Pitstone Volunteers of the Year 2021

We received so many nominations for volunteer of the year this year, and it was such an exceptional year, that the parish council resolved to award ‘Volunteer of the Year’ to two people.  Both these people received numerous nominations each:

Geoff Bratt, Volunteer of the Year 2021
Linda Howarth, Volunteer of the Year 2021

Geoff Bratt is our main local Community First Responder.  This means he volunteers for the ambulance service, and if Geoff happens to be on call when your 999 call is made, it is likely to be Geoff who is sent to provide immediate assistance until the ambulance can reach us.  Those extra minutes can make all the different in life-and-death situations.  Between October and December alone, Geoff undertook nearly 200 hours of voluntary service as a Community First Responder for our villages.   During the coronavirus pandemic, when most of us where avoiding close contact, Geoff was actively having to go into known covid infection areas to provide much needed assistance to our residents.

Many of you will already know Linda Howarth from the community events she organises at Halloween, for the Freecycle weekend and on behalf of Windmill Pre-School.  She has also been busy helping the pre-school to clear and prepare their new premises (they have been able to take over the adjoining old Children’s Centre to increase pre-school capacity) as well as volunteering at the pre-school on a regular basis.

The parish council would like to congratulate both our winners, each of whom received a framed certificate and £50 cheque at individual, socially distanced presentations at Pitstone Pavilion.   We also extend our sincere thanks to both individuals for all their hard work and support of our community.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to send in a nomination.  If your nominee wasn’t successful on this occasion, do consider nominating them for the 2022 Volunteer of the Year.  Nominations for anyone who has undertaken voluntary work that has made a real difference for the residents of Pitstone, can be submitted at any time between now and January 2022 by emailing parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk or writing to Pitstone Parish Council, Pitstone Pavilion, Marsworth Road, Pitstone, LU7 9AP.

New Look Pitstone Youth Cafe re-opening Wed 19 May 2021

Our plan is to re-open the youth café (for school years 7 and above) on Wednesday 19 May.  We have needed to put some changes into place to make sure it is covid secure, so please read on:

  • Pitstone Youth Café will currently be operating from Pitstone Pavilion (not Brookmead School).  The Pavilion is located on Marsworth Road, opposite the junction with Westfield Road.  There is vehicular access for those children that need dropping off/collecting.  It is also connected to the footpath and cycle path networks (please be careful in the car park, as our football pitches may also be in operation on the same night, so there may be other vehicles etc at the site).  We have relocated most of our equipment down to this site.
  • We can only have 15 young people per session, so anyone wishing to attend will have to book in advance.  We are very sorry, but if you have not booked, you will not be admitted. 
  • Session times will also need to be reduced, so that we can operate one bubble of 15 young people from 6.30pm to 7.15pm, then break for a full clean of our space, followed by a second bubble of 15 young people from 7.30pm to 8.15pm.   
  • The cost will be reduced to £1 to session, to reflect the shorter time.
  • Activities will be mainly outdoors unless the weather is too poor so please make sure you come suitably dressed.  Our Café Manager has made 4 new skate ramps for the young people to try, so bring your helmets.
  • There will be no tuck shop at present.

We appreciate that this may not be ideal, but the youth café would normally have had between 30 and 40 attendees per week, and to keep everyone safe we must operate within the government guidelines in place at the time.  As the covid restrictions ease, we will continue to review our operating processes and let you all know if there are any changes.

How do you book?

  • Anyone who has already re-registered with the youth café should receive an email communication from the café manager.
  • If you have not re-registered onto the new system, please register via this link:  http://youthcafe.pitstone.co.uk/register/
  • If you want to find out more above the youth café, please click here: http://youthcafe.pitstone.co.uk/
  • To book your session, please email youth.cafe@me.com with the date, session time, and  name of child
  • Please try to stick to a regular session time, so that we can keep the children in each bubble consistent
  • The café manager will contact anyone who has booked a session if any changes are required to follow guidance in place at the time, for instance if café has temporarily to cease.
  • If you need to contact the Cafe Manager for any reason, you can call 07977 926596.

On the day:

  • Please only come to the café session that you have booked.
  • Please only come to café if your child has tested negative for covid on their twice weekly lateral flow test and is not displaying any symptoms of Coronavirus.  If your child is unwell, please do not come to café.  Anyone with a raised temperature will be sent home.
  • Your child should also not attend if they have been in close contact with anyone with Covid symptoms, nor if they have been contacted by Track-and-Trace.
  • Please make sure your child has a face mask and brings any food or drink they require.
  • Please drop off and collect promptly, so that the bubbles do not mix.
  • Please bring £1 in correct change to reduce the cross handling of coins.

Covid safety:

  • Our volunteers and staff will be kept as consistent as possible and will only attend if they display no Covid symptoms.  We encourage all volunteers and staff to carry out twice weekly lateral flow tests.
  • Hand sanitizer will be available and your child may have to apply sanitizer or wear gloves before/during an activity (depending on the activity).  Your child may need to wear a face covering indoors.
  • Surfaces likely to have been touched will be cleaned at the end of each session eg door handles, taps etc.
  • There will be no tuck shop at the moment.
  • Just like when they are at school, your child should avoid sharing any items with other children.
  • We will keep a register of those attending each session for track-and-trace purposes and may need to provide your information to the government for these purposes.

Keeping up to date:

  • Please like our Facebook page(s) – Pitstone Parish Council and Pitstone Youth
  • Follow our Twitter feed
  • Register via the link above
  • We’ll post updates to keep you informed of any changes in Government guidelines etc.

We look forward to seeing all the familiar faces back at café again, after such a long-enforced break, as well as welcoming new members.   Later in the summer term we’ll review if we have the capacity and ability to offer sessions to the year 6 leavers.

Cafe operates during term times only, so proposed dates for the remainder of the school year are:

  • 19 & 26 May
  • 9, 16, 23 & 30 June
  • 7 & 14 July

The ongoing saga of Westfield Road

Having seen the two new lamp posts installed and connected on Westfield Road, we were sad to find out yesterday (from a resident) that they were being removed and relocated.

Buckinghamshire Council (BC) has confirmed that unfortunately the columns were incorrectly installed by the contractor and they were aware that the re-work was required (although they didn’t know that it had been scheduled). The information from BC reads as follows:

  1. “It is the contractor that is having to move the columns not BC (or TW).
  2. The contractor did not adhere to the detail of the order they were given and installed the lamp columns too far apart.
  3. The overall distance covered by the new columns was around 91 metres rather than 70 metres as agreed, so could not be accepted.
  4. The costs of the new columns are being picked up by Taylor Wimpey and the changes are to be covered by the contractor, who owned up to having made the mistake. There is, therefore, no cost whatsoever to the taxpayer.”

It is frustrating that having been installed, the columns couldn’t remain in those locations (ie nearer the gate than anticipated) and just as frustrating that Buckinghamshire Council didn’t engage with the parish council and residents to let us know in advance what was happening.

Buckinghamshire Council confirms that their proposed installation plans have not changed and that they will be delivering to the previously advised specification.

Work commences on Westfield Road

Buckinghamshire Council advise that work has commenced on Westfield Road in preparation for installing the additional street light columns. These works are anticipated to take a few weeks to account for trenching, installation, cabling and connections.

We are advised that once installation is complete, Taylor Wimpey will move the existing speed limit signs whilst they await supply of the larger, with yellow backing, signs (which will follow once available).

Buckinghamshire Council advises that the remainder of the features, such as the 30 roundels and dragons teeth markings, will follow in the summer, when road marking works are generally carried out.

We continue to feed any comments received from residents through to Buckinghamshire Council.

Notice of Uncontested Election

Please click below to access the Notice of Uncontested Election for Election of Parish Councillors for Pitstone.

Elected members will take up their seats at the Annual Meeting of the Council on 20 May 2021.

10 seats have been filled, which leaves 1 seat vacant. The Parish Council will seek to fill this vacancy via co-option, details will be available in due course. Please do contact the parish clerk if you may be interested in joining the council.

Want to join our list of ‘approved contractors’?

There are often lots of little jobs that need undertaking at parish council property to ensure that everything remains safe for residents to use and in good condition.

This might be :

  • minor electrical works such PAT testing our youth cafe and pavilion equipment
  • undertaking playground equipment & bench repairs in any of our play spaces
  • minor tree and/or shrub works
  • repairing or replacing fences or gates
  • repairing or installing litter and dog bins
  • minor remedial works such as putting up signs or repairing equipment
  • addressing minor ground works such as worn surfaces
  • moving our mVAS equipment around the village, downloading the data and forwarding to the parish clerk
  • etc

The parish council wishes to form a list of ‘approved contractors’ that are registered with us to undertake any of the above type of work, if and when the need arises. Your services may be required at short notice, for instance if a fault develops with an item of play equipment it will need to be addressed immediately.

Interested contractors will also need to possess £5m public liability insurance, be able to demonstrate their competence in their chosen field eg be accredited to the right trade organisations and be able to provide references that the parish council can follow up.

So if you are a local electrician, ground worker, builder, plumber etc and would like to be considered by the parish council when works arise, please do send your company details, proof of insurance/competence and reference information to parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk, along with details of any hourly rates (or day rates) that you charge for the work you undertake to assist our decision making process.

Are you a local business interested in sponsoring the Westfield Road roundabout?

https://www.marketingforce.co.uk/buckinghamshire.html

A company called Marketing Force handle all the roundabout sponsorships for Buckinghamshire Council. Your company gets their name, logo and message on signage at each approach to the roundabout. In return, Marketing Force then take over the upkeep of the roundabout planting/grass from Transport for Bucks.

They are now offering the opportunity to sponsor the roundabout at the junction of Westfield Road/Northfield Road/Upper Icknield Way. This provides an opportunity for one local business to raise awareness of their services to traffic that passes the edge of the village.

Please click the above link to visit the Marketing Force website and find out more information.

10 free Home Wellbeing Packs

Home Wellbeing Pack

The Buckinghamshire Council Wing & Ivinghoe Community Board have provided the parish council with 10 x canvas tote bags containing leaflets on ways to improve your wellbeing and exercises you can do from home, an Active at Home booklet, 10 Today short ten-minute DVD routines to get you stretching & moving and a 10 Today audio CD of short ten-minute routines.

The packs & exercises were developed to support older people and those that have been shielding to be more active and healthy at home.

If you, or someone you know in the village, would like to receive one of our 10 free packs please telephone the parish clerk on 01296 767261 (please don’t leave your home address on any social media posts).

We only have 10, so please contact us as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Thank you.

Latest update on Westfield Road (1-4-21)

Please find below the extracts from the draft minutes (minutes do not record a full transcript of the discussions) of the parish council meeting held on 25-3-21 relating to Westfield Road. The full set of draft minutes will be published in due course once they are completed.

Please do continue to let us know your views about the intended Buckinghamshire Council solution, whether you are supportive of the decisions they have made (following the site visit by their road safety/highways/police team) or whether you have ongoing concerns. Whilst BC are not consulting with us on their proposals, we will continue to pass your feedback to them so that they are aware of the strength & perspectives of local opinion. You can comment via any of our social media channels or email parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk.

As BC are unable to move the signs from their current location until the lamp posts are installed we will concurrently continue to push them to get their stated proposed works undertaken as soon as possible.

See the notes below regarding mVAS monitoring of traffic at this location to help us get some comparative data.

  • Recap on Westfield Road speed change: TW/BC have indicated their intention to install 2 additional lighting columns on Westfield Road to extend the illumination approximately half-way towards the gate, to relocate the 30/60mph point to align with the new columns (approximately in line with the existing badger sign), install bigger (legal 30mph) signs with yellow background, paint a 30mph roundel in carriageway and paint dragon’s teeth in carriageway approaching the 30mph limit.   The village gates to remain in current position and BC yet to confirm if TW will be repainting.   Once installed BC will provide rubber strip vehicle monitoring across the carriageway.  If monitoring shows an ongoing issue with traffic speeds, BC Community Board will set up a dedicated sub-group to explore further potential measures if required.
  • BC have advised that the above lamp posts are now in stock and that orders have been placed for the works to be carried out however BC could not confirm implementation dates.
  • BC (on 1/3/21) and TW (on 25/3/21) approved the temporary positioning of an mVAS to capture data from the Warwick Road junction.   This location does not meet the criteria for a permanently approved mVAS location and therefore can only be utilised in the short term.  It was noted that it was not permissible to have 2 flashing mVAS on one road and it was also noted that the mVAS could not be positioned so that data was collected from outside the 30mph zone.
  • It was noted that the parish council has now obtained lamp post fixing brackets from Swarco (£38 + VAT) which will enable temporary location on a post, without the need for a fixed ground-screw socket (which would not be approved at this location).
  • It was RESOLVED to temporarily relocate the other village mVAS to Westfield Road to capture data from the Warwick Road junction.  Flash to be deactivated.  Existing Westfield Road mVAS to remain in current location.   This will enable a comparison of vehicle behaviour at the Warwick Road junction and that further along Westfield Road, plus enable a comparison of current vehicle behaviour at the junction vs that displayed once the Buckinghamshire Council measures are installed.
  • It was RESOLVED to collect an update of data from the existing Westfield Road mVAS and publish the report to the website.  Data can then be collected from both Westfield Road mVAS units for the same following period, and residents updated accordingly in due course.
  • Members of the public were granted permission to speak relating to this issue.  A resident asked if the mVAS could be placed to monitor outgoing traffic as well.  It was explained that the current reported problems were focused on incoming traffic speeds, so this needed to be the initial priority.
  • The resident advised that they had registered formal complaints with both Thames Valley Police and Buckinghamshire Council regarding their handling of the situation.
  • The resident advised that some residents had ongoing concerns that the 30mph signs were not being relocated back as far as the gate and they did not accept the solution being implemented by Buckinghamshire Council.  They expressed concern that if vehicles crossed into the 30mph zone whilst still travelling at 60mph there may be insufficient braking distance prior to the junction.  They want BC to illuminate out to the gate and relocate the 30mph to this location. The concerns were noted.  
  • PPC to continue to liaise with, and feed concerns through to BC.

Seeking suitably qualified contractors to design and build a concrete skate park in Pitstone

The parish council has secured land and funding for a concrete skate park in Pitstone. The skate park will sit between the play space and the multi-use ball games court on the recreation ground off Vicarage Road.

Interested suppliers: Please find attached the Contract Notice with full details of the requirements. Please ensure your tender is submitted by 5pm on 13 May 2021.

Interested users: The Contract Notice includes a list of skate park features that users have previously identified as potentially being desirable in our local skate park. Suppliers will use this information when putting forward their designs based on the available space, ground conditions, budget, challenge, location, safe flow of users etc. Once initial designs are received, there will be a public consultation event so that all users have an opportunity to get involved in the design and selection of your skate park. Please make sure you look out for further updates on our website, Facebook page, Twitter feed and noticeboards.

Westfield Road update 8-3-2021

The information issued by Buckinghamshire Council following their dedicated Westfield Road meeting is replicated below:

Good Afternoon,

Thank you for attending the meeting held on 23rd February 2021 with regard to Westfield Road, and thank you also for your comments and for taking the time to feedback your concerns.

As promised, we have attached the presentation and answers to pre-submitted questions, along with answers for questions raised at the meeting. A full recording of the meeting will also be available in the next 48 hours.

To view please follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/c/BuckinghamshireCouncil/videos  

We hope you found the meeting informative with regards to the work that the Council is undertaking to remedy the situation and address resident concerns in line with legislative and regulatory requirements.

Thank you again for raising issues important to your local community, and thank you for your patience and understanding while we work to resolve them.

Kind Regards,

Katrina Kelly

Community Board Co-Ordinator for the Wing and Ivinghoe board

Localities & Strategic Partnerships Service Directorate

Buckinghamshire Council

Extract from the Parish Council draft minutes of the meeting held on 25-2-2021:

Buckinghamshire Council held two public meetings on 4 and 23 February 2021 to discuss the changes at Westfield Road.

Cllr Nicholls provided a summary on the latest information from Buckinghamshire Council along with legal details obtained by the Parish Council:

  • The Department for Transport provides guidance documents for councils to use when setting speed limits and installing signage. Although this is issued as guidance it carries a lot of legal weight and councils choosing to ignore it may face legal challenges and be made to defend their decisions in court.
  • The speed of a road is determined by the street scene / built environment and the signage must be installed to reflect this.
  • The signs had been incorrectly installed by TW many years ago.  Now that the Highways Authority have reviewed the road, they are legally obliged to remove any incorrect signage.  The parish council has checked this legal position and found it to be correct.
  • The signage installed at present is legal.  The signs cannot be relocated back to the gates, as this would make it illegal.  See above point.
  • Buckinghamshire Council has listened to the concerns raised by the Parish Council and residents and have agreed to install two additional lamp posts within the area of land where housing is set back (as part of the adoptions process).  This would mean this additional stretch (out to the approximate location of the badger sign) could be classified as a restricted road and therefore legally marked as 30mph.  This could be undertaken within the next 4-8 weeks (partly dependent upon connection lead times from UK Power Networks) and would also enable the signage to be relocated to this new point once the lights are in situ.
  • The 30mph sign currently installed will be replaced with larger signage on yellow background.   The gates will remain in situ and will not be moved to the new 30mph location.
  • Buckinghamshire Council has listened to the Parish Council’s request for additional measures as part of the adoptions process and agreed to install painted dragons’ teeth and 30mph roundels in the carriageway as countdown markers and to increase prominence. 
  • The proposed solution will provide drivers with a series of visual cues as they enter the residential section of Westfield Road (dragons teeth, gate, roundel, signage & lamp posts) vs the previous single point of 30mph sign on the gate which residents had previously advised was ineffective at reducing speeds.
  • Buckinghamshire Council has listened to the Parish Council’s request for them to prove whether their proposals are effective and agreed to install monitoring rubber strips across the carriageway once their proposed solution is installed.  This will provide accurate data about the speed of vehicles entering the residential zone.
  • Buckinghamshire Council has listened to the Parish Council’s request for potential additional speed mitigation measures for Westfield Road and offered to create a dedicated Community Board Subgroup to investigate options, should the above solution prove not to be effective.   NB This will not form part of the adoptions process.
  • A TRO (Traffic Regulation Order), if Buckinghamshire Council could be persuaded to apply for one, would take 12-18 months for formal consultation and holds no guarantees that the statutory consultees (e.g., Thames Valley Police and Road Haulage Association) would approve.
  • Residents were granted permission to speak relating to this issue. Mr Phillips expressed his ongoing concerns that the 30mph signs were not being relocated back to the gate. No other residents wished to speak relating to this matter.
  • It was RESOLVED to seek further clarification from Buckinghamshire Council on why further streetlights could not be installed right out to the gate and this will be passed to residents in due course.
  • It was noted that Buckinghamshire Council will provide a recording of the public meeting held on 23 February 2021 and a document detailing all the questions raised with their corresponding answers.  These will also be made available to residents in due course.
  • Three members of the public departed the meeting during the Westfield Road discussion.  One member of the public joined the meeting & then left again.

mVAS

  • The mVAS report 18/1/21 to 22/2/21 was discussed.  85th percentile = 34.8mph.  Average speed 29.6mph.  Following a request from a member of the public, it was RESOLVED to publish this report on the website.
  • The Parish Council has already lodged enquiries with Buckinghamshire Council regarding the possibility of a temporary mVAS location closer to the Warwick Road junction, and whether they might be willing to waive the normal site visit and application fees.  Response awaited.

Update note: the response to the question about street lighting out to the gate has been responded to by Buckinghamshire Council within the attached document.

Buckinghamshire Council confirmed at their meeting on 23-2-21 that they had placed the orders for the required works.

Thinking of standing for election in May 2021?

Do you have approximately 3 hours + a week spare to volunteer as a parish councillor in Pitstone? (this is an unpaid role). To find out more about what powers are vested in parish councils (such as playgrounds, youth work and allotments), what sort of projects we liaise with Buckinghamshire or Hertfordshire Council on (where powers are vested in that tier of Government, such as highways or education) and the charities that the parish council is trustee of, please visit this link: https://pitstone.co.uk/ppcnews/calling-all-community-heroes-become-a-parish-councillor-elections-in-may-2021/

To express an interest in joining Pitstone Parish Council, please contact the parish clerk on parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk and we will provide a full information pack for you. We anticipate the Notice of Election being issued by Buckinghamshire Council on 22 March and candidates will need to submit their nominations to The Gatehouse in Aylesbury by 8 April 2021.

If you would like to find out more about the nomination & election process for candidates, Buckinghamshire Council are holding a Teams briefing for candidates on 10 March at 4pm, details below:

Following the Government’s postponement of last year’s May elections due to the COVID pandemic, the Government has now confirmed that elections will take place on 6 May 2021. Within Buckinghamshire, polls for the Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner, Buckinghamshire Council and Town & Parish Councils will take place on 6 May. There will also be two Neighbourhood Planning Referendums taking place on that day also. One for Ickford and another for Great and Little Kimble-cum-Marsh.  

Briefings for candidates & agents have now been set up by the (Local) Returning Officer. To make these as accessible and COVID secure as possible the briefings will take place virtually via Teams. This is the same platform that the Council has successfully used for virtual Council meetings. The link to join the meeting as at the bottom of this email. A guide for joining a Teams meeting is available here.   These briefings will provide for a presentation on the election timetable, nominations process, current planned verification and count arrangements, and general rules that will apply to the election, and will also include key changes to this year’s elections necessary to ensure the election is carried out in a COVID secure way. This will also include changes recently announced by the Government on the nominations process. It is anticipated that this will take a maximum of one hour.  

The Council now has a single electoral registration team. Due to the scale of the 6 May elections in Buckinghamshire, and to facilitate the COVID secure delivery of elections, the elections will be administered via three election area offices. The Buckinghamshire Council Unitary wards and Town & Parish Councils within the former Wycombe area will be administered by the Wycombe area office (Queen Victoria Road). The Buckinghamshire Council Unitary wards and Town & Parish Councils within the former Aylesbury Vale area will be administered by the Aylesbury area office (The Gateway). The Buckinghamshire Council Unitary Wards and Town & Parish Councils within the former Chiltern & South Bucks area will be administered by the Amersham area office (King George V House).   To this end, candidate & agents briefings have been set up for each of the three areas and candidates & agents are asked to attend a briefing that relates to the Ward that they will be standing in. You only need to attend one briefing.  

The following Wards for the Buckinghamshire Council election will be administered within the Aylesbury Vale Area Election Office (The Gateway, Gatehouse Road, Aylesbury HP19 8FF):   Aston Clinton & Bierton Aylesbury East Aylesbury North Aylesbury North West Aylesbury South East Aylesbury South West Aylesbury West Bernwood Buckingham East Buckingham West Great Brickhill Grendon Underwood Ivinghoe Stone & Waddesdon Wendover Halton & Stoke Mandeville Wing Winslow   The Briefing for these Wards will take place on: Wednesday 10 March 4pm   Microsoft Teams meeting Join on your computer or mobile appClick here to join the meetingOr call in (audio only)+44 1296 794005,,14112299#   United Kingdom, Aylesbury Phone Conference ID: 141 122 99# Find a local number | Reset PIN   Should you have any questions or queries on these Wards or the Briefings, the electoral registration team can be contacted at: elections@buckinghamshire.gov.uk; or 01494 421180 / 01895 837236 / 01296 585701

£1,486 Grant Awarded to Windmill Pre School

At the February 2021 council meeting, the Parish Council was delighted to award a grant of £1,486 to Windmill Pre School, who have been able to take out a lease on the adjoining building (previously the Children’s Centre) and thus expand the pre school capacity and offering available for local families.

The funds will be utilised, alongside monies raised by the pre school fundraising initiatives, to purchase outdoor equipment to provide an outdoor classroom and sensory area, which will benefit all young attendees and is especially important for those with special needs.

The council was delighted to be able to support the pre school with this initiative and to hear that the old Children’s Centre will be re-utilised to expand the local early years provision.

If your local community group could benefit from a grant, please see our Grant Awarding Policy available here: https://pitstone.co.uk/ppcinfo/grant-policy/

Buckinghamshire Council meeting re Westfield Road 23-2-21

For any residents that are interested in attending the Buckinghamshire Council meeting regarding Westfield Road, please find below details of the dedicated meeting that they have arranged and information about how you can take part.

At the Wing & Ivinghoe Transport Subgroup meeting on 4th February a commitment was made to hold a further meeting on Westfield Road. Attached, for convenience is the previously circulated briefing provided by the Cabinet Member for Transport, setting out the Council’s position.  

The meeting will take place on Tuesday 23rd February at 11am. If you would like to attend please follow this link to book your place: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/westfield-road-pitstone-allocated-meeting-tickets-141837233985

Once registered, the ticket that you receive will have a link to the meeting attached. Do not click the link until the specified time of the meeting.

The agenda for the meeting will be:

  1. Presentation on Westfield Road
  2. Pre-submitted questions
  3. Any other questions (subject to time)

Please could we request that any questions are submitted to: wingandivinghoecb@buckinghamshire.gov.uk  by 7pm on Thursday 18th February. This will allow for officers to prepare responses accordingly.

Thank you again for raising issues important to your local community, and thank you for your patience while we work to resolve them.

Katrina Kelly

Community Board Co-Ordinator for the Wing and Ivinghoe board

Localities & Strategic Partnerships Service Directorate

Buckinghamshire Council

01296 383970

07917 210597

Katrina.Kelly@buckinghamshire.gov.uk

Buckinghamshire Council Community Board Health & Wellbeing Subgroup

The attached document was first issued when the Community Boards were set up by Buckinghamshire Council last June, as some background info that could help shape the activity of the Health and Wellbeing subgroup. That subgroup is planning a ‘Fun, Food and Fitness Fair’ and working with groups like Active Bucks.

The parish council is working to address some of the issues raised via investment in play equipment, the skate park and multi-use ball games court to encourage freely available fitness & activity; we support the foodbank for those struggling with food deprivation; we host Active Bucks events (when Covid restrictions permit); will be setting up activities for the new community space at the pavilion; provide support for local football, cricket & netball; provide allotments to encourage self provision & active gardening and provide youth services (when Covid restrictions permit).

The community board subgroup still has funds available for relevant local projects. Residents are welcome to attend the Community Board meetings, so if there are other local initiatives that fall within the Health & Wellbeing remit, you are welcome to either attend the sub-group meetings in person or provide your feedback to the parish council so that we can take forward ideas on your behalf.

If you would be interested in any of the initiatives listed, or have other ideas, we would love to hear from you so do get in touch (email: parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk, tel: 01296 767261)

You can find out more information about the Community Boards here: https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/community-and-safety/improving-your-local-community/wing-ivinghoe-community-board/

The Community Board advertise their forthcoming meetings here: https://www.facebook.com/Wing-and-Ivinghoe-Community-Board-104964671378244

Westfield Road update from the Community Board (9-2-21)

*Sent on behalf of Anne Wight, Chairman Wing & Ivinghoe Community Board*

Dear All,

I would like to thank you all very much for attending the Wing & Ivinghoe Transport Subgroup meeting on 4th February, and especially for highlighting the issues and concerns regarding Westfield Road in Pitstone. I want to reassure you all that we are very much aware of how important this issue is for local residents.

I have attached for convenience the previously circulated briefing which addresses some of the issues raised, but fully accept that it will be helpful to explain and explore this issue in more detail.

I apologise for the fact that we had underestimated the amount of time it might take to deal with this issue in full, given that we had thought a brief presentation from the officers as to proposed solutions might be possible at the WICB Transport Subgroup meeting. I appreciate that in retrospect, it would have been better to have set up a separate meeting to make sure we were able to cover all questions and issues, and would therefore like to convene a dedicated meeting to clearly communicate what the Council is doing to remedy the situation and to address questions raised by councillors and residents with more time and in a more structured manner.

Since the meeting we have received a number of questions, views and suggestions. We would like to consider and answer these points fully, providing considered and comprehensive answers, ensuring these are in line with road safety requirements and the appropriate legislation. 

With that in mind, we are looking to convene a meeting on Westfield Road for the week commencing 22nd February. We will circulate the time and date as soon as we have been able to confirm diary arrangements to ensure that officers of the appropriate seniority and with suitable technical knowledge are able to attend.

Thank you again for raising issues important to your local community. I would also like to thank you personally for your patience and understanding while we work to resolve them. We very much look forward to seeing you again soon, so that we might look at ways to take your concerns forward together and find workable solutions to the issues you raised.

Kind regards,

Councillor Anne Wight

Councillor for Ivinghoe Ward

Buckinghamshire Council

Anne.Wight@buckinghamshire.gov.uk

Update on Westfield Road speed limits (3-2-21)

The sudden change in location of the speed limit signs was discussed at the parish council meeting on 28 January 2021, extract from the draft minutes below:

It was noted that as part of the adoptions process between Buckinghamshire Council and Taylor Wimpey that the 30/60mph commencement point had been moved from the white gates to the junction of Warwick Road.   It has been raised to both BC Highways Development Management (adoptions) and the Community Board as being unacceptable to double the speed limit, especially without consultation, and to locate the new point so close to the Warwick Road junction.

Having initially stated that no changes could be made, it was noted that Highways DM were now reviewing what measures they could put into place, that would be DfT compliant and that would enable the 30/60mph start point to move back closer to the gates.  The details of this, and the timescale, were as yet unknown as Highways DM continued to negotiate with Taylor Wimpey and explore options with contractors.

It was noted that the parish council had asked for additional speed mitigation measures to be considered as part of the review process, such as 30mph paint markings in the highway at the point of change in speed limit and countdown markers painted in the road on the approach to the gates.  To provide as many visual prompts for traffic to slow as were permitted.

It was also noted that the parish council had requested a full breakdown of potential speed mitigation measures for Westfield Road that may either be considered as part of the adoptions process or possibly able to be taken forward through the Community Board.  A brief response to this from Highways DM was shared at the meeting.  It was RESOLVED to seek permission to publish this information on the website, along with the anticipated statement from Highways DM on what remedial works they plan to reverse the 30/60mph relocation.

The 4 residents in attendance with an interest in this issue spoke about their concerns relating to the change in location and their desire for the signs to be returned to the original location whilst the remedial works were considered.   The parish council has been told on numerous occasions by Highways DM that TVP will not approve their relocation back to the original position, nor for them to be covered over in their current location.

Buckinghamshire Councillor Town confirmed that he was also opposed to the sudden change in location.

It was RESOLVED that the parish council would continue to push Highways DM for a resolution via the adoptions process.   It was RESOLVED to seek further information relating to a TRO.  It was also noted that the parish council had requested this be tabled on the Community Board Transport Subgroup meeting (supported by BC Derek Town and Co-ordinator Peter Brazier) and noted that Highways DM had been asked to attend that meeting next week.  Cllr Saintey is in attendance on behalf of Pitstone Parish Council.  Residents are welcome to attend.

Buckinghamshire Council (BC) and Thames Valley Police (TVP) have now conducted a thorough review of the speed changes that were implemented at end of Westfield Road. We are pleased that they have now put into place some remedial works which will see the 30/60mph zone moved a further 70m back towards the original position at the white gates and further away from the Warwick Road junction (now 80-85m from the junction). Full details are available in the transcript of the email issued by Buckinghamshire Council below. A copy of this communication will also be issued by BC direct to residents that wrote to Buckinghamshire Council.

Dear All,

Thank you for your emails concerning the above. I received a number of similar emails and I am providing you all with the same response, now that we have been able to establish the details of the background of this issue, and confirmation of the proposed action that was agreed by Thames Valley Police (TVP) and Buckinghamshire Council (BC) at a site meeting held at Westfield Road on 25th January.

Description of the issue;

The 30mph speed limit on Westfield Road was placed some 18-19 years ago and commenced at a point that coincided with the white village gates at the very edge of the development. The area outside of this being a National Speed Limit (60mph) past the Local Wildlife Site.

However, as part of the adoption process that Taylor Wimpey (TW) are going through, that will facilitate the adoption of Westfield Road (along with the remainder of the whole estate) by BC, it was noted that the absence of any street lighting in the vicinity of the gateway feature identified that the speed limit did not comply with regulations and was not compliant with current legislation and therefore, unenforceable.

To ensure compliance, the speed limit signs were moved, over the weekend of 16-17th January, to a point that coincided with the last street lamp positioned on Westfield Road. This places them 10 to 15 metres from the centreline of the Warwick Road junction. No consultation was required to effect this change, even though the speed limit was effectively ‘doubled on this stretch of road from 30mph to 60mph’, as the change was required to address the anomaly on what is currently an ‘unadopted’ road, albeit that the adoption Agreement with TW enables a speed limit to be applied to this road.

The distance from the current last column, which now has the 30/National Speed Limit signs affixed to it, to the ‘gateway’ feature is approximately 132 metres. There is also a ‘badger’ warning sign positioned around 75 metres from the current last column.

Considerations and agreed action;

An initial discussion concerning the issue took place between Taylor Wimpey (TW) and the Council (BC), where it was agreed to seek the views of TVP and the BC Road Safety Team – who have a significant input into the assessment of proposed speed limit changes in the County – which resulted in the following;

Notwithstanding the 30mph limit that is in place along the residential section of Westfield Road, national speed limit guidance suggests that; having no ‘frontage development’ (that has direct access on to Westfield Road), the limit that should be applied is 40mph, which would then allow the side roads to be signed as 30mph.

However, in the prevailing circumstances, it was agreed that the existing 30mph limit should remain in place, with the following amendment being applied to the signage at the southern end of the entrance to the village and the BC Street Lighting team, provided the following as a guide as to how the issue could be taken forward;

“Current guidance suggests that a road should be lit, 5 seconds of travelling time before a ‘hazard’ is encountered.

And that the distance travelled in 5 seconds at 30mph is 67m, with the maximum permitted column spacing in these conditions being 37m with a standard maintenance LED lantern”.

Therefore, from this (taking the Warwick Road junction as being the hazard), it was decided that the recommended course of action was that 2 new columns, at 35 metre spacing, should be installed, so enabling the start of the 30mph limit to be moved a distance of 70m from the current last existing column, giving an overall distance of approximately 80 to 85 metres from the start of the repositioned 30mph limit to the centreline of the Warwick Road junction.

This outcome has been discussed and agreed between BC and TVP and now all possible avenues are being explored that will allow the necessary works to take place in the earliest possible timescale.

A final point to note and in lieu of the decisions/ impending action being taken, is that the Parish Council (along with a number of residents) made a request for the currently relocated 30mph signs to either be removed or put back to their original position, until the above could be enacted, to which the answer given was ‘no’, because, as a result of comments made by TVP, whilst the development remained unadopted, the roads and footways forming the estate were open to use by the travelling public and therefore, the signs provided must comply with all legislative requirements.

We hope this information is useful and helps to provide an understanding of the situation and intended course of action.

Kind regards,

Nick

Cllr. Nick Naylor

Cabinet Member for Transport

Buckinghamshire Council

Whilst it is disappointing that the location has not been able to be moved back to the original location, highways must legally comply with the Department for Transport regulations.

As part of the review process, the parish council asked BC to consider what speed mitigation measures were permissible to ensure that vehicles did slow down to the 30mph, and remain at that speed for the duration of the residential section. BC has agreed to investigate the possibility of countdown markers in the carriageway on the approach to the gates and a 30mph painted sign in the road as part of the adoption process with Taylor Wimpey. Originally, there was just the single prompt of the gate/sign point to advise drivers to reduce from 60mph to 30mph. The new proposals would provide the countdown road markings, then gate, then 30mph road markings, then signs, so may be more effective at warning vehicles to slow to the appropriate speed.

BC have also provided initial information about a range of speed mitigation & safety measures that may/may not be appropriate for Westfield Road in the longer term, not as part of the adoptions process, but which might be able to be raised through the Community Board Transport Sub-Group. Previously it has not been possible to consider any of these options, as the highway was not adopted, so the legal adoption as a public highway will enable a range of options to be considered as necessary. It should be noted that any changes to the public highway have to go through a lengthy process with Buckinghamshire Council / Transport for Bucks and will require local funding for any measures that are approved. This document was initially shared at the parish council meeting and is available here:

The above document includes a number of measures that were suggested by residents in their correspondence to Buckinghamshire Council, so we hope that this information will be of interest.

Ensuring vehicles remain at the designated 30mph until they pass the derestriction sign, as they travel towards Tring, will remain a challenge.

In addition, we have made enquiries about a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO). A TRO can take 12-18 months to put into place and includes an extensive consultation with statutory bodies, one of which is TVP. As TVP have been fully involved in the recent review exercise, we are advised that they are unlikely to support a TRO application for the short remaining section (approximately 60m) of Westfield Road where the change in speed limit now applies. However it may be possible, in due course, to apply for a TRO to provide a 40mph buffer zone between the 60mph and the 30mph, if the initial measures do not prove effective.

The next Buckinghamshire Council Wing and Ivinghoe Community Board Transport Sub-Group meeting is taking place on Thursday 4 February 2021 18.30-19.30 and Westfield Road is on the agenda. Members of the parish council, along with Buckinghamshire Councillor Derek Town, will be in attendance. BC Highways Development Management has been asked to attend and supply information. Members of the public are welcome to attend. Information about the meeting and how you can register to attend can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/events/2501876303441962/

We will post an update following the meeting to keep residents informed.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the residents that took the time to write to Buckinghamshire Council about this issue, as it has helped the parish council to demonstrate the strength of local concern regarding the initial changes and helped to secure the proposed amendments.

Following the Community Board meeting, once we are in full receipt of information from Buckinghamshire Council, the parish council will be able to review what next steps we can take. Westfield Road will appear on the next full parish council agenda for 25 February 2021 and we will keep residents advised of any further information we receive in the meantime.

JOB VACANCY – ASSET CHECKER

We are seeking a replacement asset checker.

The asset inspector will need to check our playground equipment, gates, benches, trees and other assets around the parish are sound. You’ll need to attend training sessions for basic playground equipment inspection and basic tree inspection.

You’ll need to be happy to work outside in all weathers and work on your own. Work patterns can be flexible, to be discussed at interview.

For full details of this role, please see the attachment below.

If this is the role(s) for you, please apply in writing to: Mrs Laurie Eagling, Clerk to Pitstone Parish Council at email: parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk or via mail at 9 Warwick Road, Pitstone, LU7 9FE, providing brief written details about yourself, your experience and your suitability for the post, or a cv if you have one. Please remember to include your contact details.

Deadline: Friday 19 February 2020.

The new pavilion community facility is now open (and will be available to hire once the pandemic restrictions permit)

We are delighted that the construction work at the pavilion is now complete, with just the re-laying of the car park to follow in the spring.  Football matches briefly re-started, before the covid restrictions were tightened further, allowing teams to take advantage of the new changing village facilities including home & away changing rooms, 2 officials rooms and medical room.

Once the lockdown eases and covid regulations allow, the youth cafe will be re-located to this site for the time being (as Brookmead is currently unavailable to us), the parish office is located here and council meetings & drop-in surgeries will take place at this venue once we are able to meet in person again.  We have an exercise class for the elderly due to start as soon as restrictions are lifted and we look forward to welcoming more classes and groups as 2021 progresses.  We are also exploring options to use the facility to further support our community during lockdown.  Our community facilities (lovely light meeting room, kitchen and toilet facilities) are available for hire by community groups and individuals, within the permitted Coronavirus guidelines at the time (so sorry – we are not able to accept bookings for parties etc at present).  We have parking for 42 vehicles and 8 bicycles in our illuminated car park.  For your safety and security, both the building and grounds are protected with CCTV and alarms. 

Please look out for more forthcoming events at the site which will be publicised on our website, Facebook page and Twitter feed.  Please visit this weblink for more information: https://pitstone.co.uk/ppcinfo/sport-and-recreation/

This is an amazing facility for our community which we know you will be proud off for years to come.  We’d like to thank all our grant funders including:

  • £540,000 from the Section 106 Sports and Leisure Contributions held by Buckinghamshire Council for Pitstone.
  • £370,000 from AVDC (now Buckinghamshire Council) New Homes Bonus.  If you would like more information about the AVDC grant funding available, please contact the grants officer, helen.white@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
  • Approximately £32,000 from the Football Foundation Football Stadia Improvement Fund.  Funded with £6.5m each year from the Premier League, the FSIF – the sister organisation of the Football Foundation – is the country’s largest provider of grants towards projects that help improve the comfort and safety of lower league football grounds in both the professional and amateur game. These improvements range from new football stands and turnstiles to floodlighting and improved provision for disabled supporters.
  • £10,000 funding from the  Thriving Communities Fund, a grants scheme for community projects run by Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust.  If you would like more information about the grants available, please call the Grants Officer, on 01296 732600.
  • £4,000 from P&IUFC
  • £1,500 from P&IJFC
  • As well as approximately £14k of capital funds accrued by Pitstone Parish Council over a number of recent years.

We’d also like to thank our professional team for their support and assistance, in particular PEP Ltd, Civil and Structural Engineers, who provided all of their expertise and time free-of-charge to support their local community.

The old pavilion was only really a changing block and toilets suitable for use by the football teams.  It didn’t even have kitchen facilities.  We now look forward to a greater number of our residents being able to benefit from the newly expanded facilities and to welcoming you all to the pavilion very soon.

Chairman’s Message, from Jan 2021 PPP

I hope you were able to find some pleasure and relaxation during an unusual and difficult Christmas/New Year, and that a brighter future awaits.

In my last report I talked about the issue of increasing litter in the village and mentioned residents who were taking it upon themselves to supplement the Parish Council’s litter picking to deal with the issue.

Sadly, the litter problem hasn’t gone away but the council is heartened to note that even more people have joined the litter picking ranks. We thank everyone who is helping with the problem but their efforts should not be required. Please put your litter in the bin or take it home, and make sure that your family members do the same.

Looking back at my report from this time last year it’s clear that, in a difficult year, the council had some successes.

We managed to complete two of our three major projects, the new play equipment on the Rec, and the Pavilion, but we are still working on the Skate Park.

Skate park tender documents should have gone out during last year, but delays in getting the play equipment installed and other lockdown restrictions halted the progress. The skate park will be located in the space between the new play equipment and the end of the hall car park (soon to be the site of the new Multi-use games area). That space needed to be available for site visits from suppliers So they can measure and plan. Now that it is we are able to restart the process.

Provision of the skate park has been on the councils agenda for over 20 years. With many council projects raising the money is the most difficult part, for the skate park this wasn’t the case. We have had money available the whole time, the issue has always been finding a site.

Thankfully we are now at the end of the long process required to obtain and free up the space. Most of the young people who helped us with designs in the past are now adults, with some probably having children of their own. I believe that this year will be the one where the village finally gets this much anticipated facility.

Also in my previous January report mentioned that we had elections coming up. They also didn’t happen but, at this point, we expect them to go ahead in May. If you are interested in becoming a councillor please speak to the clerk, or any councillor, to find out more. Details of our meetings are posted on the website and are a great way to get to know more about how we work.

Parish Council Staff Changes

Les Graves retired from the Parish Council after many years of service both as an asset inspector and litter picker.  We wish Les well.  Our thanks to David Witherden for expanding his previous litter picking duties to encompass Les’s previous routes. We also extend a warm welcome to Iwona Lipa, who joins the council team as a cleaner at the new pavilion.   Please do make everyone feel very welcome when you see them out and about.

Please park considerately, especially near Brookmead School

‘Keep clear’ markings are put there for very good reasons.  They signify to you, as a driver, that access is required and that you shouldn’t park there.  Sadly, some people think that the rules don’t apply to them, or don’t apply if they are only going to be gone from their vehicle for 10-15 minutes while they pop into the shop or collect their child from school.  Orchard Way in particular, opposite Brookmead school, has a number of elderly residents who frequently need ambulance services and their access is often blocked at school pick up and drop off times.  This is not a car park or layby – it is the only vehicular access for this cul-de-sac.  You wouldn’t park right across the junction of Rushendon Furlong & shouldn’t park across this junction either.  Just think how frustrating it would be if your grandparents needed an ambulance and unknown people had completely blocked off the access to your road with parked cars.  Those extra wasted minutes trying to get through could be fatal.  Please be considerate, leave home a few minutes earlier and park a little further away. 

We also receive complaints about vehicles blocking dropped curbs, parking on footpaths and cycle paths, causing obstructions in residential roads and blocking visibility at junctions.  You can report nuisance parking issues to Buckinghamshire Councils Traffic Wardens.  You can report illegal parking and abandoned vehicles, to Thames Valley Police.  Further information on both can be found on their websites. 

Thank you.

Dog bin by The Crescent

We are aware that the dog bin by The Crescent suffered a post failure and has been removed. A replacement bin is on order and will be installed as soon as possible. In the meantime, please visit an alternative dog bin or take your bags home with you.

We apologise for any inconvenience.

Calling all Community Heroes – become a parish councillor (elections in May 2021)

https://pitstone.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Pitstone-A5-flyer.pdf

Due to our expanding population, the number of seats on the parish council will be increasing from 10 to 11 at the next election in May.  At election time, the term of office for all current councillors terminates, and a new council is elected.  Existing members may choose to stand for re-election or may choose to stand down.  Other residents may also choose to stand for election. All members are volunteers and receive no renumeration or financial allowances for their work.

If you are passionate about helping our community, and have plenty of spare time to volunteer, please do consider standing for election.

You are welcome to talk to the clerk or any serving councillor to get more information and members of the public are welcome to attend all our council and committee meetings where you would gain an understanding of all the current affairs being managed.  You may also like to read the documents below, which provide a little more information about what is involved and who is qualified to stand:

about council booklet

Become a councillor

You can also find out lots of information, whether you are eligible to stand and download forms at https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/

The corporate body of the parish council also acts as Sole Trustee to two local charities, so you may also like to read:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-essential-trustee-what-you-need-to-know-cc3

£6k grant provided to Pitstone Memorial Hall Charity

The Parish Council was pleased to support the Pitstone Memorial Hall Charity with a grant of £6,000 (accrued over 2 years) towards the necessary repairs to fix the hall roof.

For those of you that may be unaware, the Memorial Hall is owned and managed by a local charity (not the parish council). The Hall is a fantastic asset for the Village and is well used by old and young alike. Following their AGM in November, the Charity’s trustees are now on the lookout for more trustees to join their team. The Trustees generally meet between 4 and 6 times a year with regular email communication in between. We are looking for people who can spare the odd evening to attend meetings and who are interested in keeping the hall running as a valuable asset. Whilst no special qualifications are required, we do need someone to fill the role of treasurer and also anyone who would enjoy managing social media for the charity.

If you are interested, please contact hallmanager@pitstone.co.uk for further details.

Remember to submit your Volunteer of the Year nominations by 15 January 2021

All your nominations for the Pitstone Volunteer of the Year 2021 need to be sent to the parish council by Friday 15 January 2021, so if you know of someone that is giving up their time and making a difference to the lives of the people in Pitstone, then please let us know.

A huge army of volunteers make our village special.  Did you know that volunteers manage the Memorial Hall; the Pitstone Heritage Park/museum; staff the Pitstone Windmill open days; are parish councillors; form the governing body of Brookmead school; deliver and edit Pitstone Parish Post; operate Pitstone Youth Café; form the management committee for Windmill pre-school; drive for the Community Car scheme; run mums & toddlers; run Brownies/Rainbows/Cubs/Scouts; are trustees for The Williamson Trust and Pitstone Town Lands Charity; run sporting groups such as I&PUCC, P&IUFC and P&IJFC; check street lights; provide ground-keeping on the cricket square; manage our allotment site; help at the Beacon Villages Community Library; organise community events and form the Friends of St Mary’s church in Pitstone, manning open days and organising events. Just think what our village would be like without all these facilities!

As well as being an opportunity for you, and the parish council, to thank our Volunteer of the Year in public, the winner receives £50.00 and a framed certificate.

Previous winners include: Gill Arney, Rob Spiller, Margaret Cole, Klaus Ginda, Dave Clifford, Mary Saintey, Joe Marling, Michelle Lee, David Hawkins, John Groom and Elaine Thorogood.

Please email or write to the parish clerk on: parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk or at

9 Warwick Road, Pitstone, Beds, LU7 9FE

providing the full name of the person you wish to nominate and the reasons why you think they deserve to win.

If you have some spare time and would like join this volunteer army and start enjoying the benefits that volunteering brings, please do get in touch.

New swings installed at Windsor Road playground

We are pleased to say that the two new sets of swings (flat seat swings and cradle seat swings) have passed their post installation inspection and the playground has been reopened this afternoon.

We hope that you enjoy the new equipment.

Increase in attempted thefts





Thames Valley Police are aware of an increase in thefts and attempted thefts from vehicles in the area. The suspect appears to be an opportunist, trying a series of door handles and taking anything of value.

The advice from TVP is:

  • Ensure you lock your cars
  • Do not leave valuables inside, even if you think you’ve put them out of sight in the glove box or under the seat

They also urge residents to monitor your CCTV or Ring Doorbell and contact your local neighbourhood policing team or call 101 to report footage of any suspicious activity or incidents.

Seeking quotations for sports floodlights at pavilion

Please find attached:

  • A briefing document outlining our procurement requirements
  • The site layout
  • The ground floor plan
  • The geotechnical report

Link to the grant of planning permission here: https://publicaccess.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/online-applications/centralDistribution.do?keyVal=QEHPUWCLGKV00&caseType=Application

Interested parties are invited to submit their quotations by noon on 23 December 2020.

Please raise any queries via parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk. Clarifications and responses will be circulated to all parties who have expressed an interest and will be published on this website.

Updated 9/12/20:

  • Senior pitch will be reduced to 67m and junior pitch will be reduced by 1m, to enable required gap of 5m from floodlight columns to junior pitch (which does not have barriers)
  • Underground pitch drainage plan added – see below

JOB VACANCY – LITTER PICKER AND ASSET CHECKER

We are seeking a replacement litter picker and asset checker. At the moment these roles are undertaken by the same person. Ideally, we’d like to replicate this and have one person undertaking both roles, but we would be open to splitting the duties between 2 candidates if required to accommodate the most suitable candidates.

The litter picker will collect dropped litter and empty the bins from our open spaces and the roadside, as well as removing flyposting or graffiti and dealing with vandalism (eg smashed glass). You need to be relatively fit as there is lots of walking involved and you’ll need to be able to lift sacks of litter from the bins and take everything to the wheelie bins.

The asset inspector will need to check our playground equipment, gates, benches, trees and other assets around the parish are sound. You’ll need to attend training sessions for basic playground equipment inspection and basic tree inspection.

For both roles, you’ll need to be happy to work outside in all weathers and work on your own. Work patterns can be flexible, to be discussed at interview.

For full details of both roles, please see the attachments below.

If this is the role(s) for you, please apply in writing to: Mrs Laurie Eagling, Clerk to Pitstone Parish Council at email: parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk or via mail at 9 Warwick Road, Pitstone, LU7 9FE, providing brief written details about yourself, your experience and your suitability for the post, or a cv if you have one. Please remember to include your contact details.

Deadline: 13 November 2020.

JOB VACANCY – CLEANER/CARETAKER FOR PITSTONE PAVILION

As you will be aware, the newly extended and refurbished pavilion should be open in November.

We are seeking a new cleaner / caretaker for the new facility.

Estimated minimum of 4 hours per week.  Must be able to work weekends and evenings.  Must be flexible and able to adapt to meet the needs of our hirers (both those hiring the community room and those holding outdoor sporting events), especially during the Coronavirus pandemic, and able to attend at short notice if anyone is taken ill with suspected Covid symptoms to initiate additional cleaning.

Duties will include:

  • cleaning the pavilion including the changing village,
  • litter picking the grounds,
  • carry out regular activities to ensure compliance to all necessary fire, health & safety, defibrillator and water safety regulations etc,
  • minor maintenance works,
  • completion of accurate records of work undertaken.

The applicant must be reasonably fit (as the cleaning work after muddy footballers can sometimes be strenuous), self-motivated and trustworthy.   Must be happy to work alone.   Experience of cleaning similar premises or caretaking an advantage, but training can be provided.

Please note that the precise duties may vary from the attached. As the new building has yet to be handed back to the parish council and we are currently unaware of all the new maintenance duties associated with the new fit-out.

For full details, please see the attachment below.

If this is the role for you, please apply in writing to: Mrs Laurie Eagling, Clerk to Pitstone Parish Council at email: parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk or via mail at 9 Warwick Road, Pitstone, LU7 9FE, enclosing a curriculum vitae or providing brief written details about yourself, your experience and your suitability for the post.    

Deadline: 6 November 2020.

New Huck Teck Play Space

If you have not yet been able to visit the new Huck Teck play space by the Recreation Ground, here is a taster of the amazing new equipment:

Cheops Maxi Climbing Pyramid
Cheops Maxi Climbing Pyramid
DDA Cantilever Swing
DDA Cantilever Swing
Fortuna Play Course
Fortuna Play Course
DDA Bee and Bike Springers plus Birds Nest Carousel
DDA Bee and Bike Springers plus Birds Nest Carousel
Cradle Seat Swings with tunnel and embankment slide in background
Cradle Seat Swings with tunnel and embankment slide
Midi Birds Nest Tower
Midi Birds Nest Tower
DDA Rolli Sunken Trampoline & Hop Scotch
DDA Rolli Sunken Trampoline & Hop Scotch
Picnic Area
Picnic Area
Viking Rope End Swinger
Viking Rope End Swinger
Spiro Climbing Whirl
Spiro Climbing Whirl
Cheops Maxi Climbing Pyramid (over 4m tall) with slide
Cheops Maxi Climbing Pyramid (over 4m tall) with slide

Congratulations to Gillian Arney, Volunteer of the Year 2020

Photograph of Mrs Gillian Arney and Parish Council Chairman Dave Nicholls with Volunteer of Year framed certificate
Mrs Gillian Arney receiving her framed certificate from Parish Council Chairman Dave Nicholls

Despite the lack of annual assembly due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic restrictions, the parish council was delighted to present Mrs Gillian Arney with her Volunteer of the Year certificate at a socially distanced presentation event.  Gill has provided numerous years of voluntary service at St Mary’s Church in Pitstone, the Festival of Art & Flowers, Beacon Villages Community Library, the Heritage Park (Pitstone Green Museum), Mums & Toddlers Committee and Pitstone Parish Council.  She was nominated by several residents whom we thank for taking the time to submit their nominations.

Very many congratulations Gill!

If you know someone who goes above and beyond to volunteer in a way that helps the residents of Pitstone, please do write to the parish council by email to parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk or by letter to 9 Warwick Road, Pitstone, Beds, LU7 9FE so that they can be considered for the 2021 Volunteer of the Year award.   Each recipient receives a framed certificate, card and £50 cheque.

Fly tipping cleared from woodland walk

Our thanks to Taylor Wimpey for attending and clearing all the garden waste that had been fly tipped along the woodland walk public open space at the edge of Castlemead, as part of their site maintenance prior to handover to Buckinghamshire Council. Residents are reminded that public open spaces are just that, open areas for all to enjoy, and not waste ground.

Fly Tipping of garden waste is a criminal offence, just like the fly tipping of other materials. The term describes any illegal disposal of waste without an environmental permit and is a wide-ranging offence. Fly-tipping can be dangerous, pollutes land and waterways and costs the council tax payer significant amounts of money to clear away. The legislation is contained in Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act
1990.

The penalties for fly-tipping set out in the Environmental Protection Act 1990 were increased through the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005. It is now a criminal offence punishable by :-

  • An unlimited fine or 6 months’ imprisonment if convicted in a Magistrates’ Court.
  • The offence can attract an unlimited fine and/or up to 5 years imprisonment if convicted in a Crown Court.
  • In addition to fines, those found guilty of fly-tipping may also have to pay legal costs and compensation, which can greatly increase the financial implications of illegal dumping.

Please ensure you preserve and care for the woodland walk and other open space. Dispose of garden waste in your brown bin, garden compost bin or take it to the household waste site. If you use a contractor to take away your garden waste, make sure they have a permit. If you spot any one fly tipping, garden or other waste, please report it to https://www.buckscc.gov.uk/services/waste-and-recycling/fly-tipping/

Sadly, after Christmas we typically see an increase in dumped waste in our woodland and open spaces, including discarded Christmas trees, wreaths and table decorations. Please make sure that this Christmas, if you choose real decorations, that you dispose of them correctly.

Urgent plea for volunteers to help our elderly and our youth

The parish council operates a community car scheme to help get residents to their hospital appointments as there often isn’t any suitably timed public transport or the health of the patient would make use of public transport difficult.  Many of our customers are elderly and have been isolating or shielding.  Many of their hospital appointments have been postponed and are now very important.

We also operate the youth café for children aged between 11-16 years to provide them with constructive activities & opportunities to meet friends in a safe environment, as well as providing important access to youth services.

We have ways to help both operate in a covid-secure environment to help protect our volunteers and users.

In both instances, many of the local volunteers that normally make these schemes possible, are over retirement age or have underlying health conditions which mean they are unable to return to volunteering at the moment due to the ongoing pandemic.   We are therefore struggling to fulfil customer bookings.

We desperately need to hear from you, if you are willing and able to help, even if only for the next 6 months, so we can help these 2 groups of residents access the services they need. To express interest in helping the car scheme, please contact communitytransport@pitstone.co.uk and for the youth café please contact youth.cafe@me.com or parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk.

Further details of both schemes can be found on www.pitstone.co.uk

Thank you.

Play Space in Pitstone

Nesting basket climbing frame
  • The exciting new play space by the Recreation Ground opened on 10 September and we hope that you are all enjoying all the new equipment.   It has certainly been very busy. This area has been designed as an inclusive play space so that everyone can play together, regardless of their age or ability.  You will find a range of play features suitable for toddlers through to teenagers, incorporating a significant number of items that are suitable for a range of disabled use including swings, sunken trampoline, springers and wide slides to allow carers and children to travel down together.  It also incorporates visual and textual surfaces and colours to stimulate and assist those with visionary difficulties.  We would love to know what you and your children think of all the new equipment, so do let us know via email, Facebook or Twitter.
  • If your children are old enough to be out playing by themselves, please remind them to socially distance when using our playgrounds and to sanitise their hands before and after using the equipment.  It has also been sad to see the huge volume of litter dropped in the new play space, including used nappies as well as food & drink.  Due to the ongoing pandemic it is particularly important to ensure that you and your children make use of the bins provided, for the health and safety of all users and staff.  You should also note that the government guidelines advise that you do not eat or drink whilst using playgrounds as this increases the risk of putting the virus straight into your body.  Signage on all our playground gates advises users of this & the need to use bins for tissues etc.  Your amazing new play space has cost over £120k, so please take a pride in it so it can be a fun & safe place for our children.
  • The smaller playground in Tun Furlong at the far end of Vicarage Road is also now open.  This features a range of equipment particularly suitable for the younger to mid aged groups.  Bellway are arranging for this to be maintained for a period of 24-months by a maintenance company before transferring to the parish council at the end of that period.
  • The flat seat swings at the Windsor Road playground suffered a frame failure and have been removed for safety. New sets of swings for this playground are being procured so that full play can resume as soon as possible.
  • Nicholas King Homes are providing a multi-use ball court as part of their planning permission.  This will be located on the parish council owned land at the end of the car park by the Recreation Ground.  They currently anticipate that this will be complete by spring 2021. 
  • A concrete skate park is still planned for the area between the multi-use ball court and the new play space.  Tendering will commence shortly and we hope that this will be installed during the summer of 2021.  We will keep residents updated.
  • Between the four play spaces in Pitstone, we feel that there are lots of experiences and opportunities for the less able children in our community, however if you have a disabled child with a special need that is not currently being addressed, please do let us know.

Could your community group benefit from a grant?

The parish council offers grants to local community groups and local charities that specifically benefit Pitstone residents.  Applications are considered quarterly.   The next opportunity for grants to be considered is coming up on 22 October 2020.

Please see the grant policy on this web site (http://pitstone.co.uk/ppcinfo/grant-policy/ ) for further information or contact the parish clerk.

Applications must be received at least 10 days ahead of the meeting date so that the information can be circulated to all members ahead of the meeting and your application can be advertised on our agenda.

Seeking quotations for 2 x new sets of swings

The parish council is seeking quotations for a reputable, established playground equipment supplier to:

  • Remove the remaining frame elements from the flat seat swings
  • Remove the entire baby seat swing unit
  • Dispose of all removals
  • Supply and install 1 x new flat seat swing set and 1 x new baby seat swing set (frames, chains and seats)
  • Make good the tarmac/wet pour etc

at our Windsor Road, Pitstone, Beds, LU7 9GG play space site.

Please supply :

  • your broken down quotation
  • details of your proposed swing units (including dimensions, colourways, photographs, construction, materials, product guarantees, BS standards, maintenance requirements)
  • details of your company (including accreditation, experience, workmanship guarantees)
  • terms and conditions
  • your anticipated leadtime and installation date
Remaining elements of flat seat swing frame, which has broken.
Cradle seat swing frame set, which we require replaced at the same time as the flat seat swings.

To assist your quotation work, please find above photographs of the two swing set locations. Each wet pour pad measures approx 3m across. Each set of frames measures approximately 3.2m across (into the tarmac). Update: the green wet pour by the cradle swings measures approx 271 x 116″ and is approx 1.5″ thick. The green wet pour by the flat seat swings measures 270 x 116″ and is approx 1.5″ thick. Please ensure you have considered fall heights and safety surface requirements within your quotation.

The site is open if contractors wish to visit.

Should you have any queries, please contact the parish council on parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk or 01296 767261 as soon as possible. We will keep this webpage updated with additional information provided so that all potential contractors have access to the full information.

Please email your quotation and information to Pitstone Parish Council via parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk by Thursday 24 September 2020 at the latest.

Thank you.

Pitstone youth cafe

Whilst we hope to be able to re-open the Pitstone Youth Cafe once it is covid-safe to do so, this is unlikely to be in place for the start of the autumn term.

The current government restrictions mean that our cafe would have to operate in a very different way.

Please bear with us a little while longer and we hope to bring you positive news towards the end of September.

In the meantime, we hope that all the young people that attend cafe enjoy their return to full time education and we look forward to seeing you all again in due course.

Planning applications – 17 September 2020

The parish council is a consultee for all planning applications submitted to Buckinghamshire Council.  We have received notice of consultations on the following applications:

  • 4 The Pightle, 20/02682/APP, Erection of a 1.8m wooden fence, wholly within the left-hand side boundary of the property, and behind the front elevation line (Retrospective)

The plans may be viewed online by going to http://eplanning.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk and searching using the planning reference number.

Any comments, representations or objections you may have should be submitted directly to Buckinghamshire Council as the planning authority, by the date shown on the yellow site notice, quoting the planning reference number.  This can be done on-line or you can post comments to:

The Head of Development Control, Buckinghamshire Council, The Gateway,
Gatehouse Road, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP19 8FF

If you wish the parish council to take your comments into consideration when making our recommendation, please also supply the details to us by noon on 17 September 2020.  A zoom meeting will be held online at 7.30pm that evening.  Members of the public will be able to join the meeting via their computer, laptop, smartphone, tablet or landline.  Details will be posted, alongside the agenda, in due course.

Seeking quotations for internet/IT equipment & installation

Background

Pitstone Parish Council is currently upgrading the facilities at the Pavilion site on Marsworth Road. Building work is ongoing and is planned to complete in early October. As part of the build some provision has been included for technology requirements, such a wifi, but not the supply of the necessary equipment.

We are therefore seeking proposals for the supply, fitting, and configuration of these elements.

As per the attached plan, the new facilities include:

  • A changing village with separate areas for teams and officials
  • Toilets for other users of the facility
  • A community social/function room with kitchen
  • A parish office
  • Storage facilities

At the point of handover the building will be equipped with:

  • 3 ceiling mounted data outlets
  • 1 6U Data Cabinet (including patch panel)
    • The cabinet will contain CCTV equipment but it is expected that at least 2U will be available for networking equipment
  • Cat 5e structured cabling from data outlets to the patch panel

The site has an existing phone line, but it has never been connected. The termination point will be located in the plant room, where it is required for the intruder alarm system. Cabling had been included from that point to the parish office.

Timing

As stated above we expect the building works to be complete in early October and want to be in a position to open the building as soon as possible. The successful supplier will be expected to work with the council and our contractors to meet that goal, which may require some flexibility with regard to when work can occur.

Requirements

The basic requirements are as follows:

  • Wifi to all areas
    • This should include service for users of the site and separate, secure, service for the parish council
  • Wired connectivity for the parish office to support printer(s), laptop(s) etc

Please supply a proposal that includes:

  • Your solution design
  • The rationale behind the design
  • A list of all equipment to be supplied
  • Costs broken down as:
    • Equipment costs
    • Labour costs
    • Any ongoing costs (for example a support contract)

The council does not currently have a telephone/broadband contract in place. If you have a relationship with an internet provider that you would recommend please include details.

If you wish, please also include, as a separate item, details and costs for managing the ordering, supply, and connection of the telephone and broadband by your preferred provider.

Process

In the first instance, potential suppliers must indicate their intention to provide a proposal by Monday 31st August. Please email any correspondence to parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk.

We will engage with suppliers from the point of contact and will deal with any questions or clarifications. It is parish council practice to share questions, and our responses, anonymously with all other suppliers.

Formal proposals must be delivered by 7th September.

It is our intention to award the contract by 14th September.

The successful supplier must confirm that they have the capacity to work with us within the timescales above.

We are aware that the possible lead time on delivery of the telephone/broadband service creates a risk to the timescales. We, therefore, reserve the right to treat this separately and may proceed with procurement ahead of awarding the main contract. This may be done by ourselves, or we may accept an option supplied as part of a full proposal. If we do accept a supplier proposal for this it will carry no weight in the evaluations of the other parts of the proposal.

Installation of floodlighting at Pitstone Pavilion

The parish council owns and manages the sports pavilion on Marsworth Road which provides the home ground for 2 x senior football teams and 7 x junior football teams for both training and matches.  To comply with the regulations of the Spartan South Midland Football League the parish council has applied for planning permission to erect illumination to the senior football pitch to be utilised if the teams are allocated an evening match.  The project will also see the installation of back lighting on the same columns to provide an area of illumination on the junior football pitch which all the clubs can utilise for year round evening training (at present they need to relocate to alternative sites once the clocks change in October).  Both sets of lights will be controlled separately, so each will only be utilised when bookings require.  All lights are angled towards the pitch, to reduce light pollution and dissipation outside the grounds – full details of the lux levels can be found in the planning application if you wish to view them.  It is anticipated that the lights would only be operational between the hours of 16.00 and 21.45 on days during the week when booked by the clubs.  This enables after school sessions for the junior football teams and allows for extra-time during cup matches.  No late-night operation would be permitted.

Full details can be found here: https://publicaccess.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=QEHPUWCLGKV00

Please submit your comments to the planning authority via the above link by 7 September 2020, and email a copy to the parish council via parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk by noon on 20 August 2020 so that we can also take your feedback into consideration.

Please also note that the actual procurement and installation can only progress once grant applications and fundraising events generate sufficient funds to enable the project.   However, many grant providers require planning permission to be in place before they will consider applications, hence the current application.

PPP updates from the Parish Council

Council information from PPP that hasn’t previously appeared on the website:

Coronavirus
We continue to update our website page with all the latest details about how you can get help and support, and provide details relating to any of our services that may currently be affected.  The local volunteer help group are still ready and waiting to assist you, should you be contacted by Track & Trace or become unwell.  Please visit www.pitstone.co.uk.

 

Election
The May elections were postponed by central government due to the Coronavirus outbreak, so your existing ten members will continue to serve the community for a further 12 months.

 

Thank you to all our amazing volunteers

Over 80 individuals volunteer for the parish council in some capacity on a regular basis.  This includes helping at youth café, driving for the car scheme, monitoring streetlights, delivering and producing Pitstone Parish Post, sitting on one of our committees, running our allotment site, helping with one of our projects and keeping our grounds in great condition.  This doesn’t include your parish councillors themselves who are also volunteers.  We were delighted that almost half of these individuals were able to attend the annual volunteer thank you event this January.  It was lovely to see everybody and be able to thank them in person for the contribution they all make to our community.  Thank you to each and every one of you.  If you are inspired to get involved in our community, please do get in touch (parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk) as we always have vacancies for volunteers.

 

Annual Assembly
For the safety of our residents, the annual assembly was postponed due to the Coronavirus outbreak, which also means that the presentation of our Annual Volunteer of the Year Award had to be postponed.  We hope that coronavirus restrictions may ease sufficiently to permit this meeting to take place later in the year and will keep residents updated. 

Pitstone Development Area & Replacement Woodland

Residents will have noticed that Nicholas King Homes have undertaken site clearance and commenced works at their site off Marsworth Road and we are aware that a few people have expressed sadness at the tree felling.  Buckinghamshire Council (BC) (previously ‘Aylesbury Vale District Council’) is our local Planning Authority and they determine any tree requirements as part of planning applications.  Both the tree officer and environmental officers at BC were fully involved in the plans submitted by Nicholas King Homes for the development site off Marsworth Road/Vicarage Road and as well as trees within the new development, a whole replacement woodland is being planted in the village.

 

A full tree report was commissioned which assessed the quality of the trees in the private plantation (there never has been public access to this area).  Many of the trees were determined to be of poor quality and nearing the end of their natural life.  No trees were subject to a Tree Protection Order.  A full ecological report was commissioned which identified no protected species in the woodland.   As part of their development, Nicholas King Homes are planting a replacement woodland in the parish, which the tree officer has been fully involved in specifying.  We understand that the replacement woodland will be richer in biodiversity than that which is being removed.  There is also a management plan in place for the ongoing care of the new woodland.  AVDC were satisfied that there will actually be a net gain to biodiversity and ecology as a result of the development proposals.

 

The full reports regarding both the replacement woodland and the trees to be planted within the development site remain available on the AVDC planning portal and can be accessed via the link below, or by searching the portal using the application reference and details listed.  https://publicaccess.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=OQ3EFECL0JC00

17/01871/APP | Residential development comprising 74 dwellings, creation of two new accesses, car parking, leisure facilities, landscaping and associated works. on Land Adjacent to Allotment Gardens Marsworth Road Pitstone Buckinghamshire

 

This particular site was approved for development back in 2005 with the publication of the Pitstone Comprehensive Development Plan and has taken 15 years to bring to fruition.  Biodiversity is very important to the parish council and the Pitstone Neighbourhood Development Plan both protects our village from further large-scale residential developments until 2033 and contains environmental policies.  Both these documents remain available on our website, link below:

http://pitstone.co.uk/

 

If you are wondering about the day nursery and restaurant/pub/café for which Nicholas King Homes (NKH) obtained outline planning permission, then NKH are in the process of appointing an agent.  Once the tendering process is complete, the two parcels of land will be advertised on the open market to see if buyers can be secured.  Once we are passed the selling details, we will publish these onto our website etc so that any local operators who are interested in purchasing the sites can contact the relevant body.

 

The two roads within the new development will be named as follows:

 

  • The main road, from the Lower Icknield Way to Vicarage Road, will be named “Poultons Meadow” to commemorate the previous name by which the meadow was known, which this site now occupies.
  • The smaller road facing the Recreation Ground, will be known as “Icknield Gardens” to commemorate the fact that it sits upon the site of the old Allotment Gardens and is adjacent to the Lower Icknield Way.

AVDC has conducted a public consultation and residents were invited to submit any objections.

 

Community Bus and possible alternatives in the meantime

 

Thank you to all the residents from the four parishes who took the time to respond to the Community Bus survey.  We are working to determine if there would be enough demand to make such a service viable and will update you in due course.

 

In the meantime, you may find the following information useful when our country gets moving again:

 

  • Many residents responded that they would like to use the service to access healthcare appointments. Both Pitstone (whose scheme covers both Pitstone & Ivinghoe) and Cheddington have Community Car Schemes which are operated by volunteers specifically to help residents to access medical appointments.  Pitstone residents should call our coordinator on 01296 767116, who will provide further information.
  • Residents also expressed an interest in journeys to Tring station. A lift-share scheme is operational for this station which may be able to assist you, please visit liftshare.com for more information, or email accessibility@wmtrains.co.uk or call 07970447880.  You can register as a driver or passenger, for a single journey or regular trips.  This service may currently be affected by the Coronavirus regulations, but you should still be able to register your interest.
  • Attending the cinema was of interest to some residents. You may not be aware that the Pitstone Film Club operates from the Memorial Hall on the last Friday of every month.  Soundproofing and black out blinds have been installed.  The cinema has a professional projector and screen.  Drinks and snacks are available from the bar.  You can follow them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PitstoneFilmClub/     or email them at: filmclub@pitstone.co.uk and ask to be included on the regular mailing list.
  • There was also some interest in attending day trips and excursions. Local firm, Masons Coaches, offer a comprehensive range of day trips, lunch club outings and holidays, all with local pick up points in Pitstone.  You can find full details via this website page:  https://www.masonscoachhire.co.uk/days-out-and-holidays or you can ask for a brochure to be posted out to you by phoning 01296 661604 or emailing info@masonscoachhire.co.uk.  As examples, trips that had previously been arranged for May included a Stratford Upon Avon River Cruise, the Malvern Spring Flower Show, a lunch club visit to The Anchor in Great Barford and a Market Day in Litchfield.

 

 

 

Planning applications – 20 August 2020

The parish council is a consultee for all planning applications submitted to Buckinghamshire Council.  We have received notice of consultations on the following applications:

  • 14 Williamson Way, single storey side extension, garage conversion and alterations to fenestration to rear elevation, 20/02370/APP.
  • Sports Pavilion, Marsworth Road, installation of floodlighting, 20/02578/APP.
  • 13 Glebe Close, single storey rear and side extension, 20/02654/APP.

The plans may be viewed online by going to http://eplanning.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk and searching using the planning reference number.

Any comments, representations or objections you may have should be submitted directly to Buckinghamshire Council as the planning authority, by the date shown on the yellow site notice, quoting the planning reference number.  This can be done on-line or you can post comments to:

The Head of Development Control, Buckinghamshire Council, The Gateway,
Gatehouse Road, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP19 8FF

If you wish the parish council to take your comments into consideration when making our recommendation, please also supply the details to us by noon on 20 August 2020.  A full Parish Council meeting will be held online at 7.30pm that evening.  Members of the public will be able to join the meeting via their computer, laptop, smartphone, tablet or landline.  Details will be posted, alongside the agenda, in due course.

 

Notice of Application for Premises Licence for Pitstone Pavilion

Pitstone Parish Council has applied to Buckinghamshire Council to provide the following licensable activities at Pitstone Pavilion:

The sale of alcohol, by hirers of Pitstone Pavilion, where this is ancillary to their main use of the community room eg to provide after match refreshments or cater for small wedding receptions.  No late-night sale of alcohol (must terminate by 23:00).  No permanent bar nor alcohol to be stored at the site.  A Personal Licence Holder to be on site throughout any hire period where alcohol sales are planned.

Provision for hirers to arrange plays, films, live music, recorded music or performance of dance at their booking to be carried out during the hours of 08:30 – 23:00 only, and meet all other required conditions associated with regulated entertainment.

Full details of the consultation period and how to respond can be found in the attached notice which is provided in pdf, word and rtf formats for your convenience.  Notices are also displayed at each entrance to the site, and the advert has appeared in the Bucks Herald on 29/7/2020.

pdf: Buckinghamshire District CouncilForm LA18 Notice of Application for Premises Licence

word: Buckinghamshire District CouncilForm LA18 Notice of Application for Premises Licence

rtf: Buckinghamshire District CouncilForm LA18 Notice of Application for Premises Licence

 

Annual notice of allotment fees for 2020/21

ANNUAL NOTICE OF FEES FOR 2020/21

 

The cost of your allotment is divided into two parts, the first being the tenancy fee charged by the parish council and the second being a membership fee charged by Pitstone Allotment Association.

 

Pitstone Parish Council resolved that, for the first time in 8-years, a small increase of 50p per quarter plot was required to the tenancy fee (from £8.50 to £9.00).   This fee covers the cost of water, hedge cutting, tree surveys and maintenance, postage to issue the tenancy documents and remedial works to the car park/gate etc that may be necessary.   The council does not include a charge to tenants for their administration of the allotment site, liaison with National Trust, nor the public liability insurance which covers the communal areas.  Any funds collected by the parish council which are surplus to the running costs are ring-fenced for future maintenance and development work at the allotment site.   The council may also contribute to capital development, like the recent track works, from other public funding within our remit.

 

There will be no increase in your membership fee to Pitstone Allotment Association for the 2020/21 season, remaining static at £6.50.  For the convenience of plot holders, this fee is collected by the Parish Council at the same time as your tenancy fee and passed direct to PAA who use these funds to pay for NSALG membership which also provides tenants with ‘on plot’ insurance, insurance for PAA members and the cutting of internal hedges/communal grass.

 

The total cost per quarter plot will therefore be £15.50 for the 2020/21 season.

 

However, PAA have resolved to subsidise the 50p increase for plot holders for the forthcoming season utilising donations they received in the previous year.   Therefore, your invoice will show this 50p deduction and the outstanding charge will be £15.00 per quarter plot.

 

Last year, at PAAs request, you will recall that we operated an 18-month tenancy so that the renewal date could move to September, which better suits the allotment growing calendar.   Fees last year were therefore £22.50 per quarter plot.  This year, we will be reverting to the standard 12-month tenancy.

 

As per the terms and conditions of your Allotment Garden Tenancy Agreement, the renewal rental will be payable in full on or before 25 September 2020.   New paperwork, for your signature, will be issued during August.

 

We hope that you continue to enjoy your allotment garden in this beautiful location and reap the benefits for your families.

 

If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me at parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mrs Laurie Eagling

Clerk to Pitstone Parish Council

Pitstone scores with £36,000 grant win

Pitstone Parish Council and Pitstone & Ivinghoe United Football Club are delighted to announce that the Football Stadia Improvement Fund (FSIF) are to provide grant funding of up to £35,924 towards the refurbishment and extension of their pavilion in Pitstone.

 

The development includes new changing and community facilities, covered walkway and viewing area, turnstile access, outdoor equipment stores, office and car park improvements.  These elements will meet the requirements of the football league and bring the club one step further down the road of being able to realise their ambitions of promotion.

 

The club and parish council are most grateful for all the support received from both the FSIF and all their other grant funders.

 

Funded with £6.5m each year from the Premier League, the FSIF – the sister organisation of the Football Foundation – is the country’s largest provider of grants towards projects that help improve the comfort and safety of lower league football grounds in both the professional and amateur game. These improvements range from new football stands and turnstiles to floodlighting and improved provision for disabled supporters.

 

Both the Parish Council and Pitstone & Ivinghoe United Football Club, along with their other partners and site users, look forward to inviting members of the public to view the new facilities once the work is complete.

 

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