Sunday, January 09, 2011
January 2011
Ivinghoe Library Two important dates for your diary.
A good number of people turned out on December 16th to hear Paula Buck, acting head of head of culture and learning, and Cllr David Schofield cabinet spokesperson for libraries, to hear about BCC’s need to make less money go further in the library service.
By turning over the management of the library to a voluntary committee, and providing core funding, it is hoped to not only keep the library and librarian, but open longer and provide a wider variety of services. This way of operating would free the library from the restrictions of the Libraries Act, and a local management committee would be able to fund raise in ways the library service cannot.
On Tuesday February 1st there will be a meeting at Ivinghoe Village Centre at 7pm to re-form the FRIENDS OF IVINGHOE LIBRARY and brainstorm ideas of how we want Ivinghoe Library to be in future.
This will be followed on Thursday February 17th with another meeting in the Town Hall with the County Library people, working out how to take those ideas forward.
Road gritting information on line.
Many people will have already found the BCC web page http://www.transportforbucks.net/Winter-maintenance.aspx that tells you where the gritting vehicles are, when gritting is taking place, and how much grit is being applied. There is also a link to this on the village website http://www.ivinghoe.co.uk/
where BCC gritting news updates sent out on Twitter also appear automatically.
Refuse and recycling information by text
Although most of the waste and recycling collections have continued in the snow and ice, rounds have taken longer and unfortunately not all streets can be covered in the time. Finish times are dictated by the closing time of Newton Longville landfill site, and once or twice in the bad weather this site did not open at all.
For free up to the minute information text avdc sub Friday to 60060 and register for free text updates throughout the year on refuse and recycling collections. Or you can do it on line, at http://www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/do-it-online/avdc-text-alerts/
Area 13 speed limit review recommendations agreed by BCC cabinet
The long awaited recommendations to changes to some local speed limits were approved on 24th December. The full details of the decision can be found here http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/moderngov/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=2175
and the review, here http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/bcc/transport/area_13.page.
Now that we have finally got here, whether or not they can be implemented in the current financial climate remains to be seen.
Councils hit hard in Government spending review cuts.
The County Council says that although the cut in the rate support grant will be only 0.6% of an overall budget of nearly £400m it will actually lose nearer 14% or £11m when other grants are taken in to account in 2011. A further £8m will be cut in 2012. However those grants were often given for specific projects, now completed.
The County has been planning for £90M in cuts over 4 years, which some have challenged as an extreme reaction. Cutting staff and services causes a great deal of stress to Council staff, and very vulnerable people who receive services, or who may need services but will lose their entitlement. That is not to say that there is not a case to reduce management overheads, inefficiencies, and provide service in a different, more cost effective way.
Aylesbury Vale District Council says it is the worst hit of all the Districts in the country, with cuts of 14% in grant this year.
Both Councils will have tough choices to make at budget time and their priorities will be widely challenged.
Energy from Waste (EFW) decision for Calvert called in
The BCC cabinet decision to go ahead with provision of an EFW plant at Calvert has been called in by the local County Councillor and is currently being taken through scrutiny special meetings before being returned to cabinet for further deliberation.
Local Area Forum and Freight Quality Partnership
Led by Ivinghoe Parish Council, Christabel Boersma and I have called an inaugural meeting on 3rd February at County Hall for people interested in forming a Freight Quality Partnership for the Great Brickhill, Wing and Ivinghoe Area. The money to pilot this project has been made available through the Local Area Forum which next meets in IVINGHOE TOWN HALL at 7.00 pm on February 15th , where the meeting of February 3rd will report back. FQPs in other areas have been able to bring road hauliers and residents face to face to understand each others needs and make mutually beneficial changes.
Best wishes for 2011
Avril Davies
District Councillor Ivinghoe and Pitstone
County Councillor
Ivinghoe Division
A good number of people turned out on December 16th to hear Paula Buck, acting head of head of culture and learning, and Cllr David Schofield cabinet spokesperson for libraries, to hear about BCC’s need to make less money go further in the library service.
By turning over the management of the library to a voluntary committee, and providing core funding, it is hoped to not only keep the library and librarian, but open longer and provide a wider variety of services. This way of operating would free the library from the restrictions of the Libraries Act, and a local management committee would be able to fund raise in ways the library service cannot.
On Tuesday February 1st there will be a meeting at Ivinghoe Village Centre at 7pm to re-form the FRIENDS OF IVINGHOE LIBRARY and brainstorm ideas of how we want Ivinghoe Library to be in future.
This will be followed on Thursday February 17th with another meeting in the Town Hall with the County Library people, working out how to take those ideas forward.
Road gritting information on line.
Many people will have already found the BCC web page http://www.transportforbucks.net/Winter-maintenance.aspx that tells you where the gritting vehicles are, when gritting is taking place, and how much grit is being applied. There is also a link to this on the village website http://www.ivinghoe.co.uk/
where BCC gritting news updates sent out on Twitter also appear automatically.
Refuse and recycling information by text
Although most of the waste and recycling collections have continued in the snow and ice, rounds have taken longer and unfortunately not all streets can be covered in the time. Finish times are dictated by the closing time of Newton Longville landfill site, and once or twice in the bad weather this site did not open at all.
For free up to the minute information text avdc sub Friday to 60060 and register for free text updates throughout the year on refuse and recycling collections. Or you can do it on line, at http://www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/do-it-online/avdc-text-alerts/
Area 13 speed limit review recommendations agreed by BCC cabinet
The long awaited recommendations to changes to some local speed limits were approved on 24th December. The full details of the decision can be found here http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/moderngov/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=2175
and the review, here http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/bcc/transport/area_13.page.
Now that we have finally got here, whether or not they can be implemented in the current financial climate remains to be seen.
Councils hit hard in Government spending review cuts.
The County Council says that although the cut in the rate support grant will be only 0.6% of an overall budget of nearly £400m it will actually lose nearer 14% or £11m when other grants are taken in to account in 2011. A further £8m will be cut in 2012. However those grants were often given for specific projects, now completed.
The County has been planning for £90M in cuts over 4 years, which some have challenged as an extreme reaction. Cutting staff and services causes a great deal of stress to Council staff, and very vulnerable people who receive services, or who may need services but will lose their entitlement. That is not to say that there is not a case to reduce management overheads, inefficiencies, and provide service in a different, more cost effective way.
Aylesbury Vale District Council says it is the worst hit of all the Districts in the country, with cuts of 14% in grant this year.
Both Councils will have tough choices to make at budget time and their priorities will be widely challenged.
Energy from Waste (EFW) decision for Calvert called in
The BCC cabinet decision to go ahead with provision of an EFW plant at Calvert has been called in by the local County Councillor and is currently being taken through scrutiny special meetings before being returned to cabinet for further deliberation.
Local Area Forum and Freight Quality Partnership
Led by Ivinghoe Parish Council, Christabel Boersma and I have called an inaugural meeting on 3rd February at County Hall for people interested in forming a Freight Quality Partnership for the Great Brickhill, Wing and Ivinghoe Area. The money to pilot this project has been made available through the Local Area Forum which next meets in IVINGHOE TOWN HALL at 7.00 pm on February 15th , where the meeting of February 3rd will report back. FQPs in other areas have been able to bring road hauliers and residents face to face to understand each others needs and make mutually beneficial changes.
Best wishes for 2011
Avril Davies
District Councillor Ivinghoe and Pitstone
County Councillor
Ivinghoe Division
# posted by Avril Davies @ 12:47 PM 
