NEWS IN FULL

14/07/2010 10:03:00
THE RISBOROUGH AREA COMMUNITY BUS IS NOW RUNNING

Service no. 1 leaves Princes Risborough Market Square at 9.30am, proceeds to Monks Risborough via Aylesbury Road, winds through Monks Risborough and returns to Market Square via Wellington Avenue and Longwick Road. Subsequent departures are timed for 10.30am, 12.00pm, 13.30pm, 14.30pm and 15.30pm.

Service no. 2 leaves Princes Risborough Market Square at 9.50am, and navigates the Trees and Fields Estates, returning at 10.04am. Subsequent departures are timed for 10.50am, 12.20pm, 13.50pm, 14.50pm and 15.50pm.

Service no. 3 leaves Princes Risborough Market Square at 10.05am for Longwick via the Railway Station and Summerleys Road, reaching Longwick Post Office at about 10.15am and returning on the same route at 10.29am. Subsequent departures are timed for 11.05am, 12.35pm, 14.05pm, 15.05pm and 16.05pm.

Services nos 1, 2 and 3 run Mondays to Saturdays except for Wednesday and Saturday afternoons.

Service no. 4 runs from Princes Risborough Market Square to Loosely Row via the Station on Thursdays and Saturdays, departing at 09.00am and 11.30am only.

Fares cost £1.00 (£2.00 for Loosely Row); most Bus Passes are accepted. The Bus is 'wheel chair friendly' but intending passengers who are wheelchair users need to book on 07941 963097 by 4.00pm the day before.

For further information - Chris Hart on 01844 345511 (cfdhart@btintermet.com).

13/07/2010 11:03:00
UPDATE ON THE FUTURE OF PRINCES RISBOROUGH YOUTH CENTRE

"Unthinkable to lose such an excellent facility". These are the words of John Bercow mp, speaking out on the threat to Princes Risborough Youth Centre at a visit there on Friday 2 July, when he met with Princes Risborough mayor Alan Turner, County Councillor Carl Etholen, management committee chairman Peter Robinson and others.

The purpose of the meeting was to highlight the threat to the future of the Youth Centre caused by Buckinghamshire County Council (BCC)’s decision to commission out universal youth services including the work of its youth centres.

BCC hopes that all Youth Centres will be run by a new provider, but cannot guarantee this. Mr Bercow said it was 'a crying shame, to put it mildly, if the Princes Risborough Youth Centre was to fall into disuse.' He added, 'Youth centres like this one and the club I am already familiar with in Buckingham allow young people to use their time constructively, form friendships and remain safe. They reduce anti-social behaviour by offering exciting opportunities, an alternative to hanging round in the streets with unsuitable but influential older teenagers.'

The timeline to the process starts on 5 July, with decisions on providers to be made in December this year. John Bercow said his instinct, like that of many at the meeting, would be not to wait and see, but to adopt a proactive approach. John then led a useful discussion to help clarify options for the way forward. He also offered to write to Steven Adams, BCC Cabinet Member for Achievement, Learning & Skills to express his concern. He fully supported the campaign to save Princes Risborough Youth Centre and would do as much as his role allows to ensure its survival.

Mr Bercow was shown round the centre, which boasts a well-equipped club room and tuck shop, an IT suite and an enviable music studio. Recent activities have included an art workshop and a trips to a climbing wall and to Quasar. The Centre is also hosting a variety of summer holiday activities open to all aged 13-19 and up to 25 with learning difficulties, including a drumming workshop on 29 July and 19 August, and a trip to Longridge Activity Centre on 2-3 August. Places can be booked on 07771807151.

07/07/2010 11:30:00
WYCOMBE DISTRICT COUNCIL - EMERGENCY PLAN

The Town Council have recently received an update to the above plan.

For further information on this, please click here www.princesrisborough.com/WDC-Emergency-Plan-V2.pdf

29/06/2010 13:58:00
GRASS CUTTING UPDATE FROM BUCKINGHAMSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL (BCC)

Following a meeting between some members of the Town Council and BCC, please see the below communication from BCC regarding the recent standard of grass cutting within our town.

Information for Princes Risborough Town Council regarding Urban Grass Cutting.

In April this year the county council (BCC) took back responsibility for delivering the Urban Grass Cutting Programme for the South of the County. Previously this has been delivered by Wycombe, Chiltern and South Bucks District Councils.

This year the three district councils have combined their resources and started a new grass cutting contract for their areas. On examining the potential costs for the county to be part of this new contract, it was decided that it would be financially more beneficial and more cost-effective for us to deliver the Urban Highway Grass Cutting In-house. To this end, we have started seven new three man crews to deliver this service. The intention is that the grass will be cut up to thirteen times (weather permitting) between April and the end of October.

This contract was set up at very short notice, and as such there were several small teething problems as is normal with most new contracts. One of the main problems was the introduction of new legislation regarding the use of trailers. This meant that we had to source a fleet of vehicles that were able to accommodate our ride-on lawnmowers inside the body of the vehicle. This meant that for the first couple of cuts, we were, in the main only able to use strimmers to cut the grass.

We now have the full fleet of vehicles, so are now able to utilise the mowers wherever required. The other main problem that we encountered was that the plans that we received from the district councils showing the areas to be cut were in some cases out of date. This has meant that some areas that should have been cut were omitted. As we are notified of these areas, we are getting confirmation from the districts that they are areas that should have been included, and we are adding them to the list for our next visit.

If there are areas that you feel should be cut, please contact us on 0845 230 2882 with the location, and if we can confirm that it is an area that should be cut, we will include it in our next visit to your area.
E MEEK - BCC

23/06/2010 13:40:00
PLANNED MEMORIAL � CAN YOU HELP US?

We would like to hear from any residents who remember the two air crashes at Brush Hill and Longdown Farm during World War Two.

The Brush Hill incident happened on the 21/10/1944 with 6 fatalities and a Avro Anson crashed on the 30/01/1943 at Longdown Farm with 4 fatalities. The Town Council wish to organise a memorial plaque for both crashes. If you have any information or can help with this request, please email prtowncouncil@btinternet.com or phone 01844 275912 and ask for Cllr Dennis Green.

02/06/2010 10:15:00
CAR BOOT SALE - SATURDAY 3rd JULY!

Risborough Carbooters will be holding a Car Boot Sale this coming Saturday.

For futher details please visit www.risboroughcarbooters.co.uk

30/03/2010 11:25:00
HIGH SPEED RAIL UPDATE

Buckinghamshire County Council has produced a leaflet about the Government's High Speed Rail consultation.

The purpose of this leaflet is to help local residents and partners understand the proposals as they affect Buckinghamshire. Copies have been distributed to libraries, parish councils and community groups in the areas of the proposed routes.

The Government plans to undertake a formal public consultation during the autumn and the County Council intends to be actively involved in ensuring that local residents have a voice in this process. in the meantime, further information about the proposals is available at www.dft.gov.uk

If you would like a copy of the leaflet, please contact Louise Whitney on 01296 383751 or by email lwhitney@buckscc.gov.uk

UPDATE! Speen has been very proactive in opposing the HS2.5 rail link that affects Horsenden, Longwick & Ilmer. Please see www.speenbucks.org.uk for further information.

24/03/2010 13:03:00
PRINCES RISBOROUGH ANNUAL FESTIVAL 3rd to 11th July 2010.

3-2-1 Blast Off! The Annual Festival kicked off with a bang on Saturday!

For further information on this week's events and the weekend, please see the full festival programme cane be found at www.princesrisborough.com/Festival-Programme-2010.pdf

10/01/2010 15:35:00
Important Information from Wycombe District Council.

Wycombe District Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Sites Study....

Wycombe District Council appointed Baker Associates to undertake a Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Sites Study in July 2009.The purposes of the Study are to:
Assess sites in Wycombe District Council, Buckinghamshire County Council and other ownership including private to develop a shortlist of potential Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople sites to meet identified needs.

Local planning authorities are now required to identify and allocate sufficient sites to meet the needs of these groups within their Local Development Frameworks and in accordance with requirements set out in the Regional Spatial Strategy (the South East Plan).

Potential Gypsy and Traveller Sites

GT012 The Willows, North Lee Lane, Bishopstone

GT034 Dry Banks, Opposite Kiln Farm, Oxford Road, Stokenchurch

Potential Travelling Show People Sites

GT020 Land adj. Pettigrove, Lower Icknield Way, Longwick

GT034 Dry Banks, Opposite Kiln Farm, Oxford Road, Stokenchurch

Sites For Further Investigation

GT019 Park Mill Farm, Princes Risborough

GT022 Former Agricultural Research Establishment, Bishopstone

GT025 Abbey Barn North, High Wycombe

GT035 Storage Site, Oxford Road, Stokenchurch

GT042 Ashwells, High Wycombe

If you would like to comment on any of the following proposals please contact Mr. Mr. David Dewar, Planning Department Wycombe District Council, Queen Victoria Road, High Wycombe, Bucks HP11 1BB before 29^th January

More details can be found on WDC’s website or contact

Stella Eglinton 01494 421158 spatialplanning@wycombe.gov.uk

04/01/2010 13:39:00
Maintaining Road Safety

Salting roads and providing salt for salt bins is the responsibility of Buckinghamshire County Council. The current cold snap is making driving conditions very difficult. As the local highways authority, Buckinghamshire County Council is responsible for "winter maintenance" of the roads, which includes: - preventing ice from forming (precautionary salting) - melting ice and snow already formed (post-salting) - removing snow Therefore, if you have an enquiry relating to salting the roads, or the filling of salt bin....

please contact 0845 230 2882 for more information or visit their website at www.buckscc.gov.uk/bcc

22/12/2009 09:46:00
STOP PRESS!

Memorial Hall to be sold to developer. Historic loss to the Town.

Further details to follow.....

03/12/2009 12:44:00
Whiteleaf Cross

In September the Town Council sent a letter to Buckinghamshire County Council regarding the Whiteleaf Cross Timeline. We have received the following reponse;

Communities & Built Environment Head of Planning, Environment & Development Graham Winwright	Buckinghamshire County Council Planning, Environment & Development County Hall, Walton Street Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire HP201UY Telephone 0845 3708090 www.buckscc.gov.uk
Sue Griffiths Clerk - Princes Risborough Town Council Tower Court Princes Risborough Bucks HP27 0AJ	Date: Ref:	23^rd September 2009 WLX Timeline

Dear Sue

Whiteleaf Timeline

It is deeply disappointing to us to discover that the Town Council was so moved that it felt the most appropriate way forward with the matters in question was to raise them in such a way, given the 15 year plus partnership association linked with the management of Whiteleaf Hill. In the past we have made every attempt to discuss issues arising, and have on several occasions addressed the Town Council directly at various meetings. Had we been aware of your concerns in advance, and upon an invite being issued to us, we would of course have made every attempt to attend a meeting at your convenience. It appears the long held offer that we will do our utmost to help with/ discuss issues you have, relating to our current and future management of Whiteleaf Hill has got lost somewhere along the line; this offer is still very much in place.

Whiteleaf is of course considered a “local” site; it would seem absurd that it wasn’t given its location high above the town and close cultural and personal links with local people. Its designation as a Local Nature Reserve in the 1990’s was very much driven by such a relationship.

It was not our intent that recent correspondence between BCC and various local correspondents was written to suggest that the Town Council agreed with the County Council’s position in all cases, nor was it ever our intent to suggest that you support the timeline being on the hill – your position on this has been robustly and variously stated. Any suggestion real, or perceived, that BCC and PRTC had a partnership arrangement relating to Whiteleaf Hill was however intentional given the many years which the two parties have discussed and debated the sites management, and the inestimable efforts which local volunteers have made to look after it; we believe it would be grossly discourteous to say otherwise.

We do take issue with part of your statement that “the PRTC and the vast majority of the Risborough townspeople were and still are appalled at the way in which the escarpment area above the Whiteleaf Cross has been ruined by the installation of the time-line and the associated seating established immediately above the Cross”. As previously explained the Town Council has

Continued overleaf

been plain in its opposition to the timeline, although at a meeting specifically convened to discuss this very matter I was not left with the impression that your opinion was so strongly stated given that many of the concerns raised were based on informally circulating inaccurate information. My recollection is that during the subsequent long and detailed discussions many elements of contention were at the very least diminished, or in some cases discarded completely.

More specifically we have seen no evidence to support the statement that “the vast majority of the Risborough townspeople …. etc; infact the contrary has been clear in the majority of contact. Whilst fully appreciating the fact that that there are several locals’ individuals and certain organisations, such as yourselves, who are very unhappy with this furniture for a variety of reasons, our experience is that this is far from the absolute which you state. It is certainly not our intent to diminish anyone’s views, but given the sheer number and broad range which have been expressed to us we necessarily considered the balance en masse, not placing undue onus on any singular viewpoint.

Certain local individuals and organisations have expressed various reservations, some deeply felt, in relation to the timeline; as well as their belief that sufficient specific consultation had not taken place. To directly address this, in addition to many personal correspondences two separate onsite meetings with various interested parties took place. These were well attended and discussions were robust. The County Council formally undertook to review all points raised, and following in-depth consideration to declare what, it felt, was the workable balance. Given the voracity of some views and sheer breadth of people’s opinions there was never going to be an outcome which all parties would find a completely agreeable. The County was charged with finding the best and most practicable compromise, which it duly instituted.

Following further complaints the whole issue was reviewed by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Environmental Services), in June 2008. This committee sits at the highest level within the Council and is responsible for oversight of its decisions and actions. Its overarching role is threefold;

· Review and/or scrutinise decisions made or actions taken in connection with the discharge of any of the Council’s functions;

· Make reports and/or recommendations to the Cabinet and/or the full Council in connection with the discharge of any functions;

· Exercise the right to ask the Cabinet or Cabinet Member to think again about any decisions they have made (call-in).

Additional points raised by a member of the public alleging failings in the previous review lead to the matter being further reviewed by the Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Commissioning Committee (September 2009). The Chairman’s view was that “there was no evidence to suggest that the information provided by officers at the original Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting in June 2008 was either sufficiently incomplete or inaccurate for them to have been unduly influenced at that time.” As a result of this the original decision to leave the timeline insitu, in its current form, still stand.

Whilst fully appreciating that the Town Council still maintains its position in opposition to the timeline (but not toposcope) we hope you understand that the County Council feels we have done all that is reasonable, and practicable, to institute the balance of public opinion.

Yours sincerely

Julia Carey

Countryside Officer

Tel: 01296 383114

jcarey@buckscc.gov.uk

12/11/2009 12:30:00
One-Way System.

After considerable public consultation, which showed overwhelming public support for a one-way traffic flow through the town centre, the Town Council in partnership with Bucks County Council implemented an experimental scheme for Duke Street and High Street on November 2nd.

There was a great deal of planning prior to implementation so as to ensure as near perfect start as possible. All started fairly well with the odd exception of motorists not paying attention the the ample number of warning and mandatory directional signs and simply driving the wrong way down Duke Street into on-coming single-lane traffic. Within a short space of time this kind of problem should stop completely with greater awareness and law enforcement.
Coinciding with the start of the new scheme the pedestrian traffic lights in Horns Lane malfunctioned. The lights at peak times were only allowing 5 vehicles through before returning to red. This led to tailbacks on the A4010 beyond the town's perimeters of up to 20 minutes. The traffic was solid on the A4010 through the town and unfortunately the new one-way system terminates by those lights resulting in long queues in the High Street waiting to join the stationary traffic in Horns Lane. County engineers are adjusting the lights to give more priority to traffic and alleviate the peak-time queues. The Town Council will be monitoring the situation. Some people have understandably blamed the new traffic flow for the sudden congestion problems, not realising that the lights malfunctioned. The Town Council welcomes your feedback to the new system!

05/11/2009 10:12:00
New Play Equipment installed!

The Town Council is delighted to confirm that the much talked about play equipment for the King George V Park has now been installed!

The park now has some fantastic equipment; a Revolving Roundabout & Rocker, Space Frame and very soon the 25m Zip Wire will be fully functional. We encourage you to visit the park and enjoy your new play facilities.

27/08/2009 14:10:00
RSS Feed Change

We have made some improvements which require you to change a setting in Feedreader.

RSS Feed Change
We have made some improvements which require you to change a setting in Feedreader.

Open Feedreader and in the Tools Menu select Options.
The Options window will open at the General Tab.
Half way down you will see an option which allows you to change the browser from 'internal' to 'default' - please select 'Default Browser' and then click on OK.

That it done!

25/08/2009 15:07:00
The Future of the British Legion Hall

For information on the meeting, please see the following informal report.

TOWN COUNCIL

PRINCES RISBOROUGH TOWN COUNCIL

INFORMAL REPORT

THE FUTURE OF THE PRINCES RISBOROUGH LEGION HALL MEETING

HELD ON

THURSDAY 20^TH AUGUST 2009 IN THE PRINCES RISBOROUGH SCHOOL HALL AT 7.00PM

Welcome and Introductions by the Town Mayor

The following councillors were present:
Cllr A Turner (Chairman), Cllr R Orsler (Vice Chairman)

Cllrs W Streule, Mrs. P Summerbell, Mrs. P Williams, B Bendyshe–Brown,

C Etholen, Mrs. E Clifford, R Orsler, G Hall, Cllrs J Coombs and L A Benifer.

Mrs. Susanne Griffiths – Town Clerk

In excess of 180 members of the public were present.

Update on current situation

The Town Mayor gave an update on the situation with regards to the future of the Legion Hall. Following an approach from many members of the public, the Town Council (TC) has decided to start proceedings with the possibility of purchasing the Hall. Following a discussion with the Chairman’s Office of the Royal British Legion (RBL), the Town Mayor advised the meeting that the RBL initially wished to sell off all the buildings as a single sale. However, this has not been achieved therefore RBL has moved to phase II of their plans, where they will sell off the buildings individually.

RBL has agreed to meet with the TC to discuss the sale of the Princes Risborough once they have completed the steps in their process and once the TC has a robust business plan in place with full support from the local residents. In the interim period the building will continue to operate as normal. The RBL must meet a certain criteria when considering who to sell the building to in order to satisfy the charities commission. This includes obtaining best value and what is best for the British Legion and its members.

Public Open Forum

A considerable number of questions were asked by the members of the public with regards to the possible purchase and future of the building. A member of the public proposed that the TC purchase the freehold of the building for the future benefit of the Community, this was seconded and a vote was taken with 181 members of the public for the proposal and 1 against.

It was acknowledged that a much wider consultation is required and this would include a mailing with Crosstalk, advertisements on the website and a Suggestion Box installed in the Princes Risborough Information centre for residents to submit their thoughts.

The Mayor thanked the public for attending and the meeting closed at 8.10pm

22/08/2009 13:02:00
Avoid Online Scams

New information issued by the Office of Fair Trading and Directgov

The Office of Fair Trading has published a report about mass marketing scams and phishing which, according to the report, claims some 3.2 million adults who collectively lose £3.5 billion pounds every year.

What's interesting to note is that it's not just internet novices that get caught but also experienced surfers.

Reading the report at www.tinyurl.com/lqfqqq will help you to understand the different types of scam and how to avoid falling victim to these crimes.

In addition there is further information at Directgov on www.tinyurl.com/57a445 which details your rights as a consumer.

06/08/2009 15:00:00
Press Release - The Royal British Legion

The following press release has been generated with regards to the situation with the Royal British Legion.

Princes Risborough Town Council

PRESS RELEASE

A significant number of the public, together with Royal British Legion members attended the last meeting of Princes Risborough Town Council, lobbying the council to step in to save the local British Legion Memorial Hall from threatened closure.

The Council has listened to the concerns of the public present at that meeting and has decided to write to RBL headquarters to ask for an urgent meeting with the trustees of the property regarding its immediate future.

The council has also called a formal public meeting to gauge the opinion of the wider public on the matter.

The Public Meeting will be held on Thursday 20^th August 2009, 7.00pm at Princes Risborough School, open to all members of the public.

The only agenda item will be the future of the Royal British Legion Memorial Hall building.

06/08/2009 14:49:00
Town Council takes a stand on the Whiteleaf Cross Timeline.

Following a recent meeting of the Town Council, the following letter has been sent to Julia Carey - Countryside officer for BCC.

At a recent meeting of Princes Risborough Town Council (PRTC) the latest exchanges of emails between you and the PRTC were discussed. All members of PRTC were most disappointed that the tenor of your emails seemed to imply that the PRTC were sympathetic to your (and the Bucks CC’s) views concerning the time-line above the Whiteleaf Cross. Contrary to this, the PRTC and the vast majority of the Risborough townspeople were and still are appalled at the way in which the escarpment area above the Whiteleaf Cross has been ruined by the installation of the time-line and the associated seating established immediately above the Cross. This has not been improved by vandalism and theft. The area immediately above the Cross is no longer in keeping with the open viewpoint previously beloved of the local population and is now more like a sorry example of tired and neglected tourism – a place inhabited (particularly in the evenings) by those more intent on mischief and destruction than on the appreciation of the wonderful view.

While the PRTC acknowledge that the Whiteleaf Cross area is owned by Bucks CC, the PRTC is sure Bucks CC will appreciate that the town regards the Cross as part of their inheritance – it has stood over the town for centuries. The high-handed attitude of Bucks CC in its attempts to “improve” the site (and we use the term advisedly) has not been appreciated by the local residents. The time-line, in particular, is regarded as a blight on the area. What does it add to the locality? Nothing presented visually is related directly to the locality, whilst the seating provided in front of the time-line is a health and safety hazard, particularly to anyone of a diminutive stature. All PRTC members have agreed (in unison with the vast majority of the local population) that the time-line in its entirety must be removed and the original safety fencing be reinstalled. The PRTC has no problem with the toposcope set up to indicate principal points of interest (although this has now been stolen), but the time-line is an abomination and a reminder every time the townspeople look toward their Cross that a body remote from the town has inflicted an eyesore above their Cross that nobody wants.

Princes Risborough Town Council.

04/08/2009 14:08:00
Vacancy for a Councillor.

Princes Risborough Town Council is looking for a candidate to replace a departed councillor. A new councillor will step into the position vacated by Cllr Maggie Wooster, who recently resigned....

To be eligible for this role you must be 21 years of age a commonwealth citizen and an elector, occupy as owner or tenant any land in or within 3 miles of the parish boundaries. For full terms and conditions of eligibility for office please contact the Town Council Office.

You do not need any formal qualifications to be a councillor; however, these are the attributes the council looks for in a councillor;

· A very good sense of humour and a lot of patience.

· A willingness to stand up and be counted.

· A desire and commitment to contribute to the local community.

If you are interested in applying for this vacancy please contact the Town Council office for more information on: 01844 275912 or prtowncouncil@btinternet.com.

Closing date for applications 31^st August 2009.

Interviews will be held in early September.

22/07/2009 13:14:00
Problems with the website?

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If you find a page not displaying properly, broken link or any other technical issue please send an email to our Webmaster.

04/06/2009 09:55:00
2009 Town Festival!

Princes Risborough celebrate their 14th annual Town Festival from Saturday 4th � 12th July 2009

The aim of the Festival is to promote and enhance the profile of Princes Risborough, its clubs, businesses, associations and inhabitants by means of a week of family entertainment and enjoyment.

The Festival commences at 2pm on Saturday 4^th July with a street parade from the town centre to King George V Recreational Ground where a number of arena events and side attractions continue until 5pm. The day ends with Music in the Meadow from 7.15pm – bring a picnic and dance the evening away to Sound Force Big Band.

A 10km run starts at 9.30am on Sunday 5^th July, starting and finishing in the Market Square this event now attracts over 400 runners.

From 6^th – 10^th July inc. enjoy the angelic voices of local school choirs who perform daily at 12pm for one hour in St Mary’s church.

The Festival week culminates over the weekend of 11^th /12^th July with a street fayre on Saturday 11^th in the Market Square from 2- 5pm with an array of stalls, rides and music for all ages. A pig roast from 7pm supported by local bands wraps up the day. The final event on the 12^th July is a children’s chocolate hunt from 2-3.30pm at Whiteleaf Cross.

Look out for your postie who will deliver your free copy of the Festival programme and do please come along to as many events as possible to support your local businesses, organisations and entertainers!

You can also read the programme online here.