Piddington and Wheeler End Parish Council

Our resident botanist, Ben Paternoster, has carried out his annual survey of Chipps Hill. He has logged an incredible 103 different vascular plant species. This is a huge increase from the 63 species he found last year.

Ben’s conclusion on his survey was, ‘The species list indicates that the site is classed as g2a lowland calcareous grassland. The site needs to be cut and collected again in autumn to further lower the nutrient levels and to remove encroaching scrub.

There was a lower abundance of Dark Mullein and Kidney Vetch compared to last year that are the larval foodplants of the UK BAP priority species the Striped Lychnis Moths and Small Blue Butterfly.

Wild Marjoram was far more abundant than last year especially in areas where dense scrub was removed last year. It is a very important plant in supporting pollinators.

Generally herbaceous wildflowers were more abundant this year at the site, this is likely due to the removal of encroaching scrub’.

You can read Bill’s full survey here Chipps Hill Survey 2024

Please contact Hayley Glasgow, [email protected] if you have any questions or comments.

🚨 Launch of Anti-Social Behaviour Mediation Service 🚨
Today is the launch of the Thames Valley Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Mediation Service. This service is available to residents across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Milton Keynes, and is being delivered by Alternatives to Conflict (previously known as Mediation Bucks).

Mediation provides an independent support service and can offer a solution when there is no clear course of action open to a statutory agency, such as the police or local authority. It also represents an alternative to court proceedings and intervention by statutory agencies.

Further details ➡️ https://orlo.uk/BnWnq

Safe Places Scheme

Businesses and other public buildings that have registered as Safe Places under a national scheme can offer help if anyone at all is anxious, scared or at risk while they are out and about and need support.

You can recognise a registered Safe Place by a sticker with the official Safe Places logo displayed prominently in the front window.

You can also find the nearest Safe Place to your location by downloading the Safe Places app (free to download on both Apple and Android mobile phones). When you open the app, tap on "Get me to the nearest Safe Place" and it will open a map showing the quickest walking route to the nearest Safe Place that is open.

For more information visit:

Safe Places - Keep Safe with Safe Places

Dear resident,

As promised, I am writing with a further update now that the new Government has set out its legislative programme in last week’s King’s Speech. I want to highlight the key elements of this which affect Buckinghamshire.

As I also said in my last update, it’s been a really active period for the council in the run up to the summer break, so I wanted to give more detail on some of that work and also some of the summer activities that are available, hence sending another quite long newsletter to you so soon after the previous one!

The King’s Speech

This is the way that a government sets out its priority policies and the legislation it intends to bring forward to support them. This King’s Speech contained no less than 40 proposed new Acts of Parliament. These covered a wide range of different public policy areas that impact us all nationally, and many of which will have specific implications for Buckinghamshire too.

New Bills cover proposals from major policies on economic growth, planning reform and devolution to buses and schools. There are proposals to limit landlords’ ability to evict tenants. Given the large number of rented properties in Buckinghamshire, that will be significant. There is a Children’s Wellbeing Bill that provides for breakfast clubs in all schools. We will need to see how that will operate and who will pay for the additional costs involved. There will be a new schools’ curriculum which must be taught in all state schools. Well publicised during the election, there will be VAT levied on all independent schools. You can read the full detail of what is being put forward by going onto the Government’s website.

Planning Reform

I wanted to highlight the area of policy that I believe will have the greatest impact on our area, particularly where planning and development is concerned.

The speech included confirmation that the Government will bring forward a new Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

We don’t have all the detail yet but from what Ministers have said there appear to be two key aspects to this new Bill which will have major impacts on Buckinghamshire.

Firstly, the reimposition of ‘top down’ housing targets. This is for the number of houses actually built, not granted permission. Councils do not build houses, that is done by private house builders and some social housing providers. We do not know the actual size of these targets yet but, given the overall target of 1.5 million during the rest of this Parliament, we anticipate they will be very large. Councils will have to allocate enough land to allow for all this target, and more, to give scope for the rate at which the houses are actually built. The role of local councils and local people in deciding where these houses are built is also likely to be substantially reduced. Of course, the houses will require appropriate infrastructure such as roads, schools, doctors’ surgeries, energy, water and waste water, digital networks etc. However, it is unclear how all of these will be funded and built in the timescales. Also how does this fit with existing approved Local Plans?

The second key aspect is the move by government to have local councils reallocate much of the Green Belt, a so called ‘Grey Belt’. There is no definition of what constitutes ‘Grey Belt’. Currently about a third of Buckinghamshire is Green Belt and much of this is also in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). At present the law gives protected status to land designated as Green Belt. The Green Belt was designed to preserve in perpetuity the beauty and openness of the countryside and prevent towns and villages merging. Importantly the Green Belt is about ‘openness’, not about being parkland. It is current council policy to protect and maintain the Green Belt whenever possible, although we accept that there will always be exceptional circumstances where Green Belt can be released. It will have to be seen how Green Belt release will be required and what role will be given to councils in this process or whether developers will be able to take the initiative.

Economic growth

There is also a clear focus on economic growth through the new Bills being put forward which of course, we recognise is much needed on a national level and an important focus locally too in supporting and building our local economy and securing a bright future for Buckinghamshire and future generations here. We are currently refreshing our strong local growth plan that has been developed through the Buckinghamshire Growth Board. This outlines how our county can make a significant contribution to the UK economy as a whole through our local industries and local plans.

Devolution

We welcome further confirmation on the intent to progress the devolution agenda too. I was written to by the new Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner last week and look forward to further discussions about how devolved powers will work here after having a devolution deal for Buckinghamshire announced by the last government.

Tackling the litter louts

Onto other priority areas for our residents and I’m really pleased that I can now confirm we have adopted a bold new policy to tackle littering head on – including introducing much higher penalties, which are due to come into force this week.

We’re not shying away from this; we want people to sit up and take notice, so we are launching an attention grabbing new anti-littering campaign called ‘For Bucks Sake’. We will also be issuing penalties of £500 for people who are caught littering.

Like you, I am fed up and disappointed by the sheer amount of litter that I see blighting our beautiful county and disrupting nature, especially on roadside verges. It’s the same stuff – empty drink cans, cigarette and v**e packets, fast food wrapping, plastic bottles and containers, and it’s getting worse and worse. I cannot believe that some people think it’s OK to chuck their rubbish from a vehicle, yet many people seem to be doing this – and think they can get away with it.

Not anymore.

We are among the first councils to use these new powers of higher fines – and a quicker route to catching and punishing the culprits. We are also using a powerful new weapon in our armoury – dashcam footage. We will be leading the way on this by directly appealing to people to send us any footage they might have of littering – captured in a way that is of course, safe and legal.

We are inviting people to upload footage and photos to our new webpage if their dashcam has captured someone in a vehicle chucking litter out of the window. With car registration details, this will provide us with the evidence we need to trace and fine the culprit. The new policy will also allow us in the coming months to prosecute through the civil process meaning it will be the vehicle owner who will be liable, whether they threw the litter or not – this should encourage drivers to ensure their passengers do the right thing, and hopefully encourage passengers not to risk the driver being given a penalty for littering!

I hope that the new approach and penalties will prove a powerful deterrent.

Have your say

I wanted to draw your attention to some important consultations we have at the moment that we want to invite you to comment on to ensure you are a part of shaping these policies. Of particular note, we are proposing some changes to our library service, including introducing longer opening hours, and extending some self-service aspects, whilst retaining face to face contacts during core hours. We are also currently consulting on our Housing Allocations Policy for social housing tenants and our draft Air Quality Action Plan.

These are really important council services and policies to many of you, so please do visit our ‘Your Voice Bucks’ webpage to comment and be involved in the decision-making process.

Summer break

We have reached the end of another school year and the start, for many, of the summer break. I’m sure many of you have holidays planned, whether at home or abroad, and I hope you can also make the most of the array of wonderful walks, events and attractions we have on our doorstep here in Buckinghamshire.

We have many low-cost and free activities and events on the Buckinghamshire Family Information Service website so I urge you to take a look if you want ideas on keeping children – and adults alike – entertained! There are also full details of how to access all aspects of family support and advice on these webpages if you need it.

I also wanted to affirm our continued support for local families over the summer too. We know juggling finances over the summer months can be tricky. We are running our Holiday Activities and Food programme across the summer for families who get benefits-related free school meals, so those children have access to free childcare and a healthy meal all provided within the scheme. We have also issued £50 food vouchers to eligible families too, to help with food costs over the summer. I remain very conscious that for many households the cost of living still presents a significant challenge and I hope this support makes a difference.

Well done to schools and students

I also want to thank all school staff and school leaders for their hard work over the last academic year and wish all the very best to students, particularly those awaiting exam results in the coming weeks. I’m really proud of the achievements of all of our schools that we celebrated in our recent School Awards. We have a higher level of children and young people attending good and outstanding schools than the national average and this is testament to everyone involved, families, students and the tireless efforts of teachers and all who work in schools. I hope you can enjoy a well-earned break in the coming weeks.

Proud of Bucks!

Last, but not least; nominations are now open for our annual ‘Proud of Bucks’ awards. Is there someone who you think is a community hero worthy of more recognition? These awards, being run through our sixteen Community Boards, aim to shine a light on the incredible contributions of the unsung heroes in our communities across the county so please take a look how to make a nomination if you have someone in mind!

I hope you have a great summer and that we can finally see the back of the rain!

Stay safe and well,

Yours,

Martin Tett

Leader of Buckinghamshire Council

Press Release from Buckinghamshire Council
15 July 2024

Check before you travel this summer
​

Buckinghamshire Council is advising motorists to check their journeys before they travel on Buckinghamshire’s roads this summer, with a number of planned roadworks scheduled for the coming weeks and months particularly around the Aylesbury and High Wycombe areas.



The council is managing a far greater number of requests for roadworks in general, with utilities firms fixing and improving their networks and broadband firms installing more new high speed cables. With the added impact of HS2 and East West Rail works and the council’s own programme of investment in Buckinghamshire’s roads, it means that there is no ‘quiet time’ to schedule roadworks.



The council plays a role in managing planned roadworks through its ‘Streetworks’ team, which issues permits when a request to carry out works on the roads and pavements comes in. The council always tries to schedule the most disruptive works outside of busy periods and has traditionally used the summer months to do this. However, such is the increase in planned roadworks taking place in Buckinghamshire this year, that even the summer months will be a busy time on the county’s roads. It is also becoming more challenging to lessen the impact in certain areas where multiple works are scheduled at the same time.



The council is therefore advising motorists to be aware of the higher number of works across the highways network this summer – and beyond. The council has increased the number of people in its Streetworks team and they’ll be carrying out regular site inspections to ensure planned works are taking place within the agreed permit arrangements.



Some particularly significant works that are expected to cause disruption in the coming weeks and months in Aylesbury and the surrounding areas are:



A418 Aylesbury to Stone - HS2 works with weekend closures starting during July and a full two week closure 16th August to 2nd September
A418 at Bierton - Ongoing Thames Water improvement works until 31 July with a second tranche of long-term works until November.
A41 Aylesbury to Aston Clinton – down to a single lane during July for pavement works at the Holiday Inn junction.
A41 Aylesbury to Aston Clinton – new traffic calming measures being put in place, traffic will be signal controlled 7am – 7pm 2nd April to 20th August.
B4443 Aylesbury towards Stoke Mandeville – nighttime road closures for Aylesbury ring road project between 8-12 August and 15-19 August.
Weedon Road, Aylesbury – Thames Water mains replacement works – temp lights between 8am – 6pm from 22 July until 25 October.


Significant works coming up in the High Wycombe area include:



A40 High Street, West Wycombe Two-way signals 7am – 7pm 8 July – 2 September to carry out safety and other works to buildings.
A404 Amersham Road towards Holmer Green – multi-way signals 7am – 7pm, 4 August – 21 September to lay electricity cables.
Penn Road, Hazelmere Affinity Water sinkhole repairs, lights in place - ongoing
Rose Avenue, Hazelmere Cadent Gas upgrade works – multi-way signals 29 July – 28 August
C**k Lane, Tylers Green, Cadent Gas Major works Full road closure 29 July – 30 August
Coates Lane, High Wycombe, Cadent Gas upgrade works, multi-way signals already in place 24 June – 12 August
Desborough Avenue, High Wycombe, SSE upgrade works, multiway signals, 7am – 7pm, 19 August – 12 September
New Road/Cressex Road, High Wycombe City Fibre cable installation, temporary signals, 7am – 7pm (9:30am – 3:30pm term time), start July – end September.


Steven Broadbent is Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport. He said:



“The reality is that we have seen a massive increase in the number of roadworks on the county’s network. This will be no surprise to motorists and other travellers who are already experiencing higher levels of disruption as a result. The truth is, utilities firms are dealing with aging pipes and networks that needs repairs and upgrades. At the same time, demand for higher broadband speeds mean lots of new cable is being laid. The council itself is also investing £110 million in the county’s roads, in a major programme of repairs and improvements works.



All of this means more works on the network, and that’s in addition to the major disruption being caused by HS2 and East West Rail – we do not give approval for HS2 works as they have powers to carry out works as needed.



We work hard to co-ordinate permits in a way which minimises disruption and we do refuse to issue a permit if the works are too impactful or too many are requested in a similar area – we refused 10% of permit applications last year. The reality is however, that the level of demand is making co-ordinating competing works more and more challenging. Emergency works, which can’t be planned for, add another challenge into the mix.



These companies have a legal right to access their assets, so with the high level of planned works in the coming months, we’re telling people, if you need to travel on the local road network and to be somewhere by a certain time – please check before you travel, even if it’s a routine journey to school or work.”



“We are also doing what we can within our control to relieve the pressure on the road network; we are bringing forward the Aylesbury ring road project and we’re investing in new cycling and walking routes. And of course, we are constantly holding HS2 and East West Rail to account to better engage with our residents on their works, to give people plenty of notice and to pay for road repairs as a result of their construction traffic.”

Press Release from Buckinghamshire Council
15 July 2024

Nominate your community heroes with a Proud of Bucks Award
​

The Proud of Bucks Awards are back for a fourth year, shining a light on the incredible contributions of our county’s unsung heroes – the volunteers, groups, and organisations that have made a positive difference in our communities over the past 12 months.



Buckinghamshire Council’s 16 Community Boards will choose winners from their local area, for each of the three award categories:



Good Neighbour Award – adults 21+ who has made a difference in their local community, such as through neighbourhood schemes, supporting voluntary causes or befriending services.
Young Champion Award – for a young person under 21 who has made a significant contribution towards their local community, for example, through volunteering, supporting a charitable cause or championing their peers.
Outstanding Group Award – recognises and celebrates a voluntary group in the local area who has made a positive impact on their community such as delivering a service, championing a cohort of residents, or supporting and enhancing local spaces.


Arif Hussain, Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities, said:

“The Proud of Bucks Awards are a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the incredible people who make a difference in our communities. I'm delighted that our Community Boards will be recognising outstanding adults, young leaders, and community groups across Buckinghamshire.



“Do you know someone who has gone above and beyond? Perhaps their project or dedication has impacted you directly. I’d encourage you to nominate them – we want to hear about all the inspiring efforts, enthusiasm, and innovation happening right here in Buckinghamshire!”



The Clare Foundation are generously sponsoring the awards again this year, helping to celebrate the incredible people who make Buckinghamshire such a wonderful place to live, work and thrive.



Mike Clare, Founder and Chairman of The Clare Foundation said:



“The Clare Foundation is thrilled to be sponsoring the Proud of Bucks Awards. We take great pride in recognising and honouring those who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to assisting local communities across the county. We look forward to reading about the remarkable stories of the individuals and groups who have made a meaningful difference.”



Nominations for the Proud of Bucks Awards are now open now, the deadline for nominations is midnight on Sunday 11 August. Nominations will be reviewed by a panel of judges and the winners will be announced at local Community Board events in the autumn.



Submit your nomination by using the online Proud of Bucks nomination form.

Press Release from Buckinghamshire Council
15 July 2024

Your voice counts - Have your say on local matters
​

This month, a number of important consultations are launching, and Buckinghamshire Council would like to hear your views.



The council regularly seeks views from local people on a range of topics, from developing and updating policies, to making key changes to services.



It couldn’t be easier to have your say and all views and comments are considered when final decisions are made.



Three consultations which the council would like to hear views on are:



· Development of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy – consultation open until 18 August

· Library Flex transformation programme – consultation open until 18 September

· Review of the Housing Allocations Policy for Social Housing Tenancies – consultation open until 22 August



The council is seeking views to help in the development of a Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) for Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes. Local Nature Recovery Strategies were introduced in the Environment Act 2021 and every area in England is producing one.



The strategy will be used to help protect and preserve local nature and wildlife habitats which are integral to the region but which, through a variety of reasons, including climate change and economic factors, may be under threat. The council would like to find out which aspects of nature are important to local people and find out their views on the draft priorities that have been drawn up as part of initial discussions with residents and partners.



To find out more about the Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Local Nature Recovery Strategy and to take part in the consultation visit: https://yourvoicebucks.citizenspace.com/environment/lnrs-priorities



The council would also like to ask residents for help with redesigning library services so they will continue to meet Buckinghamshire’s needs while responding to current and future challenges.



The Library Flex model proposes a new way of operating some Buckinghamshire libraries, reflecting changes in library usage over the years, by having staff available at times of greatest customer need and use of self-operated technology to provide library services at quieter times.



Library Flex will also provide an opportunity to increase opening hours, benefitting people who work, commuters and students. Currently many libraries open from 10am but could open earlier without staff and until later in the evening, and for longer during exam times so that people can go there to study.



Residents are being asked when they would most like staff to be available and when they would prefer to be able to visit the library.



The consultation also includes a review of opening hours at Burnham Library and a proposal to open High Wycombe Library on Monday instead of Sunday – both of which are separate from the Library Flex proposals.



To find out more about the proposals and to take part in the consultation visit: https://yourvoicebucks.citizenspace.com/culture-sports-and-leisure/library-flex



The Housing Allocations policy sets out the procedures that must be followed when assessing the eligibility of applicants for social housing tenancies. The policy details how applicants, via the Bucks Home Choice scheme, can apply to the housing register, what the eligibility requirements are, how the assessment process works, and how it proposes housing is allocated in the future.



The council is in the process of reviewing the policy and would like to gain feedback on the proposed changes from current and prospective housing tenants, local residents, and partners.



To find out more about the Housing Allocations Policy consultation and to take part, visit: https://yourvoicebucks.citizenspace.com/housing/housing-allocations-policy-consultation



All consultations being run by Buckinghamshire Council can be found on the website: https://yourvoicebucks.citizenspace.com

Help us shape the future of nature in Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes - Your Voice Bucks - Citizen Space Have your say on Your Voice Bucks

403 Forbidden

A message from Councillor Simon Digby, Chairman re the grass cutting on the green -

The Parish Council has arranged for the daffodil strip to be cut this week. We always leave the strip until the end of June to allow the maximum amount of energy to get back to the bulbs. This year the grass has grown much more than in a normal year.
Mowing will be discussed at the next meeting on Tuesday 9th July, 7.30pm at the village hall. Please come along and let us know your views.

Piddington Green Update – June 2024 - Piddington & Wheeler End Parish Council A collection of wildflowers has been spotted on Piddington Green in the areas that we have deliberately left unmown. Our resident expert, Jonathon Cains of Wellfield Road, has marked out the wildflower areas and is monitoring them to see what is coming through. He has logged twenty-two different spe...

The Navy Lends A Hand Back home for some R&R from naval service in the Middle East, Sub-Lieutenant Digby was press-ganged into a morning’s sign cleaning. He said that he enjoyed the experience, but preferred chasing Somalian pirates. The Gurney Cup is Ours! The Piddington and Wheeler End Parish has been entered in the ...

Press Release from Buckinghamshire Council
12 June 2024

Registering to vote and the new photo ID requirements for the General Election
​

Buckinghamshire Council is reminding residents that to vote in the General Election on 4 July they will need to make sure they are registered to vote and to show a valid photo ID at polling stations.

This now applies to:

Local elections
UK General elections
Police and Crime Commissioner elections
UK parliamentary by-elections
Recall petitions
You can apply for a free voter ID certificate, known as a Voter Authority Certificate, if:

You don’t have an accepted form of photo ID
You’re not sure whether your photo ID still looks like you
You’re worried about using an existing form of ID for any other reasons, such as the use of a gender marker
To find out more about what ID is accepted and to apply for free voter ID, if you need it, look here: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/voter-id

The deadline to apply for free voter ID in time for the 4 July General Election is 5pm on 26 June.

For people registered to vote by post, no photo ID will be required. This is because postal voting requires other identification checks, such as signature and date of birth verification.

Sarah Ashmead, Buckinghamshire Council’s Deputy Chief Executive and Returning Officer, said:

“You will need to show an accepted form of photo ID for the General Election on 4 July 2024.

“If you haven’t done so already, I’d encourage you to make sure that you are registered to vote. The easiest way to do this is by visiting GOV.UK. The deadline to register to vote in the General Election is 18 June 2024.”

Find out more about what to expect on polling day by visiting Buckinghamshire Council's website.

The council is urging residents to share this information with friends and relatives who may be unaware of these voter ID changes or need assistance with applying for the necessary documents. Booklets containing relevant information are also available at Buckinghamshire libraries; you can also use the computers in our libraries to register to vote and find out more about voter ID.

Voter ID There is a new requirement to take photo ID to some elections in England, Scotland and Wales.

Please can we remind people to think of others when parking.
You should not be restricting access and you should not be parking on corners.
We have recieved several complaints re poor parking.

Report a parking problem Let us know about parking problems on-street or in a council car park.

Please can we remind people to pick up after their dogs 🐕
Thank you!

Piddington Litter Pick This Saturday The Parish Council are organising a litter pick in Piddington on Saturday 15 June. Meet outside The Dashwood Roadhouse at 9.30AM - we'll provide litter pickers and bin bags - you may want to bring gloves and perhaps a hi-viz jacket if you have one. All help appreciated - many hands make light work.

Sublime Bin Levelling Have you ever wondered why all of the public concrete bins in the Parish look as if they are about to fall over? Well, Councillor Pete Brown wondered the same thing and took it upon himself to sort out this serious issue. We now have the straighest bins in Britain. Great work Pete. The Piddington