Next Local Area Forum
Will be at the Cottesloe School on Thursday March 12th at 6pm. The main purpose of this meeting is a workshop on a local area plan, looking at the common themes in the constituent Parish Plans. . So far the parishes have contributed some very exciting and positive material to Freda Ackroyd who is co-ordinating the preparation work.
New Year Cold Start
Bin collection cancelled
AVDC took the unprecedented step of cancelling the entire refuse collection on two days during the record cold start to the year because crew had been injured by falls and the rounds were made difficult because of impacted ice on residential streets with hills, parked cars, and other obstacles to negotiate. I would like to apologise on their behalf, and reassure people this was not a cynical precursor to a fortnightly collection, but a safety measure for their staff, who we all appreciate, and are owed a proper duty of care.
I’m writing this on the morning of Feb 2nd, and am expecting further disruption.
Keep recycling
There has been much in the press recently about recycling mountains building up as the value drops out of the market. Aylesbury Vale and all of Buckinghamshire’s recycling is bought on fixed price contracts and is still being paid for and used. Keep on recycling.
Advice on insulation and how to reduce your fuel use on AVDC website
It is now recommended that lofts have 270mm (or 10 inches) of loft insulation this can save up to 25% of your heat loss.
If your home has cavity walls, insulation can save up to 35% on fuel bills and there are grants and discounts available, up to the full cost for people in receipt of certain benefits. AVDC works with a local energy efficiency advice centre that runs the ‘cocoon’ scheme and provides free and impartial advice on insulation and how to reduce uel use. To find out more call 0800 512 012 or visit the AVDC website.Work starts on the Aston Clinton Household Waste and Recycling Centre at College Road
The contract has been awarded to construct the new Household Waste Recycling Centre, which will process around 15,000 tonnes of waste a year. Work is expected to take around six months to complete. The new recycling centre will enable residents to recycle a wide range of things from paper and card, through to tyres, batteries, fluorescent tubes, textiles and garden waste. The site will also accept trade waste. A photo opportunity to see the work in progress has been offered to the local press for 5th February.
Quarry 2 Pitstone – amended plans for landfill
Amended plans for the landfill of inert waste at quarry two heve been received at Bucks County Council, which will need to be decided at committee in March or April. The deadline for comments has been extended to February 20th, and a Liaison meeting is being arranged for that week, possibly the Tuesday 17th, but is as yet unconfirmed.
Award Winning Villages
Pitstone and Edlesborough Homes Win Design Award
In November the
extension to The Old Thatch in Edlesborough, was awarded a ‘highly commended’ (second place) in the Aylesbury Vale Design Awards, as a good contemporary extension to a historic building, and the new studio barn conversion at 65 Marsworth Road Pitstone was awarded a commendation (equal third place) as a good, small domestic project.These awards are highly competitive with nominations from all over the District from buildings completed in the last two years. The judges include nationally reknowned
architect Stephen Luxford, and representatives from the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, and Kent Architecture Centre. The winner was One Degree West, a stunning new house in an open setting near Haddenham.Brookmead School Achieves Healthy Schools Status
In November I was delighted to be invited to Brookmead School to celebrate their achievement of Healthy School staus. It was a fun afternoon and a well deserved achievement. Congratulations.
Road Safety Improvements in Ivinghoe
In December Buckinghamshire County Council’s Casualty Reduction team completed remedial works to the road signing and lining on the B488 Tring Road, Ivinghoe outside the Windmill car park, and B489 Dunstable Road, Ivinghoe near to Beacon Road.
The two sites were identified and prioritised as part of this year’s Local safety scheme programme through analysis of the collisions that had occurred in the previous 3 years.
As a result of this analysis a review of the existing road markings and Traffic Signs was undertaken. Working with representatives from the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) office and The National Trust an agreed package of measures was implemented to help reduce collisions at these two locations.
Work at both sites included renewing the existing carriageway markings and carriageway edge lining, installing new single Chevrons to the bends on "passive" signposts that collapse on impact, cutting back the vegetation to improve visibility for all road users and new bend warning signs to advise drivers of the hazard ahead.
In addition, on the B489 Dunstable Road, the existing centre road studs were replaced with new "intelligent road studs". These are solar powered studs, replacing the traditional "cats eyes", that illuminate the bend during the hours of darkness.
On the B488Tring Road there have been 5 collisions in 3 years, resulting in 8 casualties. On the B489 Dunstable Road there have been 6 collisions in 3 years, resulting in 9 casualties, including 1 fatality and 1 serious injury.
Avril Davies
County Councillor - Ivinghoe Division