HS2 Environment Statement consulation

The HS2 Environment Statement was published along with the HS2 Hybrid Bill on 25 November. The Environmental Statement details how HS2 Ltd proposes to deal with the impact of their project on the environment. Through Parliament, the government has to gain feedback on the Environmental Statement in advance of the second reading of the Bill in the House of Commons. Responses to the Environmental Statement will then be considered before the second reading of the HS2 Hybrid Bill. The deadline for responding to this consultation is 24 January 2014.

Aylesbury Vale District Council is working on its response to the Environmental Statement and we will publish it on our website once it has been prepared.

The Environmental Statement documents can be accessed at Gov.uk website.

Details of the consultation will be available at Gov.uk and comments should be sent to:
FREEPOST RTEC-AJUT-GGHH
HS2 Phase One Bill Environmental Statement
PO Box 70178
London, WC1A 9HS

Or by email to HS2PhaseOneBillES@dialoguebydesign.com

The deadline for submissions is the 24 January 2014.

The documents relating to the Steeple Claydon area (including the plans for the construction sites, temporary railhead  and infrastructure maintenance depot) can be seen in Steeple Claydon Library (on a PC provided by HS2 for the purpose).

Upgrade for Swan Pool, Buckingham

The Swan Pool and Leisure Centre in Buckingham is in line for a major upgrade after an improvement plan was approved by Aylesbury Vale District Council’s cabinet.

The cabinet decided to proceed with a multi-million pound scheme that will greatly enhance the 17-year-old leisure centre and provide top-class facilities for residents.

It is hoped that the revamped facility could be delivered in the summer of 2015, subject to funding from AVDC’s capital programme and Sport England.

The scheme includes a remodelled entrance area with a two-storey climbing wall, an extended fitness suite, an enlarged crèche/multi-use room and an improved refreshment area. There are also plans to extend and completely refit the wet and dry changing areas.

Work will be phased to keep as many facilities open for use throughout the improvement programme.

Councillor Howard Mordue, Cabinet Member for Leisure and member for Buckingham South, said: “This is a tremendous investment for leisure, not just for Buckingham, but the whole of the north of the district. The Swan Pool and Leisure Centre was opened in 1996 and – after 17 years – is now showing its age. We are determined to deliver a major refurbishment of the site to ensure the leisure centre offers the very best facilities to our residents. One of the council’s priorities is to improve the health of our residents and an improved Swan Pool will help us to achieve this.”

AVDC has submitted a bid to the Sport England Improvement Fund for £500,000. The council should learn early in the new year if the bid has been successful.

Sports and Leisure Management (SLM) Ltd, operating under its brand name, Everyone Active, assumed responsibility for the operation of the Swan Pool in Buckingham and Aqua Vale in Aylesbury on behalf of AVDC earlier this year. The leisure operator will work alongside the council to deliver the improvement project.

“We’re thrilled that Aylesbury Vale District Council has decided to embark on these works which will modernise the centre and greatly improve the quality of leisure facilities for the local community”, says Everyone Active Contract Manager Christine Coppack. “Swan Pool and Leisure Centre is a much loved and popular facility. These important works will provide a fresher, more pleasant environment for local residents of all ages to enjoy and be active in.”

Have your say on review of AVDC ward boundaries

The independent Local Government Boundary Commission for England is asking local people for their help to draw up a new pattern of council wards for Aylesbury Vale District Council.

Following a public consultation earlier this year, the Commission has also announced that it is minded to recommend that the council should have 59 councillors in the future, the same as the current arrangements.

The Commission now needs information from people and groups across Aylesbury Vale district to help it to produce a new pattern of wards to accommodate 59 councillors.

In drawing up new boundaries, the Commission aims to deliver electoral equality for voters in council elections so that each councillor represents roughly the same number of voters. The review also aims to ensure that the new council wards reflect, as far as possible, the interests and identities of communities across the district.

Max Caller, Chair of the Commission, said: “The starting point of an electoral review is for the Commission to take a view on the number of councillors who should represent the authority in future. On the evidence presented to the Commission, we are minded to recommend that Aylesbury Vale should continue to have 59 councillors in future.

“We are now asking local people and organisations to help us draw up new wards for the district. As we develop the recommendations, we will take into account local community identities as well as ensuring electoral equality for voters.

“Your views will make a difference. We will carefully consider all evidence that is provided during this phase of the review whoever it is from and whether it applies to the whole district or just a small part of it.

“We will publish all the submissions on our website so that local people can see all the various proposals we receive. Residents will then have a further chance to have their say after we publish our draft recommendations in January 2014.”

Local people have until 1 October 2013 to submit their views. Further information on the review and interactive maps of the existing wards can be found at consultation.lgbce.org.uk and www.lgbce.org.uk

Vale of Aylesbury Plan submitted to government by AVDC

A major blueprint which shapes how Aylesbury Vale will develop over the next two decades has been submitted to the government for independent examination.

The Vale of Aylesbury Plan Strategy sets out a framework to plan for jobs and homes in the area until 2031.

The plan, which will be examined by a planning inspector, proposes that Aylesbury Vale District Council will provide for the delivery of 13,500 new homes. Almost 10,000 of these are already at the advanced stages of planning such as those on Buckingham’s London Road and the Aylesbury East development at Broughton Crossing.

As well as working on all the necessary infrastructure, the council is also planning for a minimum of 6,000 additional jobs within the Vale.

Submission of the document follows the revocation in March this year of the South East Plan, which had previously guided planning policy.

Councillor Carole Paternoster, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning, said: “This plan is vital to our future, establishing how the district should develop over the next two decades, and putting in place important policies that will enable us to deliver our vision. It will also give the Vale the protection it needs to guard against speculative or ill-suited developments. Councillors and officers have been working hard to reach this important milestone and I want to thank everybody in the Vale who has helped us develop this plan and bring it to fruition.”

The dates for the examination in public will be set by the government’s Planning Inspectorate. It is expected to be held in November/December. That will lead to a planning inspector’s report on whether the plan can eventually proceed to adoption.

Submission of this strategy document follows the pre-submission publicity in May and June. In total 129 respondents commented on the plan, which resulted in a total of 584 comments being made (one respondent can make multiple comments). All these comments will be passed to the Planning Inspectorate to be taken into account as part of the examination process.

High Speed Two update

The following update oin High Speed 2 has been circulated by Bucks County Council:

Legal Challenge

The Supreme Court appeal will be heard on 15/16 October 2013.  Five judges will hear the appeal with the majority decision going forward.  The two grounds of the challenge are a lack of a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and a second EU Directive - the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive (EIAD).

Construction routes

HS2 Ltd has now shared their proposals for construction routes.  The map is available on the 51m website.  This could affect communities who previously may have thought that they were not affected by HS2 (map is bottom of column 2).

http://www.51m.co.uk/

Roads update

HS2 Ltd has recently agreed the following will be included in the formal ES;

·     Maintain access at Bacombe Lane, Wendover

·     A4010 (Risborough Road)

·     Maintain access to Perry Hill and West Street, Calvert

·     A41 Waddesdon realignment

Petitioning Strategy

Indications from HS2 Ltd lead us to think that the formal Environmental statement (ES) will be published in October/November with the hybrid Bill being deposited in November/December. It is likely that the consultation on the formal ES will take place during December/January 2014. Individuals and organisations who consider this consultation period too short are writing to the Secretary of State (via their MP) to request that the consultation be longer than 8 weeks, to take into account the Christmas period and the fact that the documentation will be so much larger than the draft ES. For hybrid Bill petitioning, most of the Buckinghamshire upper tier authorities have now appointed a Parliamentary Agent to act on their behalf.

We are looking to provide a Guide to Petitioning to help communities and other stakeholders who are directly and specially affected to take forward their own petitions.  There is a toolkit for petitioning on private bill on the Parliamentary website (http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/commonspetitioningkit.pdf) 

Property and compensation consultation

You will no doubt be aware that this re-consultation was launched on 12 September and runs to 4 December 2013.  Schemes that may be introduced are express purchase, sale and rent back of properties that will be demolished, (rural support zone) property bond or voluntary purchase, alternative sale and rent back or long-term hardship scheme.  A number of events have been organised by HS2 Ltd.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/property-owners-protected-by-hs2-compensation-scheme

CPRE visual maps

CPRE and a company called ITO have developed a website that shows how High Speed 2 (HS2) would be constructed, what the landscaping would look like, how loud would it be and much more.

You can link to the website here http://hs2maps.com/

Community forums

We understand that this current round of community forums will be the last for the foreseeable future.  HS2 Ltd has said they will continue to meet with individuals and organisations most of whom will be involved in the petitioning process.

Buckinghamshire County Council HS2 team

marcus40.rogers@gmail.com mob 07702 490999

jcopcutt@buckscc.gov.uk tel 01296 383793

alexday@buckscc.gov.uk tel 01296 382409

sagibson@buckscc.gov.uk tel 01296 387540

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Suggested comments for HS2 Environmental Impact Consultation Response

Many Steeple Claydon residents are planning to submit a response to the High Speed Two Environmental Impact Consultation in time for the 11th July deadline.

Below are some suggestions of some of the points you may wish to include.    It will have the maximum impact if you can rephrase them in your own words.

Preamble:

This document discusses concerns and mitigation regarding the IMD. This may be used to help parishioners compose their own ‘response’ when replying to HS2 Ltd. It should NOT be copied but regarded as a prompt sheet to create their own view together with any of their own concerns. The more views that have an individual look albeit communicating the core message the greater the impact that may have.

Concerns:

- 24/7 working during construction IMD and Temporary railhead. The detail on what is going to happen at night is not explained. Night time working is not acceptable and was not mentioned at the Community Forums.

- Perry Road closure. The SCPC proposals to reinstate this road alongside the IMD in as straight line as possible to maintain the original traffic flow but going under EWR and over HS2 have been made during a community forum. Please confirm in due course the final plan once agreed with BCCC.

- No noise maps of the depot. They should have been provided bearing in mind how early it starts and its proximity to people. We understand they will not be known publically until the ES is published. How can that be a consultation?

- No detail on the rail head. This is a significant contribution to the overall noise especially at night and no explanation on how care will be applied in this region when currently the environment here at night is extremely quiet at typically <30dba .="" a="" be="" can="" consultation="" how="" p="" that="">

- No detail on the accommodation facilities the 200 or so workers may have at the West Street camp to ensure their needs to not interfere with the community. Is a hotel being planned on site with cinema and bar etc? Any workers coming into the village will be detrimental. How can that be a consultation? Consider the approach that local businesses come to the site NOT the site comes to the village for their needs.

- No detail on the lighting impact the depot scheme will cause. How can that be a consultation? Please share the lighting plan before it gets installed.

- Insufficient detail on traffic mitigation. SCPC has a zero tolerance view on extra traffic in the village cause by the scheme be that in construction or in operation. The solution therefore is for visitors/workers to transit to the IMD site, be that during construction or in operation via rail and utilising the requested halt/station. Statements in the DES discuss large numbers of workers’ cars/LGV’s and HGV’s but say the impact on key roads is TBD. HS2 have proposed car sharing. That is ineffective and difficult to implement. Is it 4 to a car? , 2 to a car ? and how would this be implemented or policed for many years. SCPC has other ideas based on existing rail infrastructure and Licence Plate Recognition Technology and they are discussed below.

Specific mitigation ideas from SCPC that need to be discussed, confirmed and implemented:

- Requested strongly by SCPC at a community forum 2012 that a construction halt or station on EWR is built to get workers in rather than by car. If materials can come by train so should staff. Section 2.7 refers to ongoing input from the community about that so please confirm that asap. (Tables A and B demonstrate that). Additionally please ensure the halt/station remains for operational staff of the IMD 2026+ to use thus mitigating the traffic detailed in table C. (i.e. please negotiate with Network Rail.)

- A new Perry Rd should be built based on the draft proposal from SCPC. The original plan by HS2 ‘via Charndon and Portway Farm route’ is simply not acceptable as it will have various negative aspects such as forcing more traffic via Steeple Claydon and causing issues at Charndon, Portway farm and Twyford. SCPC is aware draft drawings are now with BCCC and the outcome of those talks need to be communicated to the parishioners at the earliest opportunity.

- Automatic Licence Plate Recognition Technology (ALPRT) cameras are placed at the entrances to the village to catch unauthorised vehicles be that commuting workers in their private cars/vans or HGVs etc wanting to do a rat run through the village over the years of construction. Plate numbers of any vehicle associated with the construction would be in a database. Software could then distinguish who was not meant to be there at any period. The advantage of ALPRT is that it requires no in vehicle equipment and with appropriate software can be flexible to cope with a changing workforce and construction needs during the years of work. HS2 Ltd should start asking for tenders on such a scheme that could cope with 4 construction sites an 8 year programme and the many thousands of workers involved. This idea was expressed by SCPC at the 4th June HS2 roadshow and it was regarded as an excellent thought by at least two representatives of HS2 Ltd and they requested it be included in our response. It has so please ensure it happens. (This is repeated in Question 3 as it is relevant to the C of C).

- The construction companies need to build, aside from bedrooms for the 200 workers, amenities such as cinema, on site ‘shop’ , and on site ‘pub’ and welfare facilities to make them independent of SC, Twyford. Calvert etc. There should be agreements in place to allow local businesses to sell into the on site shop or pub. i.e. the village goes to the construction site instead of the construction site coming to Steeple Claydon. If not the social impact of cars visiting / parking/ impacting the population is huge. No detail on that at all. (This is repeated in Question 3 as it is relevant to the C of C).

- Noise monitoring stations in place around depot and use of special quiet equipment & trains at night needs to be devised. Invoke a no work at night rule ideally (as mitigation)

- HS2 contractors resurface the whole of Addison road and West Street at least and any other roads they use locally. Residents want some benefit. E.g. the Addisson Road bridge will be no doubt beautifully finished for drivers only to find oneself back on the old road surface made worse by their past traffic from HS2. The old joke of returning the roads to the condition they were in should not be applied. Please make it better.

- Extend the new waste Rd to the IMD to provide a clear conduit from the A41 to the IMD site. This needs discussing with stakeholders naturally but for a short length of additional Road from Calvert to the IMD it seems a logical thing to do.

- Ensure state of the art lighting technology is used at the IMD with a view to minimising the pollution in an area that today enjoys and totally dark environment. Please discuss with local authorities

HS2 Draft Environmental Statement consultation

HS2 - Steeple Claydon

DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT  HS2

 

 

The HS2 draft environmental statement (DES) was published in May and one of their route wide road-shows was held at Calvert  on the 4th June. Steeple Claydon Parish Council (SCPC) attended along with Bucks County Council and members of the public and press.
DES documentation may be downloaded at HS2's web site http://www.hs2.org.uk/ or viewed at Steeple Claydon or Buckingham libraries. SCPC has specifically included at the Steeple Claydon library three A1 sized maps to show the consequences in our area of the 1.7 mile long Infrastructure Maintenance Depot (IMD). This site will be used in the construction of the main railway and used to maintain the track during operation from 2026.

          In addition, there will be a temporary railhead with additional tracks and storage facilities
 to bring materials into the site by rail during the construction period - this is immediately north of the IMD site.  There will also be a construction camp for at least 6 years with 200 residential workers, with up to an additional 600 workers commuting into the site daily.

 There is a vote on the Second Reading of the HS2 Bill in the House of Commons next week.
Assuming this passes, a Hybrid Bill will be submitted later this year.

If the project is given royal assent early in 2015, construction would potentially start mid 2017 beginning with civil works followed by the IMD and temporary railhead from approximately 2020.   Prior to HS2's construction starting would be the construction of East West Rail which is used to bring in materials for HS2.

In due course around the end of 2013 the full environmental statement (ES) would be released with further information on what is planned to allow a detailed review by parliament and local authorities. The situation today is that local authorities and the general public may comment on the DES.

The deadline to do this by is 11th July 2013 

Please go to:  

 http://www.hs2.org.uk/draft-environmental-statement/document-library?cfa_dropdown=501  

The actual pdf is at: 

http://www.hs2.org.uk/sites/default/files/pdf/es_maps_docs/dES%20response%20form.pdf

 Parishioners are urged to complete the draft environmental response form and  may do it online, or by email or by post to HS2.   SCPC and the other local authorities will formally reply as well. Copies of the response form will  also be available at local shops and in the library. Please look for the yellow notice mentioning this at these locations.  If you have any questions for the Parish Council  please e mail them to the Parish Clerk clerkscpc@btinternet.com or leave at the library for collection. 

 

Bucks County Council Elections May 2nd 2013

On Thursday 2nd May residents of Buckinghamshire will be going to the polls to decide who they wish to represent them on Buckinghamshire County Council. 

The County Council delivers important services such as education, roads and transportation, social care, child protection, waste disposal, public health and country parks. In Bucks, we have faced a big reduction in grants and like everyone else our costs are going up. At the same time demands for our services have increased. However we have responded by improving efficiency, cutting out waste and increasing income. 

A Conservative County Council will support those who have worked hard for themselves and their families. We will provide opportunity, encourage aspiration and care for those in genuine need. We will continue to improve efficiency so that we can deliver good value for money. 

CONSERVATIVE RECORD OF ACTION

1. No increase in council taxes for three years running
2. Maintained our excellent education system
3. Continued the investment to protect our most vulnerable residents
4. Worked closely with the Police & Crime Commissioner to allow greater police presence on our streets
5. Protected our environment by more effective waste disposal
6. Improved Council services and cut administration costs

Campaign for Claydon Junction Station

There is a report on the Jan 17th 2013 presentation on the East West Rail plans to the 
Winslow Local Area Forum on the East West Rail website at the link below:

http://www.eastwestrail.org.uk/winslow-and-district-find-out-more-about-east-west-rail/

There is also a Q&A list which includes new information on the discussions around a proposed additional station at Claydon Junction.

5.2 Will there be an interchange station where East West Rail and HS2 cross ?

Opposition to HS2 by both Buckinghamshire CC and AVDC is well documented. We understand that HS2 Ltd is determined that there will not be an intermediate station between London and the West Midlands.

However, if HS2 Ltd should receive Parliamentary approval, there has been some speculation and community interest in a temporary ‘halt’ on the EWR route in the Calvert / Steeple Claydon area to provide access for workers during construction of HS2. If demand warranted it, it would be possible to make this station permanent, to serve both the HS2 Infrastructure Maintenance Depot and the local community.  This would be on the basis that HS2 funded such a station and reached appropriate agreement with Network Rail and the East West Rail Consortium. The station could also offer benefits for people travelling from Aylesbury to Oxford as an interchange station potentially offering shorter journey times compared to changing at Winslow or Bletchley.

If you have particularly strong views on this matter, Rosie Brake, Buckinghamshire CC’s HS2 Engagement Business Manager is happy to hear from you.

So do get in touch with Rosie Brake at Bucks County Council  (rbrake@buckscc.gov.uk)

if you would like to support the proposal for a new station at Claydon Junction.

New all weather pitch at Swan Pool leisure centre

Sports enthusiasts in Buckingham can look forward to much-improved facilities at the Swan Pool leisure centre after Aylesbury Vale District Council secured £100,000 to redevelop the existing all-weather pitch.

Contractors employed by the council will remove the old artificial surface and replace it with a higher standard pitch suitable for football and hockey.

Work on the new all-weather surface is due to begin on 18 February and is expected to take six weeks to complete.

Once open, the sports pitch will be accessible to help local schools deliver their sporting curriculum, as well as being available for hire by the local community.

Funding for the project was secured by the council from Bellway and Bellcross, who were asked to contribute towards improving the local area through a ‘Section 106’ agreement, as part of the planning approval for a housing development off Moreton Road.

Councillor David Thompson, Cabinet Member for Leisure, said: “This is a great example of how positive planning can have a direct benefit on local communities. AVDC is very proud of its sport and leisure offerings and the Section 106 agreements mean we are able to ‘give something back’ and make sure our residents have opportunities to get involved in sport.”

AVDC garden waste collections starting again

Keen gardeners across Aylesbury Vale will be having their garden waste collected by the district council again from February.

Those residents who sign up for the service will start to have collections of their garden waste from 4 February, or 11 February, depending on where they live.

Aylesbury Vale District Council’s garden waste service costs £36 for each 240 litre brown bin collected fortnightly between February and November.

More than 10,000 households have already signed up, saving themselves the task of travelling or arranging private pick-ups to dispose of their garden waste. New customers are welcome to join at any time.

Through the service, residents can dispose of leaves, grass, hedge and tree cuttings, and similar materials. Woody material must be less than 10cm in diameter.

Garden waste collections are made on Mondays only, in the same week a household’s waste bin is collected. The material collected is taken away to be composted locally.

Councillor Sir Beville Stanier, Cabinet Member for Environment and Health, said: “Many residents value the convenience of the kerbside service. It enables householders to dispose of their excess waste or waste that isn’t easily composted that might otherwise have ended up in landfill.”

Residents are asked not to put garden waste in their landfill waste bins. If people don’t sign up for the garden waste collection service, they can take all of their green waste to their local Household Waste and Recycling Centre or purchase a home composter.

To register for the garden waste service, and for further information, visit www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/garden

New station for Claydon Junction ?

Several residents have raised with me the benefits of a station on the East West Rail line at the Claydons where the Aylesbury branch to the south meets the main East West line from Oxford to Bedford.

It would serve the Claydons and all the villages around, who would once again have a train service to Oxford, Bedford, Milton Keynes, Bicester and Aylesbury (from where trains could continue to London and even eventually Heathrow Airport).

It would be at the mid point of the line between Bicester and Winslow stations so would be a logical stopping point.

Travellers between Aylesbury and Oxford (where there are no direct trains) would have their journeys shortened significantly.  Under current proposals they would have to continue to Winslow before they could change to the southbound or westbound line.  A Claydon Junction station would save many unnecessary miles and minutes of travel.  Trains from Aylesbury to Bletchley would be travelling very slowly at this point on the chord line between the two tracks and a stop would add very little to the journey time.

Please get in touch with me to share your thoughts on a new Claydon Junction station on the East West Line.

Update on East West Rail

Network Rail has announced its plan for construction of the western section of the East West Rail link between Bedford and Oxford, Aylesbury and Milton Keynes, as part of their five-year strategic business plan 2014-2019.

The East West Rail Consortium, which includes all the local authorities along the proposed route, has successfully promoted the re-instatement of a rail link between Bedford and Oxford to enhance rail services both within the region and beyond.

With the support and financial backing of the Department for Transport, the Consortium will now work with Network Rail to develop and implement the project, with the aim of having East West Rail services operational for passengers and freight by December 2017. The route between Bedford and Oxford is also proposed for electrification as part of a wider scheme to enhance passenger and freight services between Southampton and the West and East Midlands, and the Consortium and Network Rail will be examining ways in which the two projects can be integrated.

The next steps are for Network Rail and the Consortium to complete environmental impact assessments and obtain any necessary planning consent.

Patrick O’Sullivan, Rail Consultant for the East West Rail Consortium, said:

‘Support for the East West Rail has been tremendous. We shall be talking to parish councils, local residents, businesses owners, rail users and other stakeholders shortly to ensure that we achieve the maximum benefit from the railway and to address any concerns at this early stage in the project. Network Rail and the Consortium expect to start formal consultations in Autumn this year.’

The East West Rail link will enable new journeys and faster journey times, linking major economic centres and centres of economic growth within the region. It will remove traffic from already congested roads and also avoid the need for people to travel via London.

It will also connect with national mainline services East Midlands Mainline (to Derby, Nottingham and Derby), West Coast Mainline (to Birmingham and the North West of England) and Great Western Mainline (to Bristol and South Wales) becoming an important part of the national strategic rail network.

Electrification of the line between Oxford and Bedford will provide the infrastructure for quieter, cleaner and more efficient electric trains.

HS2 compensation consultation closes 31st Jan

The High Speed 2 compensation consultation closes on 31st Jan.

Advice from the Stop HS2 action group:

With the prospect of a few days off work for many of our readers, we thought you might like to take the time to put together a response for the compensation consultation or the safeguarding consultation which are going on until 31st January 2013.

Main link to the Consultations home page: http://highspeedrail.dft.gov.uk/consultations-0

Overview of the Property and Compensation Consultation http://highspeedrail.dft.gov.uk/consultations/property-compensation-london-to-west-midlands/maps-and-plans

Full Property and Compensation Consultation document (49 pages): http://highspeedrail.dft.gov.uk/sites/highspeedrail.dft.gov.uk/files/9213-DfT-HS2-01-PCCS01_TAGGED.PDF

How to respond (on-line and paper doc)  http://highspeedrail.dft.gov.uk/consultations/property-compensation-london-to-west-midlands/how-to-respond

We’d love to see a copy of your response: if you want to share it with us, please email a copy to info@stophs2.org

Tips (if you are writing a short response, some of these might not be relevant):

• Start with a direct response to each question such as “No, I do not agree with …. because ….”  If you do not provide the summary of your key points, you leave it to the person analysing your response to make their own summary of your argument – and remember that they are probably temporary staff/students on low wages who know nothing about the issue!
• Do not say things like “as I said above”. The analyst is not allowed to guess which bit of ‘the above’ you are meaning. If it needs saying again in relation to a particular question, then say it again in your response.
• Feel free to use bullet points, numbering, bold and any other device to make your argument and all of its supporting points crystal clear.
• Please remember that all residents (all your family members) can respond.  If you wish to do this online you will need an email address per respondent as the system only allows one reply per email address.
• Look across all of the questions and stick to the specific issue of each question. However, if there is no place for a particular argument then add it in against the ‘next best’ question and ENSURE IT IS INCLUDED IN YOUR SUMMARY. It is notable (and bad practice) that there is no section for ‘any other issues’ in this consultation. If you need such a section then put it in.
  • The Government says it is interested in
    • whether or not you agree with its proposals
    • why you agree or disagree
    • any additional evidence that you feel it should consider in reaching its final decisions
    • and we are invited to attach additional evidence to the response form, making it clear which question it refers to.

AVDC funding fair 12th Feb

Funding information is being made available to community groups, charities and voluntary organisations across Buckinghamshire.

The Big Lottery Fund, Heritage Lottery Fund and Lloyds TSB Foundation are among the scores of organisations attending a county funding fair in Aylesbury next month.

The free event, organised by Aylesbury Vale District Council, is being held at the Gateway Conference Centre, Gatehouse Road, on 12 February between 1pm and 6pm.

There will also be an opportunity to participate in active workshop sessions about funding, talk directly to grant makers and organisations offering advice, and understand more about how to apply for funding.

Information stalls will be available on a drop in basis all afternoon. Groups are advised that places are limited for the workshops, which have previously proved very popular.

Lynne Maddocks, AVDC Community Engagement Officer, said: “The funding fair provides a fantastic opportunity to obtain funding for voluntary and community projects. Last year’s fair generated a total of about £40,000 of grant funding for five organisations from contacts made on the day.

“As with previous years, the event will have a wide range of information stalls and workshops to attend and enjoy. It’s important that people can have a good time participating in the event whilst also getting the essential information they need.”