner said: “Setting the budget for 2018/19 needs to be considered in the context of an already constrained financial position as well as the additional pressures policing faces as demand in some of the most complex and challenging areas continues to increase.

“This includes rising reports and cases of hidden crimes such as domestic abuse, child abuse, sexual offences, serious violence and exploitation have all increased the pressure on police resources.

“Needless to say this is proving to be extremely challenging and without the increase of £12 per year in council tax, as recommended by the Home Secretary, we would have to make further significant reductions in police officers and staff which will affect the level and quality of policing service we are able to offer you.

“In November 2017 TVP was judged by the Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) to be ‘outstanding’ in the efficiency with which it keeps people safe and reduces crime. This includes an ‘outstanding’ for its understanding of demand and its use of resources to manage demand, and its planning for future demand was judged to be ‘good’. Thames Valley Police was one of only two forces nationally to have been awarded an overall rating of outstanding.

“Ideally I would not choose to consult over the busy Christmas and New Year period and particularly on such an important issue, however, the Chief Constable and I only received the provisional police grant settlement for 2018/19 from the Home Office on Tuesday 19^th December.

“Unfortunately due to budget decisions needing to be finalised by the end of January I am only able to run the consultation until 11th January.

“I apologise for the timing and length of the consultation period but I hope you will take the time to complete the survey which will help the Chief Constable and I to make an informed decision on the budget for 2018/19.”

The short online survey and further background information can be found on the Thames Valley PCC website:

https://www.thamesvalley-pcc.gov.uk/get-involved/police-funding-survey-have-your-say/

Closing Date: Midday Thursday 11^th January 2018

Those residents who do not have access to the internet can write to the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Thames Valley Police Headquarters, Oxford Road, Kidlington, Oxon, OX5 2NX with their answers to the below questions.

Question 1

Do you think an extra £12 per year in council tax, for a Band D property, to help protect operational policing in Thames Valley would be money well spent?

Question 2

If not, please explain why and what annual increase you believe is justified and will enable Thames Valley Police to do their job effectively?

Please note that all postal responses needs to be received by midday on Thursday 11^th January 2018

drink drive campaign 2017

Please find attached the latest poster and flyer for our Christmas drink drive campaign to help raise awareness about making sure that drivers are not still over the limit the morning after a night out.

The poster and flyer has a link to an online calculator that can be downloaded. This can help to calculate how many units are in each type of drink and approximately how long it can take for alcohol to leave the system.

Road Safety has been out with Thames Valley Police conducting roadside checks and breathalysing drivers and this will continue throughout the festive period.  These checks take place from early in the morning to late at night throughout the county.

Thank you for sharing this message and I wish you all a safe and happy Christmas.

June

June Howlett

Road Safety Officer

Network Safety Team

Transport for Buckinghamshire

New County Offices

Walton Street

Aylesbury

Buckinghamshire

HP20 1UY

t-jhowlett@buckscc.org

01296 382338

Visit our website www.buckscc.gov.uk/transport

Follow us on twitter @TfB alerts

Here is the link to the December issue (and all previous editions) of our community newsletter, Inform.

Recently you may have seen that Luton Borough Council, the airport owner, has unveiled its future vision looking ahead to 2050. As the operator of the airport until 2031, we are focused on delivering our current transformation which will see us grow to 18m passengers a year. For more information about their vision, a document is available here: https://www.llal.org.uk/Documents/vision2020-2050.pdf and any feedback should be directed to the airport freeholder by emailing Vision2050@llal.org.uk

I hope this information is useful.

Kind Regards,

Nicole

Nicole Morris
Community Noise Officer
London Luton Airport
Navigation House
Airport Way, Luton
Bedfordshire LU2 9LY

   E nicole.morris@ltn.aero
  W london-luton.co.uk

Tis the season to recycle Aylesbury Vale District Council 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 the blue-lidded recycling bin with; Christmas cards and crackers, paper hats, non-glittery wrapping paper, chocolate boxes, gift packaging and all the usual items you regularly recycle. If in any doubt, check out our new online Waste Wizard that tells you which items can and can not be recycled. Turkey bones and any unwanted Christmas pudding can go in the food waste bin. However, some food waste can be avoided so for inspiration on how to use up any leftovers visit www.lovefoodhatewaste.com
Excess recycling, as well as unwanted electrical items, can also be taken to the Recycling & Waste centres (tips), based at Aston Clinton, Aylesbury and Buckingham, together with Christmas trees, wreathes and mistletoe.
Residents who have subscribed to AVDC’s garden waste service can put natural Christmas trees, wreaths, holly and mistletoe in their brown garden waste bin. Trees should be cut into small pieces before being placed in the brown bin and all decorations and metal should be removed first. Garden waste collections will recommence from Monday 29 January 2018.
You can check your revised Christmas bin collection dates on our website: www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/findyourbinday

Your Care Your Communtity A4 Dec 17b Aylesbury

For the week commencing Monday 18 December, Aylesbury Vale District Council’s Recycling and Waste team is doing their bit to spread festive cheer thanks to the fabulous personal commitment and efforts of collection crew member Terry Green.

To raise money for Alzheimer’s Society, Multiple Sclerosis Society and Cancer Research UK, Terry has been growing his hair and beard for almost a year. This festive season Terry will be donning his Santa inspired red, Hi-Vis, safety uniform on his collection rounds and we are offering residents of Aylesbury Vale the chance to enter our photo competition by ‘snapping a selfie with Santa’. Amy Bridgford, Recycling and Waste Operations Manager said; “Terry has been with us since the summer and we’ve never known him without his thick hair and beard. I was delighted to support him when he approached me with this idea, to dress in red Hi-Vis and bring the presence of Santa to his collection rounds.

“It’s a great opportunity to bring the team together to support one of our own in his charitable feat and the rest of the crew are excited to judge the best photo competition.”
The photo competition is open until 5pm Thursday 21 December. Photos that are uploaded to Twitter, with the hashtag #selfiewithsanta and that have tagged AVDC’s handle @aylesburyvale will be entered into the competition, with the winner being announced, and the winning photo being uploaded across our social media accounts, on Friday 22 December. The photograph judged the best that has been shared with AVDC will receive a £50 high street shopping voucher – just in time for that last minute Christmas shop!

In the New Year, on the 21 January 2018, exactly one year on from beginning this charitable feat, Terry will have his hair cut short and beard shaved off. If you would like to support Terry with his fundraising you can make a donation via his JustGiving fundraising page ‘Growing Scruffy’.

Message to residents from AVDC

Due to the forecast of extremely low temperatures overnight, we anticipate that icy and snow-blocked roads are likely to make our recycling and waste collections dangerous.

For this reason, we’ve reluctantly decided to cancel collections on Tuesday 12 December, and to make the following changes to our normal collection schedule:

• Tuesday’s collections will be collected on Wednesday
• Wednesday’s collections will be collected on Thursday
• Thursday’s collections will be collected on Friday
• Friday’s collections will be collected on Saturday

It’s very rare that we have to make changes like these but, in the current extreme weather conditions, public and staff safety must remain our priority.

Please note, there’s a possibility that should the weather get worse, there’s a chance we may have to revise these changes again but we are hopeful that we’ll be able to make the collections as detailed above.

We apologise for any inconvenience.

December 2017

Rural crime update from Assistant Chief Constable Nikki Ross

Reports of rural crime in the Thames Valley have increased by five percent between October 2016 and September 2017.

I would like to reassure members of our rural communities of my commitment to investigating reports of rural crime. We rely on information from our local communities and take such reports very seriously. Incidents are robustly investigated by our local policing teams who have dedicated Rural Crime and Wildlife Officers based across the Thames Valley.

Rural crime can take many different forms including burglary, robbery, theft, criminal damage, fly tipping, poaching and hare coursing. We are continuing to work with local residents, businesses and partners to raise awareness of crime prevention techniques while developing problem solving solutions to tackle rural crime.

There are often fewer witnesses to rural crimes and greater opportunities for criminals to target isolated properties and businesses. The impact of these crimes can also be greater, with people feeling more vulnerable due to their remote location.

You can reduce the risk of becoming a victim of rural crime by taking a few simple steps including:

• Keeping the boundaries of your land and property well-maintained and secure
• Fitting strong locks to sheds, garages and outbuildings
• Checking security equipment regularly to ensure it is working properly
• Locking equipment away in a secure building when it’s not in use
• Security marking your tools and equipment

For more crime prevention advice, and to see details of your local Rural Crime Officers, visit the Rural Crime page on the Thames Valley Police website at: https://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/advice/protecting-your-business/rural-crime/

If you become a victim of rural crime or suspect that a crime has taken place, you should always report it to police by calling the non-emergency number, 101. If an incident is in progress, or there is an immediate threat to life, you should call 999.

You can receive the latest rural crime news from Thames Valley Police and their partners directly to your phone or inbox by signing up to CountryWatch at: http://www.thamesvalleycountrywatch.co.uk/

The santa float is now confirmed for :

Monday 18 December from 6-8pm around the Castlemead estate

Tuesday 19 December from 6-8pm around the original part of Pitstone

December_Quarterly_Update_for_Great_Brickhill__Ivinghoe_and_Wing (1)

Don’t forget registering to Buckinghamshire County Council Collective switching scheme where you can make savings on your energy bill.

This national scheme will join our residents, families and friends with other people from around the country in a large pool and then invite energy suppliers to bid in an auction to provide energy to this pool of people at a preferential lower rate. Once the supplier has been confirmed they will write to everyone with a personalised quote. There is no obligation to switch.

In the last round of Auction:

• 41% of people who registered in Buckinghamshire were able to make a saving
• The average savings in the county have been around £130 per year.

We have a website www.buckscc.gov.uk/switchedon where people can find out more and also register their interest.

Winter Auction 2017-18 key dates:

• Auction – Tuesday 13^thFebruary 2018
• Offers – 26^thFebruary 2018
• Closure – 27^thMarch 2018

Deadline for registration is 12^th February 2018. The auction for suppliers will take place on 13^th February 2018. Please note that residents will need their existing energy bill(s) to complete your registration.

With the tell-tale signs of winter already here, the County Council and local NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) have issued an ‘all you need to know’ web-based guide to staying safe and healthy over the coming months.

For the first time, both organisations have brought all advice together in their new ‘Ready for Winter’ webpages. Advice ranges from staying safe on the roads, the gritting routes and coping with winter weather to staying healthy, warm and preventing illness.

Noel Brown, the County Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Engagement and Public Health said the webpages were the most comprehensive guide ever published for Buckinghamshire. “While I hope we get a relatively mild winter, it’s useful to have such a wide array of information at the click of a button. It’s easy to get caught out particularly with freezing temperatures or heavy snowfalls but equally, staying warm and healthy is just as important.

“Not only do the webpages contain advice from the County Council and the CCG’s, but you can also find helpful links to partner organisations like the Age UK and local utility providers. It’s well worth a five minute browse,” he added.

Mark Shaw, Cabinet Member for Transportation also commented, “We’ve made sure our fleet of 25 gritters is ready for winter, and now the website is ready for winter too! These new pages give all the important transport information you might need this winter like the map of our salting routes, the daily salting decision and the gritter tracking map.”

Dr Dal Sahota, Director for Unplanned Acute Care at Aylesbury Vale and Chiltern Clinical Commissioning Groups, said, “The information on these webpages will not only help people look after their own health during the winter months, but will also signpost them to the most appropriate health service option if they should need to get treatment. Health services in Bucks are well-prepared for the winter months, but you can help us treat those in most urgent need sooner by using this information.”

To see all the webpages, visit www.buckscc.gov.uk and search ‘winter’.

County Council Deputy Leader Mark Shaw wants more residents and motorists to feed into the debate about the proposed South East Aylesbury Link Road.

His appeal comes a week before an online consultation survey http://bit.ly/2jaAnfH closes on Friday 8 December.

Around 150 residents, who live near the proposed route, visited an exhibition of plans at Stoke Mandeville’s Olympic Lodge earlier in November to discuss the proposal with County Council officers.

Now Mark wants to hear the views of people who experience traffic congestion in and around Aylesbury, as well as those who signed a petition calling for an Aylesbury bypass earlier this year.

The proposed dual-carriageway between the A413 Wendover Road and Lower Road, crossing the main London railway line, is designed to guide traffic from the planned Stoke Mandeville bypass to the main routes into Aylesbury.

This will form a segment in Aylesbury’s intended Orbital Route, connecting all the link roads – planned and built – around the town’s outskirts.

“This is an opportunity to invest in Aylesbury’s roads, to help deal with congestion, and to improve connections around the outskirts,” said Mark, who is also Cabinet Member for Transport. “It’s also a good opportunity to build another section of our Orbital Route.”

Mark said he wanted to hear from road users and residents alike to get a broad picture of public opinion.

Stoke Mandeville bypass – which will be provided through the HS2 Hybrid Act – and the link road, at just under a mile long, need to open simultaneously to allow traffic, diverted from Stoke Mandeville village centre, to reach the main Wendover Road route into Aylesbury.

The link road budget of £23 million is largely from a Local Growth Fund grant through Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership, with contributions from HS2 and local developers.

Tis the season to soak up the sights and enjoy the delicious scents and festive ambience of Aylesbury at Christmas time. And on Sunday 3 December, one of the largest Christmas craft fairs in Buckinghamshire, boasting over 75 stalls, will take place in the town’s historic Market Square.
The Christmas Craft & Gift Fair Spectacular is a free event that has grown rapidly over the last two years. Between 11am and 3pm, it will be offering a huge assortment of items produced by local businesses. You can immerse yourself in an eclectic mix of stalls, while enjoying live music from a jazz band and festive tunes from local carol singers. Plus there will also be a delicious range of street food, including German Bratwursts, hot roasted chestnuts, Funky Elephant Indian cuisine, Ruby’s street food, fudge and homemade sweets.
Many traders will be there for the first time this year with Christmas decorations, jewellery, soft furnishings, children’s gifts, soaps, cosmetics, candles, Italian delicacies, cheeses, herbs, children’s handcrafted clothing, classic car memorabilia, collectable toy cars, accessories, homeware, craft beer and gin and much more.
Aylesbury Town Centre Partnership is delighted once again to welcome Young Enterprise representatives. The budding local entrepreneurs from Aylesbury schools have set up companies with the support of Young Enterprise and will be selling the products that they have created.
Diana Fawcett, Town Centre Manager, said: “This Christmas craft fair should be part of everyone’s shopping plans this year with a huge variety of stalls and street food traders, located perfectly between the town’s two indoor shopping centres.
“We’re also proud to continue to support local schools as part of this event, as it’s a great opportunity for these young people to learn from the more experienced stall holders, helping to develop the traders of tomorrow.
“It’s wonderful that our Christmas Craft and Gift Fair Spectacular is bigger than ever this year, and we’re sure visitors will find there’s something for everyone.”
Further information on Aylesbury’s Christmas events can be found here: https://www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/events

Rennie Grove have confirmed that they now have sufficient volunteers to bring the santa float to Pitstone on Monday 18 December for the route around the Castlemead estate.

However, they are still short of volunteers for Tuesday 19 December for the route around the original part of the village – Cheddington Road/Vicarage Road/Marsworth Road and side roads.    If you are able to volunteer, please contact them by email on : community@renniegrove.org or telephone: 01442 890222

WITH THE COST of adult social care in the county increasing Buckinghamshire County Council is holding a seven week consultation about the charges made for some services. The consultation, which starts next week on Tuesday 28 November, is ONLY about increasing charges for people who pay the full cost of their care or contribute towards part of the cost. Typically those with £23,250 or more in savings and investments [around 25% of all adult services users] will be asked to pay the full charge for the care they receive.*

Residents directly affected by the changes will be sent detailed information about the proposed increases in charges, along with a postal survey to give their views.

Over 10 services are affected and include; Telecare Landline system [increase of 10p per week], Home Care [increase of 72p on two carer hourly rate], and Respite Care [increase of £50 per week]. Additionally two new service charges have been introduced; Telecare mobile care [£7.69 per week] and Telecare – Medication & Welfare call charge [£1.78 per call]. The cost of a Care Package Set-up remains the same at £250 but from 2018/19 will attract 20% VAT.

Lin Hazell, Cabinet Member for Health & Wellbeing, said: “Every year, we look at what we charge eligible customers for social care so we can be sure we receive enough money to pay the bills for these services. Most people [around 50%] who use these services do not qualify to pay any charges at all, and some [around 25%] only pay a small fraction of the actual cost as a contribution.

“For those that do pay we have tried to keep the increases as low as possible, as we know that incomes have to stretch much further these days. But like everyone else we too have to provide more with less. We need to manage our budgets very carefully in order to balance increasing costs with making sure the most vulnerable people in the county get the care they need to stay independent for as long a possible. Fortunately people are living much longer lives, as such the number of older people in the county is increasing, more than 98,000 residents are aged 65 years or over**. Not surprisingly a very large proportion [38%] of the council’s total budget is spent on adult social care.

“I would urge anyone who has a view, good and bad, or is concerned about the proposed changes to let me know by completing the survey.”

The survey will be live on the council’s ‘Have Your Say’ webpages from Tuesday 28 November and also available in an Easy Read format.

If you, a family member or someone you care for uses adult social care services in Buckinghamshire, you can let the county council know what you think about the changes to charging by going directly to the survey at https://www.research.net/r/ASCcharges2017BucksCC4
or visiting the ‘Have your say’ section on the council website www.buckscc.gov.uk

The consultation ends on Friday 19 January, after this date the council will use all responses received to help them to decide whether to make any changes and, if so, what these will be. Results of the consultation and any decision made will be published on the ‘Have your say’ page of the council’s website by the end of March 2018. Any new or increased charges will come into effect from April 2018.

In true Vale tradition Aylesbury’s Stoke Mandeville Stadium is set to play host to the Paralympic Heritage Flame Lighting Ceremony, in the run up to the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games to be held in PyeongChang, South Korea.
On Friday 2 March 2018 the Stadium will be lit up to bring Paralympic sport to the fore in a day of sporting demonstrations, talks and events.
With only 100 days to go, the organising committee including the British Paralympic Association (BPA), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), Aylesbury Vale District Council (AVDC), Buckinghamshire County Council, Leap, the Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Sport and Activity Partnership, and WheelPower, the national charity for wheelchair sport, are busy creating a flame lighting event which will fire-up the torch relay for the games in style.

The PyeongChang Paralympic Games Heritage Flame Lighting events in March represent the prestige, pride and passion of the Paralympic Games and puts Aylesbury and Buckinghamshire under the global spotlight. With an associated community programme, plus local, national and international visibility, the lighting of the Heritage Flame is more than a single, spectacular event – it’s the opportunity to celebrate our global Paralympic heritage.

AVDC Councillor Angela Macpherson, Cabinet Member for Communities, said: “The Paralympic Heritage Flame events held at Stoke Mandeville Stadium to date have been world-class events which have elevated Aylesbury in the eyes of the sporting community and the world. This year’s events will continue this tradition: giving disability sport, and our Paralympians, the attention and send-off they deserve.”
The first ever sporting events for disabled people were hosted at Stoke Mandeville in Aylesbury Vale by Dr Ludwig Guttmann in 1948 and, from this spark, the global Paralympic movement was born. Now, the place that started the Paralympic movement continues to be at its forefront, providing an environment that supports new and inclusive standards in sport, culture, health and education. As the birthplace of the Paralympic movement, Stoke Mandeville is also recognised as the home of the Paralympic heritage flame, and will continue to host the heritage flame lighting ceremony for all future Paralympic Games

The Aylesbury Town Centre Partnership is delighted to announce the return of Santa`s Sunday Fun Day, which takes place on Sunday 26 November. This is a family favourite with a parade launching the day-long festivities.
This year, Santa will be joined by two unicorns pulling a beautiful carriage with Cinderella and Snow White aboard, jumping elves, Betty Twinkle, a fairy in a cage carried by a gorilla, real donkeys, a samba band, a marching band and a colourful array of music and dance groups.
The parade of characters and local groups will sing and dance their way through the town from 10.45am, starting from the Upper High Street by Hale Leys Shopping Centre and making their way into Market Square. After the parade, there will be a range of entertainment, including go-karts, a small funfair, donkey rides for the kids, a small eco-farm and an array of street food until 3pm.
Additionally, the ever-popular Santa’s Dash will start from Kingsbury at 9am and make its way through town. People wanting to join this worthwhile event should email duevents@outlook.com. Alternatively, booking forms are available from Dead Universe Comics, Bourbon Street, Aylesbury or the Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity, Walton Street, Aylesbury.
Aylesbury Town Centre Manager, Diana Fawcett, said: “There is a wide range of Christmas activities in Aylesbury town across November and December, both for families and for shoppers. And the Aylesbury Town Centre Partnership is thrilled to be hosting these enormously popular festive events.”
Visitors are encouraged to start their Christmas shopping on the day too, with the town hosting an array of national and independent shops.
Shoppers will be able to park for free after 4.30pm on Thursdays in AVDC town centre car parks in Aylesbury between 7 December and 21 December.
For more details about the events on offer over the festive period, please visit www.visitaylesbury.co.uk

IPNP Consultation

VALP Proposed Submission Consultation takes place 9am Thursday 2 November – 5.15pm Thursday 14 December 2017, and affects all local parishes.

We invite your views to introduce a Local Transport Plan (LTP4) for Hertfordshire.

By 2031 there will be 175,000 more people living in Hertfordshire using the transport system. With more people also travelling to and through the county, there will be a huge impact on congestion and journey times, particularly during peak travel periods.

We’re consulting on a new long-term transport strategy that sets out how we can manage this extra strain.

This new Local Transport Plan Strategy (LTP4) will provide a framework to guide all our future transport planning and investment. It highlights transport problems and issues and identifies ways we can deal with them.

We want to hear your views on this draft Local Transport Plan which will help define the ‘big picture’ direction of travel and transport in Hertfordshire.

A printable pdf version of the consultation questions is also available to download, to assist organisations and groups in preparing a consultation response for submission via the online survey.

There is a 2000 character limit for text box answers in this consultation. For further information regarding this consultation, or to submit an extended response via email, please contact LTP@hertfordshire.gov.uk.

In addition to the Local Transport Plan (LTP4) consultation report, we are also inviting comments on the Strategic Environmental Assessment, Habitats Regulation Assessment and Equalities Impact Assessment of the LTP4 proposals.

All comments will be considered with the Local Transport Plan due to be adopted in Spring 2018.

This matter will also be discussed at the Pitstone Parish Council meeting on 4 January 2018, where residents are welcome to put their representations to the parish council during the public session, prior to the members debate.

The Boundary Commission for England (BCE) has been investigating initial proposals regarding new Parliamentary Constituencies.  All of the detail is on the BCE website https://www.bce2018.org.uk

Consultation on the revised proposals runs from 17 October 2017 to 11 December 2017.

This includes the following proposals relating to Pitstone:

 3.7 The inclusion of the 2 Borough of Milton Keynes wards in the cross county Constituency has led the BCE to transfer the District of Aylesbury Vale Wards of Edlesborough, Pitstone and Cheddington, Oakfield and Bierton, Watermead, Wing and Wingrave from the Buckingham Constituency to the Aylesbury Constituency.

3.8 The BCE acknowledges that these changes would result in an Aylesbury Constituency that is a slightly unusual shape as it wraps round the edge of the region, but feels that alternative boundaries would not result in a pattern of Constituencies that are within 5% of the electoral quota. 

There are hard copies of the BCE documents on deposit at the Council Offices, The Gateway, Gatehouse Road, Aylesbury.  These documents cannot be removed from the offices.  However, the same documents can be accessed via the BCE website, where you can also submit any comments relating to the proposals.

The consultation will also be discussed at the Pitstone parish council meeting on 30 November 2017 where residents are welcome to attend and put their representations to members during the public session, ahead of the council discussion.

We are urging residents to have their say on the future growth of the borough. We are launching our initial consultation on the new Local Plan on Wednesday 1 November.

The consultation focuses on the ‘Issues and Options’ report, which looks at the challenges the borough is facing to 2036, and how these could be addressed.

Residents can find out more about these issues and options at public exhibitions across Dacorum from Monday 13 November to Friday 24 November.

A key role of the Local Plan is to establish the amount and location of new development in Dacorum over the next 20 years and to set out our approach to:

• How towns and villages might need to change to help accommodate new homes and jobs;
• The future role of the area’s Green Belt;
• How we intend to protect and enhance the built and natural environment;
• How infrastructure needs (such as schools, GP surgeries and roads) will be met; and
• How the local economy and town centres will be supported.

The consultation is also an opportunity for anyone wishing to promote a site for development within the borough to do so through the ‘call for sites’ process, which is running in parallel with the Issues and Options consultation.

The consultation closes at midnight on Wednesday 13 December 2017.

After considering the feedback received, and putting it in the context of technical work and Government guidance, a more detailed draft plan will be prepared for further consultation later in 2018.

Once finalised, the new Local Plan will replace the existing Core Strategy and Site Allocations DPDs and ‘saved’ polices from the 2004 Local Plan. It will become the blueprint for all planning decisions in Dacorum. The new Local Plan is scheduled to come into force in spring 2019.

The Issues and Options consultation and supporting information can be found on our new Local Plan page

The proposals include significant areas of residential development in Tring and near Tring station that may be of particular interest to Pitstone residents.

The consultation will also be discussed at the Pitstone parish council meeting on 30 November 2017, at which any resident may make their views known to the parish council during the public session prior to their discussion.

1st Ivinghoe and Pitstone Scouts are registered with the Vale Lottery so if you choose to buy tickets you can also choose to support the local scout troop.

If you are a local organisation interested in signing up, or are a resident interested in purchasing tickets, you can find out more information on https://www.valelottery.co.uk/

Last month the Police and Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley launched a Hate Crime awareness campaign to encourage people to come forward and report it.

Hate Crime is a crime or incident against you, your friends, your family or your property because of your actual or presumed sexual orientation, transgender identity, disability, race or religion. It can take many forms such as physical and verbal attacks, vandalism, graffiti, online abuse and threatening behaviours.

The ‘Let’s Hate Hate’ campaign is a continuation of the work of the Office of the PCC in supporting victims of hate crime and features 10 individuals from all walks of life who could be either a victim or a witness of hate crime, or both.  The campaign’s overall aim is to encourage both victims and witnesses of hate crime not to accept abuse as ‘normal’, but report it by calling 101.

The Office of the PCC also run a Third Party Reporting Mechanism for Hate Crime which allows victims and witnesses of hate crime who aren’t comfortable reporting directly to the police, to contact them instead. The service ensures that both victims and witnesses of hate crime have access to the support they need. Reports can be made by phone on 0300 1234 148 or online through its Victims First website www.victims-first.org.uk

Santa urgently needs your help!

Unfortunately, Rennie Grove hospice are struggling to bring the Santa sleigh to Pitstone this year. They inform us that they only have 3 volunteers for 1 night in the village and 4 volunteers for the other night, and they need 10 per night.

So if you have a couple of hours to spare on 18 December (Castlemead) or 19 December (Marsworth Road etc) to walk with the float, raise funds for the hospice, and bring a smile to the faces of many local children, please do get in touch with them on email: community@renniegrove.org or telephone: 01442 890222

Thank you.