District Councillor

Corry Cashman

Phone 01296-668565

c.cashman@zen.co.uk

Link to AVDC Web Site

District Councillor’s News: March 2010.

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Cheddington and Future Plans for Refuse and Recycling

It is now two years since I wrote about anticipated changes to refuse and recycling collections and the introduction of a new “brown bin” for cardboard and other compostable waste. I explained that these changes would not occur “before April 2009 and may be much later”.

At the time of writing this, February 2010, it is unlikely that any changes to Cheddington’s present pattern of collections will occur in the next two years.

While the District Council is responsible for collections the county Council is responsible for disposing or recycling it. (All Buckinghamshire’s District Councils and the County Council work together as the “Joint Waste Authority”). The County have made two attempts, at Hardwick and Westcott, to build a treatment plant which would have been able to treat brown bin waste (cardboard and garden waste etc). The two locations were found to be unacceptable on planning and financial grounds respectively. So it will not be possible, in the absence of a treatment plant, to introduce a brown bin scheme.

This situation has not been without consequences. Seven years ago Aylesbury Vale District Council came 156th out of 408 local authorities for its recycling rates. In 2007 – 08, the last year for which records are presently available, it was 360th out of 393 local authorities. (figures from www.letsrecycle.com ) The cabinet member on AVDC, responsible for Environment and Health, has said that if it were not for the treatment plant problems AVDC would have been in the top part of that table.

It is anticipated, planning consent and other issues permitting, that from 2014 most green bin refuse will no longer go to landfill site but will be sent, for incineration, to an “Energy from Waste” plant in Bedfordshire. It is encouraging to note that the amount of green bin refuse has been steadily reducing for the past couple of years.

The loss of Hertfordshire County Council’s household waste and recycling centre at Tring has been alleviated by the opening of a new centre at Aston Clinton by Bucks CC.

There may, in a few parishes, be some change in collection days later this year, but refuse and recycling will continue to be collected on the one day. If Cheddington is one of the affected parishes then residents will be advised well in advance of any change.


To sum all this up – there is, for all the above reasons, unlikely to be any change in the type and pattern of collections in Cheddington for at least the next two years.

For further refuse and recycling details Tel: 01296 585510
or log on to www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk

Council Tax 2010 - 2011

At the time of writing it is likely that Cheddington’s total council tax bill will increase by fractionally less than 2%. However this remains a provisional figure until all the authorities formally agree their individual budgets.

Cheddington Station - New Off-Peak Ticket Restrictions

Since January people travelling on off-peak tickets cannot use them to return from Euston between 16.45 and 18.45 hours on Monday to Friday. For Cheddington train users this is effectively a three hour restriction because of the timetabling of trains. I requested that the Local Area Forum (our local group of some fourteen Parish Councils) wrote to London Midland pointing this out and also asking why none of the local communities were consulted about this. They agreed to do so. I will continue to pursue this matter.

Budget Cost of District Councillors

At the last council meeting I asked what the total cost of councillors was to the budget, including annual allowances, travel, training, food and all other expenses. I was informed that the total “budgeted” cost for the 59 councillors on Aylesbury Vale District Council for the current financial year came to £514,300.

Approximately 60% of this sum is comprised of a basic allowance of £5,304 payable to each of the 59 councillors. A further 30% is the “Special Responsibility Allowance” payable to the Leader, his deputy, cabinet members, committee chairs and group leaders. The remaining 10% covers items ranging from national insurance, through mileage and training, to catering.

My Allowance and Expenses

My allowance and expenses for the last full financial year (2008 – 09) were:

Basic allowance: £5,148
Mileage allowance: £ 490

TOTAL: £5,638.

The above figure does not include any costing for the laptop computer on loan to me from the Council.

I will provide the figures for this financial year when they become available.

Reducing Energy Costs in the Home

The costs of electricity, gas and oil may have come down a little recently but it still remain very high and for many people take a large bite out of their incomes. Reducing these costs is in all our interests. Changing to energy efficient light bulbs, not leaving T.V. and other electrical equipment on standby and remembering to switch off lights as you leave a room are all well known examples of easy ways to save on energy consumption and its costs.

However keeping up these good practices is not always so easy to do. The District Council in collaboration with “Zap Carbon” is encouraging people to log on to a website which will help not only to suggest further ways of saving on energy consumption but also help people to monitor and maintain these improvements. Many households in Cheddington could find that they save up to 20% on their energy bills without much effort. Households which are already energy efficient are also welcome to logon as they can use the site to monitor their consumption.

I found the frequently asked questions (FAQ) section on this site useful in providing further helpful information. To find out more log on to: www.zapcarbon.com

Local Transport Plan 3

Mrs Joan Ward, the Cheddington Parish Council transport representative, and I recently attended a Bucks County Council Transport Symposium in Aylesbury. Those present at the meeting were invited to chose their priorities for inclusion in the County Council’s transport plan which will run from 2011 to 2026. The reductions in bus services, referred to in the item above (which also affect a number of other services throughout Buckinghamshire), were obviously present in the minds of many of those present.

The meeting was asked to select its 5 main priorities from a long list of suggestions. Those selected were:

1. Improve rural bus services.
2. Repair roads before they break up.
3. Develop community transport facilities to meet the needs of smaller communities (e.g. community buses)
4. Make streets and roads more people friendly and less traffic menacing.
5. Develop park-and-ride facilities to reduce congestion in growing towns such as Aylesbury.

The draft plan will be available for public consultation next Spring.


Speed Review

The draft review of speed limits in Cheddington and surrounding communities (known as the Area 13 Speed Review) should be available for public consultation next Spring. It is hoped that implementation of the revised speed limits will take place by the end of next year.

Cleanliness and good Hygiene practice in Aylesbury Vale Restaurants, Cafes, Takeaways and Pubs

Most establishments throughout the Vale maintain high standards of cleanliness and hygiene. The District Council has now introduced a star rating system, based on inspections of premises made by its hygiene inspectors, and it is making this information available to the public.

5 Stars = Excellent
4 Stars = Very Good
3 Stars = Good 
Stars = Fair
1 Star = Poor
No Stars = Major Improvement Required

These ratings can often be seen displayed in the window or on the door of the businesses concerned. However, if they are not, then you can check them on the District Council’s website at  www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/scores 




Corry Cashman.
Telephone: 01296 668565
c.cashman@zen.co.uk