Avril Davies

Deer accident prevention trials at last

Field trials to reduce deer collisions are finally taking place along the B4506 Northchurch to Dagnall road through Ashridge in time for the dark evenings when this type of accident is at its worst.
Devices are to be installed on posts near the road which are triggered by passing traffic to give off a whistle to startle deer and prevent them dashing on to the road.
At the same time, an interactive sign that can be set off by the animals will warn drivers to slow down.
This is a joint project which has been going on for some time between Herts and Bucks County Councils, the Ashridge Estate and the National Deer Collisions Project, as reported in this column.

120 deer are killed annually by cars in Ashridge, not to mention the serious injuries to people these accidents cause.

I hope their effectiveness will be proved and they will be installed to protect local black spots where the deer cross regularly.

In addition to these Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire are exploring the idea of lower speed limits on an experimental basis across the Ashridge Estate.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/4319238.stm

Tring Station Car Park Extension Closed

Although NOT my patch, the County Councillor for Tring brought to my attention that Dacorum Borough Council have refused a planning application to make this a permanent car park, mainly on the grounds of it being in the Green Belt and the AONB. The committee report for the application 4/01509/05/RET can be found on the Dacorum website. In essence permission was granted for a temporary car park and works site until December 2004, then the plans to reinstate the whole site to pastureland were approved. This was partly carried out, except for the removal of the car park. Another application was then made to keep the car park, which was turned down at the end of September.had it been approved it would have been a direct contradiction of the earlier decisions, and contrary to the Council’s expressed position on the countryside.

This decision has implications for this Division as many residents use the station and will want to know what has happened. It is ironic that within weeks of the car park closure the 170 bus service from the three villages will cease. The decision is controversial and runs against Tring Town Council’s aspirations for a Gateway Station, as well as being seen as a disincentive to rail users. (Although I think the £4 charge even on Sundays does that.)

There was a suggestion from Dacorum members that a S106 planning contribution from Castlemead phase 2 might pay for a 2 storey car park on the existing site. ( In my view this would be even more unsuitable in the AONB and could reduce funding available for school expansion and amenities in Pitstone) However the planning brief is now agreed and it is a little late in the day to suggest this.


In Brief

The County Council library service has recently proposed closing some branch libraries. Fortunately Ivinghoe Library was not one of them. Stewkley and Steeple Claydon were not so lucky. The decision on which libraries are to be axed seems to have been made by simply dividing the number of books borrowed by the cost of running the library. Luckily for Ivinghoe the costs of issuing a book are less than High Wycombe and many other places. It is sad that the value of a library is measured in the costs of issuing a book.

Protests have been submitted to the Cabinet member for community services for the way in which the decision has been taken and announced without consultation.

Following on from the joint parishes transport meeting, a meeting with the users of the Tring Station service was held on October 13th and five users attended. BCC had not been able to progress the taxi franchise as John’s Taxis had declined and no response had been received from Masons. There is no news yet on the outcome of the Community Bus bid.

Bucks CC car sharing scheme is open to all Bucks residents and at the meeting Mark Oldfield who has responsibility for the scheme has undertaken to approach Silverlink to negotiate free parking at Tring station for anyone participating in the scheme and going to the Station with 3 passengers. This agreement has already been made with Chiltern Railways.

The speed limit review for this area holds its inaugural meeting on November 30th about 12 months late. This is area 13. BCC is just implementing area 5.

Taylor Woodrow have failed to address the problems with the new football pitch opposite the Castlemead estate, supposed to be in use this season. More talks are underway to resolve this, and an independent consultant has been called in to adjudicate – yet again.

No news on when the next phase of Castlemead will begin. The development brief has been finally agreed and is available to the public on the AVDC website or Ivinghoe Library. Posts appearing in Quarry 1 are not for building but to improve conservation http://www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/ourenvironment/planning/news/pitstone.htm

The new classroom at Brookmead school will be officially opened on 4th November. It didn’t quite meet it’s deadline of the beginning of term, but squeezed under the line a few days late. I understand all pupils wishing to go to Brookmead this September were able to do so.


Avril Davies

# posted by Avril Davies @ 7:34 PM