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ASPLEY GUISE PARISH
COUNCILNews update:
December 2019 edition
In this edition:
• Welcome• Meet your Councillors• New Allotment Site project • Neighbourhood Plan• Wall of Friendship• Spring Bulb planting and New Defibrillator• Table Tennis, New Noticeboards & SCPO update• Latest Finances• Contact Details
• For the younger generation or just those young at heart we have hidden some cheeky snowman on every page. How many can you find ?
Hi everyone,
Welcome to our last printed newsletter of the year. Please let me get in early and wish you all a very Merry Christmas and extend my very best wishes for the new year. Whether we are in or out of the EU by the time you read this I do not know, I just hope we have a final decision one way or another. Whatever the outcome, our great nation will prevail and make a success of itself, of that I am certain.
We’ve had a good year at the Parish Council and I hope you can see the fruits of those efforts throughout the village. Just as much is going on behind the scenes as we continue to improve the Council in every way that we can, however, it is great for visible signs of progress such as the street benches, new Iffley lamp post lights, increased planting of summer flowers and the start of the maintenance programme on the Parish’s assets. We even have a fully working VAS sign (digital speed sign) on Bedford Road once again. The VAS sign is I hope only the very early beginnings of a rejuvenated traffic calming program for the Village, something I hope my colleague Cllr. Tim Raper, who is leading the charge for the village with CBC, will say more about in the New Year as plans coalesce.
Other important plans include the Neighbourhood Plan. This is now being chaired by Cllr. Huw Lewis and is entering an interesting phase where we do need as much village and parish support and input as possible. We need YOUR ideas, thoughts and support on what we are trying to achieve. Together we can make a strong plan. When the plan goes to referendum none of us want any surprises. I urge you to come along and engage with us as soon as you can.
This time of year is often dominated by budgets. For the first time as a Council, that I recall, we’ve set up a formal committee who will sit in open meetings where the public can come along and contribute to proceedings. Again, I urge you to do so. We have quite a list of ideas/suggestions for the year ahead and it is important that we get as many views as possible.
My thanks to each and every one of the Parish Councillors for their efforts and dedication in striving to do their very best in what can sometimes be a tough job. My thanks to every one of you, our Parishioners, who have said thank you, commented on the efforts we are making and recognise how we are trying our very best. It means a lot to us all when we hear even the smallest of thanks.
Finally, please accept my very best wishes for the festive season, peace and prosperity for all of you and yours, and the chance to wish you a happy 2020.
Best wishes, Stewart
Meet your Councillors:
We thought you would like to get to know your Councillors more, so each edition we ask a Councillor to write a bit about themselves and why they volunteer for their Councillor role. We start with the Chairman of AGPC: Stewart Bailey (Stewart featured in our last e-newsletter, but as that has limited reach, we thought we would share it again in this edition).
Hi, I'm Stewart. I am delighted to have this opportunity to share a little bit of background about who I am and why I am a part of the Aspley Guise Parish Council.
When Lynne, the Parish's Clerk, suggested we do these short Bio's, I'm not sure my first reaction was one of joy, as a deeply private individual, I do have some challenges with the demands of public life, even if only at Parish Council, the most basic level of local government, and my need to remain private and protect my family's privacy. On occasion these boundaries have been over-stepped and as a family we often question "Why do you do it?".
So please let me explain why. My over-arching reason for working for the Parish is because "it's good to give something back". This has been a common threadthroughout all of my volunteer and charitable work over the years. I am currently the vice-chair of a national charity, www.potentialplusuk.org, which is a charitythat has helped my own family in the past. Up until very recently I have been an adviser to the Trustees for the Water Eaton Lakes Estate Academy, supporting along-term friend and his job as headmaster. Looking back a bit further, it was me, some incredibly hardworking friends and colleagues that organised Milton Keynes' 40th Birthday party , The Big Moo -we entertained over 40,000 people over the weekend and made Milton Keynes a Guinness World Record Holder!Through my business, we've sponsored the MK Lions and supported their sports in school program and I even won the "Assembly Presenter of the Year" award (many moons ago) from Countec the educational service provider, for the numerous assembly presentations on "What's in like to be your own boss", that I've given to schools around the Milton Keynes area. I'm also lucky enough be a musician and through a group of business leaders in Milton Keynes put together a band WillSnap, supporting Willen Hospice and the Milton Keynes Special Needs Advancement Project (hence WillSnap) which played an annual gig at The Stables for many years, released a number of albums (I still have some spare CDs for anyone interested!) and raised over £40,000 for the charities. One of the highlights for me was taking the stage with Mick Abrahams (Jethro Tull and Blodwyn Pig) to play a 12 bar blues set and then for the band being invited to play his celebratory 60th Birthday Party along with many heroes of mine from yonder year. We were privileged to have Pete Langford from the Baron Knights and Damon Hill, F1 World Champion, join us for various sets over the years too. It all feels like a lifetime ago!
You'll notice a Milton Keynes theme running through much of the above. Indeed, I lived in Milton Keynes for 20+ years before my darling wife requested that we move to the countryside and that's how we ended up in Aspley Guise. Herein lies another one of my motivations to see our home in the country remains a home in the country. I was fortunate to be asked to be a part of the team that delivered Central Milton Keynes' Neighbourhood Business Plan, the very first to be approved by No.10 Downing Street, so I have been at the very forefront of neighbourhood planning. As the Chair of Aspley Guise's own Neighbourhood Plan committee I hope to bring my skill set to bear again.
In summary, I love this village, will do all I can to help it prosper and will in the meantime strive to keep my private life private, encourage the stone-throwers to stop throwing stones and to join the party instead, whilst I continue to be a proud father of two and a husband to one.
All my best,Stewart
Meet your Councillors:
Vice Chairman of AGPC: Matt Bird
I have lived in Aspley Guise since 1999. My Wife and I were the oldest first time buyers in Mid Beds, finally deciding to take the plunge to buy a house after years of renting in Flitwick. My requirement was, a garage for my motorbike and pub to quench my thirst. A Mount Pleasant house ticked both of those boxes and the house,had what my wife calls “character”, so 12 weeks later the deal was done and we became Aspley Guiseans (if that’s even a word).
Not long after moving in, a casual discussion in the Wheatsheaf pub resulted in me becoming an Aspley Guise cricketer. My summer weekends were never the same. I rose to the dizzying heights of Club Vice Captain, wicket keeping for several years and also helping to expand the youth side which I am pleased to say continues today, through the hard work and efforts of many at Aspley Guise Cricket Club. I still play occasionally, although prefer to let the younger folks do all the running about.
The Wheatsheaf pub, and not forgetting The Anchor, were fantastic places to meet neighbours and villagers alike as was the golf club where I have been a membernow for many years. It was through connections made here, and while walking my dog Ziggy, I grew to love our village and become more interested in village matters.
I shared an allotment back in 2014/15, and it was this that lead me to join Aspley Guise Parish Council. Why……well, the owner of the allotments sold the land, refusing to sell to the Allotment Committee, but instead sold to a developer with a view to obtain planning permission to build on the land and share the profits between them. I could have sat back, done nothing, complaining from my sofa and worrying about the precedent this would set for more and more development. I had watched the demise of The Wheatsheaf pub, where the brewery let the pub run into the ground. When I moved to the village The Wheatsheaf was a vibrant, busy and fantastic place to meet, with many village events, too many to name here (but I loved helping with fireworks nigh in the paddock, fun times)…….both allotments and pub, closed for developers to build and give nothing back to our village! I decided therefore enough was enough, and I joined the Parish Council. I had no idea if I could help by being a councillor, but I figured there was more chance of helping than if I stayed on my sofa. Could I stop inappropriate development, stop the loss of our village amenities and could I maybe improve things and try to make our village a better place to live? I don’t know, but I joined the council to try. We have lost so much over the 20 years I have lived here, I want to help turn that round….maintain what we have, to develop new facilities for us all and help to retain the green spaces that make our village, a village!!
Lastly, I hope you all enjoyed the Aspley Guise Christmas lights switching on event and I hope the village square at night makes you think proudly of our village. Its not a Parish Council event, it is an event that symbolises that “Village Feeling”, organised by locals for locals.
That’s me…..I look forward to meeting you round the village. And if like me, you love our village….join the Parish Council or one of the many clubs or volunteer organisations. It all helps to keep that “Village Feeling” and being an “Aspley Guisean” (still not sure that’s a word)
Matt
Parish Council Allotment Working Group (PCAWG):
Under the Small Holdings & Allotments Act 1908 Councils have a duty to satisfy demands for allotments if 6 or more residents request it. Earlier this year we carried out Step 1, a survey to determine the appetite from residents in the village, and the survey showed that many of you were indeed interested. Of the 88 people that responded 84 people said they would like to see allotments in the village, 59 people said they would like an allotment and 36 people said they would like to start using one immediately.
Step 2 on the journey is to look for potential locations. We looked at a map of Aspley Guise to see where there were parcels of land that had potential to be allotments. I stress potential.... as at this early stage all we looked at was land that had access and near to houses. We have identified 10 areas that tick this most basic test. Historically most allotment journeys, people walked, clearly the closer land is to houses the more likely this is.
Step 3, to happen next, is to find out if the various land owners would be interested in helping the community with the provision of allotments. The PCAWG with full council support will be writing to landowners to ask if they are interested in helping.
Once we know the outcome of interest, we will then look at what this could look like in discussion with the landowners. We will be consulting with other councils, with the Allotment Association and ultimately with you, on the detail of how and where we can provide the allotments that you have told us you want.
We look forward to updating you in 2020 on our progress.
Cllr Bird
Aspley Guise Parish -Neighbourhood Plan (NP):
We are in the process of preparing a draft Neighbourhood Development Plan for Aspley Guise Parish and have been successful in securing a grant of £4,045 provided as part of the Neighbourhood Planning Programme, funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to assist us in the preparation of our Neighbourhood Plan.
Given the planning challenges associated with the growth agenda for Central Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes area and its likely impact on local communities, Parishes and Towns, the importance of our own NDP cannot be understated. The issue of housing growth is particularly challenging to local communities and Parishes and our Neighbourhood plan can help influence CBC’s (Our local Planning Authority) development of their local plan and housing needs assessment by us setting out local views on the scale, density and location of any proposing housing in the Parish and surrounding areas. This can be informed and supported by a housing needs survey (HNS).
Following the introduction of the Localism Act 2011 - we have now entered into a new era for planning. The Government is placing a renewed emphasis on planning at the local level because it believes that local people know best what local needs are and how they can be met. A key component of the new approach to planning is the Neighbourhood Plan. This new type of plan means that local communities can come together to shape the future of their area. It is the responsibility of the parish or town council, or a neighbourhood forum, to prepare the Neighbourhood Plan.
Neighbourhood Plans provide a great opportunity for you to have more influence on how the places in which you live and work will change over time. Your local knowledge, and your sense of what needs to be protected and what needs to change, can really make a difference.
A Neighbourhood Plan (sometimes called a Neighbourhood Development Plan) is a way of helping local communities to influence the planning of the area in which they live and work. Unlike Local Plans, Neighbourhood Plans are not prepared by the local planning authority (CBC). A Neighbourhood Plan produced by a parish or town council does not have to cover the whole area of the parish or town, it can cover just part of a parish or town if you prefer. Alternatively, a Neighbourhood Plan can extend across parish boundaries. Our proposed Neighbourhood Plan focuses in on the Parish Area.
Once CBC local planning authority is happy that our Neighbourhood Plan has been prepared correctly, it will arrange for an independent examination, and if it passes the examination, CBC will be responsible for arranging a local referendum on the Neighbourhood Plan. The costs incurred by the examination and the referendum will be paid for by CBC. If the referendum supports our Neighbourhood Plan, then CBC as our local planning authority must adopt it as part of their overall development plan (which includes the Local Plan) for the area.
We would urge all residents to make representations and comments to the Parish Council on all aspects of our proposed Neighbourhood Plan prior to submission to the CBC at the end of quarter two of 2020
Cllr Lewis
To read the full article on Neighbourhood Plans please visit the latest news page on our website. The latest DRAFT of the NP can also be viewed on our website. If you would like to join the NP Advisory Committee to help shape this plan and therefore the future of our village please contact: [email protected]
Wall of Friendship: St Boltophs Church
St Boltophs Church want to provide an opportunity for residents and those associated with St Botolph’s to show their connection with and friendship towards our village and parish church.
To do this, they are creating a lasting testimony of people living in Aspley Guise, or connected to the village or church in the year 2020 by making a beautiful community memory quilt from canvas ‘bricks’ all embroidered with local family names. This will be displayed in St Botolph’s Church. If you want to be included please buy a ‘brick’. ‘Bricks’ cost £10 for a blank - you create and make your own design or for £25, the Church Craft Group will stitch your ‘brick’ with your family name. Their aim is to collect all the ‘bricks’ by June 2020 and to complete the hanging by Christmas 2020. All proceeds will go towards the upkeep of the fabric of the church.
If you want to join in the project and help to make the quilt, the St Botolph’s Craft Group meet every Tuesday afternoon. Please ask Brenda, Gay or Liz for details.
Work has already started in earnest, “Bricks” have been cut out and instruction packs assembled for sale. The St Boltophs Craft Group have started to stitch some names and other residents have begun creating their own designs.
If you are keen to be involved or want to start your own family “brick” please contact:
Brenda Eagles 01908 582945 [email protected] Marks 01908 582801 [email protected] Armitage 01908 584473 [email protected]
Planting Spring Bulbs:
On Tuesday 12th November, a group of children from AG Lower School, gathered on West Hill Bank in the Autumn sunshine to set more than 300 daffodil bulbs, along with 2 teachers , 3 volunteers and a Parish Councillor .It was a great morning and a amazing effort by the children of Willow Class . It should prove to be a really colourful picture in the Spring time.The children then moved up to the crossroads at Woodside and West Hill along with the support team to plant the remaining bulbs in the area behind the bench under the trees.They then returned back to school for a well earned lunch.We all enjoyed the mornings work party in the outdoor fresh air.
Many Thanks to the children involved from Willow Class , AG Lower School teachers and the volunteers for all their help.
Defibrillator Spinney Lane:
Some of you avid readers may remember an article from a previous newsletter about the pending arrival of Aspley Guise first community defibrillator. Well, it’s now fully registered and installed in the Micro Library at the junction of Spinney Lane and Mount Pleasant.We would like to thank the group of volunteers for their fundraising efforts. Special thanks to Ray Stammers for preparing the telephone box ahead of installation and building the shelves for the micro library - we have some great volunteers within the village.
The project hasn’t stopped there... The group plan to install a second defibrillator in the village early in the New Year (more updates to follow).Further community training sessions for local residents will also be arranged in the New Year, so anyone interested in attending, please register your interest by contacting Pauline Hawley at [email protected] information: In the event of an emergency, please call 999 and they will direct you to the nearest defibrillator and give you the code to access the cabinet.
Table Tennis for all:
Methodist Church Hall ( Upstairs )Chapel StWoburn SandsThursday from 09.30 - 12.30£2 entrance fee which includes Tea and / or Coffee
Please Contact:Dave McGarragh on 01908 582675 or 07817 682345
School Crossing Patrol Officer (SCPO):
Many of you will be aware that earlier in the year the PC conducted a survey of residents to establish the interest in a SCPO for the village. Of the 60 people who responded, 95% said they would like to have a SCPO, with The Square being the preferred choice of location. We followed this up with CBC, who conducted a traffic survey and they concluded from this there was no requirement for a SCPO at this site. The PC had budgeted to fund this position out of the precept, but still required CBC’s approval. Unfortunately despite several conversations, CBC are not supportive of this so the PC are unable to move forwards with this project.
New Noticeboards:
A big thanks to our P3 group (whom are all volunteers) for installing our two new noticeboards. We understand it was very hard work digging the holes, but they kept their energy levels up with bacon butties, courtesy of Cllr Hawley.
One of the NB’s has been installed at the entrance to the Village Hall car park, we are hoping this will see more footfall from parents taking their children to school, walkers and the many users of the village hall.
The second one has been installed at Trunk Furlong, in place of the old one that fell down earlier in the year. This board has two sides, the left hand side (as you are facing the board) is for Council use only and the right hand side is for residents to use.
Finance update As at 26th November 2019
For further detailed information see our website, under council documents, agendas, Full council meetings or email [email protected]
(5,000.00)
0.00
5,000.00
10,000.00
15,000.00
20,000.00
25,000.00
30,000.00
FY1920 AGPC Forecast expenditure vs. Budget
Forecast Budget
12%
11%
12%
22%
8%
10%
1%0%
0%
24%
FY1920 cost types as a % of total forecast expenditure
Staff Costs
Grants Awarded
Admin Costs
Village Maintenance
Street Lighting
Project Iffley
Defibrillator
Net VAT
Highways
Planning
Reserve type
B/F 31st
Mar 2019
Actuals to
date
Projected
Spend
Year End
Forecast
General Reserve 27,626.06 26,933.79 (18,206.51) 36,353.34
Highways Reserve 25,500.00 0.00 0.00 25,500.00
Streetlight Reserve 0.00 1,550.94 (938.78) 612.16
Planning Reserve 12,500.00 10,000.00 (22,500.00) 0.00
Total 65,626.06 38,484.73 (41,645.29) 62,465.50
Useful contactsHelping Hands Aspley Guise: 07923 490001Grand Union Housing emergency repairs: Jeakins & Weir: General repairs 01525 722290Weldons: Plumbing & heating (Phone menu option 3) 0800 1777003Central Bedfordshire Council Main switchboard: 0300 300 8301Anglian Water General enquiries and emergencies: 0845 714 5145Electricity emergencies: Western Power Distribution 0800 6783 105
Contact Details for the Parish Council:
Parish Clerk: Lynne SimonsEmail: [email protected]: 07579 809474Website: www.aspleyguiseparishcouncil.gov.uk
If you would like to be kept up to date with news from AGPC and be sent our bi-monthly e-newsletter, please email [email protected] and type subscribe in the subject box.
Or follow us on Facebook via: Aspley Guise Parish CouncilPlease remember to like our page to receive up to date news.
Your Council needs you:AGPC have 3 vacancies for Councillors at the moment. If you would like to make a difference in your community and join this team, please contact the Clerk.
