New Council for 2009-10

The Annual General Meeting of Aylesbury Vale District Council was held in the Civic Centre, Aylesbury on 13th May.
There are a number of changes in the Council leadership for the forthcoming year: Cllr Janet Blake has been appointed Chairman of the Council in succession to Cllr Netta Glover, and Cllr Neil Blake has been appointed the cabinet member for resources.
I am honoured to report that I have been appointed to succeed Cllr Neil Blake as the Chairman of the council's Audit Committee.
This is an important committee which has the responsibility of approving the annual financial statements on behalf of the council, and also reviewing the risk management and internal audit work. It is a great privilege to have been chosen and I am looking forward to chairing my first meeting on 29th June.

Stop Aylesbury Vale Incineration

SAVI is the recently formed pressure group which is campaigning to stop the plans to build a new incinerator at Edgcott near the Calvert landfill site.

There are concerns about the health effects of incinerators, the impact of the additional waste lorries on our country lanes, and the threat to our beautiful historic woodlands such as Finemere Wood and Romer Wood.

Please see their new website via the link below, which contains a petition to Gordon Brown:

http://www.besavi.co.uk/

I made a strong representation to the County Council against the proposal to locate the incinerator at Calvert during the public consultation exercise last year.

Gordon Brown promises to look at Aylesbury

Full marks to David Lidlington MP who used his question at Prime Minister's Questions today to raise the issue of youth apprenticeships in Aylesbury, and managed to extract a promise from the Prime Minister to look into the situation.

A report on the exchange:

12.20 When youth unemployment is rising, why, asks Tory MP David Lidington, are apprenticeship budgets being cut in his constituency? Brown insists more is being invested in apprenticeships but promises to look at the situation in Aylesbury.

Let's hope that for once he keeps his promise.

Update: in his blog, David explains what prompted him to raise the question:

'In this weeks’ Prime Minister’s Questions I asked Gordon Brown to explain why the Government’s Learning and Skills Council (LSC) had cut the funding that it had promised training providers in Aylesbury for the next academic year. It seems to me that at a time when unemployment is rising amongst young people we need to invest in training to help ensure this country’s future.

Both ATG Training and Aylesbury College have warned me that the LSC’s indicative budgets would mean a big reduction in training. At worst, this could make it impossible for them to continue some courses which apprentices have started in good faith.

I have now written to the Prime Minister, asking that he looks into the particular difficulties that Aylesbury College and ATG Training face.

I will make sure to post an update once I have received a response from the Prime Minister.

To find out more, please click here to view the Hansard from 6th May Westminster Hall debate.'

How AVDC is helping local businesses during the recession

At yesterday's Council meeting, the Cabinet member for Economy and Housing, Cllr Michael Edmonds, gave an excellent presentation on the various measures by which AVDC is supporting the local economy during the recession, summarised as follows:

1. Small Business Grants: 50 local businesses have benefited with £ 200,000 paid out as grants

2. Vital Villages Scheme: grants to support village businesses which are a local focal point, such as the village Post Office in Steeple Claydon which received a grant recently

3. Prompt payment of creditors: all local creditors are paid within 10 days to improve cashflow

4. Golden Welcome Scheme: £ 40,000 avaiable for businesses relocating to Aylesbury Vale from the LABGI funds

5. No increase in car parking charges in Aylesbury, and free parking on Sundays and at Christmas to encourage the town centre shops and businesses

6. New Enterprise and Innovation Centre to be opened in Aylesbury soon to give advice to business start-ups and small businesses

7. District Link, the Aylesbury Vale quarterly business newsletter

8. Over 300 business enquiries handled by the Council over the last year

9. New plans for efficient management of the Council's commercial property portfolio through a private sector joint venture partnership

10. Participation in Action Group to improve the appearance of Aylesbury Town Centre

11. £ 100,000 invested in successful public events in Aylesbury town centre over the past year, including the recent activities over the Easter weekend

AVDC offers free swimming for the over 60's

Older residents will be able to enjoy free swimming in Aylesbury Vale from 1 April onwards.

Aylesbury Vale District Council has signed up to a free swimming initiative, which entitles all those aged 60 and over to free swimming during all casual sessions.

Free swims will be available at both the Aqua Vale Swimming and Fitness Centre in Aylesbury and the Swan Pool in Buckingham.

Councillor David Thompson, Cabinet Member for Leisure, said: “We are determined to do all we can to improve the health and quality of life of our residents. Offering free swimming is a great way to help people who are over 60 to stay fit and active.

“I want to encourage everyone eligible to dive in and take advantage of this fantastic offer. It’s not often that you get something for free, particularly in the current economic climate.”

AVDC is one of almost 300 councils across England to take part in the government’s free swimming scheme. The £140 million programme is a central part of plans to ensure a lasting legacy from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

A grant from the Department of Culture Media and Sport will cover the loss of income from the over 60s; although the grant funding is only for two years so the council will have to review the situation in 2011.

Anyone aged 60 or over who wants to take advantage of the scheme will need to bring proof of age and identity with them to the swimming pools on their first visit. Customers will then be issued with a card to show each time they visit the pools.

I hope that many of our older residents will take advantage of this - it's a great way to keep fit and healthy

Small Business Rate Relief

Less than 50% of small businesses eligible for small business rate relief are actually applying for it. Could you be missing out ?

From the AVDC website:

From the 1 April 2007 businesses with small, or low value premises are entitled to a reduction to the business rates usually charged.

A small business rate relief is available at 50% for ratepayers occupying single properties with a Rateable Value (RV) up to £5,000, with relief declining in percentage terms on a sliding scale, until at £10,000 RV it is 0%. Relief can only be allowed on one property and is only available to ratepayers with either:-

One property with a RV less than £15,000; or
One main property and other additional properties, each of which has a RV under £2,200, where the aggregate RV is less than £15,000.

Applications for relief must be received before the 30 September of the following year. An essential criterion is that the applicant must be an eligible ratepayer on 1 April of the year for which rate relief is sought. If a ratepayer ceases to be eligible on a given day, the relief will cease from that day.

For further information see the AVDC website at the following link:
http://www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/business/relocating-to-aylesbury-vale/business-rates/sbrr/

The Conservative Party has confirmed that if we win the next election, a Conservative Government would make Small Business Rate Relief automatic. That means scrapping the forms and bureaucracy of handling thousands of claims. It also means providing the help straight away, cutting the fixed overheads of small businesses each and every year.

When taken alongside our plans to cut small company corporation tax rates and reduce the payroll taxes of the smallest employers, this measure is another sign that, as a party, Conservatives are on the side of enterprise.

New Aylesbury Theatre on time and within budget

Major milestone for Aylesbury’s new theatre

The construction of the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre reached another milestone on Thursday (26 March) as the structural wooden beams which support the roof and glazed exterior arrived on site.
Councillor John Cartwright, Leader of Aylesbury Vale District Council, and Councillor David Thompson, Cabinet Member for Leisure, were on site to welcome the delivery and see the first beams being offloaded.
Made from Larch wood sourced from a sustainable forest in Finland, the beams have been commissioned by main contractor Willmott Dixon specifically for the theatre project.
There are 106 beams in total, ranging in height from seven to 12 metres, which the architect designed to represent the Chiltern Hills and surrounding woodland areas. The beams will be installed over the next few weeks with the last beam expected to be in place in June.
Councillor John Cartwright, Leader of the Council, said: “It is great to see the progress being made with the new theatre and the installation of the structural beams will be another giant step towards our goal of creating a first class venue for the Vale. The Aylesbury Waterside Theatre will have a huge cultural significance for the district and I’m very much looking forward to the completion of the building in 2010.”
Mark Chamberlain, Project Director for Willmott Dixon, said: “This is a pivotal stage in the project development. People have seen the concrete frame rise above the hoardings and now they will begin to see the theatre evolve and take shape. The arrival of the beams for us signifies the start of the next stage and we are really looking forward to translating all the plans and artistic impressions
into reality.”
Around 300,000 people from across Aylesbury Vale and beyond are expected to visit the new theatre each year to enjoy a dynamic and diverse programme of live performances. The programme will be an exciting mix of West End shows, comedy, dance, concerts, gigs, pantomime, as well as international opera and ballet.
The concept for the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre was developed by AVDC and internationally-renowned theatre designers, RHWL Arts Team. The venue will have a 1,200-seat auditorium that converts into a 1,800-capacity hall for standing events, and a 225-seat suite for smaller events including dance, drama, meetings and conferences.
Building work started in 2007 and is on course to be completed in 2010. The venue will be managed by the Ambassador Theatre Group, who run the very successful Milton Keynes Theatre.
The theatre is part of AVDC’s Waterside scheme – an ambitious project to redevelop Aylesbury town centre, which will also create a new shopping area in Exchange Street, including a department and food store, as well as housing developments alongside the canal and at Circus Field.