At a recent Local Area Forum it was confirmed by Transport for Bucks that the bridge over the railway on the road leading to Twyford and Charndon will be closed for at least 18 months for structural repairs. There is apparently some uncertainty over the ownership of the adjacent land. Meanwhile a lot of traffic has been diverted along the road from Steeple Claydon to Calvert (Pond Lane)and a road which was already in a bad state has got a whole lot worse.
I reported it on the Transport For Bucks new online 'report a problem' service recently. Currently this is inaccessible - like the roads themselves it is apparently in need of repair.
http://www.transportforbucks.net/Error/error.aspx?aspxerrorpath=/Roadworks-Centre/Report-a-problem.aspx
Claydon House
Claydon House Gardens
Friday, 4 March 2011
County Council reconfirms Calvert incinerator decision
Following the call in by our County Councillor John Cartwright, the decision to award the incinerator contract to WRG at Calvert was reconsidered by the County Council cabinet. On 28th Feb they decided to reconfirm the decision.
From the County Council website:
Energy from Waste - where we are now
On 28th February 2011, the County Council’s Cabinet decided that Energy from Waste was the best option to manage the county’s waste, as they reaffirmed their decision to award preferred bidder status to Waste Recycling Group (WRG) with their facility at Greatmoor, near Calvert, north Buckinghamshire.
This followed the Overview and Scrutiny Commissioning Committee’s recommendations for Cabinet to reconsider the decision to award preferred bidder status to WRG and to seek clarification on financial, legal and planning aspects of their bid. The project team prepared a detailed response to these recommendations, which were provided as part of the Cabinet papers.
WRG’s proposed facility at Greatmoor, near Calvert would supply 22MW of electricity to the national grid, enough to power up to 36,000 homes in the area. The Council expects the facility to be operating by 2014, subject to WRG gaining planning and permitting consents. The contract, once agreed, will be for a 30 year period.
The project team will now work with WRG to clarify and confirm commitments and undertake final due diligence. The final decision to award the contract will be considered by the County Council’s Cabinet in the autumn of this year.
The decision to award Preferred Bidder status to WRG has been a procurement decision, not a planning exercise. WRG’s planning application will be decided by the independent Development Control Committee.
This is disappointing but not unexpected. It was clear that the County Council had effectively made up its mind, despite the many valid objections raised. The focus of attention now shifts to the planning application, which is likely to be hotly contested.
From the County Council website:
Energy from Waste - where we are now
On 28th February 2011, the County Council’s Cabinet decided that Energy from Waste was the best option to manage the county’s waste, as they reaffirmed their decision to award preferred bidder status to Waste Recycling Group (WRG) with their facility at Greatmoor, near Calvert, north Buckinghamshire.
This followed the Overview and Scrutiny Commissioning Committee’s recommendations for Cabinet to reconsider the decision to award preferred bidder status to WRG and to seek clarification on financial, legal and planning aspects of their bid. The project team prepared a detailed response to these recommendations, which were provided as part of the Cabinet papers.
WRG’s proposed facility at Greatmoor, near Calvert would supply 22MW of electricity to the national grid, enough to power up to 36,000 homes in the area. The Council expects the facility to be operating by 2014, subject to WRG gaining planning and permitting consents. The contract, once agreed, will be for a 30 year period.
The project team will now work with WRG to clarify and confirm commitments and undertake final due diligence. The final decision to award the contract will be considered by the County Council’s Cabinet in the autumn of this year.
The decision to award Preferred Bidder status to WRG has been a procurement decision, not a planning exercise. WRG’s planning application will be decided by the independent Development Control Committee.
This is disappointing but not unexpected. It was clear that the County Council had effectively made up its mind, despite the many valid objections raised. The focus of attention now shifts to the planning application, which is likely to be hotly contested.
Friday, 4 February 2011
Council Tax frozen for 2011/12
Aylesbury Vale District Council is freezing its share of council tax for the coming year despite the authority suffering a larger than expected drop in its grant funding from the government.
The zero per cent rise was agreed at a meeting of the full council on 2 February, meaning that local taxpayers will not face any increase on the average £2.52 a week they pay for all the services provided by AVDC.
Local authorities that accept the challenge of freezing council tax are eligible for a government grant equivalent to a 2.5 per cent increase in their element of the levy.
The 2011/12 budget was set against the national backdrop of unprecedented reductions in council grants to help tackle the UK’s current financial deficit.
The government’s grant settlement figures, issued to AVDC last December, were much worse than expected and mean a reduction in government funding of £2.6 million (22 per cent) for the next financial year with a further cut of £1.2 million (13 per cent) the following year.
Overall, the council faces an 8.4 per cent reduction in its total resources, the largest of any authority in Buckinghamshire.
Due to the severe financial constraints imposed on all local authorities by the government’s austerity measures, some difficult decisions have had to be made. But the council, which faces having to make even tougher decisions for the next three years, has done everything in its power to minimise the impact of the budget on frontline services.
To balance its books for the forthcoming financial year the council has identified around 1.8 million in savings across its services. Key savings include £650,000 made through restructuring some services and changes to the structure of the authority’s senior management team and a further £300,000 by making changes to working practices in the refuse and recycling service.
Councillors also approved making use of £445,000 from the authority’s financial reserves to help reduce the budget deficit. However, the reserves cannot be used to finance the shortfall indefinitely and significant savings will need to be found in subsequent years if key services are to be maintained.
It is anticipated that further savings of £2.6 million will need to be made by 2012/13 alone. The council’s priority is to continue to look for further efficiencies and find new ways of generating income.
Councillor Neil Blake, Cabinet Member for Resources, said: “In common with all local authorities, this has been an extraordinary year for budget setting against the background of such deep cuts from the government. We have, however, worked hard to maintain essential frontline services, freeze council tax at present levels and identify significant cost savings to assist us with what will undoubtedly be a very difficult budget setting next year.”
He added: “It is important residents know we are on their side and always looking to ensure value for money. We continue to think carefully about how to spend the funds we have. It is residents’ money and they rightly expect results from it.”
The zero per cent rise was agreed at a meeting of the full council on 2 February, meaning that local taxpayers will not face any increase on the average £2.52 a week they pay for all the services provided by AVDC.
Local authorities that accept the challenge of freezing council tax are eligible for a government grant equivalent to a 2.5 per cent increase in their element of the levy.
The 2011/12 budget was set against the national backdrop of unprecedented reductions in council grants to help tackle the UK’s current financial deficit.
The government’s grant settlement figures, issued to AVDC last December, were much worse than expected and mean a reduction in government funding of £2.6 million (22 per cent) for the next financial year with a further cut of £1.2 million (13 per cent) the following year.
Overall, the council faces an 8.4 per cent reduction in its total resources, the largest of any authority in Buckinghamshire.
Due to the severe financial constraints imposed on all local authorities by the government’s austerity measures, some difficult decisions have had to be made. But the council, which faces having to make even tougher decisions for the next three years, has done everything in its power to minimise the impact of the budget on frontline services.
To balance its books for the forthcoming financial year the council has identified around 1.8 million in savings across its services. Key savings include £650,000 made through restructuring some services and changes to the structure of the authority’s senior management team and a further £300,000 by making changes to working practices in the refuse and recycling service.
Councillors also approved making use of £445,000 from the authority’s financial reserves to help reduce the budget deficit. However, the reserves cannot be used to finance the shortfall indefinitely and significant savings will need to be found in subsequent years if key services are to be maintained.
It is anticipated that further savings of £2.6 million will need to be made by 2012/13 alone. The council’s priority is to continue to look for further efficiencies and find new ways of generating income.
Councillor Neil Blake, Cabinet Member for Resources, said: “In common with all local authorities, this has been an extraordinary year for budget setting against the background of such deep cuts from the government. We have, however, worked hard to maintain essential frontline services, freeze council tax at present levels and identify significant cost savings to assist us with what will undoubtedly be a very difficult budget setting next year.”
He added: “It is important residents know we are on their side and always looking to ensure value for money. We continue to think carefully about how to spend the funds we have. It is residents’ money and they rightly expect results from it.”
Monday, 3 January 2011
Where are the gritting lorries ?
If you are running out of entertainment over the holiday season, you could always watch the progress of the gritting lorries on the County Council's brilliant new map
showing which roads are being gritted and where the lorries are:
http://www.transportforbucks.net/Winter-maintenance.aspx
And for the latest updates on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/twitgritter
showing which roads are being gritted and where the lorries are:
http://www.transportforbucks.net/Winter-maintenance.aspx
And for the latest updates on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/twitgritter
Department of Transport: more information on HS2 maintenance depot
The Department of Transport has issued new detailed information on the proposed size and scope of the infrastructure maintenance depot to be located near Steeple Claydon.
This can be found on their website at the following link:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/pi/highspeedrail/proposedroute/depot/
From the website:
'This report provides operational and engineering proposals to assist HS2 to identify the best possible location and the master layout of the Infrastructure Maintenance Depot (IMD) for the London to West Midlands HS2 route.
The report identifies a suitable site for the IMD and develops a master layout for the site, including both rail infrastructure and ancillary facilities such as office accommodation, services buildings, storage and lay down areas, staff parking, approach roads and other related items.'
There are 4 possible sites for the depot, all near the point where the new HS2 will
cross the East West Railway, planned to be operational by 2017. The preferred site
is adjacent to the East West railway to the north (west of the road from Steeple
Claydon to Calvert). This would have a major impact on the village and its surroundings.
More information on this location from the report:
Bounded to the South by the EWR line, to the West by HS2, and to
the North East by the chord line. The level of HS2 in this area is not finalised, but it is intended that it will run at level and the EWR line will be raised over it. This assumption means that the site could be level with relatively minor earthworks, though the former Great Central Main Line embankment would need to be removed.
Land take would be relatively modest, and would maximise use of land already sterilised by the construction of the chord line. The site could be accessed from the Northern section of the existing unclassified “Thame Road”, which in any case will require to be diverted because it crosses the EWR line at almost exactly the point where HS2 will intersect it.
The site is not adjacent to any properties. It appears that almost all the site could be constructed in one field running in an L shape from Claydon Junction to the HS2 route, though land ownership has not been researched. In the South West corner of the site between the East West “Thame Road” overbridge and the Great Central embankment there is a gas Pressure Reducing Station on the national gas network, owned by Scotia Networks Ltd. There does not appear to be a difficulty in designing a site layout that preserves this.
However the location of the associated gas pipelines has not yet been ascertained in a services search and this may present a project risk if the pipeline is found to restrict site layout options or operations.
One public footpath runs across the site, which will require closure or diversion.
Connections to HS2
Access to HS2 would be via the run round loop also required for waste trains from Bristol to Calvert, which would also act as headshunt for the site. A chord line would be constructed to the HS2 north, and trains to HS2 south could either use this chord and run round at the loops near Twyford village, or could use the existing east to south chord and access HS2 opposite the waste terminal.
For more information (and photos of the 4 locations being considered) please see the report on the DoT website.
This can be found on their website at the following link:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/pi/highspeedrail/proposedroute/depot/
From the website:
'This report provides operational and engineering proposals to assist HS2 to identify the best possible location and the master layout of the Infrastructure Maintenance Depot (IMD) for the London to West Midlands HS2 route.
The report identifies a suitable site for the IMD and develops a master layout for the site, including both rail infrastructure and ancillary facilities such as office accommodation, services buildings, storage and lay down areas, staff parking, approach roads and other related items.'
There are 4 possible sites for the depot, all near the point where the new HS2 will
cross the East West Railway, planned to be operational by 2017. The preferred site
is adjacent to the East West railway to the north (west of the road from Steeple
Claydon to Calvert). This would have a major impact on the village and its surroundings.
More information on this location from the report:
Bounded to the South by the EWR line, to the West by HS2, and to
the North East by the chord line. The level of HS2 in this area is not finalised, but it is intended that it will run at level and the EWR line will be raised over it. This assumption means that the site could be level with relatively minor earthworks, though the former Great Central Main Line embankment would need to be removed.
Land take would be relatively modest, and would maximise use of land already sterilised by the construction of the chord line. The site could be accessed from the Northern section of the existing unclassified “Thame Road”, which in any case will require to be diverted because it crosses the EWR line at almost exactly the point where HS2 will intersect it.
The site is not adjacent to any properties. It appears that almost all the site could be constructed in one field running in an L shape from Claydon Junction to the HS2 route, though land ownership has not been researched. In the South West corner of the site between the East West “Thame Road” overbridge and the Great Central embankment there is a gas Pressure Reducing Station on the national gas network, owned by Scotia Networks Ltd. There does not appear to be a difficulty in designing a site layout that preserves this.
However the location of the associated gas pipelines has not yet been ascertained in a services search and this may present a project risk if the pipeline is found to restrict site layout options or operations.
One public footpath runs across the site, which will require closure or diversion.
Connections to HS2
Access to HS2 would be via the run round loop also required for waste trains from Bristol to Calvert, which would also act as headshunt for the site. A chord line would be constructed to the HS2 north, and trains to HS2 south could either use this chord and run round at the loops near Twyford village, or could use the existing east to south chord and access HS2 opposite the waste terminal.
For more information (and photos of the 4 locations being considered) please see the report on the DoT website.
Refuse and recycling collection dates
From the AVDC website:
Revised refuse and recycling collection dates for this week:
Normal collection Revised collection
Monday 3 January Tuesday 4 January
Tuesday 4 January Wednesday 5 January
Wednesday 5 January Thursday 6 January
Thursday 6 January Friday 7 January
Friday 7 January Saturday 8 January
Residents with brown and green bins can put out either bin to be collected on their collection day.
If you have a lot of extra waste from Christmas that your want to get rid of, you can take your household waste to the nearest household waste and recycling centres in Aylesbury or Buckingham. The sites are open every day from 8am to 5pm (except 1 January).
To make sure you know the latest news about your collections, sign up to our text messaging service by texting: avdc sub, with your normal refuse collection day to 60060, (eg: avdc sub friday).
Revised refuse and recycling collection dates for this week:
Normal collection Revised collection
Monday 3 January Tuesday 4 January
Tuesday 4 January Wednesday 5 January
Wednesday 5 January Thursday 6 January
Thursday 6 January Friday 7 January
Friday 7 January Saturday 8 January
Residents with brown and green bins can put out either bin to be collected on their collection day.
If you have a lot of extra waste from Christmas that your want to get rid of, you can take your household waste to the nearest household waste and recycling centres in Aylesbury or Buckingham. The sites are open every day from 8am to 5pm (except 1 January).
To make sure you know the latest news about your collections, sign up to our text messaging service by texting: avdc sub, with your normal refuse collection day to 60060, (eg: avdc sub friday).
Calvert Incinerator decision to go to scrutiny on Jan 11th
Our County Councillor, John Cartwright, has successfully ensured that the County Council's decision to award the Energy From Waste contract to WRG for a new plant at Lower Greatmoor Farm, Edgcott, (near Calvert) will be reconsidered at a County Council Scrutiny Committee meeting on 11th January.
There is an opportunity for local residents to attend this meeting.
From the County Council website:
'Members of an Overview and Scrutiny Commissioning Committee will meet on Tuesday, January 11 to decide if Buckinghamshire County Council's Cabinet Members, should reconsider their decision to award preferred bidder status to Waste Recycling Group (WRG) to provide an Energy from Waste facility at Calvert.
County Councillor John Cartwright (Grendon Underwood) presented his case to call-in the decision at a scrutiny committee meeting on December 14 and members decided they needed to hear both sides of the case.
These will be presented by Councillor Martin Tett and Councillor John Cartwright, and witnesses, at the meeting on January 11 from 9.30am to 5pm at County Hall, Mezz Room 1, Aylesbury. Residents are welcome to attend.
Scrutiny committee chairman, Councillor Trevor Egleton said: "The call-in process is an important part of the transparent democratic process. The Committee decided that a special meeting should be held in January—rather than rushed before Christmas—so the public have the chance to attend. We have set the January 11 date, to ensure that committee members have the maximum possible time to understand the complex and technical background to the tendering decision.”
He also said if the scrutiny committee decides to refer the decision back to Cabinet, it can be reconsidered at the next Cabinet meeting on January 17.
There is an opportunity for local residents to attend this meeting.
From the County Council website:
'Members of an Overview and Scrutiny Commissioning Committee will meet on Tuesday, January 11 to decide if Buckinghamshire County Council's Cabinet Members, should reconsider their decision to award preferred bidder status to Waste Recycling Group (WRG) to provide an Energy from Waste facility at Calvert.
County Councillor John Cartwright (Grendon Underwood) presented his case to call-in the decision at a scrutiny committee meeting on December 14 and members decided they needed to hear both sides of the case.
These will be presented by Councillor Martin Tett and Councillor John Cartwright, and witnesses, at the meeting on January 11 from 9.30am to 5pm at County Hall, Mezz Room 1, Aylesbury. Residents are welcome to attend.
Scrutiny committee chairman, Councillor Trevor Egleton said: "The call-in process is an important part of the transparent democratic process. The Committee decided that a special meeting should be held in January—rather than rushed before Christmas—so the public have the chance to attend. We have set the January 11 date, to ensure that committee members have the maximum possible time to understand the complex and technical background to the tendering decision.”
He also said if the scrutiny committee decides to refer the decision back to Cabinet, it can be reconsidered at the next Cabinet meeting on January 17.
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Steeple Claydon spire seen through oak trees
Map of Claydon Station
Meeting our local PCSO
Supporting our local businesses
With anti HS2 campaigners in Calvert