AVDC plans to freeze Council Tax in 2011/12

Aylesbury Vale District Council has set out proposals to help save the authority more than £1 million in 2011/12 and deliver a freeze on council tax.
AVDC is unlikely to know its budget settlement for 2011/12 until December but has estimated that it will be cut by up to 25 per cent over the next four years. This equates to at least £1 million per year, and has set out savings proposals based on this estimate.
The council also has to deal with other budget pressures that will increase costs, such as inflation increases in fixed-term contracts and higher business rates on its buildings.
AVDC is setting out its plans to achieve a balanced budget earlier than normal this year. This will put the council in a much better position to tackle the financial challenges which currently lie ahead and allow more time for consultation with stakeholders.
Savings of £1.2 million for 2011/12 will be achieved while protecting frontline services by doing things more efficiently. Significant savings will be made through productivity gains arising from the restructuring of some council services and changes to the structure of the council’s senior management team.
As well as the proposed savings, the council is working towards a freeze in council tax in 2011/12.
It is hoped this will be part-funded by the government, who have promised to provide extra funding if AVDC can keep its proposed council tax rise to 2.5 per cent - effectively wiping out the increase to taxpayers.
Councillor Neil Blake, Cabinet Member for Resources, said: “All public services are facing hard choices on how to reduce costs and save money. We want to make sure Aylesbury Vale residents get the most efficient and effective local services, but we expect a big reduction from the government in how much we can spend over the next few years. This means looking at all the services we provide and what things are most important.
“With all the proposed savings we have endeavoured to be fair to our staff and to the people who use our services. We have tried to ensure that frontline services are protected and, wherever possible, to avoid redundancies.
“The government has said it will work with councils to freeze bills this year and we intend to take advantage of that. The council is also continuing to examine how we can transform working practises to reduce costs so that we can maintain a high standard of service to the public with fewer resources in the future and it is aiming to achieve further ongoing savings over the next few years through its business transformation programme.”

Parishes to decide on housing growth in future

Aylesbury Vale communities will be given the chance to have their say on how many new homes and jobs should come to their area.
At a meeting of Aylesbury Vale District Council’s cabinet on 9 November, councillors agreed an approach to developing a new planning policy for the district following the withdrawal of the core strategy. The new document will be known as ‘The Vale of Aylesbury Plan’.
The views of local people, community groups, parish and town councils and other organisations will be sought to help shape future growth in the Vale during the coming years.
Previously, housing numbers for Aylesbury Vale had been dictated by a document called the South East Plan. The district’s target was set at 26,890 new homes between 2006 to 2026.
The new coalition government, though, recently removed such nationally and regionally-imposed house building targets. This means that the council is going back to the drawing board to look again at what is the right figure for the number of new homes and jobs to be provided.
Meetings will be held with parish and town councils in the Vale before the end of the year to explain what their role will be in helping to shape future housing numbers and to discuss their initial views regarding how their areas should grow in coming years.
The next stage will be working on a one to one basis with those parishes where future growth could happen and further information is needed. Parishes will be asked to consult with their communities on matters such as what services and infrastructure that they feel are missing, or the issues they see facing their area in the future.
Look out for opportunities to have your say on the issues that affect you in your village.

Free Parking for Christmas Shopping from AVDC

Aylesbury Vale District Council has given town centre shoppers and retailers an early Christmas present.
The council has decided to allow free parking in its pay-and-display car parks in Aylesbury, Buckingham, Wendover and Winslow on every Saturday throughout December.
What’s more, there will be free parking for late night shopping during specific times in the build-up to Christmas.
And as the council does not charge on bank holidays, there will also be free parking across the board on Monday 27 December, Tuesday 28 December and Monday 3 January.
There will be free parking for late night shopping from the following dates:
• Aylesbury: free parking after 4pm, every Thursday starting on 18 November until Christmas
• Buckingham: free parking after 4pm, every Tuesday from 16 November until Christmas
• Wendover: free parking after 4pm, every Thursday, starting on 18 November until Christmas
• Winslow: free parking after 4pm, every Thursday and Friday, starting on 18 and 19 November

WRG submits planning application for Calvert incinerator

The Waste Recycling Group has submitted its planning application for an Energy From Waste plant near Lower Greatmoor Farm, Edgcott, to Bucks County Council.

Details of this proposed development as given on the WRG website are:

'Buckinghamshire Energy from Waste Facility, Greatmoor Farm

WRG is proposing to submit a planning application which will include:

The construction of a 300,000 tonnes per annum Energy from Waste (EfW) plant at Lower Greatmoor Farm, to the south of Calvert landfill site
A new access road which will follow the route of a disused railway line to link this directly to the A41 via a new roundabout
The creation of a monocell within the existing permitted landfill for the safe disposal of Air Pollution Control Residues (fly ash) from the plant
An updated landfill restoration scheme for the site and the surrender of the consent for mineral extraction/waste disposal over much of the unworked part of the site'

The application has not yet appeared on either the Bucks County Council or the WRG
websites, as it has not yet been registered by the County Council.

Meanwhile the County Council is due to announce its decision on whether to grant the contract to WRG or Covanta (who are proposing a site in Bedfordshire) on November
29th.

There will be a further meeting of the Calvert Consultation group, which has been established by WRG to share its plans with local parish and council representatives, in December once the County Council's tendering decision is known.

East West Rail - a strong business case

The latest report from East West Rail reveals a strong business case for the project - far more than can currently be demonstrated for HS2.

The current timescale is for passenger servies to be started in late 2016 or early
2017. The nearest stations to the Claydons would be at Bicester and Winslow, enabling travel from both stations to Oxford, Milton Keynes and Aylesbury and beyond. The closed Claydon and Verney Junction stations would not be reopened under the present scheme, although the trains would pass through.

Latest update from the East West Rail Consortium:

'The East West Rail (EWR) Consortium has completed its latest stage of development work on the western section of the project. The business case and detailed engineering design work (known as ‘GRIP 4’) is now complete and has revealed an exceptionally strong case for the project.


The GRIP 4 study has established a feasible design to support East West Rail services and also presents potential opportunities for wider use by national longer distance passenger and freight services.

The business case shows a benefit-cost ratio (BCR) of 5; in other words the benefits are five times higher than the costs. A BCR in this area is exceptional for railway enhancement schemes and as such this project presents a very strong economic case for implementation.

The Consortium recognises that in the shorter term there will be considerable constraints placed on funding within the public sector. The Consortium is however continuing to work closely with Department for Transport (DfT) and Network Rail with a view to submitting the scheme to the DfT in the autumn which, if accepted, would place the scheme onto the DfT’s medium term programme of new and improved rail infrastructure for the period 2014-2019.

The scheme is estimated to cost £178 million (for the core scheme) at today’s prices and whilst the business case has been developed on the basis of 100% public sector funding, if contributions from the private sector can be secured through future development within the rail corridor, the ratio of the benefits compared to the cost improves even more significantly.

Moving forward further work on the business case will continue leading up to the autumn and co-ordination with local planning authorities will look to ensure that private sector contributions are secured where appropriate. At the same time work will also be undertaken with train operators to verify and improve the operating case for EWR train services.

In conclusion, the Consortium recognises the extent of the challenge it faces if it is to succeed in its ambition to reopen the East West Rail link. The scheme will be competing for funds within an environment where budgets are very tight. However, there is clear evidence that this project will deliver significant benefits to the economy if implemented. The added advantage that the railway is forecast to receive surplus revenue streams compared to the cost of operating the services will, in the Consortium’s opinion, place the project in a favourable light, even in this current economic climate.

The Consortium’s programme has been extended during the recent development work and now includes establishing new train services between Reading, Milton Keynes and Bedford, and London Marylebone to Milton Keynes via High Wycombe and Aylesbury. On the basis that the scheme is accepted for programme entry, trains could be open for service in late 2016 early 2017.'

News from our local PCSO

Local crime

Looking at crime rates for the last 12 months they show overall crime has declined
for the past 4 months. Robbery remains at zero. Vehicle crime and violence have been
dropping for the last 6 months despite a blip last month. Anti-social behaviour has
been dropping for the last 5 months with a blip in Jul/Aug but incidents dropped by
50% in Sept.
When comparing the 3 months July/Aug/Sept 2010 with 2009 again the figures are encouraging. Overall crime is down by 17%, violence down by 30%, vehicle crime down by 18%, robbery doesn’t change and anti-social behaviour down by 38%. Only burglary bucks the trend by being up 14% and that only translates to 1 incident.

Have your say
Come and meet your Neighbourhood team to discuss any issues you may have:
2 Nov Whaddon Village Hall
2 Nov Steeple Claydon School
16 Nov Little Horwood Memorial Hall
18 Nov Winslow Brownies
22 Nov Whitchurch Brownies
24 Nov Gt Horwood Village Hall
25 Nov Steeple Claydon School
26 Nov Youth Centre, Winslow
1 Dec Winslow Brownies
13 Dec Steeple Claydon School
5 Mar 11 St Laurence Room, Winslow

Countryside Crime/Dogwatch
A Farm Alert event is being held on 8 Nov at The Bell Hotel, Winslow. Thames Valley Police, National Farmers Union, Country Landowners, Community Safety Team, Horsewatch/Countrywatch, Datatag and Farm Alert will all be present. Presentations will commence at 4pm, 6pm and 8 pm, Please call Phil Gomm on 01296 670533 to book a place.

Thames Valley Police has been involved in successful cross border operations leading to recovery of stolen Landrovers, other motor vehicles and significant amounts of cash. Investigations are in early stages and will be ongoing for sometime.

On Friday 27 Nov (7-9pm) at the Youth Centre, Winslow there will be a taster
evening for the young people to experience what the Youth Café will be like. It now has its own Facebook group – Winslow Youth Café. Check it out for further information. The planned opening of the multi-use games area (MUGA) is August 2011. Work on this scheme is progressing well.

What a bright idea!
As the clocks go back and the nights draw in, residents are being asked to make use of timer switches on their lights. A home in darkness between 4pm and pm tells potential burglars that nobody is home. AVDC has a limited supply of these this year
but they can purchased for as little as £2.

A timely reminder
Cold weather and bad driving conditions are on the horizon so please take some time to check your vehicles tyres, wipers, anti-freeze, battery making sure the alternator is charging it correctly. Just in case the worst happens make sure your mobile phone is always charged and that you have a blanket, bottle of water and a bar of chocolate to hand.

HS2 Exceptional Hardship Scheme

On 26 July 2010 the Secretary of State for Transport announced that there will be an Exceptional Hardship Scheme for those whose properties are affected by the High Speed Rail proposals. Each case will be considered on its merits and there is no specific definition of what 'in the vicinity of the proposed rail line' means. The Scheme is now open for applications. Guidance on how to apply to the EHS, & more information on the scheme can be found at the following web address:

http://www.hs2.org.uk/exceptional-hardship-scheme/EHS-Guidance-and-Application-Form-57988

From the Frequently Asked Questions attached to the guidance and application form:

What is the Exceptional Hardship Scheme and how do I apply for it?

The Exceptional Hardship Scheme (EHS) is a voluntary purchase scheme designed to assist certain property owners whose properties may be affected by High Speed 2 (HS2) Ltd’s recommended route for a new high speed rail line between London and the West Midlands, and who urgently need to sell their properties before any final decision on a high speed rail line is taken. The property would need to be on or in the vicinity of HS2 Ltd’s Route Option 3. Overview and detailed maps of Route Option 3 can be found at the following address:

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/pi/highspeedrail/hs2ltd/route/.

Those property owners would need to meet certain criteria and would apply for their properties to be bought by the Government.
You can find a copy of guidance on the EHS, which contains an application form, at www.hs2.org.uk/exceptional-hardship-scheme. This explains:

- what property owners need to do in order to apply for the Government to buy their property;

- what are the circumstances under which a property could qualify for the scheme; and

- the process for dealing with applications.

Alternatively, you can get a free copy of the guidance and application form by contacting the HS2 enquiry line on 020 7944 4908. Copies are also being sent to central libraries along the line of the route.

Did I have to submit my application by 20 August if I wanted to apply for the EHS?

No. 20 August is the date on which the EHS started operation. You can now submit your application if you believe that you meet the eligibility criteria for the scheme and would like the Government to buy your property. The scheme will remain in place and applications can be submitted until at least such time as the Government takes a decision following public consultation on whether to proceed with a new high speed line and, if so, on the route that it would take. At this point, if the Government decides after consultation to proceed with a new high speed line then other arrangements would be put in place to help affected property owners. This is likely to be in late 2011. Until then, there will be no deadline by which applications for the EHS must be sent in.

I would be interested to hear from any property owners in the Steeple Claydon or Calvert area who are considering applying for this scheme.