Sad to announce the passing of Gill Arney

It is with great sadness that we announce that Gillian Arney passed away on Saturday night at the Hospice of St Francis in Berkhamsted. 

Gill was a previous long serving parish councillor, a much loved and respected colleague. She volunteered with many community groups over the years and was still active with the Friends of St Mary’s Church in Pitstone including the Arts & Crafts Festival, and the Beacon Villages Community Library in Ivinghoe. She has touched the lives of very many of our residents and we are sure that you will join us in sending heartfelt condolences to her family.

Her funeral will be on Friday 18th October at 11 a.m. in St Mary’s Ivinghoe and afterwards at the Rose and Crown. 

No flowers, but donations to the Hospice of St Francis would be welcome. Thank you.

Youth Cafe reopens on 11 September 2024

Please note that the Pitstone youth cafe re-opens on 11 September, 6.30-8.00pm, after our summer holiday break. (There is no session on 4 September 2024).

We look forward to welcoming everyone back and to meeting any new young people who may be joining us but couldn’t make the taster sessions last term.

For more information about our youth cafe, or to sign up your child, please click here: https://pitstone.co.uk/ppcinfo/youth-cafe/

Grant to Pitstone Memorial Hall Charity

The parish council was delighted to assist the Pitstone Memorial Hall Charity with a grant of £3,000 for an improved floor scrubber and drier.

The trustees advise that the new machine cleans the hard flooring in the hall much more effectively than mopping alone and the difference has already been noted by their hirers and hall users.   As it also dries, the floor can be more efficiently cleaned between bookings, which could not always previously take place as the floor would still be wet when the next hirer arrived.  As the Memorial Hall has large open spaces, this new machine is able to carry out the work in much less time than hand mopping, which has made life a lot easier for their cleaning staff.

If you are part of a local community organisation that benefits the residents of Pitstone, and that group would benefit from financial assistance towards a project, please get in touch with the parish council to find out more information about our community group grant scheme.   Email: parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk or Telephone 01296 767261.

You can also find more information, and a copy of our grant policy, on our website: https://pitstone.co.uk/ppcinfo/grant-policy/

A reminder that the next community group grant deadline is 18-10-24

The parish council offers grants to local community groups and local charities that specifically benefit Pitstone residents.  Applications are considered quarterly.   The next opportunity for grants to be considered is coming up next month , so please get your submissions to us by 18 October 2024.

Some of our most recent recipients include 1st Ivinghoe & Pitstone Scouts for the air riffle project and Pitstone Memorial Hall Charity for their floor scrubber.

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

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

Last youth cafe this term Wed 10-7-24

Just a reminder that the last youth cafe before the summer holidays is 10 July 2024, 6.30-8.00pm

This is also the session where we welcome the year 6 Brookmead children to see what cafe is all about. Please remember to register your child before they attend, so that we have correct contact details for parents in case they are needed.

Thank you.

Grant to 1st Ivinghoe and Pitstone Scouts

The parish council were delighted to assist the 1st Ivinghoe and Pitstone Scouts with a grant of £1,800 towards their air riffle project.

Two scouting leaders have completed training qualifications that enable them to instruct in the use of air rifles and to run formal training for Youth Shooting Efficiency courses.   Thanks to the grant, the group now has the equipment/storage/safety equipment to allow them to run shooting sessions at both scouting events and local community events, and also to run the formal courses.

The air rifles had their debut outing at the Ivinghoe fete. Supervised groups were organised over the afternoon, and this gave lots of people, young and old, the opportunity to have a go.

If you are part of a local community organisation that benefits the residents of Pitstone, and that group would benefit from financial assistance towards a project, please get in touch with the parish council to find out more information about our community group grant scheme.   Email: parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk or Telephone 01296 767261.

You can also find more information, and a copy of our grant policy, on our website: https://pitstone.co.uk/ppcinfo/grant-policy/

Casual Vacancy in the Office of Parish Councillor to be filled via co-option

Buckinghamshire Council has confirmed that no election has been requested by residents and we will therefore seek to fill the casual vacancy for a parish councillor (following the passing of Cllr Mitra) to serve out the remaining term of office until the next election in May 2025 via co-option.

Do you have a passion for the village we live in and plenty of spare time (an average of 3 hours per week) to volunteer? You can find some initial information here about what parish councils do and what you could expect from your role as a councillor: https://pitstone.co.uk/ppcnews/calling-all-community-heroes-become-a-parish-councillor-elections-in-may-2021/

When you join the parish council, you also become a corporate trustee to two local charities, the Pitstone Recreation Ground Charity and the Pitstone Parish Charity, so the above link also includes information from the Charity Commission on Essential Trustee guidance.

If you are interested in joining us, please contact the parish clerk on parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk or 01296 767261 and we will happily chat to you and provide a full information pack.

Casual Vacancy in the Office of Parish Councillor

A casual vacancy has arisen for a parish councillor to serve out the remaining term of office until the next election in May 2025.

Unless 10 electors request a by-election by 26 June 2024, the parish council will seek to fill this vacancy via co-option. See Notice of Vacancy below for details of how to submit such a request:

Do you have a passion for the village we live in and plenty of spare time (an average of 3 hours per week) to volunteer? You can find some initial information here about what parish councils do and what you could expect from your role as a councillor: https://pitstone.co.uk/ppcnews/calling-all-community-heroes-become-a-parish-councillor-elections-in-may-2021/

When you join the parish council, you also become a corporate trustee to two local charities, the Pitstone Recreation Ground Charity and the Pitstone Parish Charity, so the above link also includes information from the Charity Commission on Essential Trustee guidance.

If you are interested in joining us, please contact the parish clerk on parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk or 01296 767261, as soon as possible and we will happily chat to you and provide a full information pack.

We will provide an update to residents at the end of the month on whether a by-election has been called once we hear back from the elections team at Buckinghamshire Council.

Congratulations to Barry and Sue Gregory, Pitstone Volunteers of the Year 2024

We would like to congratulate Barry and Sue Gregory, who were awarded Volunteers of the Year 2024 at the Annual Assembly for many years of voluntary support to local organisations, the local community, and general help to neighbours.   Examples include: acting as Trustee for the Pitstone Town Lands Charity and Williamson Trust, running the Pace stall, carrying out grass cutting and maintaining planters by The Crescent, and helping obtain the official designation of the open space by The Crescent.  The Chairman presented Barry and Sue with a framed certificate, card and £50. 

The Parish Council runs the Volunteer of the Year scheme to celebrate the unsung heroes within our community.  If you know someone who goes that extra mile and provides an outstanding voluntary service to the residents of Pitstone, please submit your nominations to the parish clerk (parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk) so that they can be taken into consideration for the 2025 award.

If your child is under 8, please supervise responsibly at the skate park

We very much want the skate park to be a facility that the everyone can enjoy, safely.

A proficient skateboarder can travel at over 20mph around a skate park, so please be particularly mindful of this if you allow your younger children onto the skate park. Whilst some young children may be confident already, others are just learning and travel much slower, stop suddenly, or leave their bikes/scooters/ equipment on the park and wander about. This places them in danger of being hit by a travelling skateboarder/scooter rider (or their board/scooter) who can’t change course in time, and also puts the more proficient riders in danger as they try their best to avoid the small children by ditching their equipment or deliberately falling/jumping off and causing injury to themselves in the process.

For everyone’s safety, if you take young children to the skate park, particularly pre-school children, please be mindful of the above, supervise them/their equipment at all times, consider utilising the park during quieter times, or keep to a quiet area of the park. Then they can grow in confidence and learn new skills without placing themselves, or others, in danger.

A reminder of some of the guidelines listed on the signage:

  • users under 8 should be supervised by a responsible adult at all times
  • use protective clothing/equipment at all times
  • keep all areas clear
  • users of the skatepark do so at their own risk
  • skate to your own ability and do not skate alone
  • this is not a playground

We wish you all happy, and safe, use of the skatepark.

Thank you for your co-operation.

Casual Vacancy in the Office of Parish Councillor

We currently have one vacancy for a parish councillor to serve out the remaining term of office until the May 2025 elections.

If you have a passion for the village we live in and plenty of spare time (an average of 3 hours per week) and would like to volunteer as a member of the parish council, we would love to hear from you. You can find some initial information here about what parish councils do and what you could expect from your role as a councillor: https://pitstone.co.uk/ppcnews/calling-all-community-heroes-become-a-parish-councillor-elections-in-may-2021/

When you join the parish council, you also become a corporate trustee to two local charities, the Pitstone Recreation Ground Charity and the Pitstone Parish Charity, so the above link also includes information from the Charity Commission on Essential Trustee guidance.

If you are interested in joining us, please contact the parish clerk on parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk or 01296 767261 and we will happily chat to you and provide a full information pack for your consideration.

Does your community group need a grant to help deliver their next project?

The parish council offers grants to local community groups and local charities that specifically benefit Pitstone residents.  Applications are considered quarterly.   The next opportunity for grants to be considered is coming up on 25 April 2024.

Some of our most recent recipients include Brookmead School for an outdoor sandpit and Pitstone Memorial Hall Charity for black out curtains for their main hall.

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

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

Casual Vacancy in the Office of Parish Councillor to be filled via co-option

Buckinghamshire Council has confirmed that no election has been requested by residents and we will therefore seek to fill the casual vacancy for a parish councillor to serve out the remaining term of office until the next election in May 2025 via co-option.

Do you have a passion for the village we live in and plenty of spare time (an average of 3 hours per week) to volunteer? You can find some initial information here about what parish councils do and what you could expect from your role as a councillor: https://pitstone.co.uk/ppcnews/calling-all-community-heroes-become-a-parish-councillor-elections-in-may-2021/

When you join the parish council, you also become a corporate trustee to two local charities, the Pitstone Recreation Ground Charity and the Pitstone Parish Charity, so the above link also includes information from the Charity Commission on Essential Trustee guidance.

If you are interested in joining us, please contact the parish clerk on parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk or 01296 767261 and we will happily chat to you and provide a full information pack.

Applications to be received by Monday 4 March 2024.

Pitstone Parish Council update from PPP Issue 139

Memorial Bench

We would like to express our gratitude to the Deeley family for the donation of a commemorative bench, now located on the Recreation Ground by the magnificent Oak tree, in loving memory of Graham Joseph Deeley 27/08/79-14/01/22.

Christmas Lights

We hope that all our residents enjoyed the festive illuminations at the Recreation Ground and Pavilion.  As the cherry tree that used to house the lights at the pavilion had sadly needed to be felled during the year, we opted for column mounted panels combined with our existing string lights.  Feedback from residents and hirers has been very positive.

Buckinghamshire Council Street Lights

Buckinghamshire Council worked hard to try and catch up on the backlog of outstanding street light remedials in the village.  By the end of October all the columns along Westfield Road were operational except 2 that had UK Power Network faults that had to be rectified before BC could return to complete their works.  Since that point, several have developed new faults, and been fixed again so on 21/12/23 all streetlights along Westfield Road were operational with the exception of one on the corner of Warwick Road.  By 31/12 3 further lights had gone out, which had been fixed on the next check on 4/1/24 (the one on the corner of Warwick Road remained out), but 3 different lights had then gone out, all were reported to BC.  These are all old lighting stock so will be subject to ongoing issues.  The Parish Council has been pushing for them to be upgraded to LED in line with the rest of our village and BC’s own policies, and Taylor Wimpey provided Buckinghamshire Council with some funding.

Along Marsworth Road, the illuminated bollards were all fixed, but some are now out again, but the illuminated directional arrow signs on the islands required some replacement parts that will be installed upon receipt.   BC continue to experience some issues with the reliability of some of the main lanterns along the road, but they did fix many of the long outstanding issues.  BC Lighting are also working on the replacement of the signage & illumination at the Westfield Road roundabout following a traffic accident.

BC no longer monitor any of their lights, they solely rely on reports being uploaded to their Fix My Street portal on their website.  The Parish Council, and a team of volunteers, do monitor lights and we upload reports to the BC portal on a regular basis.  If you spot a light that is not operational, or is flashing, or is on when it should not be, please let us know by emailing parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk or log it direct to the BC website.   If you would like to join our team of street light champions and check the lights near you, please email parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk.

Would you use a footpath between Westfield Road and College Lake?

A few residents have enquired whether a path along this route would be possible.  Initial enquiries with adjacent landowners have shown that any such path would need to run within the verge, besides the carriageway, rather than being set back through the woodland.  Buckinghamshire Council’s Community Board has advised that such a path would not qualify for grant funding via the Board, so would need to be funded locally or via grants from other sources, if any are identified.  Before any investigative work can be undertaken by the Highways Authority, we would need to assess how many people already walk this route, how many would utilise such a path, where you are trying to access, what other routes you currently use, and whether residents feel that this would be a good use of Local Council tax funds.   If you have any views, for or against, please complete the online survey at https://pitstone.co.uk/path-to-college-lake/ by the end of February.   If you do not have computer access and would prefer a hard copy, please telephone 767261 and we will happily provide a printed version.  Buckinghamshire Council has advised that it will be consulting in 2024 on its Local Cycling & Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) so if you are keen to see such a path installed, please keep your eyes out for that consultation and make sure you have your say.

Do you experience any problems crossing Westfield Road?

At the Annual Assembly a resident enquired whether Westfield Road qualified for zebra crossings.  Buckinghamshire Council’s Community Board has advised that crossings would not qualify for grant funding via the Board nor BC, so would need to be funded locally or via grants from other sources, if any are identified.  Before any investigative work can be undertaken by the Highways Authority, we would need to assess how many people experience difficulty crossing Westfield Road, how long you have to wait before a clear gap becomes available, where along the road you are crossing, where you are trying to reach, how many people would benefit/use a crossing, and whether residents feel that this would be a good use of Local Council tax funds.   If you have any views, for or against, please complete the online survey at https://pitstone.co.uk/westfield-road-crossing/ by the end of February.   If you do not have computer access and would prefer a hard copy please phone 767261 and we will happily provide a printed version.

Another resident enquired whether the pedestrian refuge islands along Marsworth Road could be upgraded to zebra crossings.  The Highways Authority advise that the low wait time and clear visibility at these locations had identified refuge islands as the most appropriate type of pedestrian crossings for these locations.  There are proposals within the Pitstone Safety Scheme to try and enhance their prominence, and reduce traffic speeds, via the use of coloured tarmac at crossings and median strips.   Phase I of the safety scheme was installed outside Brookmead School in 2023.  Buckinghamshire Council are currently reviewing Section 106 funds they are holding towards Safety Scheme works and whether the next phase of Safety Scheme implementation can progress to the next phase.

Westfield Road Bus Shelters

We continue to liaise with Buckinghamshire Council regarding the possibility of bus shelters for Westfield Road.   They have now confirmed that no funding is available from either Buckinghamshire Council Public Transport or the Community Board, so these will need to be funded locally via the precept.  There are a number of steps that would need to be completed before we can obtain their final approval on the design (particularly as they’d sit next to the cycle path) and get permission to carry out minor works to their highway verge to install them, so this may take some time yet.

Anti-Social Behaviour

On a sadder note, we continue to experience vandalism to the play equipment on the Recreation Ground and have received one report of anti-social behaviour near the Skate Park.  If you do witness any anti-social behaviour, please report it to our neighbourhood policing team at Thames Valley Police by emailing greatbrickhillwingivinghoenhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk and providing details of the people/vehicles etc involved and the date/time that it was witnessed.  This enables them to speak to offenders (if known) and better target their patrol activity. 

New Curtains at Pitstone Memorial Hall

The Parish Council was pleased to supply a grant to Pitstone Memorial Hall Charity for the supply and installation of new curtains in the main hall, to provide improved acoustic and black out qualities, which will benefit many hirers and enable the Pitstone Picturehouse (previously Pitstone Film Club) to resume. The curtains were supplied by Panache Interiors at cost, so thank you to this local company for their support of a local charity.  If you are a local community group that benefits the residents of Pitstone, and could do with a helping hand towards the cost of a project, you can find out all about our grant scheme and how to apply by clicking this link: https://pitstone.co.uk/ppcinfo/grant-policy/

Vacancy for Parish Councillor

Due to a change in personal circumstances Councillor Jack Heyman sadly resigned from his seat on the council as of 4/1/24.  We thank Jack for his hard work and dedication during his term in office and wish him well for the future.  Jack was a member of the Sports & Leisure Committee, the Pitstone Development Area working party, the youth café working party and regularly organised the annual Children’s Competition, as well as fulfilling his duties on the main council.  The BC Monitoring Officer has been advised and notices erected, the details are also available on our website.  Please contact parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk or 01296 767261 if you have spare time to volunteer each week (the role of councillor is a voluntary one with no renumeration), a passion for our village, and would like to fulfil the remaining term of office until the parish elections in 2025.

Planning

There are several major planning applications for which we are still waiting for BC to provide a determination including 5 new dwellings behind 87 Marsworth Road, 1 new dwelling on Marsworth Road and 4 dwellings on Queen Street.  As always, you can find full details of all planning applications on the BC Planning Portal.

Would you use a footpath to College Lake? Do you experience difficulty crossing Westfield Road? Please complete the short surveys

Would you use a footpath between Westfield Road and College Lake?

A few residents have enquired whether a path along this route (along the Upper Icknield Way, from the Westfield Road roundabout to College Lake) would be possible.  Initial enquiries with adjacent landowners have shown that any such path would need to run within the verge, besides the carriageway, rather than being set back through the woodland.  Buckinghamshire Council’s Community Board has advised that such a path would not qualify for grant funding via the Board, so would need to be funded locally or via grants from other sources, if any are identified.  Before any investigative work can be undertaken by the Highways Authority, we would need to assess how many people already walk this route, how many would utilise such a path, where you are trying to access, what other routes you currently use, and whether residents feel that this would be a good use of Local Council tax funds.   If you have any views, for or against, please complete the online survey at https://pitstone.co.uk/path-to-college-lake/ by the end of February.   If you do not have computer access and would prefer a hard copy, please telephone 767261 and we will happily provide a printed version.  Buckinghamshire Council has advised that it will be consulting in 2024 on its Local Cycling & Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) so if you are keen to see such a path installed, please keep your eyes out for that consultation and make sure you have your say.

Do you experience any problems crossing Westfield Road?

At the Annual Assembly a resident enquired whether Westfield Road qualified for zebra crossings.  Buckinghamshire Council’s Community Board has advised that crossings would not qualify for grant funding via the Board nor BC, so would need to be funded locally or via grants from other sources, if any are identified.  Before any investigative work can be undertaken by the Highways Authority, we would need to assess how many people experience difficulty crossing Westfield Road, how long you have to wait before a clear gap becomes available, where along the road you are crossing, where you are trying to reach, how many people would benefit/use a crossing, and whether residents feel that this would be a good use of Local Council tax funds.   If you have any views, for or against, please complete the online survey at https://pitstone.co.uk/westfield-road-crossing/ by the end of February.   If you do not have computer access and would prefer a hard copy please phone 767261 and we will happily provide a printed version.

Another resident enquired whether the pedestrian refuge islands along Marsworth Road could be upgraded to zebra crossings.  The Highways Authority advise that the low wait time and clear visibility at these locations had identified refuge islands as the most appropriate type of pedestrian crossings for these locations.  There are proposals within the Pitstone Safety Scheme to try and enhance their prominence, and reduce traffic speeds, via the use of coloured tarmac at crossings and median strips.   Phase I of the safety scheme was installed outside Brookmead School in 2023.  Buckinghamshire Council are currently reviewing Section 106 funds they are holding towards Safety Scheme works and whether the next phase of Safety Scheme implementation can progress to the next phase.

Casual Vacancy in the Office of Parish Councillor

Due to the resignation of Councillor Jack Heyman due to a change in personal circumstances, we currently have a casual vacancy for a parish councillor to serve out the remaining term of office until the next election in May 2025.

Unless 10 electors request a by-election by 31 January 2024, the parish council will seek to fill this vacancy via co-option. See Notice of Vacancy below for details of how to submit such a request:

Do you have a passion for the village we live in and plenty of spare time (an average of 3 hours per week) to volunteer? You can find some initial information here about what parish councils do and what you could expect from your role as a councillor: https://pitstone.co.uk/ppcnews/calling-all-community-heroes-become-a-parish-councillor-elections-in-may-2021/

When you join the parish council, you also become a corporate trustee to two local charities, the Pitstone Recreation Ground Charity and the Pitstone Parish Charity, so the above link also includes information from the Charity Commission on Essential Trustee guidance.

If you are interested in joining us, please contact the parish clerk on parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk or 01296 767261, as soon as possible and we will happily chat to you and provide a full information pack.

We thank Jack for his hard work and dedication during his term in office and wish him well for the future.  Jack was a member of the Sports & Leisure Committee, the Pitstone Development Area working party, the youth café working party/cafe visits, and regularly organised the annual Children’s Competition, as well as fulfilling his duties on the main council. 

We will provide an update to residents in February on whether a by-election has been called once we hear back from the elections team at Buckinghamshire Council.

Youth Cafe starts back 17-1-24

Youth Cafe re-opens on Wednesday 17 January 2024. We look forward to seeing you all again, 6.30-8.00pm.

If you are interested in joining our team of cafe volunteers, please email parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk and we can put you in touch with our Cafe Manager.

Remember to submit your Volunteer of the Year nominations by 18 January 2024

All your nominations for the Pitstone Volunteer of the Year 2024 need to be sent to the parish council by 18 January 2024, so if you know of someone that is giving up their time and making a difference to the lives of the people in Pitstone, then please let us know.

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

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

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

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

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

providing the full name of the person you wish to nominate, the reasons why you think they deserve to win and a contact detail (email/phone) for that person.

If you have some spare time and would like join this volunteer army and start enjoying the benefits that volunteering brings, please do get in touch.

New curtains at Pitstone Memorial Hall

The Parish Council was pleased to supply a grant to Pitstone Memorial Hall Charity for the supply and installation of new curtains in the main hall, to provide improved acoustic and black out qualities, which will benefit many hirers and enable the Pitstone Picturehouse (previously Pitstone Film Club) to resume.

The curtains were supplied by Panache Interiors at cost, so thank you to this local company for their support of a local charity.

If you are a local community group that benefits the residents of Pitstone, and could do with a helping hand towards the cost of a project, you can find out all about our grant scheme and how to apply by clicking this link: https://pitstone.co.uk/ppcinfo/grant-policy/

Seasons Greetings

The parish council would like to wish all of our residents, business units, visitors and customers, a very merry Christmas followed by a peaceful new year.

The new illuminations at the pavilion (the cherry tree that previously housed the Christmas lights sadly had to be felled) and the illuminated tree on the recreation ground by the roundabout, will shine out each evening until twelfth night.

Memorial Bench

We’d like to express our gratitude to the Deeley family for the donation of a commemorative bench, now located on the Recreation Ground by the magnificent Oak tree, in loving memory of Graham Joseph Deeley 27/08/79-14/01/22.

New cricket practice nets

The parish council has been delighted to work with Ivinghoe & Pitstone United Cricket Club on the procurement and installation of new cricket practice nets on the Recreation Ground.

These have been funded by a release of Section 106 developer sports & leisure funding by Buckinghamshire Council, the parish council, and fundraising by the club. 

To help prevent vandalism whilst not in use, at the moment, the nets do have a gate across the front of them, but anyone in the community is welcome to use them for cricket practice and if this is of interest, please email ivinghoepitstonecricket@outlook.com for access information. I&PUCC ask that the facility is locked after use and that its respected while you are using it. If you are using the facility, please ensure that studded footwear is NOT used on any part of the nets.

Does your community group need a grant?

The parish council offers grants to local community groups and local charities that specifically benefit Pitstone residents.  Applications are considered quarterly.   The next opportunity for grants to be considered is coming up on 26 October 2023.

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

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

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

Pitstone Parish Post edition 137

The latest edition of Pitstone Parish Post is currently being hand delivered to every home and business in the parish, the online edition is available here: https://pitstone.co.uk/ppcpubs/pitstone-parish-post-issue-137/ and includes updates from the parish council, the annual report and accounts, updates from Buckinghamshire Council, 75 years of the NHS, information about Thames Valley Police alerts, news from local clubs and churches, event information and much more.

If you would like to advertise or submit an article for the next edition, please email parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk.

Interested in allotments?

The new allotment year starts at the end of September, so renewal of tenancies will start to take place later this month. Often their are plot holders that decide that they do not wish to continue for the forthcoming year, so if you think you might be interested in taking on an allotment, remember to register your interest with the Pitstone Allotment Association (details available here: http://pitstoneallotmentassociation.org.uk/) and they can add you to the waiting list.

Both the Parish Council and the Allotment Association voted not to increase prices for the forthcoming season, so the charge remains at £15 per quarter plot. See the attached annual notice of fees for a full breakdown

Can you help to organise the delivery of Pitstone Parish Post?

We are looking for a back up distributor to help when Rachel is away and/or to help her on an ongoing basis.

The work is not too arduous: PPPs come out 4 times a year, counting takes an hour or two and distributing to the deliverers takes about the same.   You will need a car.

If you would like to discuss this voluntary role, please call or text

Rachel on 07717 471 584.

Are you a local group that benefits Pitstone residents? Do you need a helping hand?

The parish council offers grants to local community groups and local charities that specifically benefit Pitstone residents.  Applications are considered quarterly.   The next opportunity for grants to be considered is coming up on 27 July 2023.

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

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

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

Community areas within the Nicholas King Homes development around the Recreation Ground

During late 2021 Nicholas King Homes applied for planning permission for the construction of 21 dwellings (8 flats and 13 houses), including associated works, car parking and landscaping on the two plots of land that had long been earmarked, subject to viability, for a  children’s day nursery and restaurant/pub/cafe.  The Planning Inspectorate have now concluded their investigation and determined that planning permission should be granted.  The parish council had opposed this application and felt strongly that these much hoped-for community facilities were feasible and should be delivered.  Many local residents also objected to the proposals.  Buckinghamshire Council, as local planning authority, were also said by the Inspectorate to be opposed to the application on a variety of grounds.  Planning permission was nonetheless, on balance, granted to NKH.

That, however, is not the end of the story.  The Parish Council understands that Buckinghamshire Council (in conjunction with other local planning authorities) are challenging the Planning Inspectorate’s decision, via a process known as Judicial Review.  They will be seeking a court ruling that the Planning Inspectorate was not properly able to reach the decision that it did, in other words asking that the planning permission should be quashed.  The grounds for appeal are believed to include the Chiltern Beechwoods “Special Area of Conservation”, of which Ashridge forms a part.  There is currently a moratorium on determining planning applications which relate to residential development where the application site is within approximately 8 miles of the Chiltern Beechwoods, which Pitstone is.  The argument runs, it is understood, that if the local planning authority cannot properly determine any such application, the Planning Inspectorate should not have done so either.

Clearly these matters are at a very early stage and the Judicial Review process could be a lengthy one.  If the planning permission is then quashed, NKH’s application will go back to the original decision-maker for further consideration on the correct basis.  That would also be a time-consuming process.  As a consequence, it is unlikely that anything substantive will happen to the two undeveloped parts of Ravensmoor for some time.  The Parish Council is aware that concerns have been raised by local residents about the state of these two areas, and in particular the amount of unsightly litter and debris that they contain.  We have requested that NKH take steps to tidy them up so that our local amenities are not subject to detriment because of the current hiatus.  We will provide a further update when we are able to, about both (1) the condition of the two areas and (2) Buckinghamshire Council’s appeal against the Planning Inspectorate’s decision. 

Pitstone Road Sweeper Update

Buckinghamshire Council (BC) recently attended to sweep the public highways as part of their cyclical (twice per year) maintenance program.

They have been investigating some queries that arose following their visit and identified that the residential roads adopted by BC last year (public roads within Phases I-III of Castlemead) had not been added to the street scene road sweeping work schedule.  They will be returning this week to sweep the affected roads, and send their apologies.  New procedures will now be put in place by BC to ensure that when future roads are adopted by BC, that the street scene schedules are updated more efficiently, so the same issue should not arise for the remaining roads still waiting for adoption (either in Pitstone or other villages).   A few queries arose regarding missed sections of roads and most of these have been identified as not being accessible when the sweeper attended.  

Private roads do not fall under the remit of this BC service.

If your road still falls under the responsibility of a developer, then they continue to be responsible for the highways under their care.  A request has been lodged with Taylor Wimpey for their road sweeper to attend the remaining residential and business park roads for which they are responsible.  Bellway, Croudace and Nicholas King Homes developments should all be swept as part of their maintenance contracts.

In between the cyclical visits, if your road (if adopted by BC) develops an issue and requires an additional sweep, this can be requested via this link to their website:  https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/waste-and-recycling/street-cleaning/report-a-street-that-needs-cleaning/

Should any resident have any ongoing queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us (parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk) so that we can liaise with the appropriate body.

23/5/23

Congratulations to Mick Pilkington

We would like to congratulate Mick Pilkington, who was awarded Volunteer of the Year 2023 at the Annual Assembly for many years of voluntary litter picking around the parish, participation in Keep Britain Tidy campaigns, and managing a litter picking co-ordination website for other local volunteers.  The Chairman presented Mick with a framed certificate and card.  If you are interested in helping with litter picks, please visit: https://pitstone.co.uk/ppcinfo/litter-picking/

Winners normally receive £50, but Mick generously asked that this be donated to the Ivinghoe & Pitstone Foodbank.  Babs Byron thanked Mick on behalf of the Foodbank and provided some information about the scheme to those at the assembly.  If you need assistance from the Foodbank, please contact them in confidence.  If you can provide donations, please also get in touch with them.  Full details available at: https://pitstone.co.uk/localinfo/foodbank/

The Parish Council runs the Volunteer of the Year scheme to celebrate the unsung heroes within our community.  If you know someone who goes that extra mile and provides an outstanding voluntary service to the residents of Pitstone, please submit your nominations to the parish clerk (parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk) so that they can be taken into consideration for the 2024 award.

Pitstone Volunteer of the Year

Who did you nominate?

Come along to the Pitstone Annual Assembly at 7.30pm on Thursday 18 May 2023 to see this years’ winner announced.

If there is someone that you think deserves the award next year, please email your nomination through to parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk.

Thank you.

Big Help Out – Street Light Champions

The Big Help Out is a Coronation initiative, encouraging everyone to get involved and volunteer to help ensure that local communities thrive.

Pitstone parish council is often made aware of local projects and community groups that would welcome your time and involvement.   We also receive calls from residents that would like to volunteer but don’t know what opportunities exist.   So, we set up a database of opportunities. 

If you only have an hour or two a month, or have plenty of time on your hands, there is bound to be a role to suit you!    If you are a community group that would like some extra support, please do get in touch and we will add your details to the database.

As part of the Big Help Out, we have been featuring one local opportunity each day, and today is the last day. Fifteen local groups have been appealing for your help to keep their charities, venues, clubs, tourist/historical attractions, services and facilities running. All these things help to make Pitstone a special place to live and work, with lots of things for residents to enjoy and provide help for those who need it. They are all possible because an amazing team of local volunteers dedicate their time to make them happen. Please do consider joining them.

Below is details of our street light champion scheme that helps to ensure the village is properly illuminated, and the full list of all the opportunities that we have featured over the last three weeks. We also have a display board of opportunities inside the pavilion, so we’d encourage everyone coming to the annual assembly on Thursday to have a browse whilst you are there.

Finally, we’d like to extend our thanks to anyone that has come forward already and registered their interest with any of the local groups that have been featured.

You can also access our full list of volunteering opportunities here (click to open full document):

Big Help Out – Town Lands Charity & Williamson Trust

The Big Help Out is a Coronation initiative, encouraging everyone to get involved and volunteer to help ensure that local communities thrive.

Pitstone parish council is often made aware of local projects and community groups that would welcome your time and involvement.   We also receive calls from residents that would like to volunteer but don’t know what opportunities exist.   So, we set up a database of opportunities. 

If you only have an hour or two a month, or have plenty of time on your hands, there is bound to be a role to suit you!    If you are a community group that would like some extra support, please do get in touch and we will add your details to the database.

As part of the Big Help Out, we’ll be featuring one local opportunity each day.

ARe you able to help those residents that are in need, hardship or distress? Would you like to become a charity trustee? The trustees of the Town Lands Charity & Williamson Trust would love to hear from you. More details below:

You can also access our full list of volunteering opportunities here (click to open full document):

Road sweeper coming Monday 15 May 2023

Buckinghamshire Council has advised that the road sweeper will be visiting Pitstone on Monday 15 May 2023.

If there is debris / small weeds etc in the roadside gutter near your home, please try to park off the road on Monday so that the sweeper can clean the area. Buckinghamshire Council are not carrying out curb side weed spraying this year, so it is important that the sweeper can clear as many areas as possible, to try and prevent latter build up.

Thank you.

Big Help Out – BeaconLit

The Big Help Out is a Coronation initiative, encouraging everyone to get involved and volunteer to help ensure that local communities thrive.

Pitstone parish council is often made aware of local projects and community groups that would welcome your time and involvement.   We also receive calls from residents that would like to volunteer but don’t know what opportunities exist.   So, we set up a database of opportunities. 

If you only have an hour or two a month, or have plenty of time on your hands, there is bound to be a role to suit you!    If you are a community group that would like some extra support, please do get in touch and we will add your details to the database.

As part of the Big Help Out, we’ll be featuring one local opportunity each day.

Do you love books and reading? Could you help organise BeaconLit or help out on the day?

You can also access our full list of volunteering opportunities here (click to open full document):

Big Help Out – Pitstone & Ivinghoe Baby and Toddler Group

The Big Help Out is a Coronation initiative, encouraging everyone to get involved and volunteer to help ensure that local communities thrive.

Pitstone parish council is often made aware of local projects and community groups that would welcome your time and involvement.   We also receive calls from residents that would like to volunteer but don’t know what opportunities exist.   So, we set up a database of opportunities. 

If you only have an hour or two a month, or have plenty of time on your hands, there is bound to be a role to suit you!    If you are a community group that would like some extra support, please do get in touch and we will add your details to the database.

As part of the Big Help Out, we’ll be featuring one local opportunity each day.

Can you help to support the youngest members of our parish? The Toddler Group meet on a Thursday morning from 9.30 to 11am and could really do with a hand to make/serve refreshments, get out/put away the equipment or run craft activities with the <5s.

You can also access our full list of volunteering opportunities here (click to open full document):

Big Help Out – Pitstone Windmill

The Big Help Out is a Coronation initiative, encouraging everyone to get involved and volunteer to help ensure that local communities thrive.

Pitstone parish council is often made aware of local projects and community groups that would welcome your time and involvement.   We also receive calls from residents that would like to volunteer but don’t know what opportunities exist.   So, we set up a database of opportunities. 

If you only have an hour or two a month, or have plenty of time on your hands, there is bound to be a role to suit you!    If you are a community group that would like some extra support, please do get in touch and we will add your details to the database.

As part of the Big Help Out, we’ll be featuring one local opportunity each day.

This unusual survivor is one of the oldest post mills in Britain. Pitstone windmill ground flour for the local village for almost three hundred years until a freak storm in the early 1900s left it damaged beyond economic repair.

Donated to the National Trust in 1937 Pitstone Windmill has been faithfully restored by a dedicated team of local volunteers. Today you can explore both the inner and outer workings of the windmill; including the massive post upon which the mill turns and the tail pole which the miller used to position the sails into the wind, while also taking in spectacular views of the surrounding Chilterns countryside.

National Trust would love you to join their team as a floor guide at Pitstone Windmill open days. With a friendly and inquisitive approach, volunteers unlock the stories for the visitors to enjoy, whether that is the intricate way that the mill worked or the history of the people that worked there.

Windmill volunteer poster

You can also access our full list of volunteering opportunities here (click to open full document):

Big Help Out – Pitstone Parish Post

The Big Help Out is a Coronation initiative, encouraging everyone to get involved and volunteer to help ensure that local communities thrive.

Pitstone parish council is often made aware of local projects and community groups that would welcome your time and involvement.   We also receive calls from residents that would like to volunteer but don’t know what opportunities exist.   So, we set up a database of opportunities. 

If you only have an hour or two a month, or have plenty of time on your hands, there is bound to be a role to suit you!    If you are a community group that would like some extra support, please do get in touch and we will add your details to the database.

As part of the Big Help Out, we’ll be featuring one local opportunity each day. Today, we are featuring the Pitstone Parish Post. This quarterly newsletter, delivered free to every home and business in the parish, is a vital resource for the local community groups, and local business, to get their messages out to all our residents. Each edition also contains updates from the Parish Council, Buckinghamshire Council and Thames Valley Police, along with listings for local venues, attractions, facilities and groups. Over the last few editions, we’ve swapped to offer full colour production throughout, and been able to reduce the printing costs at the same time. It is partly funded by advertisers, and subsidised & produced by the parish council.

If you’d like to get involved with the production or distribution of the magazine, please do get in touch.

You can also access our full list of volunteering opportunities here (click to open full document):

Coronation Thank You

Thank you to the 190 children that came and completed the free children’s trail and collected their commemorative Coronation Water Bottle prizes, it was lovely to see so many of you having fun on the Recreation Ground and making use of the play space, skatepark and ball court. Our grateful thanks to CuriosiTea for their assistance with handing out the trail sheets and prizes.

It was wonderful that so many of the young people that come to our youth cafe popped along for their free Coronation lunch from the youth cafe gazebo. Our grateful thanks to the older youths, our youth cafe volunteers, our Youth Cafe Manager and the members of the council who all gave up their days to make this possible.

Our congratulations to the two young winners of the fancy dress competition organised by the Memorial Hall Charity.

And finally a big thank you to everyone that joined in with the Big Coronation Picnic and supported the Pitstone Memorial Hall charity and CuriosiTea tea rooms.

We hope you all enjoyed celebrating the Coronation of King Charles III.

Big Help Out – Pitstone Memorial Hall Charity

The Big Help Out is a Coronation initiative, encouraging everyone to get involved and volunteer to help ensure that local communities thrive.

Pitstone parish council is often made aware of local projects and community groups that would welcome your time and involvement.   We also receive calls from residents that would like to volunteer but don’t know what opportunities exist.   So, we set up a database of opportunities. 

If you only have an hour or two a month, or have plenty of time on your hands, there is bound to be a role to suit you!    If you are a community group that would like some extra support, please do get in touch and we will add your details to the database.

As part of the Big Help Out, we’ll be featuring one local opportunity each day. Pitstone Memorial Hall Charity would love you to become a charity trustee and help make and implement decisions about the hall at their committee meetings. No specialist skills or knowledge required, just an enthusiasm for this valuable local community asset.

You can find more info about the hall, on their website: https://www.pitstonememorialhall.co.uk/

You can also access our full list of volunteering opportunities here (click to open full document):

Free Commemorative Coronation Water Bottle for all children completing the Coronation trail at the Coronation Picnic on Sunday

Who is coming to complete the FREE Coronation children’s trail on the Recreation Ground at the Big Coronation Picnic on Sunday?

Pick up your trail sheets from Curiositea, and pop back into the shop to collect your Commemorative Coronation Water Bottle prize.

Available 10am to 3pm.

Our thanks to CuriosiTea for agreeing to be the collection point for us.

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