Matters Arising, January 2019

View from the Chair

It’s a New Year and any of you with a fitness based New Year’s resolution might find the, free to use, fitness equipment in Ashbrook and Hampden Meadow is a help. It’s an established fact that exercise in the great outdoors is better for body and mind so why not take advantage of our fresh air gyms?

For your Parish Council the new year will be full of challenges. HS2 and our struggle to get the very best mitigation for Wendover goes on. The Small Dean viaduct is truly awful and if you haven’t yet written to David Lidington MP to object to it, that’s something to add to your resolutions. The Unitary Authority poses its own challenges, especially during the transition, when getting District and County to do things might be difficult.

RAF Halton’s closure is also likely to start to require attention as is the Aylesbury Garden Town.

So interesting times ahead. Why don’t you join us as a councillor. It won’t be dull.

Council Services

Its a new year and we look forward to a positive 2019! Although the unitary decision has been confirmed and announced, it is still business as usual for 2019. Below is a summary of which authority is responsible for which area:

Buckinghamshire County Council –www.buckscc.gov.uk – Tel: 01296 395000

Education, libraries, transport and roads including gritting and potholes, buses, senior citizen bus passes, school transport, trading standards, registrar for births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships, fly tipping, recycling centres, care for children and families, arts and culture.

Aylesbury Vale District Council –www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk – Tel: 01296 585858

Granting planning approval and building regulations, refuse collection, some public green spaces, public car parks/parking permits, community centres, council tax collection, benefits, environmental health, housing advice, licensing, social housing and community safety.

Wendover Parish Council – www.wendover-pc.gov.uk – Tel: 01296 623056

Street lights – except for on the main roads, play areas – Ashbrook & Hampden Meadow, open spaces – Ashbrook, Witchell Meadow, Hampden Meadow and Manor Waste, skate park, weekly market, local produce market, Hampden Pond, allotments, dog waste bins and litter bins in our open spaces, Neighbourhood Plan, HS2 and trees on Parish Council land. Plus devolved services: Grass verge cutting in 30mph and some 40mph zones, some footpath clearance, hedge enforcement and highways sign cleaning and weed killing.

How to Report Potholes

If you see a pothole that needs repair,please use the BCC online reporting tool where you will be prompted and can add photos. https://www.fixmystreet.buckscc.gov.uk/

BCC Inspectors will assess the potholes and decide what needs to be done. This will vary, from a two-hour response through to a 28-day repair.Repairs are prioritised based on risk, and BCC have teams available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Around 2,000 potholes are repaired each month, and the roads are inspected regularly according to a schedule. This means a lot of potholes will be picked up by these inspections and programmed for repair.