Vale of Aylesbury Plan

Following the rejection by the Inspector of the draft Vale of Aylesbury Plan in January, work has started on a new Plan, which will be known as Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan (VALP). This will include the overall strategy for the District, alongside site allocations (where needed), and development management policies.

A new Local Development Scheme (timetable) for the new Local Plan has been published and may be seen on the AVDC website at http://www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/planning-policy/vale-of-aylesbury-local-plan/

Meanwhile the Adopted District Local Plan (AVDLP) of 2004 remains the development plan for assessing planning applications in the district.

Broadband upgrade coming to the Claydons

The Connected Counties programme is targeted with making fibre broadband available to over 90% of homes and businesses in Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire by April 2016.   The programme is being funded jointly by both Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire County Councils, the Local Enterprise Partnerships for each county, BT and the Government’s Broadband Delivery UK team (BDUK).

Fibre broadband uses fibre optic cable for at least some of the link between the customer and the exchange.

It is much faster and more reliable than traditional broadband (known as ADSL) delivered via copper telephone lines.

The programme aims to ensure that everyone has access to a minimum of 2 Mbps broadband speeds by March 2016.  Steeple Claydon  and Winslow exchanges are included in phase 3 of the programme, with survey work starting in June 2014  to identify places for the new fibre cabinets. Subject to these survey results, engineering upgrade work will follow and a new fibre cabinet will be installed near to the existing green cabinet.

Roads, pavements and cycle paths

Roads and Pavements

There is around £19m in the County Council's capital budget this year for road repairs (an increase on the last 3 years) enabling the reduction of the maintenance backlog to continue this year.

There is £ 1.7m in the budget this year for pavement repairs. 

New Cycle Path Winslow to Buckingham

The capital funding for this (around £ 500k)  is  included in the Bucks Thames Valley Local Economic Partnership's capital bid to the Government's Local Growth Fund  and the outcome should be known in
July.  Details can be seen in the BTVLEP strategic economic plan  (p73)  at the following link:http://buckstvlep.co.uk/interesting-stuff/research-reports
At the same time, Bucks County Council is bidding for revenue funding to the Local Sustainable Transport Fund:  details can be seen here:http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/environment/sustainability/local-sustainable-transport-fund-2015-2016/

This is a fund designed to encourage a shift to more sustainable forms of transport.
Both bids are linked to the opening of the new Winslow station, projected for 2019.

East West Rail update

East West Rail

On 30^th April Network Rail published their delivery plan for East West Rail.

The Network Rail plan proposes delivery of East West Rail in two phases. Phase 1 will deliver the infrastructure required for Chiltern Railways services between Oxford and London via Bicester as well as the works required for the later introduction of East West Rail services west of Bicester.

Phase 2, which is at an earlier stage of development, will deliver the EWR works east of Bicester to Bletchley and Bedford, including the Aylesbury to Claydon Junction line within this five-year period ending March 2019.

Work involves upgrading the Bicester Town to Bletchley and Claydon Junction to Aylesbury freight line for passenger services; building a new station at Winslow; building new high level platforms at Bletchley Station and minor upgrades to the existing Bletchley to Bedford passenger railway.

On completion, the railway will provide:

-          An hourly passenger service between Milton Keynes and Oxford via Winslow (which may continue to Didcot Parkway and Reading)

-       An hourly passenger service between Milton Keynes and Aylesbury via Winslow (which may continue to Princes Risborough, High Wycombe and Marylebone)

Energy From Waste Incinerator update

Energy From Waste Incinerator     Greatmoor Farm

Phase 1 works on the Greatmoor EfW site continue to progress, including piling, concrete foundations, installation of site drainage and work on the road network around the facility.  

The timelapse camera continues to provide half-hour update photographs at: http://fccenvironment.reachtimelapse.co.uk/greatmoor/

As Chairman of the community liaison group which meets every 3 months I have ensured that the concerns of local villages re traffic, impact of construction vehicles, compliance with planning conditions and environmental concerns relating to the incinerator design are addressed by FCC management.

The A41 access road and roundabout works are progressing with completion scheduled for August 2014.

With the opening of the access road all construction and landfill traffic should be entering the site via the A41

and the Brackley Lane entrance will be closed. This should reduce the impact of HGVs going through the Claydons.

The Shipton Lee Railway Bridge repairs have been completed and the road reopened.

Work of laying the electric cable to connect with the East Claydon substation will begin in the autumn.  A map

of the cable route has been published; it passes via open land to the south and east of Botolph Claydon.

High Speed Two update

High Speed  2

We have reached the stage of petitioning the Hybrid Bill which received its second reading in the Commons on 28^th April.    Petitioning is a final chance of influencing the project and securing improvements.

The petitioning deadline was the 23^rd May.     Petitioners will be invited to attend the HS2 Select Committee – the timetable is yet to be announced.

The Bucks County Council petition can be seen on the 51m group website at http://www.51m.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/BCC-Petition-FINAL-BCC.pdf   

The AVDC petition will be published on the council’s website shortly.      AVDC’s petition will pick up on noise issues, construction related matters, ecological and heritage concerns.   Bucks County Council’s petition focuses on route-wide and strategic issues, including highways, waste disposal, and ecological issues.

Key requests relating to this area:

a)        Sustainable placement (spoil dump)  at Calvert

-          consider whether the waste material could be put to alternative uses in the vicinity (e.g. the incinerator site)

b)        A Country Park in the Vale of Aylesbury

-           provision should be made for a country park (and an endowment for its future maintenance and management) in the vicinity of the IMD

c)       Mitigation for the impacts from the Infrastructure Maintenance Depot

-          deliveries of larger and bulkier goods and materials to the IMD should be made by rail both during the construction stage and when in operation; 

-          a traffic routing scheme should be implemented that takes into account the environmental impacts of traffic as well as traffic movements;

-          night time deliveries to the site, both during the construction stage and when in operation, should be minimised;

-           lighting at the site should be low-level, designed to minimise light-spillage, or activity-initiated;

-           the open brook that will be removed during construction should be reinstated after the temporary railhead has been removed.

d)       Impact on East West Rail

-          ensure that the implementation of East West Rail will not be delayed or its subsequent operation affected unduly or unreasonably by the construction or operation of the works to be authorised by the Bill

-          ensure that a station is provided (either by building it or funding it) on the East West Rail line at Steeple Claydon, to serve the IMD and surrounding  communities.

Closure of AVDC offices in Winslow and Buckingham

Aylesbury Vale District Council is making changes to the way residents can access its services in Buckingham and Winslow.



The changes reflect the significantly reduced demand for a face-to-face service as more residents use the council’s website or contact staff by phone and email.



There has been a steady decline in the number of people using the council’s area offices, with both offices most recently having less than 12 customers visiting for non-payment related AVDC enquiries per day.



With lowering demand for a face-to-face service and as part of a drive to deliver more efficient and cost-effective services, the council will no longer be providing customer access points in Buckingham and Winslow.



The council will stop its AVDC service at Winslow Library on 19 May and at the Buckingham Centre on 30 May. Customers are advised that the Buckingham Centre will remain open and will continue to offer its other services, it is only the AVDC service that is withdrawing.



Councillor Pam Pearce, Cabinet Member for Community Matters, said: “The way people access council services is changing and people tend to prefer contacting us either by phone or using our online services. It is clear from the visitor figures that maintaining face-to-face customer services in Buckingham and Winslow is not efficient or cost effective. Although there will be much more of an emphasis on self-service, we will continue to offer face-to-face support at our Gateway offices in Aylesbury to anyone who needs it.”



The service offered to Aylesbury Vale residents will not be affected. Customers will be encouraged to visit the AVDC website www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk as a first point of contact, giving 24 hour a day instant access to information about its services. For the small number of issues that can’t be addressed online or for those people without internet access, staff are easily contactable via telephone on 01296 585858.



If a query cannot be resolved by phone or email, the customer will be offered an appointment to see an officer at The Gateway in Aylesbury. Customers who have not made a prior appointment and visit The Gateway to see an advisor will be directed to the self-service area to contact the appropriate service or access information via the AVDC website.



For the few people who may find it difficult to visit Aylesbury, some AVDC services may offer a local surgery or, where appropriate, arrange a home visit. In addition, there will be free access to a computer and telephone at Buckingham CAB in Wheeldon House, Market Hill, Buckingham. For more information on this please visit our website www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/move



Payments can still be made at all shops with the Paypoint sign or at post offices. A list of locations is available at www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/wheretopay . Documents or paperwork can also be dropped off at The Gateway. Some services have pre-printed envelopes available for customers to use, offering reassurance to those often submitting personal information.



For more information about the changes to face-to-face services, visit www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/move