Transport for Bucks have carried out underground investigations on Vicarage Road, by The Pightle, and identified a break in the pipe caused by a third party which they will try and get resolved with Anglian Water as soon as possible.
They are still waiting for contractor availability to carry out the ditch works which will enable the remainder of the work to be carried out by the railway bridge in Cheddington Road. They apologise for the delay and are escalating this issue.
| Dear Resident,
We are in the process of setting up a Digital Evidence Management System (DEMS) where there will be a stronger link between our Public and the Police in terms of gathering CCTV evidence. Historically when there has been an incident, the Police would have contacted a person who has CCTV and asked them to copy any relevant footage they have to a disc or USB stick. With DEMS, the Officer would send the CCTV owner a secure link which would enable them to simply upload the footage onto the DEMS system. This is a more timely process and will speed up investigations. To register for this, please email your name, address, email address and contact number to the Great Brickhill, Wing and Ivinghoe Team using the following email address: greatbrickhillwingivinghoeNHPT@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk Many Thanks The Great Brickhill, Wing and Ivinghoe Neighbourhood Policing Team |
PCSO C9953 Megan Dean
Wing Police Office
Aylesbury LPA
Thames Valley Police
As the parish council had been unable to print & distribute the April edition of PPP due to the Coronavirus restrictions in place at the time and the impact this had on our advertisers/contributors, we are replicating the adverts that had been submitted on our website, to help support the local firms that were placing the adverts and to provide the information to our residents.
There is obviously no charge to our advertisers for the April edition/the publication of these adverts on line.
PPP should be back in hard copy format at the end of July.
Please find below the adverts from advertisers beginning with J-M: James Chadburn Fine Antique Clocks, Jazzercise, Little IT Company, Moren Associates, Masons and Move it or Lose it.
As the parish council had been unable to print & distribute the April edition of PPP due to the Coronavirus restrictions in place at the time and the impact this had on our advertisers/contributors, we are replicating the adverts that had been submitted on our website, to help support the local firms that were placing the adverts and to provide the information to our residents.
There is obviously no charge to our advertisers for the April edition/the publication of these adverts on line.
PPP should be back in hard copy format at the end of July.
Please find below the adverts from advertisers beginning with H and I – Handyman Dave, Hawthorn Gardening, Ivinghoe Lettings and Ivinghoe Turf
Please visit the above website for a local charity who combat loneliness and social isolation.
They offer a range of services from home visits, telephone calls, outings and social events & activities (some may be temporarily suspended to comply with coronavirus regulations).
MILLENNIUM EDUCATION FOUNDATION
Registered Charity No. 1077157
Are you hoping to go to University or College in 2021, but are concerned that financial resources might not match up to the requirements? Are you under the age of 22? Have you lived in Aldbury, Long Marston, Marsworth, Pitstone, Puttenham, Tring, Wigginton or Wilstone for at least three years?
To see if you would be eligible for a grant, apply to Tring Charities’ Millennium Education Foundation for information and an application form.
Website details: www.tringcharities.co.uk/education
Telephone: Elaine Winter, Secretary to the Trustees 01442 827913
Email: info@tringcharities.co.uk
Please note that the closing date is 15 November 2020 to lodge a completed application for grants payable from Autumn 2021.
| On Friday 12th June between 6PM and 08:45PM a Burglary occurred on Station Road in Ivinghoe. Items were stolen including jewellery and keys. If you saw or heard anything please contact 101 and quote reference 43200175881. Please be vigilant. If you note anything suspicious, please contact us via 101 or if something is in progress, dial 999. If you have CCTV, please check the system and contact us if there is anything on there. |
| Message Sent By Megan Dean (Police,Pcso,Great Brickhill Wing and Ivinghoe, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire) |
As the parish council had been unable to print & distribute the April edition of PPP due to the Coronavirus restrictions in place at the time and the impact this had on our advertisers/contributors, we are replicating the adverts that had been submitted on our website, to help support the local firms that were placing the adverts and to provide the information to our residents.
There is obviously no charge to our advertisers for the April edition/the publication of these adverts on line.
PPP should be back in hard copy format at the end of July.
Please find below the adverts from advertisers beginning with F and G: F R Jeffery & Son, Footworks, French Tuition, Greensleeves and Grooms Farm Shop.
As the parish council had been unable to print & distribute the April edition of PPP due to the Coronavirus restrictions in place at the time and the impact this had on our advertisers/contributors, we are replicating the adverts that had been submitted on our website, to help support the local firms that were placing the adverts and to provide the information to our residents.
There is obviously no charge to our advertisers for the April edition/the publication of these adverts on line.
PPP should be back in hard copy format at the end of July.
Please find below the adverts from advertisers beginning with B and C : Barry Cato Motor Repairs, Beaconview Windows, C&S Automotives, Cheddington Pre-School, CMC Golf and Computanation.
As the parish council had been unable to print & distribute the April edition of PPP due to the coronavirus restrictions in place at the time, we are replicating the adverts that had been submitted on our website, to help support the local firms that were placing the adverts and to provide the information to our residents.
There is obviously no charge to our advertisers for the April adition/the publication of these adverts on line.
PPP should be back in hard copy format at the end of July.
Please find below the adverts from ADM admin and book-keeping and Ashbys chartered accountants.
As the parish council was unable to print & distribute the April edition of PPP due to the coronavirus restrictions in place at the time, we are placing all the articles and adverts onto our website for your information. Please find below a personal view/article submitted by parish councillor Anil Mitra.
Our reality for now; a lesson for our future?
Well, this is a situation I don’t think any of us thought we would ever experience in our lifetime. Coronavirus has shocked us all- in the community, across the country and throughout the world.
As an eighty something year old man, I have been through many experiences – both incredibly good and shockingly bad. However, this devastating virus has raised mixed emotions. Having lived and experienced the trauma of the partition in India watching my family and country destroyed, to battling through financial and emotional setbacks to set myself and my family up for a good life, I can now enjoy retired life in my happy home with my family. But then, in the midst of this blissful existence, Coronavirus has created some major cracks in life but it is yet to shatter life as I know it.
The fear that has gripped our community is unprecedented. We know the reported facts and statistics from the media which warns us of the increasing daily figures; it is all out of our control. We can only control our own actions.
As a local parish councillor and a member of the Infection Control unit of the Hillingdon Hospital NHS Health Trust and Buckinghamshire NHS Health Trust, working for the community is something I enjoy. However, as I write this, I am now on my 22nd day in isolation. My wife and I are vulnerable, we are susceptible to illnesses due to our age but we are as strong as we can be. We have pressed pause on our daily ‘going out for coffee’, a little stroll, a drive and our love of shopping. Washing my car in my drive and walking round my garden; this is my safe zone. I can no longer read my daily paper as I can’t get to the shop, our daughter does all our shopping and delivers it via our back gate so she doesn’t step into our home. The smell of antibacterial spray on every item is not the most pleasant but it is the safest smell to have at the moment. The hardest part is being apart from our grandchildren – the daily visits have stopped. We feel empty but this is life as we know it- just for the moment.
However, with all this said, the positives are clear to see.
My wife and I are very lucky; we can see our grandchildren from our upstairs window, they hold up signs from their back garden or when they take a walk/bike ride or dog walk. We hear them calling us and shouting messages – this is all we need to brighten our day; we have mastered video calling, a true achievement for our technology fearing nature.
We live in a community where, on the whole, the rules are respected and followed. The stream of dog walkers, children, families, office workers taking their lunchtime walks have decreased to such a level that we barely see anyone walking by. A lonely existence but a comforting one all the same. When we do see people walking, we see passers-by crossing the road to let others walk by within their 2m or more safe space. Whilst we are lucky to have our family close by for support, the community spirit supporting our vulnerable has been breath-taking – let us hope this is a sign of the future and this will be a permanent feature in the future, rather than a response to the pandemic. The Thursday evening 8pm applause brings the spirit of gratitude together – to hear the village and the country uniting in thanks for all those people risking their lives to keep this country together is a sign of hope.
Our village is also enjoying fewer speeding cars and less HGVs. Despite the fear of the virus, our air is less polluted with fumes and noise. This is definitely temporary as lifting the lockdown will increase both cars, pedestrians and HGVs but we hope during this quiet time we can find a way of controlling the way things are and make it part of our long-term.
The future of our village is positive- there is a newly found enthusiasm and hope for the future (however controversial!) as we embark upon the Pavilion Re-development and new homes along Marsworth Road. Our village will continue to thrive with many new plans and the support of our spirited community. To everyone reading this, stay safe, stay healthy, stay indoors – it’s the only way we will be able to say ‘so long, farewell’ to this pandemic and welcome a new and improved normality.
Anil Mitra
The decision has been made to postpone our celebrations until next year.
We have lots planned for our celebration in 2021 including:
Rogation walk and BBQ,
‘Messy Church’ 800th birthday celebration
Fete and Historical Pageant
‘Music on Ivinghoe Lawn’ with WI teas
Teddy Bears Picnic and tea party
Art Exhibition
Service of celebration for both church and community led by the Bishop of Oxford
Christmas Market
Concert on the history of the church by the Beacon Community Choir
Mediaeval Banquet
Further details will follow later in the year
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE COUNCILLORS – IVINGHOE WARD
MAY NEWSLETTER
Following the postponement of the May 2020 elections due to Covid-19, all the Shadow Councillors (previous Bucks County and the four District Councillors) became councillors of the new Buckinghamshire unitary Council on 1 April 2020. This situation will continue until May 2021.
The new unitary Council has responsibility for a large range of services including the following:
Adult Social Care Services • Building Control • Car Parks • Children’s Social Care Services • Crematoriums • Community Safety • Council Tax Benefit and Collection • Country Parks • Culture, Sports and Leisure • Economic Development • Education Services • Electoral Registration and Elections • Emergency Planning • Environment: including strategic planning, flooding and waste • Environmental Health • Grounds Maintenance • Health and Safety • Housing – strategy, advice & provision • Housing Benefit • Land Charges and Property Searches • Libraries • Licensing – taxis, alcohol and public entertainment & gambling • National Non-Domestic Rates • Planning, including development control • Public Conveniences • Public Health • Registrars and Coroners • Refuse Collection • Street Cleansing • Street Naming • Transport, including infrastructure and public transport
As individual councillors we will have been assigned to the various committees overseeing these services and you can see details of all committees and the relevant committee members on the Buckinghamshire website.
For the foreseeable future the committee meetings will be virtual, but you will be able to see them on the website.
For more information, please visit Buckinghamshire Council Services
You will have received regular updates on what is happening in Buckinghamshire including information on Covid-19 and again further information can be found on the website.
In addition to sitting on committees the following Councillors are members of the Wing and Ivinghoe Community Board: Ashley Bond, Netta Glover, Peter Cooper, Sandra Jenkins, Chris Poll, Derek Town, and Anne Wight. For your information, the community boards effectively replace the BCC Local Forums.
The new Ivinghoe Ward embraces Cheddington, Marsworth, Pitstone, Ivinghoe, Ivinghoe Aston, Edlesborough, Northall, Slapton. Horton, Mentmore and Crafton.
Details of the Community Boards are on the Buckinghamshire.gov.uk website.
The most significant change to local services recently has been the re-opening of the ‘tip’ at Aston Clinton on College Road and the resumption of the Garden Waste collections (brown bins).
Stay Safe and Healthy.
With regards – Cllrs Anne Wight, Chris Poll, Derek Town, Sandra Jenkins and Peter Cooper – Ivinghoe Ward
Uncertainly for Our Book Festival – But a Fabulous Programme Awaits
Local book lovers may be wondering, with the ongoing Coronavirus crisis, what is happening about BeaconLit, our local book festival.
At the time of writing, the festival committee, volunteers who organise the event in support of Ivinghoe Library, had planned to have Early Bird tickets for BeaconLit 2020 (the eighth festival) on sale from March. Instead, they found themselves in a no man’s land of uncertainty. A fantastic line up of bestsellers, award winners, rising stars and more is on board, but the safety of attendees, participants and volunteers is paramount. It is obviously way too soon to offer tickets for sale with any certainty; but on balance it is just a little premature to pull the plug on the festival altogether yet.
After much debate, we decided to keep BeaconLit 2020 on the calendar for 11 July for now but continue to monitor the situation and government advice. Whatever happens, and whatever the situation by the time you read this, we hope you will want to join us – whether at BeaconLit 2020 on 11 July or at a later date, or for BeaconLit 2021. Heaven knows, a great book festival will be just the job for so many people when we finally emerge from this most difficult of situations.
We are hoping that, subject to commitments at the time, we will be able to present most of our current line up, which has something for everyone:
Meanwhile, we have been thinking of additional ways to maintain interest and offer some little treats to book lovers. We will continue keeping in touch with our loyal supporters and the public via our emailing list, our website, social media and local press. Our website is at www.beaconlit.co.uk, where you can sign up for e-newsletters with all the latest news. If you would like to email, through our Contact Page, an expression of interest in the festival, or a message of support, that would be much appreciated.
Do take care of yourselves.
Very best wishes
Avril, Dave, Jacquie, Mark, Morgen and Rachel
BeaconLit Festival Committee
SERIAL KILLER STALKS TRING IN PITSTONE AUTHOR’S NEW CRIME NOVEL
Pitstone crime fiction author Dave Sivers’ latest novel is a serial killer chiller set in Tring and Hemel Hempstead. It is the first of a new series featuring Detective Inspector Nathan Quarrel.
In Ink opens with a body being found outside a church in Tring. Alastair Murdoch suffered before he died. But what really disturbs DI Nathan Quarrel is the Tarot card motif adorning the body: The Fool. Just 24 hours later, another body turns up – a different card, but from the same pack. Unless Quarrel can decipher the meaning behind the cards and the connection between the victims, more will follow in a twisted agenda of abduction, pain and death.
In Ink is available from Amazon in paperback and Kindle eBook.
Dave grew up in West London and has been writing all his life. His previous eight books include five to date in his popular series featuring Aylesbury based detectives Lizzie Archer and Dan Baines. He is currently working on Archer and Baines book 6. He is also co-founder of Ivinghoe’s annual BeaconLit book festival.
He said of his new series, “Archer and Baines have plenty more stories to tell, but I wanted to rediscover the fun of creating a new cast of characters and I hope readers will enjoy meeting Quarrel and his team as much as I did.”
In Ink was released on 15 May and has already featured in some of the Amazon Kindle bestseller charts, including a top 20 spot in the ‘Vigilante Justice’ category.
You can buy Dave’s new book at https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B087NHP5HX.
Keep up with Dave’s writing news by subscribing to his newsletter at http://davesivers.co.uk/subscribersclub or follow him on Facebook at davesiversauthor1 or in Twitter @davesivers.
Marsworth Road, Pitstone, Buckinghamshire
15 June — 17 June
Delays likely – Traffic control (multi-way signals)
Works location: BETWEEN CATCH PITS ON BOTH SIDES OF WESTFIELD ROAD JUNCTION
Works description: MINOR WORKS – SURFACE WATER CARRIER PIPE SPOT REPAIRS: EAST SIDE OF JUNCTION: EXCAVATE AREA AS MARKED ON KERB LINE APPROX 17.8m FROM CATCH PIT ON EAST SIDE OF JUNCTION. EXPOSE DAMAGED PIPE CAUSED BY SUSPECTED FAILED GULLY CONNECTION (SEE CCTV IMAGE). UNDERTAKE SPOT REPAIR AS NECESSARY AND RECONNECT GULLY PIPE TO MAIN 150mm DIAMETER CARRIER PIPE.
Responsibility for works: Buckinghamshire
Current status: Planned work about to start
Works reference: D40025139990
Church Road, Ivinghoe, Buckinghamshire
16 June — 18 June
Delays possible – Some carriageway incursion
Works location: junction of station road
Works description: repair defect
Responsibility for works: Anglian Water
Current status: Planned work about to start
Works reference: AD03257538883
Vicarage Road, Pitstone, Buckinghamshire
15 June — 17 June
Delays possible – Traffic control (Stop/Go boards)
Works location: BETWEEN THE PIGHTLE JUNCTION AND NO.14 VICARAGE ROAD
Works description: DRAINAGE CLEARANCE / INVESTIGATION: EMPTY ALL GULLIES AND KERB WEIRS ALONG LENGTH OF VICARAGE ROAD BETWEEN NO.14 AND THE PIGHTLE JUNCTION. JET ALL CONNECTING PIPES TO MAIN CARRIER PIPE. EMPTY ALL CATCH PITS AND JET MAIN CARRIER PIPE BETWEEN CATCH PITS IF REQUIRED.
Responsibility for works: Buckinghamshire
Current status: Planned work about to start
Works reference: BH0025124228
The Great Brickhill, Wing and Ivinghoe Neighbourhood Police Team would like to provide you with this newsletter to update you on the crime trends and figures for the last few months. Ordinarily I would update these at a community forum, which obviously cannot be held at this time. These should hopefully reassure you that in these strange times, we have still managed to keep crime low and maintain a normal service to your neighbourhoods.
The overriding picture for your neighbourhoods is that the overall crime has dropped when compared to the same period last year. The following figures shown are drawn from 1st March to 9th June and are compared to the same period last year:-
Our Neighbourhood Priorities remain as before. These are:-
The above figures show that we are succeeding in these priorities. The Eastern corridor of our Neighbourhood remains on our hotspot patrols and we will remain to upkeep these patrols to deter cross border criminals from using this area. We have remained in contact with Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Police to swap intelligence and assist one another in this location too.
The main issue we have seen an increase in during the last few months is in reports of ASB. This is unsurprising with breaches of the COVID19 social distancing reports coming in, which we have tried to manage via a forecwide response called OP RESTORE. We have made it our purpose to Engage and Explain to those who breached the guide lines, and issued fixed penalty notices to those who failed to adhere to them on several occasions.
We continue to have reports of improper use of the Pitstone Quarry, with persons trespassing onto this site to swim and sunbathe. We are working with Hertfordshire Police, the Transport Authorities and the Health and Safety Executive to try and resolve this issue.
The lockdown has naturally caused some tensions on existing Neighbourhood Disputes. We have taken robust actions where offences have been identified and worked with housing providers where appropriate to deal with tenancy breaches. In one circumstance civil injunctions have been placed on addresses to prevent re-occurrences of ASB. This will not be tolerated and we will do our best to act on such incidents, using our partner agencies when required.
With the likelihood of lockdown measures being loosened in coming months and more people leaving their homes to go to work, I would urge everyone to maintain good crime prevention practices at home:-
We wish you well and thank you for your patience in adhering to social distancing guidelines.
Kind Regards
PC 5688 Matt Craker
Neighbourhood Supervisor for Great Brickhill, Wing and Ivinghoe district.
New grants of between £3,000 and £120,000 are now available to support businesses in Buckinghamshire looking to invest in resilience, repurposing or recovery initiatives as they prepare to overcome the challenges presented by the COVID-19 (coronavirus) crisis.
The Buckinghamshire Recovery Investment Fund, provided by Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), is part of a coordinated support programme for businesses, with Buckinghamshire LEP working closely alongside Buckinghamshire Business First and Buckinghamshire Council.
Andrew M. Smith, Chair of Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership, said:
“These grants are being made available to support any eligible business based in Buckinghamshire who have started to make plans for how they can recover from the current Covid-19 crisis and are looking at activity to ensure their recovery, future resilience and growth. In addition, these grants are intended to complement those national measures already in place, to support Buckinghamshire businesses during this challenging time.”
Michael Garvey, Chair of Buckinghamshire Business First, added: “Over the past few months we have heard from many Buckinghamshire businesses impacted by COVID-19. We are working hard to do everything we can to support them through these challenging times and help them not only survive but position themselves for recovery. This new fund has been set up to provide support for local businesses whose future viability has been adversely impacted, to support them to grow and flourish post-COVID.”
Match-funded grants of between £3,000 and £120,000 are available to support businesses with innovative projects that contribute towards any of the following: new income streams / product development; improvements in productivity / profitability; jobs growth; accelerated COVID-19 recovery; and future resilience.
Businesses must match-fund 25% of the total project value. For example, the minimum project value which can be supported is £4,000 (the business invests £1,000 and the grant can fund £3,000). The maximum grant value is £120,000 (meaning the match-funding required will be £40,000 for a project value of £160,000 or more to achieve the maximum grant).
Grants are available to organisations that: meet the definition of a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME); have two or more PAYE employees; are registered in the Buckinghamshire LEP area; have not received over €200,000 of de minimis aid in the last three years; and were in good financial health prior to 29th February 2020.
For further details on these grants and an application form, please go to: www.bbf.uk.com/BRIF.
Hertfordshire Police has sent out a stern warning to people who have been visiting Pitstone Quarry, near Tring.
The quarry is not only on private land but is also very dangerous and poses plenty of risks for people who think it is safe to swim in.
If caught entering the land without permission from the owner, people could be prosecuted and the police could take action if it continues.
In addition to this, swimming in quarry water is dangerous.
Water temperature can be 80 degrees at ankle-deep and then 40 degrees at just below the surface – this can shock a swimmer’s system and they can quickly find themselves in danger.
The sides can be steep and are a mixture of clay, soft silt and gravel which can shift underfoot and can go at any time.
The water is also prone to dead animals and excrement which can cause disease, pollution and rubbish which can cause a number of problems for a swimmer and poisonous and toxic algae.
The location of the quarry makes it difficult for emergency services to access if someone needs assistance so police want to share this advice to those who have been visiting it or may be planning to in the future.
A parking suspension has also been put into place by Transport for Bucks.
Herts Police and Thames Valley Police will continue monitoring the area.
A spokesperson added: “Please, we ask kindly, do not visit Pitstone Quarry to enjoy the sunny weather – there are plenty of other lovely areas in Hertfordshire where you can enjoy this fine weather and socially distance, keeping yourselves and others safe. Thank you for your understanding.
“Entering this land without permission from the owner constitutes the offence of civil trespass, which the landowner could have you prosecuted for in a civil court of law.”
Update: Week one complete! A huge thank you for your donations, this week we have walked 79 miles! That’s the equivalent of walking from Pitstone to Westminster and back! Good job everyone!
The children at Windmill and their families are walking, running, cycling and scooting to raise money for their much loved pre-school. We were all sad to see Windmill close its doors back in March and while it is still unclear when it will be safe to fully reopen again, we are a registered charity and we still need to fundraise.
The children have adjusted well to learning from home but they are all eager to return to pre-school and see their friends so we’re getting them involved in our very first social distancing fundraiser! Our annual sponsored walk to Pitstone Windmill as a group cannot unfortunately go ahead so we have invited every Windmill family to go for adventures of their choosing. Out on their bikes, with their favourite teddy in their backpacks, in fancy dress or wearing their pre-school t-shirt, however they do it, they’ll be doing it with a smile on their face and Windmill pre-school in their thoughts.
Please donate if you can, we’d love some funds available for when we reopen to get some new resources for the exciting new projects we have planned.
Link here: https://justgiving.com/campaign/walkforwindmill
We’ll be keeping track of how many miles the children walk each week between now and when the pre-school reopens and sharing some pictures of our travels, so do check back with us to see how we are getting on!
Marsworth Road, Pitstone, Buckinghamshire
18 May — 20 May
Delays likely – Traffic control (Stop/Go boards)
Works location: BETWEEN PITSTONE VILLAGE ENTRY AND ROUNDABOUT AT CHEDDINGTON ROAD
Works description: DRAINAGE CLEARANCE / INVESTIGATION: EMPTY ALL GULLIES, KERB WEIRS AND FLIP TOP GULLIES ALONG LENGTH OF ROAD ON BOTH SIDES OF CARRIAGEWAY BETWEEN PITSTONE VILLAGE ENTRY AND ROUNDABOUT. JET ALL CONNECTING PIPES TO DITCH / MAIN CARRIER PIPE.
Responsibility for works: Buckinghamshire
Current status: Planned work about to start
Works reference: BH0025124225
Please find below, links relating to the sale of two parcels of land within Pitstone:
http://propertylinkassets.estatesgazette.com/images/20200422/1-77671871.pdf
The land is owned by Nicholas King Homes, and being marketed through Aitchison Raffety. Contact details for enquiries:
Ian Archer MRICS – 01442 220800 Mobile: 07730 766932
Ian.archer@argroup.co.uk
www.argroup.co.uk
Update from National Trust:
As always, our decisions have been based on sticking to government guidance and ensuring the safety of our visitors, staff and volunteers. Please also bear in mind that we will have to retain some flexibility around these plans; if guidance changes again, or if we cannot manage to maintain social distancing and safety, then we may have to adjust.
This is a brief summary:
Ashridge – small, outlying car parks (including Pitstone Hill): all open as of Mon 11 May, with the exception of Little Gaddesden where we are keeping it closed to minimise dog fouling in the adjacent meadow while the cattle are grazing and Northchurch Flats, where we are trying to promote some grass restoration following a lot of abuse during the wet weather.
Ivinghoe Beacon and Dick’s Camp: these will open by Saturday 16 May. There will probably be third-party operated ice cream vans in both of these car parks on fine days and at weekends.
Ashridge, Monument Drive: this will remain closed until Monday 1 June. This is because it is a very difficult site for us to try to manage numbers and any kind of social distancing. We will operate it at 50% of the usual capacity and will turn people away once it is full. We will open the toilets; if people do not observe social distancing whilst using them, we will close them again. The shop and visitor centre will remain closed. There may be a reduced, take away offer available from the café. The Juice Dub is likely to be on site at weekends from 1 June.
Dunstable Downs: we will open the main car park and the beach car park at 50% of their usual capacity from 10am – 4pm daily from Monday 18 May. The car park machines will be operating using the ‘Pay by Phone’ facility and the charge will be £3.50 per visit. The toilets will be open and we will monitor use to ensure social distancing is being observed. There will be a third party operated ice cream van in the beach car park on fine days. Cars that cannot be accommodated will be turned away.
Sharpenhoe, Totternhoe, Whipsnade Heath: all open from Wednesday 13 May.
Sundon Hills and Morven Park: still open – never closed. There is no parking at Morven.
Whipsnade Tree Cathedral: this will remain closed for now.
Shaw’s Corner: this will remain closed for a long time yet. There is little prospect of us re-opening until social distancing is no longer required. We may look to operate some kind of pre-booked visits later in the season.
Update from Transport for Bucks:
Take Extra Care!
We are living in unprecedented and uncertain times. During these times, the current government advice is that we should only be travelling for essential journeys. This includes trips to buy essentials, such as food and medical supplies or trips to the hospital or doctors.
If you are making an essential journey, please remember to always drive at a legal and appropriate speed, wear a seatbelt, don’t use your phone whilst driving and don’t get behind the wheel if you’ve had an alcohlic drink.
We all have a responsibility to avoid putting more strain on the emergency services, so please always use the roads safely and take extra care when making essential journeys.
Taking extra care on the roads isn’t just about you and your driving, though.
With the government currently allocating one trip outdoors for exercise each day, there are more people out on the roads, especially on rural roads. As a driver please take extra care and watch out for cyclists, who may be inexperienced or new to cycling and pedestrians out on their daily walk, taking advantage of the roads that you usually find very quiet.
Both cyclists and pedestrians should look out for each other as they can’t always be heard approaching. Anyone using the road, be it a pedestrian, cyclist or driver, needs to be aware of their surroundings and take extra care at all times.
The Highway Code gives guidance for pedestrians:
‘As a pedestrian always use the pavement (including any path along the side of the road) where there is one. If there is no pavement, keep to the right-hand side of the road so that you can see oncoming traffic. You should take extra care and be prepared to walk in single file, especially on narrow roads or in poor light, keep close to the side of the road. It may be safer to cross the road well before a sharp right-hand bend so that oncoming traffic has a better chance of seeing you. Cross back after the bend.
Help other road users to see you. Wear or carry something light-coloured, bright or fluorescent in poor daylight conditions. When it is dark, use reflective materials (eg armbands, sashes, waistcoats, jackets, footwear), which can be seen by drivers using headlights up to three times as far away as non-reflective materials.’
For more information visit: www.gov.uk/highway-code
Busy season for agricultural vehicles
As the weather gets warmer and summer approaches, there are going to be more and more agricultural vehicles out on the roads. Drivers of such vehicles may not be expecting the increase in pedestrians and cyclists on roads that are usually quiet in the rural areas they operate in. If you are a driver of an agricultural vehicle, please be aware that there may be a family out for a walk around the corner, or a cyclist not expecting to meet a tractor and trailer.
Similarly, pedestrians and cyclists need to remember that they are not going to be the only ones using the roads, and there will be more large agricultural vehicles on the roads in the days and weeks to come. Take extra care, especially when going around a corner, and always stay focused on the road ahead and behind you.
Watch your speed
Because we shouldn’t be using the roads for anything other than essential journeys, you may find that the roads are a lot quieter at the moment.
Just because there are less vehicles, doesn’t mean you can take less care. Remember that the roads are not a race track, so please always abide by the speed limit. The traffic on the roads might be different but the speed limits remain the same! It’s also worth keeping in mind that a speed limit is the maximum speed you should be travelling at and isn’t a target. An appropriate speed for the road you are travelling on is not always as fast as the speed limit. Other factors should always be considered, such as weather conditions and the level of traffic on the road.
And remember – the roads might be quieter but the police are still making patrols.
If you crash into someone who is on foot or on a bicycle, your speed helps determine if they live or die. Do you know that the survival chances of a pedestrian hit at 20, 30 and 40 mph?
Challenge bad driving habits and ask yourself, “Would I pass my test is I drove like this?”
If the answer is no, then don’t do it.
With speed in mind, have you had the chance to take our online speed e-learning module yet? It takes about 15 minutes to complete and is free to do. You can find it here: https://www.buckscc.gov.uk/services/transport-and-roads/road-safety/managing-speed/speed-awareness-e-learning-module/
On your bike!
Around about now we would be promoting Be A Better Biker courses. Due to the current pandemic, these have had to be put on hold. However, throughout the month of May we will be focusing on motorbike safety across our social media platforms.
The warmer weather might tempt many motorcyclists to take their bike for a spin, but we must remind you not to make any non-essential journeys. If you have to travel, think very carefully about whether you should use a motorbike over a car; the consequences of an incident on two wheels generally mean more severe injuries than an equivalent incident in a car and this can place an extra burden on the emergency services at a time when they’re already stretched.
However, for many, a motorbike (or similar two wheeled vehicle) will be their only means of transport. In these cases, it is so important to ensure that your riding is as safe as possible. Although less traffic on the roads should potentially mean fewer moving hazards, a lot of the traffic is moving more quickly and some people may be less focused on what’s going on around them.
Adopting a systematic approach to your riding can give you more time to anticipate and react to situations, potentially avoiding incidents. The acronym IPSGA is a good way to approach hazards in a systematic way. Think about this as you come to a bend, junction or any other hazard:
I – INFORMATION – Consider all the information around you. What can you see, what can’t you see and what might be reasonably expected to happen?
P- POSITION – Given you have the information, where should you be positioned on the road? Select your position according to these three criteria:
S – SPEED – Change your speed to be the right speed for you to negotiate the hazard
G – GEAR – When you’ve got your speed right, make sure you’re in the right, responsive gear
A – ACCELERATE – As you leave the hazards, accelerate to an appropriate speed and keep scanning for more information to keep the IPSGA process going.
If you’d like to find out more about being smoother, and safer, in your riding contact IAM RoadSmart on 0330 303 1134 or at www.iamroadsmart.com and they’ll put you in touch with your local group
Other interesting road safety news…
Five Bucks household recycling centres set to reopen |
| Buckinghamshire Council has confirmed the reopening of five of its nine household recycling centres to give residents the chance to dispose of waste that cannot be safely stored at home.
From Wednesday 6 May, the Amersham, Aston Clinton, Buckingham, Beaconsfield and High Wycombe sites will open seven days a week, 9am-6pm – the usual summer opening hours. The other four sites will remain closed for the foreseeable future. To stay within the government’s coronavirus guidelines on essential travel, however, it is important that journeys to these sites during lockdown are only made if waste cannot be stored for longer at home without causing risk to health or safety. The health of residents and staff is always the highest priority, so everyone visiting the reopened sites will be expected to observe the new social distancing measures that have been put in place. This includes traffic management to control the number of visitors at any one time. The Council warns that this could lead to extensive traffic queues building up at site entrances, so it’s well worth delaying a visit until things are a bit quieter. Bill Chapple OBE, Buckinghamshire Council Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, said: “The decision to reopen the recycling centres has been taken after listening to residents’ concerns on extra waste accumulation during the lockdown period. We want to ensure that people who have been struggling to manage their waste are able to dispose of it properly. “However, I must warn visitors who do feel that a trip is essential that their visit will be different from normal due to the measures we are putting in place to protect both visitors and our staff. I would also stress that we are only open for residents of Buckinghamshire and will be asking visitors for identification to prove their address. “As part of the need to ensure social distancing, we have had to limit the number of visitors on site at any one time, so long queues to access the site are likely. I’d ask people to bear in mind that the five sites that are reopening will be open from 9 am to 6 pm seven days a week, so it isn’t necessary to rush there at the first opportunity. “Staff will be on hand to ensure that the social distancing guidelines are adhered to, therefore we urge all visitors to be patient and leave plenty of time for their visit. “Fly tipping is a crime. Buckinghamshire Council takes a zero tolerance approach to fly tipping and will prosecute wherever possible. However, there has been some concern amongst residents that the closure of the recycling centres has led some people to either fly tip or hire unlicensed individuals to take away their rubbish. With the reopening of five sites, it means that anyone with accumulated waste that cannot safely be stored can now dispose of it properly.” These are the things to remember when visiting the reopened household recycling centres:
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Westfield Road, Pitstone, Buckinghamshire
05 May — 07 May
Delays possible – Traffic control (multi-way signals)
Works location: 1
Works description: Mains Fittings
Responsibility for works: Anglian Water
Current status: Planned work about to start
Works reference: AD03257353762
Buckinghamshire Council takes on new powers to fight the fly tippers |
| At its very first meeting on 21 April, Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet marked a renewed commitment to a zero-tolerance approach to fly tipping by introducing on-the-spot fines as an additional power in the fight against the minority that commit these antisocial offences.
The Cabinet voted unanimously to introduce £400 fixed penalty notice fines for fly tipping – the highest amount allowed under central government powers that were brought in so that local authorities could bring waste crime offenders to justice quickly. Before becoming a unitary council, it was impractical to introduce fixed penalty notices for waste crime in Buckinghamshire due to the legal complexity of working through five different authorities. Bill Chapple OBE, Buckinghamshire Council Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, explained: “The former county and district councils had an excellent record of working together to fight fly tipping, giving the county very high rates of detection and prosecution of waste crime. “But unitary status allows Buckinghamshire Council to streamline our enforcement operations, and focus on achieving even better outcomes. One of the immediate advantages is that we are now in a position to bring in fixed penalty notices. These allow us to bring fly tippers to book quickly – though I want to make it clear that, where appropriate, the Council will continue to prosecute through the Courts as part of our zero tolerance approach to fly tipping.” |
Please find below the link to the Buckinghamshire Council update on garden waste collections, which will resume from 11 May 2020:
and the planned re-opening of the household waste centre at Aston Clinton.
The link also contains details from Buckinghamshire Council on safety measures that will be in place at the centres and requests for residents regarding the garden refuse collections.
Please note that travel to and from a household waste centre is currently not considered ‘essential travel’ and therefore the sites can’t re-open before government guidelines change otherwise residents could be stopped and fined by Thames Valley Police.
Pitstone & Ivinghoe United Football Club are putting together a parcel of spare/used football kit to donate to Kit Aid, a charity that sends of football kits and equipment to underdeveloped countries across the world.
Do you have any old football shirts (professional or local clubs), shorts, training wear, football boots etc?
All age group kit is needed and will put a smile on someone’s face who otherwise would have no access to such clothing.
If so, please contact Mart Roberts on : markroberts381@gmail.com
and Mark will arrange a safe pick up next week.
Link to Kit Aid in case you would like more information: kitaid.net
Vicarage Road, Pitstone, Buckinghamshire
24 April — 28 April
Delays possible – Traffic control (Stop/Go boards)
Works location: BETWEEN THE PIGHTLE JUNCTION AND NO.14 VICARAGE ROAD
Works description: DRAINAGE CLEARANCE / INVESTIGATION: EMPTY ALL GULLIES AND KERB WEIRS ALONG LENGTH OF VICARAGE ROAD BETWEEN NO.14 AND THE PIGHTLE JUNCTION. JET ALL CONNECTING PIPES TO MAIN CARRIER PIPE. EMPTY ALL CATCH PITS AND JET MAIN CARRIER PIPE BETWEEN CATCH PITS IF REQUIRED.
Responsibility for works: Buckinghamshire
Current status: Planned work about to start
Works reference: BH0025124228
Thames Valley Police are urging people not to trespass at Pitstone Quarry:
“We are all of course able to partake in exercise and can drive a reasonable distance to do this.
This doesn’t include going to sunbathe and have BBQs at Pitstone quarry.
We have put a few reminders up and will be patrolling this location during the coming week’s warm weather.”
The quarry is in private ownership. There is no public access or right of way. The owners continually have to replace fencing that has been destroyed by trespassers, who also leave behind large amounts of litter. The flooded quarry lake is very deep and very cold which can cause the body to go into shock if you enter the water, there is also submerged machinery etc under the surface of the lake. If you are not the landowner, nor their employee, you should not enter this land.
Update from the National Trust:
We are receiving a few emails and social media posts about the closure of Pitstone Hill Car Park. Some people feel that this is against the recent guidance that people may drive to the countryside to take exercise.
Just to be clear, that guidance was given to the police, in order to help them to determine what is and what isn’t an acceptable reason to travel.
The guidance to land owners from the government remains unchanged: all car parks capable of holding 25 cars or more should be closed wherever possible to deter visits.
We are very grateful to everyone who is heeding the advice to walk from their homes wherever possible and we look forward to being able to welcome people back to our places when it is safe to do so.
These are very challenging and distressing times. It has been very encouraging that our local communities have come together and our thanks to the volunteers for the work they are doing. We ask all residents to follow guidelines to ensure that you can all keep safe.
Buckinghamshire Council is now doing daily video updates, Monday to Friday, for residents about what is going on locally to protect, inform and support our communities. There will be a guest each day to talk about specific areas like working with the health services, public health and businesses. You can find these at –
We also encourage residents to go to the Community Support Hub pages on the Buckinghamshire Council website, a place which gives information for local people to sign up and help those who need it in our communities. More information is available on the website at https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/community-and-safety/coronavirus/
There is also a website for Service Updates on the Buckinghamshire Council website, so do keep checking here regularly for the latest:
https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/community-and-safety/changes-to-our-services-due-coronavirus/.
Things are changing quite quickly, but this information will keep you updated on specific services that are impacted.
Shadow Leader, Martin Tett said that although there were still many details to sort out, the new council’s leadership will follow guidance from the Government with the following arrangements in place:
Martin Tett said; “These are clearly challenging and unprecedented times on a truly global scale. However, we will still launch the new Buckinghamshire Council on 1st April as planned and will continue to provide services to residents with the minimum of disruption. A vast amount of planning and preparation is going on across all our services and we will be keeping people informed as decisions are made. It’s clear that the next few weeks and months will be difficult for all, but we will get through it.
“Buckinghamshire Council will remain in regular dialogue with Government and expect to confirm all legislative and other changes required as soon as possible.”
With AVDC and BCC ceasing as local authorities on April 1st and the local elections now postponed until May 2021 the existing councillors from either AVDC or BCC will be temporary members of the new authority until May 2021. These are:
Anne Wight, Chris Poll, Derek Town, Sandra Jenkins and Peter Cooper.
We are at present still working out exactly how this will operate but wanted to let you know that we are here for all residents within the new Ivinghoe ward which covers:
Cheddington, Mentmore, Marsworth, Pitstone, Slapton, Ivinghoe, Edlesborough, Dagnall and Northall.
All our contact details are on the Buckinghamshire Council website and please do not hesitate to contact us at any time.
The new Buckinghamshire Council encompasses four district councils plus Buckinghamshire County Council. As you can imagine this new Council covers a very large area and Councillors will be allocated seats on the new committees as soon as possible which will probably be ‘virtual’ in their operation for the near future.
In the light of the recent Government announcements relating to limiting large gatherings and encouraging social distancing to reduce the spread of coronavirus, the Leader of the Council, Cllr Angela Macpherson, in discussion with the Chairman of the Council, Cllr Judy Brandis, and the Buckinghamshire Director of Public Health, Dr Jane O’Grady, have concluded that the final meeting of Aylesbury Vale District Council, scheduled for Wednesday 25 March, should be cancelled.
Cllr Judy Brandis said: “It is incredibly disappointing to come to this decision, but these are unprecedented times and we are working hard to protect ourselves and others.
“We had invited a number of past Chairmen and Honorary Aldermen to attend the meeting but many are elderly and some have underlying health conditions – putting them in the high risk category if they contract coronavirus.”
Among those attending would have been the first ever AVDC Chairman, former Councillor Anthony Mogford, now 92.
Aylesbury Vale District Council (AVDC) formally came into being on 1 April 1974. AVDC was created as a result of local government restructuring that saw the merger of the boroughs of Aylesbury and Buckingham, Aylesbury Rural District, Buckingham Rural District, Wing Rural District and part of Winslow Rural District.
As with the current restructuring, that will see AVDC, the three other district councils in the county and Buckinghamshire County Council replaced by the new Buckinghamshire Council, there was a period prior to the establishment of the new Council when members met to plan their new future – and the first meeting of Aylesbury Vale District Council took place on 19 June 1973, following elections that had taken place on 7 June 1973.
Cllr Angela Macpherson said: “AVDC has a lot to be proud of and will leave a strong legacy for the new Buckinghamshire Council to inherit. I would like to pay tribute to councillors past and present and to the staff of the council who have worked so hard and diligently to deliver services to local residents”.
Cllr Judy Brandis had a special word of thanks for Bill Ashton, Democratic Services Manager, who will be retiring at the end of the month after 50 years in local government service and 46 years at AVDC. “Bill was here from the very start of the new district council and in recent years has provided members with highly professional insights – keeping us all on track and fully aware of what we can and can’t do as councillors,” said Cllr Brandis, “and he has provided me with excellent support and advice during my year as Chairman.”
Alongside regular meeting business, councillors took the opportunity to look back over Council services spanning three centuries. Over this time, average life expectancy in the County has risen from just 46 in 1889 to over 81 currently, and population has nearly trebled to 540,000.
The last ever Chairman of Buckinghamshire County Council, Brian Roberts, said he was proud to be given the privilege of ending such a historic chapter. He said after the meeting, “This Council has been serving Buckinghamshire residents since 1889. During that time we’ve seen four Monarchs, 26 prime ministers and 32 County Chairman. The decisions made by both our current and predecessor councillors have shaped how Buckinghamshire has developed as a County and how services have contributed to making life better for residents, businesses and communities.
Brian added, “The County and the four districts councils now pass the baton on to Buckinghamshire Council and I wish the new authority every success going forward.
In closing may we wish all our residents the very best and keep safe at this difficult time. We hope to be able to attend Parish Council meetings in the not too distant future. In the meantime we will endeavour to continue to forward as much information as possible.
The new Buckinghamshire Council is providing support for businesses in the area. As at close of business on Tuesday 14 April, 2,900 successful applications had been processed, but it is believed that many more businesses may be entitled to receive a grant.
Cllr Tett encourages any businesses that hadn’t applied yet to do so by visiting www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/businessgrant. The grants are available to all eligible businesses and, as they are grants and not loans, do not need to be repaid.
Most businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors, and businesses receiving Small Business Rate Relief or Rural Rate Relief will receive a grant as follows:
To be eligible for a grant, companies and traders must have been liable for business rates on 11 March 2020. If not, there is no entitlement to relief.
Buckinghamshire Council has paid out £38.3 million in coronavirus business grants to 2,900 small local businesses and businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors*
* This was the number processed and paid by the end of the day on Tuesday 14 April.
For general information about business grants and full details of eligibility criteria visit our ‘Local support for businesses’ page at https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/coronavirus/coronavirus-business-support-hub/local-support-businesses/
More online adult learning courses launching to support skills development |
| Buckinghamshire Adult Learning Service (BAL) is transforming the way it delivers its courses to help people to continue to learn and look after their mental wellbeing whilst government guidance on staying at home remains in place.
Classroom based courses are being transformed into engaging and innovative online learning programmes. From the end of April onwards, there will be over 150 courses available covering a wide range of topics and skills. All courses are designed and delivered by qualified and experienced specialist tutors who are passionate about their subjects. Examples of courses that are on offer include:
Over a thousand learners have already enrolled for these courses and some courses are filling up fast. Anita Cranmer, Executive Portfolio Holder for Education said: “I’m absolutely delighted that we can continue to offer our fantastic courses to residents despite government guidance on staying at home. We know that this challenging period can lead to increased stress and anxiety so it’s really important that people continue to do things that they find stimulating and enjoyable. By offering a wide range of courses online we hope that people will enjoy trying out something new or finding out more about a topic that they’re interested in.” For more information about individual courses and to enrol go to https://www.adultlearningbcc.ac.uk/
If you have any further queries please ring 01296 387944. |
Vicarage Road, Pitstone, Buckinghamshire
16 April — 16 April
Delays likely – Road closure
Works location: Vicarage Road o/s Eriegh Manor Pitstone LU7 9EZ
Works description: Access required to Overhead BT structure to provide service – No structural changes. Work being carried out on existing BT Network. **WORKS REF ECAP1050**
Responsibility for works: Openreach
Current status: Planned work about to start
Works reference: BC005CC1W0019JUNSMWMY567
Did you know you can register for free, additional practical support from Anglian Water’s Priority Services? Some of the ways being on the Priority Services Register could help you include;
Registration is quick and easy! To find out more about Priority Services and to sign up,
Call Anglian Water on: 0800 919 155
Go online at: anglianwater.co.uk/priority or scan this QR code
Fill in one of their freepost registration forms.
Download the MyAccount app
Priority Service Register
Alongside Anglian Water, other Water and Energy providers offer a Priority Service. If you think you may need extra help during an interruption to supply or a power cut due to being medically dependent on electricity, elderly or disabled or if you have specific communication needs, contact your provider to find out how they can assist you.
Please find attached the details of the partial closure of Vicarage Road (Church Road to Upper Icknield Way) on 16-4-2020 by Openreach.
During this difficult time, we want to support our residents who may be struggling to pay their council tax bills. For example, for our working–age residents, who already have Council Tax Reduction, we are reducing their council tax bill by up to £150. However, we know others maybe struggling too. We ask that if you know anyone who is finding it difficult to make these payments at the moment, that they contact us so we can work through a solution together. Please share this link with them for details – https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/council-tax/help-council-tax-payments/
Please find details of the new police powers via this link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/police-given-new-powers-and-support-to-respond-to-coronavirus
| Each day I take huge pride in the immense community effort that we are seeing across the whole county. It is a time of crisis, but we are seeing in all of our towns and villages just how well people are pulling together, supporting each other and volunteering to help especially in looking after the people who need it the most. My colleagues and I are truly humbled and inspired by the amazing work people are doing.
I’m delighted to be able to say that the council is now in the process – via a team of staff and wonderful volunteers – of getting food parcels out to the most vulnerable. Please read on for more on what Buckinghamshire Council is doing and how we are helping to provide and coordinate community support. Can I thank each and every one of you too for doing your bit by staying home, except where absolutely essential, to help stop the spread of the virus and to save lives. We have all made huge adjustments and I am thankful to everyone for the lengths you are all going to. |
Food parcels
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Local Support HubsI’m really pleased to be able to give you further detail about Buckinghamshire Council’s eight local support hubs that are now set up for residents with severe medical conditions who might not have friends or family nearby. The hubs will act as co-ordination and distribution points for the council’s volunteer support network to help with the food parcels, fuel top-up cards and help with getting medicines and medical appointments. They won’t be open to the public but are there to co-ordinate the support for these most vulnerable residents. Residents at high risk will get letters from the NHS or their GPs explaining how to register for support and we are making contact with vulnerable residents too. The Council’s social care team has also identified 750 older and more vulnerable residents and is keeping in daily contact with them to make sure they are safe and that they have the support they need. All residents can also see what wider help and support is available – and can offer to volunteer too – via Buckinghamshire Council’s online Community Hub at www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/coronavirus |
Community focus
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Our daily video update – #AskBucksCouncilWe’re all enjoying staying in touch online more, and at Buckinghamshire Council we are no exception! We are producing a daily video update – our Vlog – and it’s a brilliant way of getting the latest updates from the Council – plus I enjoy that it can be a more personal, face to face, form of communicating as well as emailing you all. Please do check it out via the Buckinghamshire Council website and most importantly – we want you to take part. We don’t want this to be a one-way conversation so please give us your stories, comments, questions via social media (Twitter – @BucksCouncil, Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/BucksCouncil/) using the #AskBucksCouncil hashtag and we will do all we can to include your comments and respond to any questions. |
Council taxWe know how difficult life is at the moment and also how peoples’ circumstances vary tremendously. I know that many people are under financial strain and will find their council tax an added burden at a difficult time. The council’s advice is that you continue to pay if you possibly can – council tax funds essential local services like rubbish collection, local fire and police services and helps pay for the care vulnerable adults and children need from us. However, I want you to know that Buckinghamshire Council does recognise the financial impact of coronavirus and will be supporting working-age residents who already have Council Tax Reduction by initially reducing their council tax bill by up to £150. We also know that other customers will have difficulty making payments, and we urge you to let us know so we can work through a solution together. For example, it might be easier for some households who pay in ten instalments to pay in twelve smaller instalments. If you are facing financial hardship and need to talk to us about how to pay your council tax bill please go to https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/council-tax/help-council-tax-payments/ |
Free school meal vouchersChildren eligible for free school meals will benefit from a national voucher scheme so they can still get meals while they stay at home during the school closure period. Schools can now provide, where needed, every eligible child with a weekly shopping voucher worth £15 to spend at supermarkets while schools are closed. Some schools will continue to provide meals for collection or delivery themselves, but where this isn’t possible, the scheme will allow schools to provide vouchers to families electronically, or as a gift card for those without internet access. The voucher scheme means that families who usually benefit from free school meals still have access to healthy and nutritious meals while they are not attending school. Where schools are issuing vouchers rather than continuing to provide meals, parents will receive the voucher directly from their child’s school, which can then be redeemed online via a code or sent to their home as a gift card and used at supermarkets. Parents and carers should check with their school in the first instance to find out more about how this is being arranged. |
Staying healthy while you stay homeI also want to take a moment to remind everyone that taking care of your mind is really important while staying at home. You may feel bored, frustrated or lonely. You might also be low, worried or anxious, or concerned about your finances, your health or those close to you. It’s important to remember that it is OK to feel this way and that everyone reacts differently. Remember, this situation is temporary and, for most of us, these difficult feelings will pass. Check out the tips and advice that Every Mind Matters suggests. There are things you can do to help you keep on top of your mental wellbeing and cope with how you may feel while staying at home. Make sure you get further support if you feel you need it. |
The new Buckinghamshire Council
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These are very challenging and distressing times. It has been very encouraging that our local communities have come together and our thanks to the volunteers for the work they are doing. We ask all residents to follow guidelines to ensure that you can all keep safe.
Buckinghamshire Council is now doing daily video updates, Monday to Friday, for residents about what is going on locally to protect, inform and support our communities. There will be a guest each day to talk about specific areas like working with the health services, public health and businesses. You can find these at –
We also encourage residents to go to the Community Support Hub pages on the Buckinghamshire Council website, a place which gives information for local people to sign up and help those who need it in our communities. More information is available on the website at https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/community-and-safety/coronavirus/
There is also a website for Service Updates on the Buckinghamshire Council website, so do keep checking here regularly for the latest:
https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/community-and-safety/changes-to-our-services-due-coronavirus/.
Things are changing quite quickly, but this information will keep you updated on specific services that are impacted.
Shadow Leader, Martin Tett said that although there were still many details to sort out, the new council’s leadership will follow guidance from the Government with the following arrangements in place:
Martin Tett said; “These are clearly challenging and unprecedented times on a truly global scale. However, we will still launch the new Buckinghamshire Council on 1st April as planned and will continue to provide services to residents with the minimum of disruption. A vast amount of planning and preparation is going on across all our services and we will be keeping people informed as decisions are made. It’s clear that the next few weeks and months will be difficult for all, but we will get through it.
“Buckinghamshire Council will remain in regular dialogue with Government and expect to confirm all legislative and other changes required as soon as possible.”
With AVDC and BCC ceasing as local authorities on April 1st and the local elections now postponed until May 2021 the existing councillors from either AVDC or BCC will be temporary members of the new authority until May 2021. These are:
Anne Wight, Chris Poll, Derek Town, Sandra Jenkins and Peter Cooper.
We are at present still working out exactly how this will operate but wanted to let you know that we are here for all residents within the new Ivinghoe division which covers:
Cheddington, Marsworth, Pitstone, Slapton, Ivinghoe, Edlesborough, Dagnall and Northall.
All our contact details are on the Buckinghamshire Council website and please do not hesitate to contact us at any time.
The new Buckinghamshire Council encompasses four district councils plus Buckinghamshire County Council. As you can imagine this new Council covers a very large area and Councillors will be allocated seats on the new committees as soon as possible which will probably be ‘virtual’ in their operation for the near future.
In the light of the recent Government announcements relating to limiting large gatherings and encouraging social distancing to reduce the spread of coronavirus, the Leader of the Council, Cllr Angela Macpherson, in discussion with the Chairman of the Council, Cllr Judy Brandis, and the Buckinghamshire Director of Public Health, Dr Jane O’Grady, have concluded that the final meeting of Aylesbury Vale District Council, scheduled for Wednesday 25 March, should be cancelled.
Cllr Judy Brandis said: “It is incredibly disappointing to come to this decision, but these are unprecedented times and we are working hard to protect ourselves and others.
“We had invited a number of past Chairmen and Honorary Aldermen to attend the meeting but many are elderly and some have underlying health conditions – putting them in the high risk category if they contract coronavirus.”
Among those attending would have been the first ever AVDC Chairman, former Councillor Anthony Mogford, now 92.
Aylesbury Vale District Council (AVDC) formally came into being on 1 April 1974. AVDC was created as a result of local government restructuring that saw the merger of the boroughs of Aylesbury and Buckingham, Aylesbury Rural District, Buckingham Rural District, Wing Rural District and part of Winslow Rural District.
As with the current restructuring, that will see AVDC, the three other district councils in the county and Buckinghamshire County Council replaced by the new Buckinghamshire Council, there was a period prior to the establishment of the new Council when members met to plan their new future – and the first meeting of Aylesbury Vale District Council took place on 19 June 1973, following elections that had taken place on 7 June 1973.
Cllr Angela Macpherson said: “AVDC has a lot to be proud of and will leave a strong legacy for the new Buckinghamshire Council to inherit. I would like to pay tribute to councillors past and present and to the staff of the council who have worked so hard and diligently to deliver services to local residents”.
Cllr Judy Brandis had a special word of thanks for Bill Ashton, Democratic Services Manager, who will be retiring at the end of the month after 50 years in local government service and 46 years at AVDC. “Bill was here from the very start of the new district council and in recent years has provided members with highly professional insights – keeping us all on track and fully aware of what we can and can’t do as councillors,” said Cllr Brandis, “and he has provided me with excellent support and advice during my year as Chairman.”
In closing may we wish all our residents the very best and keep safe at this difficult time. We hope to be able to attend Parish Council meetings in the not too distant future. In the meantime we will endeavour to continue to forward as much information as possible.
Alongside regular meeting business, councillors took the opportunity to look back over Council services spanning three centuries. Over this time, average life expectancy in the County has risen from just 46 in 1889 to over 81 currently, and population has nearly trebled to 540,000.
The last ever Chairman of Buckinghamshire County Council, Brian Roberts, said he was proud to be given the privilege of ending such a historic chapter. He said after the meeting, “This Council has been serving Buckinghamshire residents since 1889. During that time we’ve seen four Monarchs, 26 prime ministers and 32 County Chairman. The decisions made by both our current and predecessor councillors have shaped how Buckinghamshire has developed as a County and how services have contributed to making life better for residents, businesses and communities.
Brian added, “The County and the four districts councils now pass the baton on to Buckinghamshire Council and I wish the new authority every success going forward.
A pair of red prescription glasses, possibly child size, have been left on the Windsor Road footpath and not collected over the weekend. If you are missing a pair of glasses, they are propped on the lamp post in Windsor Road, by the path to the play space/cycle path (opposite the path through to Castle Close).
Please click on this link for full details of Covid-19 scams from National Trading Standards: https://www.nationaltradingstandards.uk/news/beware-of-covid19-scams/
We, the Pitstone Covid-19 Mutual Support Group, are desperately looking for more people to volunteer to help support those in need during this time. We want to leaflet our local streets to make sure everyone has the chance to sign up as a helper in the village. We especially need to reach those that aren’t online or maybe not frequent users of Facebook in case they need help.
Obviously everyone’s health and safety are of the utmost importance, so you would need to practice social distancing, wear gloves or sanitize hands regularly during the drop and sanitize and wash well after . You would also need to respect peoples wishes if access to letterbox is blocked or there is a note on the door requesting no contact.
This is not a call to encourage people to go out more than once per day. Perhaps bored secondary school children would like to help their village or why not make the best of your exercise time?
We urge you not to put personal contact details on this page. Please message via the contact details below to add your name to the list and we will get back to you when help is needed. We will need your name, contact number and street name and also your age if you are under 16 years.
Thank you.
Please contact: Nikki Thomas via email address Nikezade@aol.com or text your details to 07984557039.
Buckinghamshire councils lift all parking charges and restrictions to support communities during Coronavirus outbreak
All council car park charges and on-street parking restrictions have been lifted today across Buckinghamshire.
The five existing councils have taken the unprecedented step to help support communities, key workers and volunteers during the Coronavirus outbreak.
The changes will mean all council car parks across the county will be completely free to use and all parking restrictions lifted. This includes parking on yellow lines, limited waiting areas and in pay and display bays. Residents permits will also be extended by a month. Restrictions on disabled parking will however remain in force.
Parking officers will continue patrolling the main routes, car parks, and residential areas to help deal with any obstructions to support emergency services, key workers, essential food deliveries and residents.
If any vehicle does cause an obstruction, officers will attempt to locate the owner via the permits database so that the vehicle can be moved to a safer place. If owners can’t be located, vehicles will be towed to the nearest safe position. This will only be used as a last resort and will be to relocate vehicles, not remove them completely.
Leader of Buckinghamshire’s Shadow Executive, Martin Tett said the new measures were sensible and appropriate given the circumstances. “With most people working from home, parking is at a premium, so this gives everyone more flexibility and should help keep routes clear. If you live near to a council car park, please feel free to use it if it’s suitable.
“It should also make it easier for those key workers and volunteers who need to get around to help those most vulnerable in our communities.”
Martin added: “My only plea to motorists is to park sensibly and safely for the benefit of everyone and maintain social distancing. If we all pull together and use our common-sense, we can make a huge difference for those needing to get around in these testing and difficult times.”
These changes will be regularly reviewed and may be amended in line with further government guidance.
Some car parks are closed overnight, so please check the following links for further details. Specific questions or queries can be sent to the relevant area e-mail addresses.
Aylesbury Area
https://www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/section/car-parks
Email: parking.ay@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
For information regarding on street parking, please contact parkingqueries@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
For assistance and the latest advice on coronavirus, please visit www.gov.uk/coronavirus
For further information please contact: Aidan Shutter on 01296 382444 or out of hours on 07825430978
Please help those that are self-isolating near you.
The more helpers that register with the Covid-19 support group (this is a group of local volunteers), the wider the load can be spread, keeping neighbours supported and comfortable in their homes.
Please visit http://pitstone.co.uk/helpers to fill in the short form.
Please follow government advice and do not leave your home/garden. If you are taking your one piece of daily exercise, please maintain social distancing. Thames Valley Police are reporting lots of people out and about, on Pitstone Hill and on the Recreation Ground. They ask everyone to please go home and stay home.
