Aylesbury Town Council

The Town Councillors elected on 3 May 2007, and the respective ward areas they represent are:

Councillor Mrs Jenny Puddefoot was elected Town Mayor for the Municipal year 2007/2008. During her year of office it is estimated that she attended approximately 230 events, functions etc.

All meetings of the Town Council and its Committees and Sub-Committees are open to the public. Dates and times are advertised, on the Town Council’s website and displayed in the Library and on local notice boards. Members of the public are able to address Councillors at the beginning of meetings. The Town Council meets monthly, on the second Thursday of each month.

Each Working Group reports frequently to full Council. The Town Council reviews the membership of Working Groups annually. The Council and Committees and Working Groups held, between them, approximately 160 meetings in the course of the year

The Town Council’s office is located in the Town Hall at 5, Church Street, Aylesbury and is staffed by the following employees:

During the year due to re-organisation and implementation of improved procedures it was possible to reduce office staff by 15%. Additionally through adjustments to office accommodation it was also possible to reduce usage by 15% and to lease out this space for £6,500 per annum.

The Town Council receives the majority of its funding from the Council Tax, with the remainder coming from allotment rents; devolved services and some commercial sponsorship. In the financial year 2007 – 2008 the Town Council’s precept was £640,811.

The average Council Tax for a ‘D’ band household was £1377pa. Of this, £975 was given to Bucks County Council; £121 was retained by Aylesbury Vale District Council; £52 was kept by AVDC for Aylesbury ‘Special Expenses’ (ie, parks, leisure and sports centres and facilities etc); £37 was given to Aylesbury Town Council; £53 went to Bucks and Milton Keynes Fire Authority and £139 went to Thames Valley Police.

This year, 2008 – 2009, Council Tax has been increased to an average of £1441 per ‘D’ band household, an increase of £65pa.

Bucks County Council precept rose from £975 to £1018: ie, £43. Aylesbury Vale District Council Tax went from £121 per year to £126, or increased by £5. The Aylesbury ‘Special Expenses’ taken by Aylesbury Vale District Council reduced from £52 to £48, a reduction of £4 which was mainly due to the transfer of the cost of running the Cemetery to the Town Council. The Town Council share rose from £37 to £48 (£12, partly because responsibility for the upkeep of the Cemetery was transferred from the District Council to the Town Council). Bucks and Milton Keynes Fire Authority rose from £53 to £55, and Thames Valley police went from £139 to £145, an increase of £6. (all figures rounded to nearest £)

The increase in the 2008/09 Council Tax for an average (Band D) property in Aylesbury is 4.7% overall. This equates to an additional £1.24 per week per household. Of the total Council Tax Rate Aylesbury Town Council’s share is 3.4%.

The Town Council’s income and expenditure is approved by full Council at each of its monthly meetings. The Town Council retains an independent Internal Auditor (as required by current legislation). An annual external audit is also conducted by Hacker Young, Chartered Accountants (appointed by the Audit Commission).

All allotment contracts, rules and regulations have been audited and updated where necessary and the administration of such improved. Throughout the year the Council has continued to improve all sites. Groups from other Councils have visited Aylesbury Allotments in order to see best practice in operation.

The process of re-mapping and re-marking plots continues, and this exercise will eventually culminate in all deficiencies in records and administration of allotments when under the control of AVDC having been fully rectified by the Town Council. Risk Assessments and Health and Safety audits have been undertaken of all sites and remedial work carried out where required.

Managed biodiversity has been introduced to all six sites with bat and bird boxes introduced where appropriate. Peripheries of sites are maintained on a three year cycle which provides the maximum facility for wild life.

SITE	Managed	Occupied	Uncult
Ardenham Lane	47	45	2
Bedgrove	183	160	33
Crown Leys	74	74	0
Old Stoke Road	104	102	2
Tring Road	137	137	0
Whaddon Chase	42	38	4
Totals	587	575	43

Occupancy levels remain high. In practice, (once currently non-viable plots are removed from the equation) all allotment sites are more or less full, with a waiting list in the region of 130. It is estimated that approximately 30 additional plots could be put into commission if remedial work was carried out. This could include the installation of raised beds where the ground is unworkable.

This has been the first year that ATC has used its own direct labour force to maintain the allotments and overall it has been a very successful transition, although there is further work to be carried out in terms of planned maintenance.

We had to advise 50% of the plot holders on the Tring Road site of the likelihood that their current plots would not be available in the new season due to the need to extend the Aylesbury Cemetery. At the time of writing we are still unsure what Bucks C.C. will agree to in terms of carrying out an archaeological dig of the area and the timing of such.

As far as Ardenham Lane is concerned AVDC finally admitted that the area sectioned off at the bottom of the site was indeed Statutory Allotment land. As the area floods it has no real value as allotment land and so it has been agreed that AVDC carry all the costs of putting the submission to the Secretary of State for change of use of the land.

Old Stoke Road, as ever, is the most popular allotment site. The Princes Trust was going to reinstate an old pond on the site but has so far failed to commence excavations.

This site suffered a spate of shed burglaries and wanton vandalism. It was quite clear that the individuals carrying out these attacks were accessing the site via the railway line. Network Rail has made some improvements but further work needs to be done.

At Crown Leys, sheds have been repainted and the site tidied up. This was the site we showed to NALC (National Association for Local Councils) on their visit to Aylesbury. With them came a Japanese delegation whose members subsequently contacted ATC and asked if other representatives of their embassy might visit Crown Leys in the future as they were so impressed with the site.

Unfortunately Crown Leys also suffered burglaries. Generally the only items that were stolen were goods that should not have been there.

Bedgrove remains problematic in terms of numbering of plots. However a step was made towards a resolution as the whole site was remapped using a GIS system. A couple of plots are out of commission due to flooding. It is hoped that this can be resolved during the next year.

A biodiversity plan has been created for all sites and bird and bat boxes installed on the Bedgrove site.

Bierton Road - ATC has signed the contracts which cede the lease of this land from AVDC. These are currently with the Trust’s solicitors. ATC has received from AVDC a list of the current plot holders and details of their tenancy agreements. The open well has been capped. ATC carried out a significant amount of work in regenerating one area of the site that had remained fallow for over 20 years. This has culminated in creating a number of plots that have now been let.

New contracts now contain clauses that state that all keys given out will require a deposit of £7 and if a plot is rotovated a £40 deposit that will only be repayable on termination of the tenancy if the plot is clean.

All maintenance work on allotments is now carried out by the Town Council’s own work force. The team has constructed new concrete compost bays for the Bedgrove site, in order to take all green waste generated and collected by the Council, to encourage compositing and to help keep the sites hygienic, free of vermin and clear of rubbish.

Councillor Ghent provided a report on the Group’s activities from which the following is taken:

2007/08 saw a further increase in activities provided by Aylesbury Town Council through the Events Working Group for the community of Aylesbury.

St. George’s Day was celebrated. On the Saturday visitors to Aylesbury Town were entertained with a Mummers Play and Maypole Dancing. There were also performances of Morris dancing and English Folk-music.

On Sunday in accordance with tradition the Scouts paraded from the Civic Centre to St Mary’s Church where they were invited to renew their ‘Promise’.

The Royal Green Jackets were amalgamated with The Rifles Regiment and to celebrate this The Royal Green Jackets, in conjunction with the Town Council organised the Parade and Church Service to commemorate this event. This took place on Sunday, 17th June. The salute and march past took place in Market Square and a buffet was provided at the TA Centre.

On Sunday, 8th July a ‘garden party’ was held in the grounds of Prebendal House to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the election to Parliament of John Wilkes, who lived at the house, and was for a time MP for Aylesbury. There were performances of 18th Century songs and dances. Wilkes’s speeches were recited and minstrels strolled around the grounds in period costume. Refreshments were provided by Aylesbury College. This event proved to be extremely successful and it is hoped that a similar event will be held on an annual basis.

On 15th July the Town Council held its Aylesbury on Sea event. A stage and pier were erected in Kingsbury. Samia Smith, star of Coronation Street, opened the show and various acts took part which included magicians, jugglers, music. The weather was poor and the event ended earlier in the afternoon than anticipated.

In September, the Town Council, attended the County Show. An exhibition of the Council’s activities was set up and this was very well received. For future years the stand could be increased in size.

Proms in the Park took place on 1st September and was a partnership venture with AVDC’s Park Life. Aylesbury Community Concert Band conducted by Duncan Stubbs took part, and Aylesbury’s favourite soprano Jill Neenan joined them on stage for an evening of popular music. This included a grand finale of British Sea Songs and culminated with Jerusalem and Land of Hope and Glory. The audience enjoyed their picnics, waved their flags and sang along gustily to the refrains.

Heritage Day was held Saturday, 8th September. Tring Road Cemetery and Chapel were open to the public and Roger King conducted a tour which was well attended and received a good response. Members of the public continued to arrive throughout the afternoon. Refreshments were served in the Chapel. A tour of the Old Town of Aylesbury was led by Keith Turner. This had a good attendance.

The following day Aylesbury’s annual Charter Day celebrations were held in Market Square. Entertainment was provided in the form of a Tudor Market and included the Rat Catcher, Singing Plague Victims, Peterkin the Fool. There were also various crafts from the medieval period.

The increasingly popular Ghouls & Villains entertainment was held on Wednesday, 31st October. Two members of the Rebellious Subjects Theatre Company dressed up as Elizabeth I and Oliver Cromwell. The two tours started from the Civic Centre at 6.00 pm and 8.00 pm. The route included the Judges Lodgings, Market Square, Old Town to St Mary’s, Pebble Lane, George Street and then into the Kings Head courtyard.

Both tours were well attended and everyone from tiny tots to adults entered into the ‘spirit’ of things by dressing up in various costumes.

The annual Carol Concert took place in Market Square on Thursday, 20th December. The Rotary Club served soup and mince pies. The Kings Head provided hot chocolate. The evening was ‘compered’ by Mix 96 and donations went to Stoke Mandeville Hospital and the Florence Nightingale Hospice.

Councillor Ghent concluded by observing that the year had been extremely successful, and issued an invitation for more Councillors to support the work of the Group.

The first year for the Environment Working Group has been very successful. The Group worked alongside the Transfer and Maintenance of Assets Working Group to agree a strategy for greening the Town Hall. New double-glazed windows have been fitted, thus reducing waste of energy from our offices. Replacement boilers are due to be installed soon. The new boilers will be 90%+ efficient. However, the crowning glory of this programme has been the installation of 60+ photovoltaic solar energy cells on the roof of the Town Hall. These cells not only produce electricity for the Town Hall building but surplus electricity will be exported to the national grid, thus earning the Council approximately £1000 pa. Funding for the photovoltaic solar energy cells came partly through a Government grant and partly from a seven year interest free loan from Bucks County Council. These are internal achievements which have little immediate impact on the people of the Town we serve, but which will save on revenue in the long run and will reduce the carbon footprint of the Town.

On Sunday 13^th April Aylesbury Town Council held its first Green Fair ever in the Market Square. This was a good opportunity for anyone wanting to learn about new sustainable buildings technology, energy conservation and carbon footprint reduction. There was a mass of information available on numerous wide ranging storyboards and through posters, leaflets and magazines. Stallholders included alternative energy suppliers ‘Ardenham Energy’, ‘Chelsfield Solar’ and ‘Sun Catchers’. Aylesbury College demonstrated how to cook organic food. The food itself was sourced by the suppliers taking part on the day, including ‘Animal Matters’ (who also demonstrated cooking), ‘The Ethical Food Company’, ‘Manor Farm Game’, ‘Rowan Tree Farm’ and ‘Aylesbury Fair Trade Society’.

Aylesbury Town Council mounted its own exhibition with displays which covered a wide range of alternative technologies, renewable resources and ‘low carbon footprint’ products. The Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust offered a wealth of information concerning flora and fauna in the Chilterns and Cotswolds. Despite competition from the London Marathon, and the vagaries of the weather, the event was extremely well attended. The Town Council was so encouraged by the interest shown by Aylesbury people that there are now plans under discussion to make this an annual event.

During the year Floral displays around the Town Centre and further afield were increased significantly and gained praise from many residents and visitors. The Town Council believes that the Town Centre should be as attractive as possible in a period of economic difficulty and with the on-going rebuilding of the town. We again held a very successful Aylesbury in Bloom competition. The highlight of this was the entry of planted pots from local schools. These were displayed around the War Memorial and were much appreciated by Aylesbury Residents

The Town entered the

Britain

in Bloom competition for the second year running. Once again a silver award was achieved and the Town also gained a further 14 points. The Silver Gilt award is now within reach. Through this competition local volunteers and AVDC received the Royal Horticultural Society’s national ‘Bloomin’ Marvellous’ discretionary award for their work on the Aylesbury Riverside walk.

In September ATC organised a spring bulb project to plant bulbs at the entrances to the town. Many community groups were involved, including St John, Scouts and Brownies, Aylesbury Lions and Rotary clubs and the Probation Service. ATC staff worked three consecutive weekends to ensure the success of this project.

ATC has ongoing outreach programs with local schools and other groups, and a number of projects have been undertaken to educate youngsters in the town about their environment and how to take care of it.

It was established that under 1930 environmental health legislation ATC has the legal authority to carry out work on Walton Pond. Currently an improvement plan is being produced by a pond expert, which will hopefully be put into action by the end of 2008.

The Community Speedwatch Initiative has been launched, and the appropriate speed measuring equipment has been purchased by the Town Council. Under the scheme, local residents and community groups can use the Town Council’s equipment to assess if speeding cars are a problem in their area. As the operator of the equipment registering the speed of vehicles can be located at some distance from the equipment itself, this should prove to be a safe and effective way of empowering communities to help themselves.

A major step forward in joint working arrangements with the County Council has been achieved this year. The Town Council has reached an agreement with Bucks County Council whereby the Town Council will undertake small repairs to highways and paths; cleaning and repairing of signs, and cutting back of hedges. As part of this agreement ATC carried out a very detailed audit of the Town Centre. This audit will now be used to by a Town Centre group to work on a programme of repairs and enhancements.

A summary of the Council's income and expenditure for the financial year is attached. Cllr M Smith, speaker for Finance, gave the following report:

The original 2007/08 budget passed by Council in January 2007 provided for income and expenditure for the year to be broadly equal. Since then, a number of significant changes to the finances have occurred as a result of the following events and decisions:

The transfer of the Cemetery from AVDC to ATC in June 2007. Prior to the transfer we had received no reliable information about its running costs and revenues.

The decision of Council to buy the building at 5 Church Street and become the landlord to its other tenants. There is no doubt that in the long term this will save the council significant sums of money. In the first year, however, as well as generating some new rental income for the council there would be costs involved with the initial purchase.

The agreement with Bucks CC to enter a partnership agreement for the better maintenance of highways and open spaces in the town.

A revised budget was passed by Council in August 2007, anticipating the final outcome to show expenditure around £72,000 ahead of income at 31 March 2008. The actual outcome was expenditure of £73,000 ahead of income. This shows that the Town Council has rapidly "got to grips" with the financial implications of its new responsibilities and is able to budget accurately for its new service commitments.

With the Cemetery transfer came a substantial transfer of balances from AVDC, a significant part of which has been invested in improvements to the Cemetery and provision for the expected demands on it from all sections of our community over the next few years. In addition we have been able to commit to investment in other important measures to benefit the town's environment, its economy and its residents, namely:

Planting and environmental work in key locations in central Aylesbury to enhance the appearance of the Town at a time when major redevelopment work might otherwise deter visitors and shoppers.

As a visible demonstration of our commitment to a more sustainable environment, the Town Council has undertaken investment in a number of measures to reduce the carbon footprint of 5 Church Street, including: new highly-efficient boilers, double glazed windows to conserve heat, and photovoltaic cells to generate electricity from sunlight. Nearly all of this expenditure has been funded by grants and interest-free loans but should significantly cut the running costs of the building for many years.

App No

Organisation

Purpose of Funding

Amount requested

01/07

Autumn Leaf Club

Grant to fund outing to Wickstead Park Show, lunch & tea

£455.00

02/07

Southcourt & Walton Court Community Project

A grant towards the cost of purchasing new equipment for the children to use during play sessions

£1,000.00

03/07

Future Inspirations

Funding to help towards funding a free family day on 26th July 2007

£1,000.00

05/07

Army Cadet Force

Funding to help fund a trip to Belgium where cadets will visit 1st & 2nd War Memorials and Ceremony at Menin Gate.

£1,000.00

07/07

Meadowcroft

Pre-School

Funding needed for extra equipment

£1,000.00

08/07

Thursday Morning

Club

Grant needed towards the cost of outing to

Museum of Kent Life.

£300.00

10/07

Aylesbury Community Partnership

Grant needed to set up Children’s cricket initiative. To help with the cost of employing tutors, hiring venues and coaches. Purchasing equipment

£1,000.00

11/07

Aylesbury Multicultural Centre

Funding needed to assist with a programme of events to commemorate the Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade

£1,000.00

12/07

Aylesbury Town Football Club Under 7’s

Funding needed for training equipment

£516.17

13/07

Vitalise

To help towards the cost of providing 21 care break weeks this year for disabled people in Aylesbury

£1,000.00

14/07

Prebendal Farm

Residents Group

To help towards funding a play station 3 and games to Prebendal Farm Youth Drop-in Centre

£275.00

15/07

Aylesbury Rollers – Blind Bowls Club

Funding is needed for transport to the Bowls Club for practise, matches and room hire

£1,000.00

16/07

St Edwards Catholic Junior School PTA

To help raise funds towards purchasing a seated shading to be used for children whilst eating their lunch, sitting and chatting and as an outdoor classroom

£1,000.00

17/07

3rd Aylesbury Scout Group

Funding needed to replace boiler, radiators and associated pipework

£1,000.00

20/07

Aylesbury Development Education Centre

Funds needed to help towards the running costs of a competition, for schools and community groups, in support of ‘One World Week’ which promotes peace, harmony and social justice

£1,000.00

21/07

Carers Bucks

Funding needed towards the cost of a social get together event for carers and a sea side day trip for the family carers.

£1,000.00

22/07

CHAT

Funding required to help fund a Christmas party for children attending Sue Nicholls Centre and the Wing Unit – a children’s respite care unit

£400.00

24/07

Aylesbury Play & Display

To fund an all day Cricket match event (retrospective) for the local community, for all ages and backgrounds

£600.00

25/07

Young Carers Bucks

To help fund a Christmas party for Young Carers and their families

£1,000.00

26/07

Space

A grant is needed towards the training of volunteers and staff. Space provides a listening service for people with relationship issues.

£1,000.00

27/07

Meadowcroft Pre-School

Grant needed to purchase more tables and chairs and extra multicultural equipment i.e books etc.

£1,000.00

28/07

Indian Cultural Society of Aylesbury (ICS)

Grant needed to help fund a celebrative event to be held next year with education workshops and an entertainment programme bringing a flavour of India to the community of Aylesbury

£1,000.00

29/07

TOFS

Grant needed towards purchasing new tables

And transport costs

£600.00

30/07

Thursday Morning Club

Towards the cost of an outing to the theatre at High Wycombe

£400.00

31/07

The Grange School PTA

To provide additional facilities & resources for student welfare

£1,000.00

32/07

Aylesbury Town Cricket Club

Grant needed towards improving the shower facilities at the club

£1,000.00

01/08

Queens Park Arts Centre

Funding needed towards staging a Textile Festival

£1,000.00

02/08

Autumn Leaf

Grant needed towards a theatre trip to High Wycombe Swan Theatre to see ‘South Pacific’

£486.00

03/08

Aylesbury & Buckingham Alzheimers Society

Funding to provide local services

£1,000.00

04/08

Ryder-Cheshire Volunteers

Grant needed to help in the support volunteers involved in ‘Leisure & Learning’ project

£1,000.00

05/07

Future Inspirations

To provide funding for a Community Fun Day

on 28 June 2008 Towards the cost of activities, hire of centre, marquees etc.

£1,000.00

06/07

Rotary Club

Funding towards the 10th Technology Tournament

£850.00

08/08

Open Door Community Church –

Drop In

Grant towards hiring of equipment, premises and facilities for a charity fun day in July

£500.00

09/08

MASKS

Grant towards the cost of purchasing sensory equipment at Booker School

£1,000.00

10/08

National Association of Widows

Grant needed towards a trip to Sulgrave Manor, the home of George Washington’s ancestors.

£315.00

They have overseen the current staff complement and the requisite remuneration for these posts within the Council.

The complement of office staff has remained static during the year, although two staff have changed their hours and we have recruited one staff member to fill a vacancy. Additional labour has been taken on to cope with services devolved to the Town Council by BCC. The Council offers two trainee positions: one administrative and one on the outdoor maintenance team. These positions have a set training programme. Other staff members are offered training relevant to their needs.

Appraisals are carried out annually and staff are given an opportunity to discuss their development needs or any issues with a senior member of staff.

The Council’s personnel policies have been reviewed and updated to comply with statutory requirements and to ensure the Council’s needs are met. Relevant new policies have been written and approved. Policies are reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that the Council is up to date with regulations.

The Council currently has a staff of 15. Morale is high, team spirit is generally excellent and all members of staff are enthused by the prospect of acquiring more assets and delivering excellent service to the residents of Aylesbury.

The last year has been very busy for the Planning and Licensing Committee. We have met 24 times, and considered over 600 planning applications, with some meetings extending beyond 9pm. We have responded to all general consultations from the AVDC, AVA and BCC on topics which would have any effect on Aylesbury. During the year the Town Council participated in public consultation by AVDC on the Local Development Framework – Core Strategy and Aylesbury Allocated Sites.

On major planning applications we have submitted detailed, mainly critical, comments and have often been represented at AVDC Development Control Committee. Our comments have in many cases led to better decisions being made, and as many town centre residential developments are now in the process of construction we can see how our contributions have improved the final outcomes. We commented on planning applications for major developments at the Gatehouse Quarter, Prebendal House, Aston Clinton Road Business Park, a second site adjacent to Stoke Mandeville Hospital, various phases of Weedon Hill, and sites on the Oxford Road – Big Hand Mo’s, and the former Territorial Army site.

We continue to be particularly watchful of developments for infill and back garden land. Also poorly-designed conversions of single houses into flats and/or bed-sitters have been resisted, and where planning legislation cannot control quality issues we have often referred proposals, exhibiting shortcomings regarding health and safety, building regulations and environmental health to other AVDC Officers. Where applications involved extensive car parking areas in front gardens, we have suggested rearrangement to provide hedges and tree planting to the street front and neighbouring boundaries.

We have continued to object to unsympathetic proposals for alterations to buildings in the town centre conservation area, inappropriate signage and to the further proliferation of take-aways in or near the town centre, particularly where the loss of shop premises was involved.

We also made detailed, mainly critical comments on the Warner Estates proposals for the Waterside development following two presentations to the Town Council. Similar views of the proposals were expressed by the Old Town Residents Association, the Aylesbury Society, and many residents of the town; and this has resulted in a rethink by the developer and AVDC. We look forward to the planning application for the redesigned Waterside.

The number of applications for licensing is now very few. We objected to the extension of licensing hours to 3am at a number of premises, but were unsuccessful, and longer hours were granted.

When this Council was created in 2002 Members spent time together clarifying their aims and objectives as a local authority. They created a vision statement in which they set out their goals for Aylesbury. Since that time we have built success upon success and I am pleased to report that we have already achieved many of our objectives. A new ‘Vision Day’ is to be held in June 2008 to take stock of our current situation and to set new targets for the future.

We have specifically achieved our aim of giving good value for money to our ratepayers. This year the Town Council can report, yet again, that it has received an excellent report from the Audit Commission, appointed by Government to oversee the financial affairs and business of town and parish councils.

The annual Government Audit is completely thorough and leaves no aspect of the Council’s work unexamined. Every penny spent has to be explained and accounted for. The fact that the Council has received an absolutely clean bill of health, without so much as one single recommendation for change, for the third year running, shows that we are developing in the right direction. If any of our asset acquisitions or service deliveries had not represented top value for our residents and ratepayers, the Audit would have highlighted this. As it is, our performance in all areas has been faultless.

Another of our stated aims was to acquire assets and deliver services. Last year we purchased the Town Hall and took ownership and management of the Cemetery. In the long term the purchase of the Town Hall will prove to have been an extremely sound investment for the residents of Aylesbury. With regard to the Cemetery, service delivery has been considerably improved and this has brought positive comments from users and other service agents alike.

This Council has further plans for expanding its portfolio of services. Early in 2007 Bucks County Council launched a consultative document entitled ‘A Better Future for Buckinghamshire’. This document contained proposals for closer working partnerships between the County Council and towns and villages in Buckinghamshire, and for smaller local authorities to take over some aspects of service delivery in their areas. Aylesbury Town Council welcomed this initiative and has entered into an agreement with the County Council to become responsible for minor repairs to pavements and kerbs, to fill small potholes, to remove graffiti from County property, to see that roadside vegetation is kept under control, to maintain shrub beds, to clean road signs and to keep rights of way clear of impediments. The agreement is already working very well and the Town Council has taken on more staff to cope with the extra work. It is hoped that Aylesbury residents will begin to see a real improvement in the appearance of the Town in the very near future.

In order to facilitate the continued expansion of its portfolio, at a Meeting of the full Council held Thursday 10 January 2008 Aylesbury Town Council decided its budget for the financial year April 2008 to April 2009. The increased cost to a ‘D’ band householder will be 20p per week.

The extra 20p will make it possible for the Town Council to double the total grants available for the local community. This will enable more of the voluntary groups and organisation who look after the very young, the elderly, the disabled and the disadvantaged to improve the quality of life for their constituents.

The environment in the Town will also benefit from this extra funding: a programme to enhance the quality of street furniture, particularly in Kingsbury and the Market Square, can now go ahead. Other Councils and business organisations have enthusiastically joined the Town Council in preparing for this year’s Britain in Bloom competition. The Town Council is increasing its funding to improve the quantity and quality of floral displays around the town, expanding beyond the Town Centre. In a jointly funded programme with Bucks County Council, more landscaping and environment work will be undertaken to renovate the Centre, and flower beds, shrubberies and gardens will all be spruced up. This, it is felt, will make the Town more attractive, and encourage shoppers and visitors from elsewhere to continue to come to Aylesbury at a time when, due to the extensive re-development, many areas in Town look like demolition sites and they might easily be put off.

More events are planned to supplement the highly successful series of entertainments regularly promoted by the Town Council. As well as being popular with Aylesbury residents, as our surveys show, these occasions bring economic benefits to Aylesbury with very large increases in footfall in the Town Centre when events are held. Plans for extra public entertainments for Christmas, a fortnight long Aylesbury Festival of the Arts and many more fun days can now move ahead.

The Town Council wants to play a full part in supporting the local economy to protect services, jobs and property values, and in ensuring that Aylesbury is seen to be a great place to live in, to work in and to visit. This year we intend to take a lead for the Town and encourage business and other organisations to support our community.

On 2 May 2007 ATC was advised that the building it rented was being auctioned on 21st May. AT that time ATC had signed a full repairing lease until 2020 and was paying £33,000 per annum, with rent reviews every five years. The rest of the building was leased out to a number of businesses and was generating a further £25,884 per annum. At the Annual meeting of the Town Council dated 11th May it was agreed that the Town Clerk pursue the purchase of the building. Potential for borrowing at commercial rates and through the Public Works Loan Board was explored and surveyors were instructed to provide basic building surveys and valuation reports. In tandem a business case was worked up. This included a survey of the local office market and the commercial property market in general. Potential cashflows and costs were projected and evaluated. A special council was convened and it was agreed that the Town Clerk could negotiate with the current owners to purchase the premises up to a price of £750,000. Eventually the owners agreed this purchase price and withdrew the property from auction. A down payment of £35,000 was paid and a loan of £715,000 obtained from the Public Works Loan Board at a fixed rate of 5% over 30.5 years. Purchase costs amounted to £37,000 which was mainly made up of £30,000 stamp duty. It is estimated that ATC will save approximately £1 million over the period of the loan.

Since purchase ATC accommodation has been reorganised and an additional office let to tenants for a further £6,500 per annum. The council chamber has been remodelled and redecorated and now provides a more usable space which is being utilised by a number of local organisations. The old Crittal windows have been replaced by double glazed units and the building brought up to current building regulation standards.

Most of the work on the building was carried out by the Council’s Direct Labour force at times when the men were unable to work outdoors because of seriously adverse weather. Also much of the material used (for eg, timber, light fittings etc) was recycled. This was therefore a very cost-effective exercise.

A major advance has been the installation of 60 solar panels on the roof of the Town Hall. The electricity generated from this installation should reduce energy bills by approximately 50% whilst earning a further £1,000 or so per annum from electricity put back into the National Grid. The planned installation of new boilers will reduce gas bills by around 30%. Further development of the building and improvement to its appearance will be put before the Council during 2008.

After much correspondence with Aylesbury Vale District Council, ATC finally took over the cemetery on June 1st 2007. Since that date significant improvements have been made. These have included the installation of a permanent yard with attendant storage, the building of new mausolea, the introduction of columbaria, new fencing and planting, new notice boards, new waste bins etc.

During the Summer and early Autumn of 2007 the weather provided many challenges in terms of maintenance. So much rain fell, and so often, that windows of opportunity to keep the grass under control were very limited. This problem was compounded by the need to also control grass and other vegetation growth on the six allotment sites maintained by the council. However, generally the Cemetery and the Allotments sites were kept in a good, attractive state of repair.

Shortly after the transfer of the Cemetery from AVDC to ATC is was discovered that the remaining area of unused land which AVDC had stated was to afford eight years burial space was in fact traversed by a watercourse. This meant that ground abutting to water course could not be used for burials and reduced future burial capacity to four years. ATC decided to call into use land at Tring Road adjoining the Cemetery which had been purchased by the then Borough Council during the 1930s specifically to provide room for an extension. The land had been used in the interim as non-statutory allotments. Some resistance to the change of use was offered by tenants and by the two principal Councils in Aylesbury but eventually a way forward was negotiated. At the time of writing however, since this matter has now been with AVDC for a number of months, ATC is considering appealing on the grounds of non-determination.

The contract to run Aylesbury Street Market is due to be available for tendering during late Summer or early Autumn 2008. Some research has been carried out as to the current condition of street markets. Nationally street markets are in decline and the number of active markets has dropped from around 1,500 to 1,100. According to traders interviewed takings have dropped to a worrying low. However there are some successes such as St Albans. From research undertaken Aylesbury Town Council would need to be very careful about accepting responsibility for Aylesbury Market.

The Town Council has maintained its funding programme for the installation, repair and servicing of dog hygiene bins through the Town. The Members recognised the continuing need for this facility and The Town Council currently provides more than 390 litter bins and the same number of dog hygiene bins.

During the year a fresh inventory was taken of litter bins in the Town Centre and the Council has replaced all but a few bins within the Aylesbury “Hub” good quality ‘Heritage’ bins which are felt to be more in keeping with the historic market town tradition of Aylesbury. There are a further 8 bins to install. Additional green bins have been installed in new sites where requested and existing damaged litter bins replaced .

The Town Council has 10 notice boards, one in each Ward at the following locations:

The notice board for Aylesbury Central is currently un-sited and a new location for the board is being pursued.

The notice boards have two separate, lockable, sides: local organisations are able to publicise their events, etc on the one side and the Town Council utilises the other for Notices, etc. An inspection revealed that all the notice-boards had suffered considerable wear and tear and they were felt to have deteriorated to the point where replacement was a more practical option that repair. These have now all been replaced with notice boards manufactured from recycled plastic. An additional notice board has been installed in Rowland Way. Notice boards have also been erected on all allotment sites. These are used mainly for allotment information but also to publicise ATC events.

The Town Council is now fully equipped to deliver a range of environmental and community services and to this end the Council has been in discussion with Bucks County Council and Aylesbury Vale District Council concerning potential devolution of services to the Town Council. This process is expected to accelerate during 2008-2009. The Council has adopted an Environmental Policy to resonate with the aspirations of the Principal Councils in making Aylesbury a greener and healthier place to live. The Council has obtained Quality Status to give the Council enhanced credence and increase the townspeople’s awareness and confidence in its work and worth. Members believe that local services are best, most efficiently, sensitively and cost effectively delivered by local people.

Apart from that, as before, every opportunity will be taken to seek representation on, and consultative rights with, other bodies and potential partners to better enable the Town Council to achieve and sustain its objectives. The Council will act to ensure that the townspeople’s wishes are respected in the implementation of the Local Development Framework and the Strategic Plans which govern the continuing development of Aylesbury. The Council will continue to encourage and buttress the efforts of voluntary and community groups in their contribution to the quality of life for Aylesbury’s diverse population.

Members will seek to promote the Town at every opportunity. They will encourage the local economy by holding public events and festivities in the Town Centre. They will contribute financially to the street entertainment provided by Aylesbury Vale District Council. They will underpin the success of all events by publicising the work of the Town Centre Management Partnership, through their quarterly magazine and their website, and through attracting visitors to the Town by the creation of an official Town Guide.

Aylesbury will once again will be entered in the “Thames and Chilterns in Bloom” regional heat of the Royal Horticultural society’s “Britain in Bloom” annual competition. This is to continue to develop civic pride and enhance Aylesbury’s attractiveness to visitors and potential investors, and increase the enjoyment for residents of their town.

The Council will celebrate the diversity of Aylesbury’s townspeople and will continue to work towards harmonious integration and equal opportunities for all.

Finally the Council will continue their efforts to enhance the contentment and quality of life in all its aspects for all residents through helping the work of the Principal Councils in their efforts to drive regeneration and sustainable development in Aylesbury.