Icelandic Buckinghamshire

According to the BBC News Buckinghamshire has been caught with about 5 million stuck in Icelandic banks. Well Kent has 50 million at stake. Traulling down the list I see that our county is in good company. If I am not mistaken the county’s budget for next year is around 270 million.

I think Brown should announce that he suspect the Icelandic government is aiming WMDs against the American base there and take a joint action with Bush.

Sharon Bowles: Statistics are not boring

I just learnt that Sharon Bowles, my favourite MEP, has recently been appointed as the European Parliament’s representative on the European Statistical Advisory Committee.

Good on Ye Sharon!

This committee is very important as it will focus on making sure that statics used for controlling EU funding are reliable, and held to the same international standards. In other words she will be promoting informed decision making instead of just going on stereotypes and prejudices. For instance I came across an article comparing the EU states road safety track. It showed how viewing the standardized statistics comparing states and cities leverages new insight into the issue of death on the roads. So how do you think the UK faired? Not so badly as you would think. And the reason is we are highly congested so the actual driving speeds are reduced resulting in less people getting killed. Where congestion was not that of an issue, poor road maintenance was the main driver for accidents.

So I have to disagree with Sharon when she sais: “Statistics may not be sexy, and may be thought boring, but they are very important!” I would say that about rules and regulations (law in short). Once one sees good statistics in action and experiences the pleasure of making an informed decision, one realizes that they are essential and sexy when placed in the right hands.

By the way, check 'What Has Europe Done?' out

Another step towards resolution

The Chair of the Wendover Watchdogs wrote to BCC questioning the dispute regarding the ownership of the paved area used by Rumsey's for their tables and chairs for which they paid Wendover Parish Council (WPC). This small area right up to the corner of No.26 Back Street has always been maintained by WPC, and was repaired less than two years ago by WPC and in its entirety also included in the rent. The rent ceased when the "Green Affair" erupted resulting in a loss of income for the people of Wendover.

Mr. Colin Perrottet's response is enlightening:

"... . Buckinghamshire County Council have not indicated to Mrs. Green that it
belongs to her.
The area of land to the side of No 26, High Street, where Rumsey's place
their tables and chairs was considered to be part of the public highway, but
at the early on in the dispute with Mrs. Green, it was established that this
is part of the Manor Waste and therefore under the jurisdiction of Wendover
Parish Council."

If A is an integral part of B and B belongs to P then it is clear that also
A belongs to P. But he will not go as far as to say that until an
investigation that has begun about a year ago discovers this mathematical
truth.

Nu well, at least it is a step in the right direction.

I really hope that Mrs. Green has not put in motion a trail of events that will cause a situation where Rumsey's will not be able to use the pavement - I love their chocolate and I love the European feel they bring to Wendover.

Is a change planned for RAF Halton?

Canvassing last year, the issue of reduction in civilian jobs at RAF Halton was raised by several people. However, officials kept assuring us that nothing has changed. Well they also insist there was no change to the policing in Wendover. So I was very concerned.

The response David Lidington just received from Bob Ainsworth to the question “How many armed forces personnel have received recruit training at RAF Halton in each year since 1998?” suggests there evidence of a significant decline in activity at the camp (http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2008-09-10c.217583.h). The only activity that is clearly petering out it the trade training for supply, catering and administration roles which was small number anyway (Number 1 School of Technical Training relocated to RAF Cosford in 1990). However, in 2004 the number of recruit training, one of the main activities in the cap, was halved ( last year it was rose to about 66% of the 2003 activity).

I wonder what were the results of “Air Command Study Into the Future of RAF Halton”? and have activities been moved before this study was completed?

We now know that "RAF Halton had been named in the Defence Estate Development Plan 2008 as one of a number of bases that may be amalgamated into a larger facility to save money. There are another 45 bases named in the MoD plan that may close." (quoted from http://www.davidlidington.co.uk/newsshow.aspx?id=2&ref=839).

Said plan states: "The RAF is considering the creation of a single ‘gateway’ to the RAF for Other Ranks and a through-life training organisation for RAF personnel. However, RAF Halton is in poor condition and an alternative site may be considered." I hope the BCC & AVDC will not just ring thier hands and rolle thier eys and find crative ways to convice the MOD that bucks is the best place for its activities.

A Milestone has been reached

On the way to the last parish meeting, I promised myself I will not say a word as a show of support to the “Way Ahead” effort. It was hard to sit on my hands when the public was given the opportunity to speak. The new Chair, Sue Toft-Hunt, impressed me. She controlled the meeting and managed Councillor Ballantine. The rest rallied behind her. All in all, the facilitator, Pat Edwards, seems to have been value for money. I look forward to ‘boring, nose to the grindstone’ parish meetings. However, the ‘Green Affair’ is still unresolved, leaving the land given to the good people of Wendover at risk due to this precedent.
There were several issues discussed, each merits an entry sometime. Most symbolically, Councillor Worth reported that clearing the overgrowth on London Road has revealed both an old hedge and a Milestone that probably last saw light about 30 years ago.

Innovative approach

The wonders of modern technology alerted me to Adam’s “Stunning structures”. He sais: “My initial reaction when I first saw the shell of the building at the beginning of the year, was that it was designed to emulate a butterfly”. As I have not been up that way for some time now I made a point of detouring there on my way to the Gym @ the Halton Tennis Centre. The pictures here are mine but very similar to Adam’s. It is great these guys got planning permission. In areas like the Lake District it makes sense to have a certain uniformity of look (the slate roof etc.) but most of our area is uninspired red-brick pigeon holes. I welcome the daring to be innovative and I hope to see more such experiments in our area. I have a bellyful of grumbles about the poky little shoe boxes that characterize our region. Having said that, each time I go canvassing or leafleting I come across some hidden (and not so hidden) gems I have forgotten about and I do love the Wendover High Street.

Speaking of thinking ‘out of the box’. A few days ago a team resurfaced a short strip of tarmac opposite my window. They worked vigorously and efficiently. However, they did what they were told to do and that is it. They paid no attention to a pot hole they had to walk over a few times. I will not be surprised they even did not report it. I remember a promise in one of the BCC Pravda leaflets of mending also potholes that were not originally marked if noticed when the crews are on site. This seems to be the way things are done in our local government. Just the other day I visited a VAHT (Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust) resident who suffered a similar problem: workmen guttered her kitchen during a scheduled work but stopped when they encountered damp wood. The family was left living in the house with no kitchen for about 9 weeks but the contractor did not report the situation to VAHT nor did any body come over for a follow up inspection. It is time local government here got a shake. Vote for a change in the coming elections.

Walnut Tree Meadow

It’s been a year, I think, since the consultation regarding Walnut Tree Meadow and lo & behold two wide entrances are in place. A few Parish Council meetings ago, Councillor Worth mentioned his dream to bring the meadow under the wings of the Parish. I think it is a great idea and I hope he will see it through as he has done so successfully with other pet projects of his - such as the Wild Flower Meadow and the London Rd. site kindly donated by the Lord of the Manor. I wonder how many people in Wendover are aware of the plans for that site and their progression.

Mixed Feelings

This evening the new, fully manned (or should I say womaned), Parish Council met at last. It was refreshing to listen to a meeting that was not bogged down by undercurrents of tension. Well almost none. There was some friction between the Chair, Councillor Gregory, and Councillor Chris Richards. Clearly Chris was uneasy about the manner Nicky Gregory is hanging on to the position of Chair and some decisions made in a closed-to-the-public meeting. I hope the new councillors noticed that Nicky hastened to shut him up on two occasions. What he did manage to get though is very worrying. I noted that he told the Chair that he was not happy with “How things were agreed”.

It is wrong, wrong, wrong, that Nicky is still the Chair for many reasons. Some of which were listed by Mrs. Eileen Mckechnie from the public gallery. I left the previous meeting with the clear impression that she accepted the position as an interim measure - just until the new councillors are in. I was surprised and annoyed to find out that she pulled a ‘Marion Clayton’ – she used crafty wording that sounds good but conceals the real intention. Now she sais she’ll stay on until the new councillors learn how to be ones. Sounds reasonable no? NO! After each election you get inexperienced councillors but they do elect a Chair at the first meeting where the continuity of knowledge and correct procedure is ensured through the guidance of the Parish Clerk. Having heard the discussions today it is clear there are councillors that can take up the challenge of Chairship. Moreover, Councillor Gregory thought they were all experienced enough to vote for almost £5000 ponds to be spent on a vehicle activated sign.

But that is nothing compared to how infuriated I felt when Councillor Richards quoted a decision made behind closed doors to send a letter to a parishioner to ”apologize for causing unnecessary distress”!!!! If that is to whom I think it is, it means that they have taken a side on the “Mrs. Green Affair” just before they declared an independent investigator is going to look into it. They are saying that the councillors that resigned and the Parish Clerk were wrong without waiting for the investigation. As it happens I believe they were protecting the interests of the people of Wendover.

So! Good luck to the new councillors. I can’t resist a direct plea to the councillors:
1. Don’t wait for the investigation and do not draw all your knowledge about the “Green Affair” and its impact from a one sided presentation a “management meeting” would be.
2. Please, Please, Please spare me the agony of watching Councillor Balantine presenting the planning applications. Today she stepped well out of the mark with her comment about one of the applicants who to her opinion “can’t be trusted.”
3. If you manage to clear the “Green Affair” you seem like a bunch that could do good for Wendover – onwards and upwards.

P.S.
I am in total support of the Vehicle Activate Sign that Councillor Worth is campaigning for. He mentioned a very interesting statistic: in a recent survey done on the London Road the average speed was about 45 MPH. I also think that AVDC Councillor McPartland made a lot of sense with his suggestion that the Parish Council establish a police liaison group.

You see not all is bad.

Cars Parked on Shared Cycle Path and Intimidating Behaviour

At around 10 am on the 26^th of June 2008 I was riding my bicycle along the Aylesbury road shared path in Wendover. As I was approaching the petrol station I noticed that the section of the shared path that is adjacent to the used cars dealer was blocked by two parking cars and I saw a woman with a double seated pram that was forced to walk along these cars in the road itself. I took a few pictures on my phone camera and immediately was confronted by a man who later on drove away in one of the cars. The man did not waist time and immediately started threatening me. Apart from using abusive language he also deliberately bumped me with his bear gut trying to get his face near mine and raised his had in a menacing manner. I resigned myself to being hit especially when we were joined by other people, presumably from the used car dealer’s, who added fuel to the fire by also threatening me with violence (a thin man with a colourful Mohock hair do). I am happy to report that I managed not to loose my calm and did not mirror their behaviour. One mistake I did was to give the man my business card and ask him for his name. His replay sounded like a threat to me and now he knows where I live.

I have lodged an official police complaint: Crime reference number: AJ3120337/08.

I am sending this letter to Buck County Council as the shared path is an important rout used by people on mobility scooters, people with prams and adults and children on bicycles and scooters. Some enforcement is needed to keep the path clear.

I am including a carbon copy to the Wendover Parish council so they might consider officially requesting the PCSOs and BCC traffic wardens to give the issue of cars parking on the shared path a high priority.

First Reading of Aproved Details for the Former Princess Mary Hospital site

I just received a letter from AVDC informing me that “After taking into account planning policies and any comments we received, permission has been Details Approved.” You can see the whole range of documents on the AVDC site when it works. I noticed it does not work with FierFox.

I could not find on the website a document that lists the comments and the planners reaction. Nor is there an easy way to identify the changes to the original proposal.

It seems a lot of effort was invested into the question of a one-way vs. two way solution and I think that they opted for the two way option (see “Summary of Highway Design Proposals 804708”). I was happy to find a lengthy discussion of a cycle rout (see “Further Highway Considerations 790381”).

I noticed that the number of houses probably has not changed although their appearance and height were tweaked.

Now we need to monitor the implementation and the promise for a cycle rout to the schools and to the Centre of Wendover + Toucan Crossing. I am slightly worried that as the two-way system was chosen the 20MPH restriction will not be long lived.