Planning applications – 24 November council meeting

The parish council is currently working on a dedicated planning application section for the web site.   In the meantime, following your feedback, we will post details of applications in this news section so that you can find them more easily.

Applications for consideration at the 24 November 2016 council meeting (7.30pm in the Millennium Room at Pitstone Memorial Hall) are:

  • Demolition of part of existing dwellinghouse, stables and outbuildings; construction of replacement dwellinghouse and glasshouse; alterations to retained part of building for use as annex and garaging; and installation of ground loops for ground source heat pump at Barley End, Stocks Road (16/04006/APP).

 

The plans may be viewed online by going to http://eplanning.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk and searching using the planning reference number.

Any comments, representations or objections you may have should be submitted directly to AVDC as the planning authority, by the date shown on the yellow site notice, quoting the planning reference number.  This can be done on-line or you can post comments to:

The Head of Development Control, Aylesbury Vale District Council, The Gateway,
Gatehouse Road, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP19 8FF

If you wish the parish council to take your comments into consideration when making our recommendation, please also supply the details to us before noon on the day of the meeting to allow sufficient time for the information to be circulated to all councillors.

Laurie Eagling, Clerk to Pitstone Parish Council

 

Great evening of fireworks

Great to see so many people come to support the Bonfire and Fireworks event at the sports pavilion last night.

Remember that this annual event is organised by local volunteers on the Pitstone & Ivinghoe Entertainments committee, putting on events for our community to enjoy, and supplying the proceeds to local community groups that apply to them for grants.  Our thanks to all the volunteers that enabled this event to take place.

The council has 5 items of lost property – 2 childrens hats, 1 childs scarf, 1 top & 1 pair trousers.  Please contact us if you think any may belong to you.   Unclaimed items of clothing are laundered and then placed in the textile recycling facility at Colbree, where it helps to raise funds for Brookmead School.

mde

mde

dav

 

Parish Councillor Vacancy – please submit your CV by 11/11/16

Further to our previous post, Aylesbury Vale District Council has confirmed that no election has been called and therefore the Parish Council will fill the present vacancy by co-option.

If you are interested in joining the Parish Council, please do send us a brief CV by Friday 11 November 2016.

For background information, you can find below a leaflet about the work of Pitstone Parish Council and a website link to further information about becoming a Parish Councillor.

ppc-general-leaflet-oct-2016

http://www.cpalc.org.uk/becoming-a-parish-councillor#BeACllrApply

We look forward to hearing from you.

 

Williamson Way and Treachers Close in honor of local residents

Please find below a copy of the Section 18 notice regarding the proposed naming of the two new roads at the end of Rushendon Furlong.

The parish council proposed ‘Williamson’ and ‘Treachers’ in honor of two local residents that contributed in major ways to our parish.

The name Williamson can be traced back over 200 years in Pitstone.   Mark Williamson (1881-1979) was a local farmer who lived in Marsworth Road and owned land in Cheddington Road, part of which was used to build Crispin Field.  Mr Williamson generously donated £10,000 to establish a charity to assist the elderly residents of Pitstone, called the Williamson Trust.  The charity continues to this day and pays an annual annuity to all residents over retirement age.

Ron Treacher was a prominant local figure, Chairing the parish council for numerous years, as well as being Chairman of both the Town Lands Charity and the Williamson Trust (two local charities, dedicated to Pitstone residents) and was prominent in the local church.  He passed away in 2008.

The names have been approved by Croudace, Aylesbury Vale District Council and Royal Mail.

section-18-notice-pitstone-25-10-16

Footpath between Pitstone and Marsworth receives important grant funding

We are delighted to confirm that a footpath along the B489 between Pitstone and Marsworth is now looking viable following our successful grant application for up to £200,000 from Aylesbury Vale District Council’s New Homes Bonus Scheme.

The B489 between Marsworth and Pitstone is a 1.3km, speed derestricted road carrying approximately 1 million vehicles per year of all sizes both ways. There is no pedestrian footway currently and the road travels over a blind summit making it dangerous for pedestrians, wheel and pushchair users, and other slow moving unprotected traffic. As a consequence many potential users are deterred from walking along the route and denied access to facilities at the other end.

The path will provide Pitstone residents with safe walkway to the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the reservoirs and canal around Marsworth, the College Lake wildlife centre (via the bridleway), two public houses, Marsworth primary and pre-schools and Marsworth church.

Marsworth residents will benefit from access to 2 shops, 2 doctors surgeries, the pharmacy, the Beacon Villages Community Library, the post office, the number 61 bus service, the sports and recreation facilities in Pitstone and Ivinghoe, 2 restaurants plus a take-away, both primary and pre-school facilities and employment opportunities at Pitstone Business Park.

Both Pitstone Parish Council and Marsworth Parish Council have been working on proposals for this scheme for a number of years in conjunction with Bucks County Council Local Area Forum.  The first stage Road Safety Audit has been undertaken, and the subsequent Feasibility Study and Biodiversity Assessment.

Now that sufficient funding has been secured, the full Engineering Report will be commissioned and then Transport for Bucks will enter into a tender procurement phase for the works.  We hope that actual construction may commence in September 2017 (post the closed season for hedgerow works to preserve biodiversity) and be completed by December 2017.

Both parish councils, the Bucks County Council Local Area Forum and County Councillor Avril Davies Community Leaders Grant are also contributing financially to the scheme.  Our sincere thanks to all those bodies involved with bringing this project to fruition.

This project received a grant from Aylesbury Vale District Council’s New Homes Bonus Funding Scheme. If you would like more information about the grants available, please call the Grants Officer, Jan Roffe, on 01296 585186 or email jroffe@aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk

Seeking quotations for tree works

The parish council is seeking quotations for a number of tree works on Pitstone Recreation Ground.  Quotations should be submitted by the end of October.

Please find attached a list of the works required and a tree location map.   All trees are on public open space and freely accessible for contractors to view prior to submitting their quotations.

Please email parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk with any queries.

 

 

Vacancy in the Office of Parish Councillor

A vacancy has arisen on Pitstone Parish Council.  Please see the notice attached for full details.  Please also find attached an introductory leaflet about the work of a parish council.  If you would be interested in joining the parish council, please contact the parish clerk on parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk or 01296 660791.

New community allotment scheme

community-allotment

Like the idea of growing your own fruit and vegetables but not sure where to start?   Want to get a bit more active?  Join the new community allotment scheme.  All tools, advice and plants provided.  Completely free.

Community allotments provide those registered to the scheme with opportunities to learn, get fit and make friends as well as being able to reap the benefits of your work through sharing the harvest.

Planning applications – 17 October planning committee meeting

The parish council is currently working on a dedicated planning application section for the web site.   In the meantime, following your feedback, we will post details of applications in this news section so that you can find them more easily.

Applications for consideration at the 17 October 2016 planning committee meeting (7.30pm in the Meeting Room at Pitstone Memorial Hall) are:

  • Consider application for single storey rear extension with addition of roof lights at 2 Cheddington Road (16/03392/APP)
  • Consider application for modification of the S106 planning obligation relating to AV/1695/84 and 90/00874/APP with regard to restriction of the occupancy of the annexe at Erlegh Manor, Vicarage Road (16/03156/POA)
  • Consider application for replacement barn at 104 Vicarage Road (16/03243/APP)
  • Consider the SUDS drainage scheme and associated maintenance proposals relating to the approval of reserved matters pursuant to outline permission 13/03491/AOP relating to appearance, landscaping, layout and scale for the erection of 40 residential dwellings together with new access, associated parking and informal open space and attenuation pond on Land Rear Of Glebe Close And Rushendon Furlong Pitstone (16/01130/ADP)
  • Consider application for loft conversion with rear facing dormer windows at 128 Vicarage Road (16/01539/APP)

 

The plans may be viewed online by going to http://eplanning.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk and searching using the planning reference number.

Any comments, representations or objections you may have should be submitted directly to AVDC as the planning authority, by the date shown on the yellow site notice, quoting the planning reference number.  This can be done on-line or you can post comments to:

The Head of Development Control, Aylesbury Vale District Council, The Gateway,
Gatehouse Road, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP19 8FF

If you wish the parish council to take your comments into consideration when making our recommendation, please also supply the details to us before noon on the day of the meeting to allow sufficient time for the information to be circulated to all councillors.

Laurie Eagling, Clerk to Pitstone Parish Council

 

Please be alert during school travel times

September has arrived and the children are back at school. Soon the twilight hours will be upon us.   Please remember that more children and young adults will be on the streets, trying to get to their school bus stops and the local school/pre-school, both in the mornings and the afternoons (particularly between 7-9am and 3-5pm) . It would be greatly appreciated if all drivers could moderate their speeds around the village, especially at these key times. Even the most capable youngster can be prone to momentary lapses of attention when engaged in conversation with their friends, and two years ago two young people suffered traffic accidents on their way to school. Let’s make sure that this school year is accident free.

Thank you.

Roadwork notice: Marsworth Road 23-27/9/16

Marsworth Road, Pitstone, Buckinghamshire
23 September — 27 September
Delays possibleSome carriageway incursion
Works location: 55
Works description: –
Responsibility for works: Anglian Water
Current status: Advanced planning

Browns Hedge, Pitstone, Buckinghamshire
22 September — 26 September
Delays unlikelySome carriageway incursion
Works location: 7
Works description: –
Responsibility for works: Anglian Water
Current status: Advanced planning

Information provided by Transport for Bucks.

Castlemead Garden Refuse

AVDC is aware that the brown garden refuse bins were not collected from Castlemead on Monday.  The problem was caused by a crew being off the road.  They are working over the next few days to try and catch up and collect from the missed roads.   AVDC ask that you leave your brown garden refuse bin by your property boundary, and they will try and get it emptied by the end of Friday.

Please note that not all Castlemead roads may be collected on the same day this week.

If your bin has not been emptied by the weekend, please contact the AVDC waste team.

Arriva bus passes for 16-17yrs

Please find below a link to the Arriva web site, where you can purchase bus passes for a variety of timescales.  An annual pass, is approx £600 (vs approx £1000 for the school bus service into Aylesbury for the 16yrs+ age group).

The pass is valid on any bus, at any time, including weekends, evenings and school holidays.  So may therefore help your 6th form student reach weekend work and leisure activities as well as school/college etc and provide a viable alternative to the dedicated school bus service.   Do check bus times though.

Please direct any queries re the cost of school bus travel direct to Bucks County Council.

https://tickets.arrivabus.co.uk/south-east

This mornings lost property

Anyone know Finley White? If so, please get him/his parents to contact the parish council regarding the property he left on Pitstone Recreation Ground. Also, seeking the owner of a black ladies size 10 cardigan, also left on the Recreation Ground.

Last week, we managed to successfully re-unite one child with his hoody and another with his baseball cap.  There was also a child’s crutch left in one playground.   Please make sure your children’s clothes etc are labelled, and then we have more chance of returning them.

Certificate of Merit awarded in Best Kept Village Competition

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Pitstone has been awarded a Certificate of Merit in the Buckinghamshire Best Kept Village Competition 2016 for achieving a highly commended grade in the Defraine Cup.

Our thanks go to the village litter pickers, grass cutters and ground keepers along with all the residents that contribute to keeping our village looking well kept, clean and tidy.

 

Laurie Eagling, Clerk to the Council

Planning applications – 26 September planning committee meeting

The parish council is currently working on a dedicated planning application section for the web site.   In the meantime, following your feedback, we will post details of applications in this news section so that you can find them more easily.

Applications for consideration at the 26 September 2016 planning committee meeting (7.00pm in the Meeting Room at Pitstone Memorial Hall) are:

  • Consider application for demolition of existing conservatory and erection of single storey rear extension with a pitched roof at 12 Marsworth Road (16/02976/APP)
  • Demolition of garage and replacement with garden room, veranda and raised platform (retrospective) at 15 High Street, Ivinghoe (16/03069/APP) (please note that the application site lies within Ivinghoe, but the rear of the grounds backs onto properties in Groomsby Drive that reside within the parish of Pitstone.

The plans may be viewed online by going to http://eplanning.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk and searching using the planning reference number.

Any comments, representations or objections you may have should be submitted directly to AVDC as the planning authority, by the date shown on the yellow site notice, quoting the planning reference number.  This can be done on-line or you can post comments to:

The Head of Development Control, Aylesbury Vale District Council, The Gateway,
Gatehouse Road, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP19 8FF

If you wish the parish council to take your comments into consideration when making our recommendation, please also supply the details to us before noon on the day of the meeting to allow sufficient time for the information to be circulated to all councillors.

Laurie Eagling, Clerk to Pitstone Parish Council

 

Conclusion of Audit

The audit of accounts for the year ending 31 March 2016 has been concluded with no issues identified by Mazaars.

The annual return is available for inspection by any local government elector and is also available on the web site (see previous post).

The notice and the external auditors certificate is now attached.

Planning applications – 1 September planning committee meeting

The parish council is currently working on a dedicated planning application section for the web site.   In the meantime, following your feedback, we will post details of applications in this news section so that you can find them more easily.

Applications for consideration at the 1 September 2016 planning committee meeting (7.00pm in the Millennium Room) are:

28 Crispin Field, Pitstone, 16/02860/APP, extend existing front porch with new roof

single storey front extension to 3 Morton Close (16/02901/APP)

approval of reserved matters pursuant to outline permission 13/02837/AOP relating to access, appearance, landscaping, layout and scale for the erection of one bungalow on land by 120 Vicarage Road (not 104 Vicarage Road as stated on form) (16/02789/ADP)

The plans may be viewed online by going to http://eplanning.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk and searching using the planning reference number.

Any comments, representations or objections you may have should be submitted directly to AVDC as the planning authority, by the date shown on the yellow site notice, quoting the planning reference number.  This can be done on-line or you can post comments to:

The Head of Development Control, Aylesbury Vale District Council, The Gateway,
Gatehouse Road, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP19 8FF

If you wish the parish council to take your comments into consideration when making our recommendation, please also supply the details to us before noon on the day of the meeting to allow sufficient time for the information to be circulated to all councillors.

Laurie Eagling, Clerk to Pitstone Parish Council

 

Curbside weeds

Bucks County Council announced that there will be no routine weed spraying across Buckinghamshire during 2016-17 and hence the visible weed growth in the roadside gutters, roundabouts and islands.

They advise that while budget considerations have played a role in making this decision, there are 2 key influencing factors:

  1. There is a detrimental environmental impact of the widespread use of herbicides on pollinating insects.
  2. The legal constraints that are now imposed on the widespread use of herbicides significantly reduces the effectiveness of the application.

Transport for Bucks will continue to treat noxious and injurious weeds in line with its legal obligations.  To report these concerns go to www.buckscc.gov.uk/telltfb.

In the meantime, the parish council is exploring other options.  Residents are able, like in the old days, to remove the weeds from the curbside outside their properties by hand if they take sufficient care when working by the highway, however Transport for Bucks confirm that the widespread use of common domestic weed killers is not permitted so please do not apply weed killer.

Lost cardigan?

If anyone lost a cardigan at today’s Play around the Parishes, please contact parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk

Play around the Parishes

Just a reminder that the parish council has funded two visits from Play around the Parishes this summer holiday on 1/8/16 and 19/8/16.  Details can be found in the events section of this web site.

Laurie Eagling, Clerk to the parish council

Pitstone Parish Council meeting 30-6-16

Please find attached the draft minutes of the meeting.  These will be agreed as a true and correct record, or amended accordingly at the next committee meeting.

 

 

Everyone is welcome to attend any of our full council or committee meetings.  If you are unable to attend in person, you can keep up to date by reading the minutes that are published to this web site.

 

Dumping your garden waste in hedgerows counts as flytipping and is illegal

Flytipping includes dumping garden waste anywhere, including in hedgerows, grass verges and woodlands.  Just because it may eventually compost down, does not make dumping acceptable or permissible.

Now that the summer is here, there seems to be a growing problem in Pitstone with garden waste and grass cuttings being dumped in numerous places throughout the village including: all along the field side of Vicarage Road, through the Byway Open to All Traffic between Queen Street and Grange Road, in the woodland at the end of Church Road and all through the woodland walk that runs between Castlemead and Vicarage Road.

As well as causing problems for the landowners where the material has been dumped (for example preventing grass cutting and blocking drainage ditches), dumping your waste in this manner is illegal and you could be fined and ordered to pay costs.

Further information about the “Illegal Dumping Costs” campaign by Bucks County Council can be found here:

http://www.recycleforbuckinghamshire.co.uk/illegal-dumping-costs/

You can report flytipping here:

http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/environment/waste,-recycling-and-treatment/fly-tipping/report-fly-tipping

You can subscribe to the brown bin garden waste collection service here:

http://www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/garden-waste-service

Or you can take your garden waste to a recycling centre, contact details here:

http://www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/household-waste-and-recycling-centres

Quotations being sought for replacement wooden fencing

Please find attached details of replacement fencing currently being sought by the parish council for the western boundary of our pavilion site.

If you are interested in providing a quotation and would like to arrange a site visit, please contact the parish clerk on parisclerk@pitstone.co.uk.

 

Thank you to PRS Office Furniture

The parish council would like to thank PRS Office Furniture, based in the Pitstone Green Business Park, for their kind donation of 5 metal benches to be installed at the pavilion sports ground off Marsworth Road.   We are sure that all the football spectators will be very grateful to have somewhere to sit and watch the beautiful game.

To find more about PRS and the furniture/services they can provide, please visit their website: http://www.prs-officefurniture.com/

 

Updated Information on Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan consultation by AVDC

Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan – consultation by Aylesbury Vale District Council

 

From 7 July to 5 September, Aylesbury Vale District Council (AVDC) will be consulting on their latest draft of the Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan (VALP) and are inviting comments from local residents and other interested parties on any aspect of the draft.

 

Scroll down to read more about:

 

  • what the VALP is, and why it is important for all of us;
  • the consultation exercise that AVDC is carrying out; and
  • Pitstone Parish Council’s views on the latest draft of the VALP.

 

What is the VALP and why is it important?

 

The VALP is the district-level Local Plan which sets out AVDC’s vision for delivering growth in the District up to 2033. Most importantly it is the document which, in conjunction with Neighbourhood Plans such as ours, will be used to determine planning applications (and all other planning-related matters) throughout the Vale.  The VALP replaces the ill-fated Vale of Aylesbury Plan (VAP) which was withdrawn by AVDC in February 2014 and will, once adopted, formally replaced the rather elderly Aylesbury Vale District Local Plan (AVDLP) which dates back to 2004 and only certain parts of which still apply.

 

AVDC’s consultation exercise

 

The consultation exercise runs from 7 July to 5 September and we would encourage all residents to take part in it.

 

To inform the process, AVDC are running a number of consultation drop-in sessions throughout the summer.

 

Date Location Venue Time
Monday 11 July Haddenham Village Hall Social Centre 11am to 8pm
Wednesday 13 July Buckingham Community Centre 11am to 8pm
Thursday 14 July Aylesbury Friars Square Shopping Centre 10am to 5pm
Wednesday 27 July Newton Longville Village Hall 2 Paradise 10.30am to 7.30pm
Thursday 4 August Wendover St Anne’s Hall 11am to 8pm
Friday 5 August Aylesbury Friars Square Shopping Centre 10am to 5pm
Monday 8 August Whaddon Jubilee Hall 11am(*) to 8pm
Wednesday 10 August Winslow Public Hall Elmfields Gate 11am to 8pm
Thursday 1 September Weedon Bucks County Showground 8.30am to 4.30pm

 

(*) planning officers present from 4pm onwards

 

Whether or not you are able to visit one of these sessions, you can find out more about the draft VALP – in particular the background to it, and its policies on housing, transport, and environment – on the AVDC website: http://www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/vale-aylesbury-local-plan-draft-plan.

 

AVDC’s website also explains how you can respond to the consultation exercise and comment on the latest draft of the VALP. This is your opportunity to influence any part of the Plan that is important to you, before it goes in front of the Government’s Planning Inspectorate during Spring 2017.  The Parish Council will naturally, in due course, also be responding to the consultation.

 

Pitstone Parish Council’s views

 

During June an unapproved draft of the VALP, on which they were intending to consult, was made available by AVDC. They have now published the approved consultation draft.  The Parish Council’s views are, similarly, now based on the version of the Plan upon which public consultation is taking place.  There have been no material changes to the draft VALP (or to our views) since the pre-consultation version.

 

The VALP is positive for Pitstone

 

The Parish Council’s initial view is that the latest draft of the VALP is a positive one for Pitstone. This is particularly so given the high level of support within the village for our own Neighbourhood Plan that 97% of you voted in favour of adopting back in March.  The policies of the emerging VALP remain closely aligned with those of our own Plan, which reflects well on both the VALP and the neighbourhood planning process that we recently went through.

 

In various ways the VALP expressly seeks to achieve the same objectives that you voted in favour of – objectives such as protecting the “areas of special landscape value” south of the immediate centre of our village, and ensuring that sites designated for employment purposes (such as the ‘data hub’ site on Westfield Road) are not given over to additional housing. In addition the VALP strongly resists development in open countryside that is not adjacent to an existing settlement; and it is based on a detailed “land availability assessment” which reaches the same conclusions as our Neighbourhood Plan steering group during 2015, namely that the various greenfield sites which adjoin our village are also unsuitable for housing.

 

In other respects the VALP supports the policies and objectives of our Neighbourhood Plan in an indirect manner, by leaving numerous detailed “non-strategic” local matters that are consistent with the VALP’s objectives to the neighbourhood plan itself. This means that our NP will continue to be the primary point of reference in respect of matters such as:

 

  • the settlement boundary of our village;
  • its community facilities;
  • the ‘design principles’ to be applied to any new housing that is built in the village; and
  • protecting designated “local green spaces” such as the land opposite The Crescent;

 

What about housing numbers?

 

The one area where the VALP has caused some confusion is the amount of new housing envisaged for villages such as Pitstone. The VALP as a whole contains lots of housing numbers that are connected with the esoteric objective of achieving a “five-year housing land supply” across the Vale – a complex mathematical process based primarily on statistical assumptions.  The important number for any village to focus on is its “residual housing number” (the amount it is actually expected to provide) which, for Pitstone, is 149 new homes.

 

The Parish Council recognises that, as this target does not include the Rushendon Furlong expansion (c.40 houses) for which outline planning permission has already been granted, it could result in Pitstone having a slightly higher new homes target than the 170 that were envisaged in the Neighbourhood Plan. This increase can be attributed to two things.

 

  • Housing targets in the VALP are no longer expressed as a fixed number (the previous draft, dated October 2015, specified 100 new homes for every “larger village” such as Pitstone) but, instead, on the basis of a percentage uplift to current housing numbers in any particular village.
  • 12,000 of AVDC’s total of 33,000 new homes are required because of “unsatisfied need” in other Districts: in other words AVDC’s target, which would otherwise be just 21,000 new houses, is being increased by more than 50% because other nearby District Councils (such as High Wycombe) are building fewer new homes than they should be.

 

Equally, the VALP makes it clear that any housing target it lays down for any particular village is on the assumption that sufficient land is available – and it expressly recognises that, in some cases, it won’t be. The Parish Council’s view is that our Neighbourhood Plan clearly demonstrates how, save for the land intended to take our 170 new homes, no other suitable sites exist; and this is something we will be conveying to AVDC when commenting on the current draft of the VALP.

 

Next steps

 

It is also important to remember that the VALP, and the requirements it lays down about housing numbers, are still in draft and subject to both consultation and further refinement. AVDC have already indicated that they will be robustly seeking to minimise the additional housing required across the Vale (and, in turn, in individual villages such as ours) as a consequence of other Districts failing to take their fair share.  In its response the Parish Council will also be seeking to ensure, as best it can, that the interests of our village are protected to the maximum possible extent.  The many positive aspects of the VALP for Pitstone and its environs should, of course, also not be forgotten as work progresses on turning it into a robust, sustainable Plan for the Vale as a whole.

BBQ & Cricket at last youth café on 13 July

13 July is the last youth café for this academic year.

We are delighted that the Ivinghoe & Pitstone United Cricket Club will be in attendance coaching in cricket skills.

We are also pleased to say that there will be a BBQ again this year.  Please ensure that you/your child brings extra cash to pay for any food that they would like.

Have a wonderful summer holiday.

No youth café 20 July

Please note that there will be no youth café on Wednesday 20 July as Brookmead are hosting a performance that evening.

The last youth café this term will be on Wednesday 13 July.

We hope that you all enjoy your summer holiday and look forward to seeing you next term.

Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan – consultation by Aylesbury Vale District Council

From 7 July to 5 September, Aylesbury Vale District Council (AVDC) will be consulting on their latest draft of the Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan (VALP) and are inviting comments from local residents and other interested parties on any aspect of the draft.

 

Scroll down to read more about:

 

  • what the VALP is, and why it is important for all of us;
  • the consultation exercise that AVDC is carrying out; and
  • Pitstone Parish Council’s views on the latest draft of the VALP.

 

What is the VALP and why is it important?

 

The VALP is the district-level Local Plan which sets out AVDC’s vision for delivering growth in the District up to 2033. Most importantly it is the document which, in conjunction with Neighbourhood Plans such as ours, will be used to determine planning applications (and all other planning-related matters) throughout the Vale.  The VALP replaces the ill-fated Vale of Aylesbury Plan (VAP) which was withdrawn by AVDC in February 2014 and will, once adopted, formally replaced the rather elderly Aylesbury Vale District Local Plan (AVDLP) which dates back to 2004 and only certain parts of which still apply.

 

AVDC’s consultation exercise

 

The consultation exercise runs from 7 July to 5 September and we would encourage all residents to take part in it.

 

To inform the process, AVDC are running a number of consultation drop-in sessions throughout the summer.

 

Date Location Venue Time
Monday 11 July Haddenham Village Hall Social Centre 11am to 8pm
Wednesday 13 July Buckingham Community Centre 11am to 8pm
Thursday 14 July Aylesbury Friars Square Shopping Centre 10am to 5pm
Wednesday 27 July Newton Longville Village Hall 2 Paradise 10.30am to 7.30pm
Thursday 4 August Wendover St Anne’s Hall 11am to 8pm
Friday 5 August Aylesbury Friars Square Shopping Centre 10am to 5pm
Wednesday 10 August Winslow Public Hall Elmfields Gate 10am to 6pm
Thursday 1 September Weedon Bucks County Showground 8.30am to 4.30pm

 

Whether or not you are able to visit one of these sessions, you can find out more about the draft VALP – in particular the background to it, and its policies on housing, transport, and environment – on the AVDC website: http://www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/vale-aylesbury-local-plan-draft-plan.

 

AVDC’s website also explains how you can respond to the consultation exercise and comment on the latest draft of the VALP. This is your opportunity to influence any part of the Plan that is important to you, before it goes in front of the Government’s Planning Inspectorate during Spring 2017.  The Parish Council will naturally, in due course, also be responding to the consultation.

 

Pitstone Parish Council’s views

 

(NB.  The synopsis which follows is based on a version of the draft VALP that had still to be presented to various AVDC scrutiny committees for approval during late June.  It is possible that the VALP ultimately published for consultation may differ from the version which existed at the time of writing.  This article will be updated to the extent necessary when AVDC confirm the final draft.) 

 

The VALP is positive for Pitstone

 

The Parish Council’s initial view is that the latest draft of the VALP is a positive one for Pitstone. This is particularly so given the high level of support within the village for our own Neighbourhood Plan that 97% of you voted in favour of adopting back in March.  The policies of the emerging VALP remain closely aligned with those of our own Plan, which reflects well on both the VALP and the neighbourhood planning process that we recently went through.

 

In various ways the VALP expressly seeks to achieve the same objectives that you voted in favour of – objectives such as protecting the “areas of special landscape value” south of the immediate centre of our village, and ensuring that sites designated for employment purposes (such as the ‘data hub’ site on Westfield Road) are not given over to additional housing. In addition the VALP strongly resists development in open countryside that is not adjacent to an existing settlement; and it is based on a detailed “land availability assessment” which reaches the same conclusions as our Neighbourhood Plan steering group during 2015, namely that the various greenfield sites which adjoin our village are also unsuitable for housing.

 

In other respects the VALP supports the policies and objectives of our Neighbourhood Plan in an indirect manner, by leaving numerous detailed “non-strategic” local matters that are consistent with the VALP’s objectives to the neighbourhood plan itself. This means that our NP will continue to be the primary point of reference in respect of matters such as:

 

  • the settlement boundary of our village;
  • its community facilities;
  • the ‘design principles’ to be applied to any new housing that is built in the village; and
  • protecting designated “local green spaces” such as the land opposite The Crescent;

 

What about housing numbers?

 

The one area where the VALP has caused some confusion is the amount of new housing envisaged for villages such as Pitstone. The VALP as a whole contains lots of housing numbers that are connected with the esoteric objective of achieving a “five-year housing land supply” across the Vale – a complex mathematical process based primarily on statistical assumptions.  The important number for any village to focus on is its “residual housing number” (the amount it is actually expected to provide) which, for Pitstone, is 166 new homes.

 

The Parish Council recognises that, as this target does not include the Rushendon Furlong expansion (c.40 houses) for which outline planning permission has already been granted, it could result in Pitstone having a slightly higher new homes target than the 170 that were envisaged in the Neighbourhood Plan. This increase can be attributed to two things.

 

  • Housing targets in the VALP are no longer expressed as a fixed number (the previous draft, dated October 2015, specified 100 new homes for every “larger village” such as Pitstone) but, instead, on the basis of a percentage uplift to current housing numbers in any particular village.
  • 12,000 of AVDC’s total of 33,000 new homes are required because of “unsatisfied need” in other Districts: in other words AVDC’s target, which would otherwise be just 21,000 new houses, is being increased by more than 50% because other nearby District Councils (such as High Wycombe) are building fewer new homes than they should be.

 

Equally, the VALP makes it clear that any housing target it lays down for any particular village is on the assumption that sufficient land is available – and it expressly recognises that, in some cases, it won’t be. The Parish Council’s view is that our Neighbourhood Plan clearly demonstrates how, save for the land intended to take our 170 new homes, no other suitable sites exist; and this is something we will be conveying to AVDC when commenting on the current draft of the VALP.

 

Next steps

 

It is also important to remember that the VALP, and the requirements it lays down about housing numbers, are still in draft and subject to both consultation and further refinement. AVDC have already indicated that they will be robustly seeking to minimise the additional housing required across the Vale (and, in turn, in individual villages such as ours) as a consequence of other Districts failing to take their fair share.  In its response the Parish Council will also be seeking to ensure, as best it can, that the interests of our village are protected to the maximum possible extent.  The many positive aspects of the VALP for Pitstone and its environs should, of course, also not be forgotten as work progresses on turning it into a robust, sustainable Plan for the Vale as a whole.

Planning applications – July Planning Committee meeting

The parish council is currently working on a dedicated planning application section for the web site.   In the meantime, following your feedback, we will post details of applications in this news section so that you can find them more easily.

Applications for consideration at the 21 July 2016 Planning Committee meeting (7.30pm in the Millennium Room):

11 The Pightle, 16/02340/APP, change of use of adjoining land into residential garden to form part of curtilage of existing dwelling

The plans may be viewed online by going to http://eplanning.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk and searching using the planning reference number.

Any comments, representations or objections you may have should be submitted directly to AVDC as the planning authority, by the date shown on the yellow site notice, quoting the planning reference number.  This can be done on-line or you can post comments to:

The Head of Development Control, Aylesbury Vale District Council, The Gateway,
Gatehouse Road, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP19 8FF

If you wish the parish council to take your comments into consideration when making our recommendation, please also supply the details to us before noon on the day of the meeting to allow sufficient time for the information to be circulated to all councillors.

Laurie Eagling, Clerk to Pitstone Parish Council

 

Quarterly grant review coming up

Pitstone parish council sets aside a small budget each year to help local groups with expenses for equipment or events.  It is able to offer grants to community and voluntary bodies provided they meet our criteria. 

Criteria:

  •  All applicants must provide services that benefit the residents of Pitstone.
  • The council reserve the right to prioritise applications that meet identified needs or other areas of focus that may be determined.
  • It must be within the legal power of the parish council to supply a grant for the requested purpose.

The next quarterly grant review will take place at the July 2016 full council meeting.   Any applications need to be received by noon on 18 July 2016 so that they can be included on the next agenda.   The subsequent grant panel will be in October.

If you think your Pitstone based club or group may wish to apply, please ensure you read our attached “Grant Policy” for full application details.

Local Area Forum support highways proposals

Thank you to all the residents that submitted feedback to the highways proposals consultation.

We are delighted to confirm that the Bucks County Council Local Area Forum has agreed to provide £2,460 during the current financial year towards undertaking a Road Safety Audit to assess all the locations identified in the Ben Hamilton-Baillie report.   Pitstone Parish Council will be supplying an equivalent amount of match funding so that the report can be commissioned.  The same will be happening in Ivinghoe.   Once the report is available, we will share this with the community.

Once the Road Safety Audit has been undertaken, and further discussions have taken place between all the parties, Area Scheme Delivery will be able to prepare a budget estimate for the completion of a feasibility design using both our Ben Hamilton-Baillie report and the Feasibility Stage Safety Audit.

Come and see the beautiful orchids

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The orchids have started to come into flower, so please do come up to Westfield Road by the Warwick Road turning to see them.

Last winter we counted nearly 300 small plants which we thought were bee orchids over the whole of Castlemead estate and chose to protect the 3 areas where the fledgling plants were in the greatest quantities.  We are delighted to say that over 100 bee orchids and 9 pyramidal orchids are currently flowering or in bud in these areas.  To see such a large quantity in such a small area is quite rare.
As well as the orchids, there are also an abundance of other wildflowers in these plots which have attracted butterflies and insects to the area including the rare small blue butterfly, so look out for them too.
If you are new to orchid spotting, you may like to start at the entrance to Warwick Road on the left hand side.  Once you’ve spotted a few, you’ll soon be able to identify them and then you’ll see plenty of plants along the Westfield Road path and throughout the protected areas.  Feel free to walk amongst the grass so you can get up close, but please be careful where you step.
We hope that all our residents have enjoyed the wonderful displays of flora and fauna and would like to thank the local households for their patience with the lack of grass cutting in these 3 patches (cutting will resume on 18/7/16).

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THANK YOU TO ALL OUR YOUTH CAFE VOLUNTEERS

This week is National Volunteers Week and we would like to take this extra opportunity to thank all our youth cafe volunteers for the wonderful work they do, and the commitment and support they show to the youth of Pitstone.

We couldn’t run the cafe without them, and we are most grateful that they are part of our team.

THANK YOU!

If you would like to find out more about volunteering at the youth café (6.30-8.00pm on Wednesday’s during term time) please contact the clerk on parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk

Help needed with football, cricket, rounders, make-up/nails/beauty and crafts

We have young people aged 11 to 16 years at our youth café that would love to learn more football skills, cricket skills especially bowling, play rounders and join in with crafts.

Our young people are also asking for beauty, make-up, nail polish and hair styling tips.

If you have skills in any of these areas and could spare some time to volunteer between 6.30 and 8pm on Wednesdays during term time at our youth café, we would love to hear from you.

You could come for just a few weeks in a row to give our young people short workshops, or join our group of permanent volunteers.

Please contact the parish clerk on parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk or 01296 660791 for more details.

Thank you.

Thank you to the Pitstone Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group

2016 annual assembly thank you

 

The Parish Council was delighted that a number of the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group members were able to attend the Pitstone Annual Assembly and receive a small token of thanks from the Council on behalf of the community for the numerous hours of time they all devoted to researching and implementing the Pitstone Neighbourhood Plan.

 

A huge thank you to all the members of the team, including those that couldn’t attend the event, and also to all the residents who interacted with our Neighbourhood Plan events, consultations and referendum.

 

You can view the Neighbourhood Plan anytime at the library or on the website: http://pitstone.co.uk/ppcpubs/pitstone-neighbourhood-plan/

Disturbed by aircraft noise?

Did you know that if you are disturbed by aircraft noise over your property you can complain to Luton airport on the following email address:

noise@ltn.aero

So if you find aircraft noise an issue at night, or during the day, ping them an email each time you are disturbed and it will keep up pressure on the airport to monitor and adjust their flight practices.

 

Planning applications – 26 May Planning Committee meeting

The parish council is currently working on a dedicated planning application section for the web site.   In the meantime, following your feedback, we will post details of applications in this news section so that you can find them more easily.

Applications for consideration at the 26 May 2016 Planning Committee meeting:

2 Railway Cottage, Marsworth Road, Pitstone, 16/01594/APP, two storey and single storey rear extension

Victor House, Westfield Road, 16/01704/APP & 16/01705/ALB, conversion of building from office (B1) use to provide 8 flats including internal and external alteration

Plus minor amended plans for land behind Rushendon Furlong/Glebe Close.

The plans may be viewed online by going to http://eplanning.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk and searching using the planning reference number.

Any comments, representations or objections you may have should be submitted directly to AVDC as the planning authority, by the date shown on the yellow site notice, quoting the planning reference number.  This can be done on-line or you can post comments to:

The Head of Development Control, Aylesbury Vale District Council, The Gateway,
Gatehouse Road, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP19 8FF

If you wish the parish council to take your comments into consideration when making our recommendation, please also supply the details to us before noon on 26 May 2016 to allow sufficient time for the information to be circulated to all councillors.

Laurie Eagling, Clerk to Pitstone Parish Council

 

Latest roadwork update from TfB including Station Road, Ivinghoe closure

Roadworks
B488 Horton Road, Cheddington, Buckinghamshire
12 May — 31 May
Delays likelyRoad closure
Works location: From Horton Road, Ivinghoe To Station Road, Cheddington
Works description: –
Responsibility for works: Buckinghamshire County Council
Current status: Advanced planning

B488 Horton Road, Ivinghoe, Buckinghamshire
12 May — 31 May
Delays likelyRoad closure
Works location: Whole Length
Works description: –
Responsibility for works: Buckinghamshire County Council
Current status: Advanced planning

B488 Station Road, Ivinghoe, Buckinghamshire
12 May — 31 May
Delays likelyRoad closure
Works location: Whole Length
Works description: –
Responsibility for works: Buckinghamshire County Council
Current status: Advanced planning

Church Lane, Cheddington, Buckinghamshire
11 May — 17 May
Delays unlikelyNo carriageway incursion
Works location: Lamp Column O/S 16 . F\W.
Works description: –
Responsibility for works: UK Power Networks
Current status: Advanced planning

Crispin Field, Pitstone, Buckinghamshire
11 May — 16 May
Delays unlikelySome carriageway incursion
Works location: Outside 47
Works description: –
Responsibility for works: SGN
Current status: Advanced planning
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