Aylesbury Town Council

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Events for the next 31 days

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Headline: AYLESBURY OPEN GARDENS EVENING

Aylesbury Open Gardens Evening

Friday 11 July

4 Gardens open 6.30 p.m. – 9.00 p.m.

Entrance Ł5 including a glass of wine

Plant Tombola, plants for sale, book stall & publicity stall.

16 Milton Road

2 Spenser Road

7 Westminster Drive

13 Linden End

Buckinghamshire age concern

The Aylesbury Society

Headline: BIKE RIDE TO BOURG EN BRESSE

Bike ride to Bourg en Bresse

Nineteen year old Fred Clark set off to cycling nearly 700 miles from Aylesbury to Bourg-En-Bresse, our Twin Town, on April 18th, to raise money for Town Mayor Cllr Mrs Jenny Puddefoot’s charities: ‘Aylesbury Home-Start’ and ‘Crossroads’. On Friday evening he arrived sunburnt and tired and was escorted into the town by a group from the local Bourg cycling club to be met by the Aylesbury Mayor and by Mr Francois Debat the recently elected Mayor of Borg en Bresse. Fred brought with him a message from the mayor which he duly delivered. His route took him through Bolougne, Amiens, Paris (which Fred was scary), Sens, Avallon, Chalon Sur Saone, and finally to Bourg en Bresse.

Fred and his family and Cllr Jenny Puddefoot later that day attended a reception organised by the City Council to commemorate the occasion followed by a dinner arranged by the Convener of International Relations.

Cllr Jenny Puddefoot said “This is an amazing feat for such a young man. That he undertook on his own makes him something special and is a demonstration of what you can do if you put your mind to it and the will to carry it out”. She added “Bourg en Bresse have really taken Fred to their hearts and whoever I spoke to wanted to forge closer links with groups and residents of Aylesbury and other schools. It’s a really nice town with plenty of history and good places to eat and shop”.

Borg en Bresse is situated near to the Swiss border with France approximately a two hour journey from Geneva that has a population of approximately 45,000. Each year about 40 pupils of Aylesbury High School and Aylesbury Grammar School carry out an exchange with pupils and students from Borg.

Headline: COMMUNITY SPEED WATCH INITIATIVE

Aylesbury Community Speed Watch Initiative

Aylesbury Community Speed Watch Initiative will be launched on 4.00p.m. on Tuesday April 29th 2008. The aim of the initiative, led by Aylesbury Town Council, is to give residents of Aylesbury some control over speeding in their areas and to remind drivers, without imposing penalties of speed limits and their responsibilities.

Using a portable radar system purchased by Aylesbury Town Council local residents, residents associations, local councillors and PCSOs’ can measure the speed of on-coming vehicles. If the speed is excessive the registration number of the car is taken and the offender will receive a warning letter only advising them of their speed. No penalties will be issued using this system.

Cllr Willis, spokesperson for the Environment at Aylesbury Town Council said “This will give communities more power to control and measure speeding in their area. Using this system local resident group can collect evidence which can be given to the police to demonstrate certain areas of the town do suffer from speeding”.

Headline: THE WORK OF AYLESBURY TOWN COUNCIL

THE WORK OF AYLESBURY TOWN COUNCIL

The office receives numerous telephone calls from members of the public, both local and from outside the area, asking about items such as council tax, education, renting garages, housing, social services, etc.

Below is a list of some of the Town Council’s functions:

·         Management of six allotment sites (approximately 600 plots). The Council will hopefully have taken on the management of Bierton Road allotments at the time of publication of this magazine.

·         Management of Aylesbury Cemetery. The cemetery is running out of space, and the Town Council is currently planning to return Tring Road allotment to cemetery use.

·         Provision of dog litter bins

·         Provision of litter bins. Town Centre litter bins have been replaced with larger, more aesthetic ones. Help to keep Aylesbury clean by placing your litter in the bins provided.

·         Awards of small community grants. These must be projects that benefit members of the community, for example we could give a grant to a sports activity that will keep the youths off the streets, or to provide a bench that will benefit both the young and elderly residents.

·         Town Centre events. Events give vibrancy to the town, they support the local economy by bringing people into the town, and as the majority are free of charge, they enable those on low income to participate and gain a sense of belonging.

·         Civic Functions. These functions are about “pomp” and the Mayor of Aylesbury wears his/her civic wear and mayoral chain. Again these occasions are free to members of the public. Children love to see the mayor in his/her robe and chain, and these functions allow the Mayor to integrate will the people of Aylesbury.

·         Scrutinising Planning Applications. If you are unhappy planning issues, this is where you can do something about it. Let your Ward Councillor know of your concerns, or attend the Town Council Planning Committee meetings and express your concerns. The Town Council will pass on your concerns to the planning authority, Aylesbury Vale District Council.

·         Town Hanging Baskets. These are to make Aylesbury look beautify in order to attract tourists to come and spend their money in Aylesbury. This will keep the shopping centre vibrant and will hopefully help to prevent the town from dying.

·         Maintenance of six central roundabouts. We attract sponsors for roundabouts to keep them well planted and maintained, and go towards making Aylesbury a beautiful place to live and to see.

·         Servicing of the Town Council’s Committees and Working Groups. This is when Councillors meet to discuss business, make proposals and agree action plans for the current and coming years. The Town Council would like to see more members of the public in attendance at Town Council, Grants and Planning and Licensing meetings. Its meetings are open to everyone to attend. Come along to find out what is happening in the town, and see how decisions are made by Councillors on your behalf.

Headline: VEHICLE ACTIVATED SIGNS (VAS)

VEHICLE ACTIVATED SIGNS (VAS)

Speeding motorists are a danger on the roads. Speeding is often the major contributory factor in many serious and fatal road accidents.

Aylesbury Town Councillors are so concerned with the issue of speeding that it has set aside funds to install several vehicle-activated signs in the town. A number of sites where motorists speed, despite speed limit signs, have been identified by the Police, and it is hoped that they are suitable locations for the signs.

The approaching vehicle activates the sign (VAS), which displays a message when the speed limit is exceeded.

Cllr Mark Willis, who is actively involved in the scheme said “Many people unintentionally speed. This scheme is a way of reminding them of what the speed limit is in sensitive areas, such as around schools, without penalising the driver with points or a fine, and will contribute to increasing the safety of these areas”.

Headline: A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR AYLESBURY

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.

Cllr. Mike Smith, spokesperson for Finance said "Town Council Officers have worked hard to limit the growth in our office expenditure to enable more resource to be put into delivering improved quality and growth in all our areas of responsibility. The increase in the budget is about the price of a half pint of milk, that is, 20 pence per week to the average D band household , and offers excellent value for money."

Cllr. Steve Patrick, Leader for the Council says "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 budget will allow us to take a lead for the Town and encourage business and other organisations to support our community. "

Headline: PRESS RELEASE FRIDAY 11 JANUARY 2008



                                          PRESS RELEASE FRIDAY 11 JANUARY 2008

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 budget contains funding to enable the Town Council to double the total grants available for for local community. This will enable more voluntary groups and organisation to improve the quality of life for their constituents.

The environment in the Town will also benefit from 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 joint programme with Bucks County Council more environment work will be undertaken to renovate the Centre; and flower beds, shrubberies and gardens will be spruced up. This, it is felt, will make the Town look 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 taking place, they might be put off by a number of areas of Aylesbury being huge building sites.

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

Cllr. Mike Smith, spokesperson for Finance says "Town Council Officers have worked hard to limit the growth in our office expenditure to enable more resource to be put into delivering improved quality and growth in all our areas of responsibility. The increase in the budget is about the price of a half pint of milk, that is, 20 pence per week to the average D band household , and offers excellent value for money."

Cllr. Steve Patrick, Leader for the Council says "The Town Council wants to play a full part in ensuring that Aylesbury is seen to be a great place to live in, work in and visit. This budget will allow us to take a lead for the Town and encourage business and other organisations to support our community. "

Headline: CHEAPER TRAIN TRAVEL FOR BUS PASS HOLDERS

CHEAPER TRAIN TRAVEL FOR BUS PASS HOLDERS

An Aylesbury-based charity, the Thomas Hickman’s Charity, has made it possible for bus pass holders residing in the parish of Aylesbury to receive concessionary travel on the train service. The Charity has reached an agreement with Chiltern Railways to allow Aylesbury people with bus passes to use them to receive reduced railway fares.

If you are a bus pass holder and wish to travel by Chiltern Railway, this does not mean you have to give up your bus pass. In fact, it allows you to use it to receive 33 per cent off your travel. Some residents will be eligible for a “gold” sticker permit, which gives a 50 per cent discount.

Graham Aylett from the Thomas Hickman Charity explains: “A limited number of Aylesbury bus pass holders will be eligible for Chiltern ‘gold’ permits giving half fares. These are permits for Aylesbury town residents who have neither a motor vehicle nor a place at their home to keep one. Residents who are eligible for this will complete a special application form and will need to return it so they can receive certification, in order to receive a Chiltern Gold permit.

“All eligible bus pass holders in Aylesbury town can have a Chiltern “green” permit, for which you need no application form: simply give your name and address when first you buy your train ticket and a green sticker will be added to your bus pass.”

Further information can be obtained from Parrott & Coales, Solicitors, Bourbon Street, Aylesbury.

Headline: RESTORING AYLESBURY HERITAGE

Restoring Aylesbury’s Heritage

The Aylesbury Old Town Conservation Area, apart from being delightful to live in, is a one of the town’s jewels. Unknown to many who live in other areas of Aylesbury, it is a rare example of a community living very close to a town centre. And the pride local residents and businesses have in their properties and surroundings shows. Not only the residents themselves but the Hickman’s Trust who own a significant number of alms houses in the area, take pride.

This year a long outstanding project was also undertaken by Aylesbury Vale District Council. That is the complete restoration of St Mary’s churchyard wall and gates.

“Unfortunately not everyone who owns property in the town values the buildings and the historic resonance with the town” said Cllr Mark Willis. It was very sad to see the old Electricity Showrooms in Exchange Street and the Ship pub being earmarked for demolition. With the Ship gone there is no building left in Aylesbury that can be associated with the building of the canal.”

Headline: SPRING BULBS GO WILD

Spring bulbs go Wild

Over three weekends during September local groups and volunteers came out in droves to help plant thousands of spring bulbs in areas near to the entrances to the town. “It was a fantastic response” said Town Clerk Margaret Wagstaffe. “Both young and old approached the task with great gusto and energy. The ground was incredibly hard as it had not rained for over a month and eventually we had to bring in a mechanical digger to prepare some areas.”

Over 30,000 bulbs were planted by Aylesbury based Scouts, Guides, Brownies, St John’s Cadets, Rotary Club, Lions, Probation service, Town staff and the Aylesbury Society.

It is such a successful project that the Town Council has already pencilled in weekends in September 2008 with the intention of enlarging the planted areas

Headline: TRING RD CEMETERY FEES

When Aylesbury Town Council took over the management and administration of the Tring Road Cemetery on 01 June 2007 the fee structure was inherited from Aylesbury Vale District Council. This stated that anyone living outside the District Council boundary was required to pay double the regular fees.

The Town Council wants to hear your views on the way forward when new fees are introduced on 1 April 2008. The options are:

1)                  Double fees for residents outside the Town Council boundary.

2)                  Double fees for residents outside Aylesbury Vale District Council Area.

3)                  Double fees for residents outside the area which incorporates the Aylesbury Town Council area and immediate adjoining parishes. This would include Watermead, Coldharbour Farm, Stoke Mandeville & Bierton.

If you think that your Council should take into consideration long time residents who have moved outside of the area then let us know?

Remember that Cemetery costs are paid for by Aylesbury Town tax payers.

Let us know your views by writing to:

Town Council Events

FESTIVAL '08

Fesitval 2008 is a two week arts festival which is being held all around Aylesbury, from Saturday 5th July

to

Saturday 19th July.

For more information please click here or contact Aylesbury Town Council 01296 425 678

AYLESBURY TOWN COUNCIL’S GRANT PRESENTATION

TO THE GRANGE SCHOOL (Garden Project)

The Grange School are setting up a new initiative to provide a student support centre for vulnerable children.

They are developing the sizeable garden adjacent to the old Caretakers house and are starting a Garden Club for14-15 yr olds. Funding is needed to supply a shed to store equipment and to purchase seeds and fertilizer.

On 21st May Ł1,000 a cheque presentation was made by Cllr Mark Willis, Chairman of the Grants Committee at Aylesbury Town Council. He said “This is a great project to help bring into a town school the world of horticulture and respect for the wider environment”.

This week ATC’s own ground force moved in and cleared the overgrown garden which had been left to its own devices for a number of years, clearing trees, briars and stinging nettles. “I was very impressed by our lads” said Cllr Willis “They worked hard throughout two very hot day and finished when they said they would. The school is delighted with the results”.

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