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Wendover Parish Council
Wendover Parish Council will represent the community of Wendover by providing leadership and opportunities so that Wendover will be a vibrant and inspirational place in which to live, work or visit.
Wendover Parish Council
A transcript of the Chairman’s speech at the Annual Parish Council Meeting for 2011 and a couple of supporting documents as referred to on the land issues, can be found on our website
From the Chair
Now that we are well past New Year it’s a time for looking forward. Wendover Celebrates is working hard to organise things in time for Monday 4 June. The Chair of WPC is in charge of the Parade so get those entries in and get organised. Schools, Youth Club, Scouts, Guides, shops, businesses and so on.
On to other things, the Clerk is still off sick - far longer than originally thought so the Parish Council is now advertising for a temporary Clerk. See our advertisement for full details on page 14. If you think you might be interested and have something to offer then please contact either myself or Jill Bottomley at the Clock Tower.
The disappointment regarding the decision by the Government on HS2 will be felt in Wendover for a long time to come. The fight needs to carry on and hope should not be abandoned.
Finally, my thanks to Jill and staff in the Clock Tower for another successful month. A good response to the Planning Consultation - although most respondents were of the older generation (come on you youngsters).
With a bit of luck and a following wind the new website should be up and running by the time you read this but thanks to all.
Bob Duggan,
Chairman
New Year’s Eve Fireworks
There have been a number of complaints resulting from the Fireworks at the bottom of the High Street on New Year’s Eve. This is an unorganised, spontaneous event. The Parish Council will discuss the matter at the next Council meeting on Monday 6 February.
Precept
Some good news to start 2012. Your Council has voted not to increase the Precept for 2012/2013. As there are more houses in the Parish this year, this decision will actually slightly reduce the Council Tax per household. Hopefully this will come as welcome news to hard pressed Council Tax payers, in these tough economic times.
Outdoor Exercise
2012 is an Olympic year and health and fitness will be at the forefront of many people’s thoughts. Some years ago the Parish Council installed outdoor exercise apparatus in the easternmost corner of Ashbrook Recreation Ground, Aylesbury Road. We are currently engaged in refurbishing and moving this equipment to a new home within the park. There is a fenced & tarmacked enclosure, where the skateboard ramp was located prior to its move to London Road and this will make an ideal all-weather "outdoor gym". It is generally accepted that outdoor exercise is the gold standard for holistic fitness and we hope that this new, mud free, area will be well used. For more information on the value of outdoor exercise look at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8654350.stm
Temporary Clerk required
Job Vacancy - Closing Date 17 February
Clerk to Wendover Parish Council
Temporary Position to cover for sick leave
(6 months) 36 hours per week to include evening meetings.
Salary set using NJC pay scales
Applications are invited from suitably qualified persons with highly efficient administrative and communication skills to work with a team of 13 councillors, supervising a small team,
computer literacy, accurate financial record keeping, etc.
A full job description is available on request from
clerk@wendover-pc.gov.uk
If you are interested, please send your CV and a covering letter to RH Duggan, Chairman to Wendover Parish Council, The Clock Tower, High Street, Wendover HP22 6DU
Wendover Parish Council Meeting – 3rd January
Strategic Planning - Vale of Aylesbury Plan (VAP)
Chairman Bob Duggan welcomed Martin Dalby – Plans Team Leader from AVDC Forward Plans Department who spoke on the subject of the Vale of Aylesbury Plan and the implications of recent changes to strategic planning policy. Mr Dalby said that the Government was doing away with the ‘top down’ system of planning and this was the first time that AVDC had not been given figures for housing allocation. Instead, he said, “we have to provide for our own needs.”
As part of that process, he said that AVDC had started holding workshops with Parish and Town Councils in 2010 to explore “what we want” (and not just houses), so that the plan could be built up from the bottom. He acknowledged that there had been an element of confusion resulting from Parish Councils going out to community consultation at the same time as AVDC’s consultation on the AVP, but it was now important for Wendover Parish Council to analyse the results of its community questionnaire and send in a response to AVDC . Following that, he said, the idea was that everyone would agree in October or November and the VAP would be submitted to the Secretary of State in 2013 before finally being adopted in 2014.
Referring to further confusion on the subject of ‘neighbourhood plans’, Mr Dalby confirmed that Parish Councils do not have to produce one and unlike a community plan, a neighbourhood plan can only deal with planning issues and must not conflict with the VAP.
Local Policing
The Chairman told councillors that he had received information regarding a proposal by Thames Valley Police to close Wendover police station to the public on Mondays and Fridays with effect from April. As these were reported to be the two busiest days of the week for public visits, it was agreed unanimously that the Council should write requesting that the opening hours remain unaltered.
Brook House
District Councillor Chris Richards informed the meeting that planning officers were aware of the large containers on site but were currently treating these as temporary storage units associated with an imminently expected planning application following ongoing discussions between AVDC and the developer.
Christmas Lights
It was reported that there had been many favourable comments regarding this year’s Christmas lights and hope was expressed that the council might consider extending the display up Tring Road next year.
Richard Gridley
