Disappointingly, the Secretary of State, Eric Pickles, has decided not to “call in” the planning application relating to the proposed alterations at Luton Airport, which means that the planning permission granted by Luton Borough Council in December 2013 remains valid.

The application did not include the installation of an additional runway, but did include alterations to terminal buildings and taxiways to facilitate an increased throughput which will be able to accommodate 18 million passengers a year (it handled 9.7 million in 2013).

Pitstone parish council will continue to work with the London Luton Airport Consultative Committee, PAIN and PAVAN to ensure that the conditions attached to the planning application are monitored and respected.

The Government has announced that the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is open for applications.

The RHI is a long-term financial support programme for renewable heat, offering homeowners payments to offset the cost of installing low carbon systems in their properties. The scheme is open to everyone – home owners, social and private landlords, and people who build their own homes. The technologies currently covered by the scheme are:

• Biomass heating systems
• Ground or water source heat pumps
• Air to water heat pumps
• Solar thermal panels

Homeowners in England, Scotland and Wales can receive quarterly payments over a seven year period to fund the purchase and installation costs of a renewable heat source

The scheme is open to anyone who can meet the joining requirements and it’s for households both off and on mains gas supply.

For further details about the scheme including eligibility criteria and how to apply please click on the link below.

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-programmes/domestic-renewable-heat-incentive

There is also a Non-Domestic RHI which has been running since November 2011 and is open to the non-domestic sector including industrial, commercial, public sector and not-for-profit organisations with eligible installations.

Now into its 11th year, the Mix 96 Tour de Vale Bike Ride starts and finishes at Stoke Mandeville Stadium on Sunday 8 June 2014.  Our three routes will take you through beautiful countryside and villages that offer something for everyone

– 15 miles; perfect for families  

– 35 miles; ideal for the leisure cyclist but beware of the hills! 

– 55 miles; the ‘challenge route

The three routes are fully signed and there are safety marshals and mechanics in case of emergency. There are friendly water stops on each route plus refreshments and changing facilities at the start and finish.

Entry Fee: Adults £12.50   Under 16 FREE (must be accompanied by an adult)

Entry Fee on the day £25

Start times:

55 mile – 9am

35 mile – 10am

15 mile – 10.30am

To download an entry form or enter online go to www.tourdevale.com  or call WheelPower on 01296 395995

On 15th June 2014, Child Bereavement UK is holding its fourth annual Dash for Dad running event in the beautiful grounds of West Wycombe Park, Buckinghamshire.

A fun morning out for all the family, Dash for Dad will consist of a 1K, 2K and 5K running event for children and adults.  All runs will be held within the park, with the 5K using a challenging hilly route.

There will be lots of fun, family activities to take part in after the races, or you can enjoy a lovely walk around the picturesque grounds.

Proceeds will go to Child Bereavement UK. The Saunderton-based charity supports families and educates professionals when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying, or when a child is facing bereavement.

Emma Riley, Fundraising Officer at Child Bereavement UK, said:

“Bereaved children and families often tell us that they find Father’s Day and Mother’s Day particularly difficult.  For children who don’t have a dad, or dads who have experienced the death of a baby or child, Father’s Day can take on a very different meaning, especially when others are celebrating. We organised Dash for Dad as a positive way for people to run in memory of someone or to support bereaved families whilst having a fun day out for a good cause. We are really grateful to Sir Edward and Lady Dashwood for providing stunning West Wycombe Park as the perfect location.  Please come along and help support our vital work.”

For more information and to register please go to www.childbereavementuk.org or call 01494 568912.

Date:               Sunday 15th June 2014

Time:              09:00

Venue:           West Wycombe Park, Buckinghamshire, HP14 3AJ.

Entry fees:

1K & 2K – Aged 3+. Cost £2 entry and raise as much as you can.

5K – Aged 13+. Cost £5 entry and raise as much as you can

The Committee at Pitstone Memorial Hall Charity have recently been successful in their bid to obtain funding from two grant suppliers, towards refurbishment work to the kitchen and toilets in the original part of the hall building.

This project received £15,151 of funding from the Aylesbury Vale Community Chest towards refitting the toilets, kitchen and insulating the loft of the main function hall.  The Big Lottery Fund awarded £7,200 towards the renovation and refurbishment of the main building toilets.

Although minor redecoration work had been undertaken in recent years to these areas the overall situation has been that no major upgrade to these particular facilities had taken place for well over 40 years making them look tired unattractive and at times simply not functional to the many users and hirers within the community.   These major works form the final phase of a longer refurbishment project to bring the hall facilities up to modern standards which has seen the installation of dedicated disabled toilet facilities, provision of baby change facilities, a microphone system for the main hall, disabled access ramps to all entrances & exits, conversion of all exit doors & internal doors to meet the latest Fire Regulations, installation of CCTV and a fire detection system, refitting & refurbishing the changing rooms and referee room, replacement soffits and roof repairs, replacement windows and the installation of Wi-Fi.

Chairman, Mark Roberts, says “As Trustees we are naturally delighted and grateful that both the Community Chest and the Big Lottery Fund have chosen to fund these works which will undoubtedly be welcomed within the Community and will serve all hirers and local groups well into the future, as well as to encourage a wider audience to consider the Pitstone Memorial Hall as a venue of choice.”

The charity would also like to thank all those who supported the Party in the Park fundraising event last summer, including the Pitstone Social Club.  This event raised over £3,000 towards this refurbishment project at the Memorial Hall.    This year’s event is being held on 12 July 2014 where the charity hope that the whole community will come along to view the improvements delivered through this project for themselves.

Works on the toilets and kitchen have now commenced and it is anticipated that the project will completed in four to six weeks.

More about the Pitstone Memorial Hall Charity:

Registered Charity Number 300318.  Founded 13 September 1921 to provide and maintain the village hall for meetings, classes, recreation and leisure with the object of improving the conditions of life for the inhabitants of our rural community.   The hall, in its current location, was built in 1972.   For further information please contact the secretary.

More about the Community Chest:

This project received funding from the Community Chest, a grants scheme for community projects run jointly by AVDC and VAHT.  If you would like more information about the grants available, please call the Community Chest Grants Officer, Sarah Rothwell, on 01296 585634.

More about the Big Lottery Fund:

The Big Lottery Fund is responsible for giving out 40% of the money raised for good causes by the National Lottery.

The Fund is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need and has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK. Since its inception in 2004 we have awarded close to £6bn.

The Fund was formally established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.

A vacancy has arisen for a treasurer to the Pitstone Memorial Hall Charity.   It is an exciting time to join as a trustee, as the hall looks to the future: refurbishing and enhancing the current facilities, investigating an extended building and potentially the services that are offered and working with other local groups to put the hall at the heart of the new village centre development.

The treasurer will be responsible for all the financial aspects of the Memorial Hall Charity including budgeting, cash books, invoicing, banking, quarterly reporting to meetings, the production of the annual report, working with the auditor etc.

Flexible hours to suit.   Approximately 2 hours per week.  Please note, this is a voluntary role.

To register your interest, please contact Mrs Laurie Eagling, Secretary, on memorialhall@pitstone.co.uk, 9 Warwick Road, Pitstone, LU7 9FE or 01296 660791 by 18 May 2014.

http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/pub-pg-nh-upds-N416?id=277905

Crime continues to decrease in the Aylesbury Vale LPA, this year we have had
40 fewer victims of crime in comparison to last year.

Supt Gez Chiariello, said: “I am pleased that Aylesbury Vale has seen a reduction in crime this year.

“I am pleased to announce that robbery, which includes theft of personal property and business property, has reduced by 30 per cent across the Vale. This means there were 19 fewer offences in comparison to last year, whilst our detection rate, which is
when an offender is either charged or cautioned, has risen by 12.2 per
cent. The likelihood of an individual being affected by personal robbery
is around 1 in 4347.

“I am pleased to announce the Vale has seen a 10 per cent reduction in burglary from dwellings this year. This means there were 37 fewer burglaries in the last 12 months. The overall detection rate for burglaries has risen by 2.6 per cent. We are
committed to working extremely hard to reduce the number of burglaries
further, hold more criminals accountable for this horrific crime and
reduce the victims of burglary across the rural areas and towns of the
Vale.

“I am especially delighted to see a large reduction of 25 per cent in drugs-related offences. This means there were 266 fewer offences this year and we are detecting and solving more crimes. This success is in part due to a number of well executed
operations, warrants, targeting of known offenders and the invaluable
input from the public in reporting suspicious incidents to us. We have
identified and arrested more offenders this year, and this sends out a
clear deterrent message that we will not tolerate drugs in our
communities and we will deal robustly with those that are involved in
the supply of drugs.

The LPA has achieved a 6 per cent reduction in arson and criminal damage offences. This means there were 71 fewer victims of this type of crime, and the detection rate has risen by 1.7per cent this year.

“There are areas we have seen increases, such as violence, sexual offences and domestic abuse incidents. However, whilst I am committed to protecting vulnerable victims of such crimes, these are areas which historically have gone under reported and the increase most likely highlights that more people are coming forward, and
have the confidence to report offences to the police, so we can fully
investigate incidents of this nature.

“I would like to reassure the public that Aylesbury Vale remains one of the safest places in the country to live, work and visit and we will continue to work with our strong community safety partnerships to tackle these crimes and bring offenders to
justice. We are proud of the hard work and the part we play in ensuring
that Aylesbury Vale remains a safe place.

“This year Aylesbury retained its purple flag status, which should give people the confidence that the town is a well-managed environment where they can enjoy their evenings, and the award is recognition of the efforts and resources we have continued to put in place to keep the community safe. We will continue to proactively
police the night-time economy and work closely with the community
safety partnership to ensure licensed premises are effectively managed,
to protect our communities and keep our night time environment safe in
our towns for people to go out and enjoy themselves without fear of
getting hurt”.

Supt Gez Chiariello added: “My priorities are to ensure a quality of service across the 350 square miles of the Vale, protecting vulnerable people, keeping the communities of Aylesbury Vale safe and protecting them from harm.

“It is important for us that not only are we reducing the number of crimes taking place, but we are also making sure fewer people are becoming the victims of crime. We will continue to work extremely hard so that we can look to reduce crime further.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the public for all their support in helping us reduce overall crime in their area. With the support of the public and our incredibly
committed and dedicated members of staff, police officers, volunteers
and our community safety partnerships we will continue to deliver a high
quality service to our communities to ensure Aylesbury Vale remains a
safe place. The top priority is to stop crime being committed, but when
it is committed we will do everything we can to identify the offenders
and bring them to justice.”

Anthony Stansfeld, Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley, said: “I am delighted that Aylesbury Vale have seen a drop in overall crime this year and I would like to take the opportunity to thank all officers, staff and volunteers for
their hard work and dedication. As one of my key priorities I am
particularly pleased to see a reduction in domestic burglary.”

Jon McGinty, Chairman of the Aylesbury Vale Community Safety Partnership, said: “These figures are very encouraging and show the success we are having across the district. However, we won’t rest on our laurels. The partnership continues to seek
new ways to ensure Aylesbury Vale remains a safe and cohesive
community.”

JUMP FOR ST JOHN AMBULANCE  

‘St John Ambulance teaches people first aid so that they can be the difference between a life lost and a life saved’

Who else is brave enough…..

St John Ambulance are looking for people from all over the country to make a sponsored 10,000 feet freefall parachute jump on their behalf  (between June and September) and in return they are willing to pay for it! Everything you need is enclosed in their pack including your reservation form and sponsorship forms so that everything is as easy as possible for you to take part.

By paying an initial non-refundable registration fee of £70 and raising a minimum of £395 for St John Ambulance you jump for free. (You only need to raise £325 although of course it would be great if you raised more)  Alternatively you can pay an initial registration fee of £70 and pay for £200 jump costs then simply fundraise as much as you can.

The professional events organisers Skyline will receive a flat rate per jumper for organising the jumps. If you have any question then please contact Mia Broughton on 01296 744 378

Mia Broughton, Regional Fundraising Coordinator – South East
St. John Ambulance, Tindal Road, Aylesbury Bucks HP20 1HR

T   01296 744 378
M  07854 648 754

Whilst some plastic carrier bags are recyclable at supermarkets, AVDC DO NOT RECYCLE CARRIER BAGS in the blue lidded recycling bins, whether they are labelled recyclable or not. So please do not put any carrier bags in your recycling bin; reuse them or return to the supermarket you got them from.

Dealing with this recycling contamination affects our recycling contract and is costing AVDC on rejected recycling loads. As a consequence, household recycling bins with contaminated items such as carrier bags will not have their recycling bin emptied, and will have a note explaining why attached. If this happens to you, please do not ring us, but remove the offending items ready for your next collection. Alternatively you can take your recycling to the tip instead.

For a full list of what can and can’t be recycled in AVDC bins, please read the poster in your recycling bin lid, or visit our website, www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/recycle

Nominations are now open for the 2014 Village Pub competition.

The annual competition, set up in memory of ex district councillor Ted Payne and now in its 16th year, marks the important role a village pub plays in the local community, particularly where there are few other meeting places in the village, such as a shop or post office.

This year, Aylesbury Vale District Council has included a new category ‘Best non-food pub’, which joins All Round Winner, Best Food, Best for Community and Best for Family.

Each pub only needs one nomination to trigger a mystery shop visit, so if you’d like to support the Rose & Crown as our local pub, please complete the nomination form at www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/pubcomp

Nominations close on Friday 2 May.

The Village Pub Competition is sponsored by Dayla.

As part of an £81m investment to improve reliability and punctuality on the West Coast Mainline, Network Rail will be carrying out significant upgrade work from 3 – 5 May 2014, which means London Midland services will terminate at Hemel Hempstead.

For passengers wishing to travel to stations between Hemel Hempstead and London, replacement coach services will be in operation.

Barrie Cottam, London Midland’s Head of Route for West Coast Mainline services said, “We apologise in advance to our customers for the disruption they will face while these essential works are carried out.

“London Midland will operate rail replacement services whilst this section of the West Coast Mainline is closed.  This will involve coach transfers which will take longer than the normal journey time by rail.

“I urge passengers to check and plan their journey arrangements in advance before travelling”.

For more information, please visit the London Midland website:

http://www.londonmidland.com/about-us/latest-news/decision-on-ticket-office-opening-hours/#/pressreleases/london-midland-announces-travel-plans-for-may-day-bank-holiday-973352

The local tea rooms based at the Ivinghoe Old School Community Hub have received a nomination in the new Chiltern Tea Shop Awards being run by The Chiltern Society.

Please show your support for Hayley Wesley and the team by emailing volunteer@chilternsociety.org.uk with “Chiltern Tea Shop Award” as the subject, vote for CuriosiTEA and provide them with a few words about “why your chosen tea shop is so special”.

The finalists will be the six tea shops with the most votes, so every personal recommendation is important.

Thank you.

Have you been impressed with the service given to your community by a member of your neighbourhood policing team?

Read about last year’s winners

Fraud of elderly victim – Pitstone

Thames Valley Police is appealing for witnesses after an elderly woman was defrauded in Yardley Ave, Pitstone.

At 12.45pm on Friday (21/3) the victim answered her door to a man who claimed to be working on a neighbour’s fence and needed to look at hers.

On inspecting the fence he claimed there was a rats’ nest and said he could get rid of it if she paid £100. The victim gave the man the money and he agreed to return within 45 minutes to deal with the situation.

The offender has not returned and there was no rats’ nest in the area.

The first offender was a man, roughly 5ft 10ins, of a medium build, with a round face and light brown hair He wore a jumper and grey suit trousers.

The second offender was the passenger in the white Ford transit van that was parked near the property.  He had black hair, a camouflage jacket, aged in his mid twenties wearing dark clothing.

Anyone with information should contact PC Thomas Booth from Aylesbury police station via the Thames Valley Police Enquiry Centre on 101.

If you don’t want to speak directly to the police, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at the Crimestoppers website.  No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.

How are we balancing the books?

These are very tough times for local government as there is less and less money coming to us from central government. We also face rising costs and ever increasing demands for vital services, particularly those supporting the elderly and most vulnerable people in our local communities.

Whilst we support the overall economic strategy of reducing the national deficit, the reductions in our central Government funding mean that this year we have had to make savings of £15 million to balance the books, on top of savings of £85 million over the last four years.

To achieve this, we’ve looked very carefully at what we do and how we do it.

We’ve made good progress in changing the way that we deliver services, sharing costs with other councils, reducing the Council’s running costs, increasing income and using some of our budget reserves.

This year we have had to make a prudent council tax rise, the first in four years, of 1.5%  – that’s just an extra 31p per household per week (for an average band D household).

This small rise has allowed us to add some important additions to our Strategic Plan, our set of key priorities for the next four years: new objectives of combatting child sexual exploitation; and integrating the provision of NHS healthcare and local authority social care.

We know that roads are one of the most important priorities for residents and to help get our roads into better shape, we have committed to investing £60 million on road repairs as well as almost £5 million on pavement and footpath repairs up to 2018, a total of almost £65 million. This is part of our overall capital spending of £407 million over the next four years, in areas such as schools and day care services.

Info graphic:

http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/about-your-council/finance/council-tax/council-tax-2013-14/

If you work in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, or Milton Keynes, you can now register to receive alerts related to business crime.

Have you registered your business details with Thames Valley Alert?
Thames Valley Police want businesses to register their details so officers and staff can continue to send targeted business crime updates, prevention advice, and news about business crime to the most relevant members of our community.

If you would like to receive this information please add your business details to your existing Thames Valley Alert account here: https://member-admin.neighbourhoodalert.co.uk/85/admin-area

The daffodils along Marsworth Road are now in flower and looking beautiful again.

Our thanks go to all those volunteers who helped to plant them 18 months ago, providing an on-going legacy for the village, and to the drivers that kindly refrained from parking on the grass verge whilst the daffodils were growing.   Unfortunately some were crushed earlier in the winter leaving some areas more sparse than desired.  Perhaps next year there will be an ever better display.

Please note that Transport for Bucks are carrying out works on the Horton Road/Horton, Leighton Buzzard Road, Slapton.  A complete road closure will be in place from Horton Hill Farm to Horton Village.   Therefore, if you are travelling from Pitstone or Ivinghoe and want to get to Leighton Buzzard, you’ll need to go via Mentmore or via Edlesborough and not through Great Gap.

More information can be found on the Bucks County Council Transport for Bucks website.

The church will soon be compiling a list of people to act as stewards when Pitstone Church is open on Sunday afternoons during the summer months.  They are looking for two or three new volunteers for this year, so if you feel you would like to spend a peaceful afternoon enjoying the tranquillity of the church and church yard please let Gill Arney know, telephone 01296 668123.

There is vigorous debate going on with the Conservation Trust as to whether the church should be opened more often.  At present anyone who would like to visit the church when it is closed can obtain the key from the Old School at the corner of Church Road, Pitstone.  Please call 01296 661968 before you go.

The church yard is full of lovely wild flowers in the Spring, so even if the church is shut, it is well worth a visit.

Honey Bee Swarms:
Swarms are merely Colonies that are in transition. Normally these Swarms are
found hanging from tree branch, fence post or any place where the swarm can gather close to the Queen while scouts are sent out to look for a more permanent home. A swarm left alone will only be in place from just a few minutes to a few hours and occasionally a few days. Generally these swarms are very docile and the swarming bees usually will not sting. When Honey Bees swarm they gorge
themselves with honey before leaving the hive which makes it very hard for them to double over and sting.

What Causes Honey Bees to Swarm:
Honey Bees have a natural instinct to survive by sending out new colonies. They may also swarm through overcrowding or because an old queen is thought to be failing and they wish to raise a new one. Honey Bees usually swarm in early spring just as the colony is building up numbers in anticipation of the upcoming honey flow but swarming can happen through to late summer It is difficult to predict if weather conditions will lead to a large number of swarms in a particular year. In 2013 there were relatively few swarms after the bad winter. This year colonies have survived much better and there may be many more swarms.

If You See a Swarm:
Declining Honey Bee numbers make the collection of swarms an important part of the work of bee keepers. You should never interfere with a swarm and pest control companies will not kill a swarm unless absolutely necessary.

Please contact:
MBBKA Swarm Hotline 07770370132 or
Brian Bush – Mid Bucks Beekeepers and BBKA Swarm Officer 01844292195 or 07767304067
BBKA British Bee Keepers Association website http:www.bbka.org.uk

This year’s Summer Festival is set to be the best yet and the Black Tie Ball on Saturday the 21^st of June is without doubt the not to be missed event of the summer. We have been able to book a fantastic Group “The Collection” fronted by Keavy Lynch from “Bewitched” and ITV’s “ the Big Reunion”. We got new caterers who specialise in events of our size and style and for good measure we’ve moved the black tie ball to Saturday evening to make it easier to bring along your friends from further afield. If you haven’t been before then this is THE year to come along and join in the fun.

…and if that isn’t enough we’ve also got an “Early Bird” offer of two free bottles of wine (RRP at least £ 30) for anyone who books a table of at least eight people by the 8^th of April.

For more information please visit our web site www.ivinghoeentertainments.org.uk , twitter  @ivinghoeents or Facebook  www.facebook.com/invinghoents or call Penny on 01296 668017 for more details.

We all look forward to seeing you at what we’re sure will be a cracking night.

Graham Hollands, Chair, Ivinghoe Entertainments Committee
Entertainment by the Community, for the Community

Community Impact Bucks has been chosen to take part in the national Community Organisers scheme, and is starting the hunt for community organisers in Buckinghamshire.

Community Organisers is a government funded scheme which aims to train 5,000 ‘community organisers’, individuals who will work in local communities around the country to bring people together, listen to ideas, build networks and support people to tackle the local issues which are important to them.

Community Impact Bucks will choose 4 trainee community organisers from the area and will host them while they undergo their 51 week training in the foundations of community organising. Whilst they train the community organisers will work in neighbourhoods chosen by Community Impact Bucks in consultation with local partners, where they will develop their skills whilst listening to the community and supporting social action.

Anyone interested in applying or finding out more should contact Community Impact Bucks on: 0845 3890389 or info@communityimpactbucks.org.uk or visit http://www.communityimpactbucks.org.uk/news.php/588/are-you-a-good-listener-do-you-want-to-make-a-difference-in-your-community-become-a-trainee-communit

This is an excellent opportunity for someone to gain paid employment in the voluntary and community sector.

Please do not hesitate to contact Vicki Parker if you require further information – 0845 389 0389

No Smoking Day is an annual campaign led by the British Heart Foundation to help smokers quit. This years campaign is ‘V for Victory – in the battle against cigarettes we can help you win!’

Everybody has their own personal reason for wanting to give up smoking. Some people give up as part of a larger lifestyle change – to be healthier, to get fit, or to save money.

For some, it’s more about how their smoking affects the people around them – their family, friends, and little ones.

Whatever your reason, thinking carefully about your motivation and keeping a reminder in key places can be really helpful for keeping you going through the tough times

For more information or for help to quit please visit http://www.nosmokingday.org.uk/

The help included is a free quit kit, face to face support, free mobile app, free email support and free text support.

Why quit?

Health improvements after…

Financial Benefits

Currently a packet of 20 cigarettes costs around £8, so quitting will give a 20-a-day smoker an extra £56 a week. The benefits of stopping smoking soon start to add up. For a 20-a-day smoker, in

• 1 day: you’ll have enough money to rent a movie or buy a few magazines.
• 1 week: you could have enough money for a new pair of shoes, or a facial, a (really) cheap flight, a DVD boxset, a paintballing day, or a day at the races.
• 1 month: you could save enough for a shopping spree or premiership football tickets, or even a day rally driving.
• 3 months: you could afford two weeks in the sun, a new laptop, or the latest flat screen TV.
• 6 months: you’ll have saved enough for a football season ticket, a family holiday, your own home cinema, or a top of the range bicycle
• 1 year: you’ll be able to afford a new kitchen, flash designer jewellery, a car or a luxury leather sofa suite!

Every recycling bin containing items that AVDC don’t recycle contaminates the whole truck load.  If the contractor rejects the truck load, the whole lot has to be taken to landfill.  The lost income from selling the recycling, transportation costs and landfill fees costs tax payers £2,000 a load!   So, please be careful.

Please also remove lids first and put these in separately.

Some of the contaminators that have been found in residents recycling bins include: a car bumper cut up into pieces, needles & syringes, plastic toys, full pots of paint, light bulbs, batteries, pillows, a desk fan and an ironing board.   All such items should be taken to the local tip.

If you have any questions or queries regarding your recycling, or would like a bigger recycling bin, please contact the team at Aylesbury Vale District Council.

The Thames Valley Police monthly update for our area is now available on their web site:

http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/pub-pg-nh-upds-N416?id=275150

Gravity has been one of this years most talked about films, and won an amazing 7 awards at the recent Oscars including Best Director, Special Effects and Cinematography.

It will be showing at the Pitstone Cinema on 28/3/14 at Pitstone Memorial Hall.  Everyone welcome.  Doors open at 7.30pm, Film starts at 8pm.   90 minutes running time.  Adults £5, <14s £3.

Come along and see the infinity of space portrayed on the amazing huge screen which fills one end of the hall.   The film is projected via the latest projection equipment.  Excellent sound and visual quality.   The bar will be open for refreshments & snacks throughout and you are welcome to take your drink to your seat with you.    No long drive into town and no car parking fees!

Please do support the Pitstone cinema.  Come along and tell us what films you’d like to see shown in the future.

Please follow the link below to the ‘Events’ section of the web site where you will find full details.

http://pitstone.co.uk/event/public-exhibition-re-solar-pv-farm-at-great-seabrook-farm-cheddington/

http://www.mix96.co.uk/news/local/1222314/tring-by-pass-shuts-for-320k-10-night-refurb/

Please note that Balfour Beatty are undertaking emergency road works on behalf of Anglian Water due to a burst water main at Church Road, Ivinghoe.    Road closure in place from 4th to 6th March with a diversion around the B488 and B489.

Check out the events section of the web site for details of all the special events on offer during March including:

• pancake racing
• psychic evening
• film matinee
• table top sale
• lent lunches
• NCT nearly new sale
• ‘Latimer: listening to the walls’ talk
• Gravity showing at the Pitstone cinema
• WWI inspired concert by the choir

http://pitstone.co.uk/event/

The Beacon Villages Community Library in Ivinghoe needs a few more volunteers to help Michelle.  Volunteers are taking on more responsibilities as the library opening hours expand into Wednesday mornings.

Come and visit the library to find out how you can help bring the books to the readers.

The smallest commitment is an hour and a half a month, though many people do more.

The library opening hours are:
Tuesday 2 – 5,
Wednesday 10 – 12,
Thursday 2 – 5,
Friday 2 – 7 and
Saturday 10 – 1.00.

Thames Valley Police is asking the residents of Aylesbury Vale to be vigilant and report any door to door sellers in their area.

Callers can be selling household items or offering home improvements,
such as new driveways or replacement windows.  Home improvement work is
often offered without necessary cancellation rights and sales people can
use high pressure selling tactics and target vulnerable or elderly
members of the community.

If you have anyone calling at your address please let the police know
via the 24 hour Police Enquiry Centre number 101 (or 999 if a crime is
in progress).  Make a note of their description and vehicle details (if
they are using one) and their name if they offer you ID.

Please call in at the time they are in the area – don’t wait and don’t leave it to someone else to make the call!

By calling the Police you will give officers a chance to check out the
sellers and make sure they have appropriate permits to be operating in
the area.

Officers would rather have the information and be able to make further
enquiries (even if the person turned out to be legitimate) than not get
the information and find out later that a crime has occurred.

The Neighbourhood & Home Watch Network (England & Wales) has
just published a comprehensive collection of crime prevention and safety
advice.  You can download a copy at:

www.ourwatch.org.uk/resource_centre/document_library/our_guide_to_crime_prevention_safety_advice

Just a reminder that the brown garden refuse collection service is up and running again after the winter break.   Please put your brown bins at the edge of your property tomorrow.  The bins are collected each fortnight.

If you have trouble remembering which bins to put out on what day/date, follow the link below to the AVDC refuse/recycling site and pop in your postcode.  You’ll get a detailed reminder for your address.

http://www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/bin-collections

In Pitstone, we have been very lucky compared to many parts of the country, but the following update has been provided by AVDC if there is a risk of flooding to your home or other property:

Provision of sandbags 

Following the floods last weekend, we have reviewed the AVDC arrangement for providing sandbags and have agreed a more co-ordinated approach with  Buckinghamshire County Council and Transport for Bucks, as the lead authority responsible for flooding response.

With immediate effect, BCC/TfB will procure, fill, store and distribute bags in one single, simple, smooth operation for the Aylesbury Vale area on the district council’s behalf.

Local Authority sandbags will only be provided in exceptional circumstances where there is a significant and immediate danger of flooding.  There is a number for people to contact if they have an urgent need for these sandbags:  0845 2302882.

However, AVDC encourage everyone to prepare for flooding and purchase your own sandbags.  A list of local suppliers has been published on both the AVDC and Bucks County Council web sites.

Bucks County Council has opened a new consultation into the proposed measures to reduce funding for home-to-school transport.

The link below will take you to the BCC web site where you will find details of the consultation, and dates of the special public events that have been organised.   If you have a child at senior school, or about to go to senior school, these proposals are likely to affect you.

http://bucksconsultation.buckscc.gov.uk/bucksccp/kms/dmart.aspx?LoggingIn=tempVar&noIP=1&filter_Status=1

A conundrum exists in Pitstone.

Recently, the council has received feedback that residents would like more facilities in the village, for example more shops and pubs.   However, the majority of the local pubs have closed over the last few years due to dwindling revenue and there remain vacant business units in Ivinghoe.  When the council has approached developers and pub/restaurant chains whilst looking at the plans for the Pitstone Development Area, it has continually been told that such ventures would ‘not be viable’ and will ‘not be sustainable’, so no firm offers have come forward.

How do we stop this negative downward spiral and prove to potential retailers and service providers that we do have a strong, vibrant community that will support local initiatives?

An interesting article by Mike Rutland may be a good start.  Entitled “Support your local town – the £5 challenge”, he urges every household to divert £5 of their existing weekly expenditure out of the big supermarkets and chain stores and into local business.  Not an extra £5, just swapping where you spend your existing budget.

There are over 1,318 properties (not people) in Pitstone alone.  If every home spent £5 locally during the 52 weeks of the year, that would generate a massive £342,680 boost to our local economy!

Pitstone may not have a whole high street full of shops, but you can source many goods locally.  So why not take up the challenge?

Get your fresh meat & eggs at Grooms Farm Shop, collect your fresh fruit and veg from Grove Farm and pick up some of your everyday essentials from Masons.
Go for a drink at the Social Club or Rose & Crown, or grab a cup of tea at the Grebe Canal or CuriosiTEA tea shops.
Support the host of home-based small businesses that would love you to buy their cosmetics, toiletries, cards, jewellery, crafts, bags etc.
Support the outlets in the business park, that can supply you with new tiles, catering or cleaning supplies, conservatories or furniture to name just a few.

And if you have a home based business or a unit on our retail park and would like the Pitstone residents to buy from you, please leave us your contact details and we can add them to the web site so that people can always find you.

Our vicar, Rev Tracey Doyle will be leaving this month, to move to North Devon after ten years of serving our community.

Rev Tracey’s last church service will be on 23 February.  There will be an interregnum, with visiting priests while a new vicar is found.

Pitstone parish council would like to thank Rev Doyle for everything she has done for our community during the last decade.  She will be greatly missed.

Between 11am and 4pm on 11 May 2014 will be the annual Ashridge plant sale, selling donated plants from the public to raise money exclusively for the upkeep of the Ashridge Estate and maintenance of the mobility vehicles, access paths etc.

Ashridge is ours and for everyone and needs to be continually nurtured with the right resources to ensure that enjoyment of such a beautiful, ancient site of natural woodland is preserved for future generations.

The volunteer organisers would be happy to receive any number or variety of plants, most commonly they receive perennials, grasses, shrubs and vegetables.  Please supply plants labelled, noting the colour of the bloom if ornamental.

To donate any plants, or if you require any assistance in potting up any surplus material, please contact John Cartwright on 01442864984.  Last date for plant donation is 4/5/14.  Pots and compost can be provided.

Beacon Villages Community Library in Ivinghoe is delighted to announce that the library will be open every Wednesday morning from 10am until 12 noon from 5 March.

‘It is with great pleasure that we can boast longer opening hours to that which were originally on offer from Buckinghamshire County Council and hope to increase this further with demand and help from volunteers.’     Shelle West, Library Manager

Find all the library opening times in the ‘Local Info’ section of this web site.

If you would like to volunteer to help at the library, please call in to see Shelle or call Gillian Arney on 01296668123  or email gill.arney@Tiscali.co.uk.

The trustees of the Pitstone Town Lands Charity are reviewing the accommodation they currently own.  The charity owns a large building on Cheddington Road which was converted from two houses into four flats in the mid 1960s.  However, the properties are considerably older than this, having originally been built in the 19th century.  The trustees are exploring ways of improving the quality of this accommodation and whether they can attract additional grants or use the land around the flats or other assets to provide more modern facilities and possibly additional flats.

They would like to hear from local people about whether and how this would benefit them.  The charity can only support people with a strong Pitstone connection.  At the Party in the Park in July, the trustees began a consultation and are inviting people to make comments or suggestions and to answer these questions:

• how are you connected to Pitstone?
• do you wish to be considered if one of the one bedroom flats becomes available for rent? If so, what are your current living circumstances?
• have you or a family member from Pitstone had to leave the area in order to obtain affordable rented accommodation?
• do you consider yourself to be in need of any other type of accommodation in Pitstone which could be provided by a charity established to support Pitstone people in genuine need?   If so, what type of accommodation would that be?
• what is your age group?

Please respond to one of the trustees:

Gill Lowe (Chair) 01296668809
Kate Smethers (Treasurer) 01296661499
Mark Robinson 01296660724
Peter Loose 01296668051
Sue Gregory 01296661609
Dave Nicholls 01296661910
Rachel Edwards 01296661953

In the last edition of PPP, it was reported that fly tipping had blighted parts of the Ashridge Estate, an area of outstanding natural beauty on our doorstep.  Many residents and users complained about these vandalous acts.  To make it worse, the Parish Council was saddened to learn that one of the offenders was a Pitstone resident who recently pleaded guilty at Aylesbury Magistrates Court to dumping waste illegally and was fined over £2,000.

The case, one of more than 400 convictions since it launched Illegal Dumping Costs campaign in October 2003 to combat fly tipping in Buckinghamshire, was brought by Buckinghamshire County Council on behalf of the Waste Partnership for Buckinghamshire.  On average, there is at least one conviction per week for illegal dumping offences in Buckinghamshire so at least action is being taken to protect our environment and recover costs that ultimately would be passed onto the Council Tax payer.

Residents can report fly-tipping in Buckinghamshire by calling 0845 330 1856 or report it online at http://buckscc.gov.uk/fly  It is also advised that if you are employing individuals to remove waste from your property that you check the contractor or individual has the required waste permit to dispose of it on your behalf, to avoid being held liable if it is then dumped illegally.

Theft of vehicle number plates

Recently there have been a number of thefts of vehicle number plates reported in your area.

Criminals steal number plates in order to disguise their vehicle and make it look like yours.  This can be done in order to commit crimes such as burglaries, theft of petrol or to avoid congestion charging and speed cameras etc.

PCSO Paula Boston from the Great Brickhill, Wing and Ivinghoe Neighbourhood Policing Team has obtained a supply of anti-tamper screws for securing number plates, which she is offering to local residents in the area.

These screws make it nearly impossible for them to be undone.

If you would like to fit some to your vehicle please contact PCSO Boston by emailing  greatbrickhillwingivinghoeNHPT@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk  or by telephoning her mobile number 07800 702998 or by asking for her via the 24 hour Police Enquiry Centre number 101.

This is a free service and will be whilst stocks last.

Further crime reduction information and advice can be found on the Thames Valley Police website

Introducing Rob Andrew

I am sure the Parish Clerks have all  had contact with Rob, our new Local Area Technician by now and had a discussion about areas of work needed to be done on roads  and drainage.

I had a very useful morning with Rob at the end of January and was pleased to find out that he was already familiar with the ways and byways of the Division, and keen to get going with his shovel! He will be ably backed up in the office with Clifford Marshall who must know every gully and culvert in the area, having been based at Winslow in the past and responded to many a local call.

We looked at a comprehensive list of  jobs needing doing. There were three serious flooding problems, several more potential ones, and a water leak, all of which are which are in hand. Many repairs cannot be undertaken unfortunately until drier weather.

The most interesting thing about the whole visit was the number and extent of soft verges where the diagonal grips that drain water into the parallel ditches have been silted up or blocked by vehicles running over them leaving deep tyre treads. This leads to standing water on the highway – and guess what – resulting potholes! There are some stretches of road where this is really bad.

Rob has been busy catching up with his shovel on years of lack of verge maintenance, but there are many miles still to do, and vigilance for fresh damage. But the old adage ‘For the want of a nail the horse shoe was lost’ etc etc. couldn’t be more apt when considering the state of the roads.

If through the Local Area Forum we can find a way to keep the drainage working, for example through a scheme like the one at  Stewkley that was presented to the LAF last year, where young people formed a social enterprise to carry out verge maintenance, perhaps we can reduce the attrition of water, combined with traffic, on our country lanes.

Goodbye Jackie Wesley

We will miss Jackie Wesley very much indeed when she starts supporting the LAFs in the south of the County. Paul Hodson, with whom she is changing place will find Jackie a hard act to follow. I hope that Paul will enjoy working with us. He will certainly find the Great Brickhill Wing and Ivinghoe LAF very different in style and substance, much of which was achieved by Jackie’s hard work in supporting our priorities and finding lots of extra funding opportunities.

LAF priorities workshop 12th February

Both Jackie and Paul will be at the workshop in Edlesborough village hall next week. This is an annual event where we look at what the LAF has achieved, and what the priorities are for next year. I hope as many people will come along as possible. The usual representatives will be joined by a cross section of community groups including young people.

County Council Budget  

The County Council continues to take large sums of money out of its operating budget. In the first week of January the proposals were minutely examined in public by councillors in a very similar fashion to the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee. But questioning was a bit less intimidating.

Many changes and staff reductions are proposed, but the headlines for cuts are the home to school transport budget, which is very bad news for parents in this area, so I will be doing my utmost to stave off the worst effects; the educational psychology services – again; and maintenance of footpaths and rights of way.

The state of the roads is never out of sight, but a 20 year structural maintenance programme seems as far away as ever, and only short term but increased spending approved.

At the time of writing the council tax proposal is for the minimum increase possible without a local referendum, 1.9%. But it’s impossible to predict as the threshold for a referendum may be reduced to 1%.

High speed broadband (non)delivery 

The BT notice  (promise?)  of high speed broadband to the area by 31^st December 2013 remains unfulfilled. Contention is still appalling at peak times, like 4.30pm and 6.55pm for some reason.  The new published date is 31^st March.

At last the Public Accounts Committee chair, Margaret Hodge MP, has been airing the issue on TV of public money being given to BT to deliver high speed broadband to rural areas, but being completely cavalier about timescales and transparency over spending the money.

For that reason I have no way of establishing whether the broadband roll out that covers the Cheddington exchange is part of BTs own investment, or the joint Herts and Bucks project supported by government grant.

Aylesbury Vale District Local Plan

Obviously a district matter,  I am never the less involved and concerned both as County Councillor,  and  AVDC councillor on the major developments planning committee, that so far AVDC has spent going on for £3M bringing forward two new district wide plans. Both have had to be withdrawn as unsound following public enquiry, leaving everywhere vulnerable to speculative development. For example it was no coincidence that 40 homes are currently applied for on a controversial site in Pitstone, but this is small compared to many now awaiting appeals.

The planning inspector’s verdict can be read here  http://www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/GetAsset.aspx?id=fAAxADQAMwAyADYAfAB8AFQAcgB1AGUAfAB8ADAAfAA1

Fortunately the District has ‘saved’ its most important policies from the 2008-11 plan and is able to apply them to planning applications so long as they are in line with the new 56 pages of  national  planning policy guidance (NPPG)

These policies were used recently to refuse a major application in Winslow. An appeal against the decision is being held in mid March when AVDC will find out exactly how robust those saved policies are and how much in line with current national guidance.

My best regards

Avril Davies, County Councillor, Ivinghoe Division

With the recent heavy rainfall in the area and more predicted over the
coming days Thames Valley Police is warning drivers to take extra care
on the roads.

Many local roads are already flooded and this is likely to get worse if the weather forecasts are correct for the coming days.   A41 into Aylesbury has been partially closed this morning, Chesham and Amersham both also hard hit, some flooding on the route into Leighton Buzzard & Cheddington Road railway bridge flooded.

Several motorists have already been caught out trying to drive through floods – only to find that they are much deeper than they initially appear, leaving them (and their
vehicles) stranded.

Anyone attending Stoke
Mandeville Hospital should also be aware that the Lower Road, Stoke
Mandeville is currently impassable, so access to the hospital can only
be gained from the Aylesbury direction.

Please do not ignore ‘Road Closed’ signs – they are there to keep motorists safe.

Local radio stations put out regular traffic updates, so please listen in to find out up to date information on flooding and traffic conditions. 

The Local Government Boundary Commission is carrying out an Electoral Review of Aylesbury Vale to ensure that each area has a similar % of the population, so that everybody’s vote carries the same weight, and is now inviting comments on its draft recommendations.

At the moment Cheddington, Pitstone and Edlesborough each have their own representative (in Pitstone’s case this is currently Cllr Avril Davies).  The proposal is to combine Cheddington, Marsworth, Pitstone and Ivinghoe village into one two-member ward.   Ivinghoe Aston will be joined with Edlesborough into a separate one-member ward.

The report and an interactive map of the draft recommendations are available in the LGBCE consultation area consultation.lgbce.org.uk

Representations should be made by 8/4/14 through consultation.lgbce.org.uk or by email to reviews@lgbce.org.uk or by writing to:

Review Office (Aylesbury Vale)
Local Government Boundary Commission for England
Layden House
76-78 Turnmill Street
London
EC1M 5LG

Your monthly Neighbourhood Update is now available for your area.  Click on
the below link to find out about your Neighbourhood Policing team and
view the February Neighbourhood Update:-

http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/pub-pg-nh-upds-N416?id=273031