Aylesbury College’s Children Centre and Nursery Development

Work started last week on the new Children’s Centre and Nursery development at Aylesbury College.

The College was recently awarded a £225,000 grant by the Skills Funding Agency, as part of the Government’s plan to invest in Colleges across the country.  This grant will go towards the replacement Nursery.  The Children’s Centre and Pre-School Area is being funded by Buckinghamshire County Council.

The development will significantly improve the facilities available in a new, state-of-the-art building (see the artist’s impression below).  Construction work is due to be completed by the end of March next year, with the Children’s Centre opening in April.  The Nursery will open shortly afterwards.

Although the Government is currently working hard to reduce the national deficit, this development at Aylesbury College shows that investment projects in further education are still going ahead.  The Government fully understands that colleges in Britain must be adequately equipped for learning, and has pledged to invest £50 million into new further education facilities across the country.

On 8^th September I received a letter from John Hayes MP, Minister for Further Education, Skills, and Lifelong Learning, outlining the Government’s plans regarding spending on further education.  The letter helps to clarify the Government’s policy on the issue, and can be viewed below.

Two and a half days in the life…

Since May, a fair number of constituents have asked me exactly what a Minister does. I should say immediately that the question is almost always put to me in a genuinely friendly way. Anyhow, since I’ve just got back to the constituency after a European trip, this is a summary of what I’ve been up to since Sunday.

On Sunday afternoon, I flew from Heathrow to Munich to meet up with my German counterpart Dr Werner Hoyer. We discussed various European issues over dinner and Werner gave me a quick tour of Munich before we headed for a hotel near the airport for an early departure the following morning.

First stop on Monday was Chisinau, capital of  the Republic of Moldova. Moldova, like much of Eastern Europe, has a complicated history. Most of its people are ethnically Romanian but there are also large Russian and Ukrainian populations and various other smaller ethnic groups. From the Second World War until the break-up of the USSR, Moldova was a soviet republic. Moldova’s politics is delicately poised between the communists and a coalition of democratic parties (from centre-right to centre-left) which has been in government for the last year. To complicate matters further, the easternmost area of Moldova, known as Transnistria, has declared itself independent and there are Russian troops there.

Werner Hoyer and I planned a joint visit to demonstrate the support of both the British and German governments for democratic and economic reform in Moldova.  We had meetings with the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and Deputy Foreign Minister and did a joint press conference, along with the Moldovan Foreign Minister. In all, we spent about five hours in Chisinau before flying on to Bucharest.

Romania, living next door to Moldova and with its own history of very difficult relations with Russia, is intensely concerned with events in Chisinau. But there was a lot else to discuss too. Romania is a large country in EU terms. Her population (and therefore her voting entitlement in the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament is seventh in the EU, after Germany, the UK, France, Italy, Spain and Poland).  She is a member of NATO, and has a large contingent of troops on the front line in southern Afghanistan. Romania’s views on support for EU enlargement, deepening the Single Market and reducing the cost of regulation for European businesses chime well with British priorities. And Romania’s knowledge of her own neighbourhood – the Balkans, Black Sea and Caucasus regions- offers some interesting perspectives on the challenges that face British interests in those parts of the world.

So we went straight from Bucharest airport to meet the Romanian Prime Minister and then on to dinner with the Foreign Minister. I stayed overnight in the British Ambasador’s residence. Breakfast on Tuesday involved a briefing from the Ambassador and his senior team, then we met up with the German team and travelled on to meetings with the President’s advisor on European policy and the two State Secretaries dealing with European affairs. We finished the joint visit with a press conference, fielding questions on Moldova, EU enlargement, immigration policies and the Roma people.

I then had a hurried sandwich at the British embassy where I was briefed on British trade and investment relations with Romania before going to the Ministry for Economic Affairs to press the case of individual British companies and to discuss commercial relations more generally. Back to the Embassy to talk to the staff (something that I always try to do when I am travelling) and then there was actually time for a 20 minute stroll around Bucharest, looking in at the English Bar where Olivia Manning set much of her Balkans Trilogy and spotting the balcony from where the communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu made his last attempt to rally support for his regime before it was overethrown at Christmas 1989. After further discussions with embassy staff, I recorded a lengthy online interview with a Romanian journalist and a much briefer piece to camera for my FCO video blog. The day finished with a dinner for a number of  Romanian ministers, parliamentarians and senior officials.

After that, I was ready to sleep – though I could have done without the disco or rock concert (not sure which) that was going on in the neighbourhood. My Assistant Private Secretary told me that there were a lot of Guns ‘n Roses numbers but I’m afraid I’ll just have to take his word for that!

Up at 6.30 (that’s 4.30 London time) for the flight back. I’m spending the rest of today in the constituency but my office has thoughtfully provided a red box of official papers in case I get withdrawal symptoms.

It is at times pretty exhausting, especially when your schedule takes you from one meeting to the next without pause, but it is stimulating work and you do feel that, albeit in a small way, you are doing something to promote the interests of your country. And I’d like to go back to Romania sometime when I can explore the country more. The Ambassador told me about painted monasteries in Bukovina, historic villages in Transylvania and the beauty of the Carpathian Mountains – there’s a lot to see.

Travellers: Fair Deal

Eric Pickles MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, recently announced that there would be a fair deal for travellers and the settled community. Please click the link below to find out more.

Eric Pickles: Fair deal for travellers and the settled community

AVDC’s Debt Advice Service

Below is a  recent email that I received from Matt Partridge, Head of Communities at Aylesbury Vale District Coucnil, about the debt advice services that they provide.

Mr Partridge’s email about AVDC’s Debt Advice Service

Further to the recent article in the Bucks Herald reporting on Aylesbury CAB’s annual general meeting I thought it might be useful for me to write to highlight the services that AVDC provides to the Aylesbury Vale community.

The Housing Debt Advice Team offer specialist debt advice to the local community who face homelessness through either repossession, bankruptcy or other legal action such as orders for sale. We have a very high success rate at preventing homelessness and provide services such as the Mortgage Rescue Scheme and Debt Relief Orders which are currently only accessible through our service. We also run a weekly court desk at Aylesbury County Court where we provide free advice and representation to clients with repossession hearings.

We also offer help to negotiate affordable payments with priority creditors such as lenders and landlords, and advise on the pre action protocols. We assist with court paper work and help clients to apply for suspensions and variations of current court orders. We can help clients to maximise their income through benefit take up, charitable assistance and general budgeting advice. We also assist with bankruptcy matters, secured loans, magistrate court fines, business debts and council tax.

Our service is open to anyone who lives or works in the Aylesbury Vale Community. We would be very happy to take referrals directly from you. I will also send you (under separate cover) some of our help leaflets which may be useful for your constituents.

Best wishes

Matt Partridge

Head of Communities at Aylesbury Vale District Council

AVDC can be contacted on 01296 585858

HS2: Noise Assessment Letters

Please find below two letters that I have written to the Chief Executive of HS2 Ltd about the impact that the proposed route will have on the surrounding area.  

 

500 new jobs for Aylesbury

The giant dairy company Arla announced on Friday that it has selected a site off the Aston Clinton bypass to build the world’s first billion litre, zero-carbon dairy plant, creating about 500 jobs.

Now of course there will need to be a planning application and local people have every right to be consulted and to express their views, but my initial reaction is that this is really good news for our area.  There are too few large private sector employers in or close to Aylesbury and the job losses at HBOS are going to hit the town hard. Arla’s decision means not just 500 new jobs but a chance for pubs and small shops  nearby to benefit from the spensing power od these workers. With luck, Arla’s announcement may encourage other employers to look at Aylesbury as a good location for their businesses.

Yes, there will be concerns about traffic, but the industrial estate off the by-pass is underused at present and the plan is for tankers and other vehicles to access the site off the A41 and not through residential roads or country lanes.

By coincidence, I was in Aston Clinton on Friday evening to attend the reception to mark the refurbishment of the Anthony Hall. The first reaction of local people seemed to be that Arla’s plans should be welcomed.

Last Call for 2011 Queen’s Volunteer Award Nominations

The Lord-Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire makes last call for 2011 Queen’s Volunteer Award Nominations

The Lord-Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire, Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher today called on the county to nominate outstanding local voluntary groups for next year’s Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, equivalent to the MBE for volunteer groups.

Nominations for the 2011 Award should be received by 30^th September 2010 therefore those who know of the great work or indeed have benefited from a voluntary group’s hard work should nominate now. Successful groups will be announced on 2^nd June 2011.

Further information can be gained and forms can be downloaded by visiting www.direct.gov.uk/thequeensawardforvoluntaryservice or by calling 020 7781 2397 to request a hard copy.

Sir Henry said, “Voluntary groups in Buckinghamshire continue to play a pivotal role in the community, and many individuals’ lives. Recognising their influence is vital and I want the people of Buckinghamshire to express their gratitude to these groups by nominating as many as possible for The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service – the highest honour in the voluntary sector.

Buckinghamshire’s volunteers carry out tremendous work across a number of areas such as youth projects, BME and rural community based initiatives and these are the types of groups for which we would like to encourage more nominations. We have a plethora of groups who could be nominated so please visit the website or call 020 7781 2397 to find out more and nominate.”

In June this year, 2 outstanding groups in Buckinghamshire received the 2010 Award from the hundreds of nominations made from across the UK. These groups were nominated by friends, family or members of the public.

850 groups from across the UK – including 11 from Buckinghamshire – have now received The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service since it was created by Her Majesty to mark the occasion of her Golden Jubilee in 2002. Groups from different backgrounds providing extremely diverse activities have all felt the Award’s benefits, which include – attracting more volunteers, increased awareness of the group to potential funders and of course helping to raise morale amongst existing volunteers.

This year’s winners from across the UK can be found by visiting the website or by clicking the List of 2010 Winners, while case studies can be found in the Case Studies Section.

For details of all The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service winners  visit: www.direct.gov.uk/thequeensawardforvoluntaryservice.

HS2 Article

Please find below a link to an article which raises a number of issues regarding HS2.  I believe that some of the residents of Aylesbury and the surrounding villages may be interested by the argument it puts forward:

‘Why Labour’s High Speed Rail Route must be Shunted Sideways’ by Tony Lodge.

The article summarises the key points of a paper published by The Bow Group think-tank, entitled ’The Right Track’.  This can be found here:

‘The Right Track’ by Tony Lodge

Breathe Easy (Aylesbury Group)

On the 3rd July I visited the Breathe Easy (Aylesbury Group) stall in Market Square, to support them in their valuable work.

To find out more about the British Lung Foundation’s Breathe Easy support group network, follow this link: http://www.lunguk.org/supporting-you/breathe-easy

Countryside Awards

Aylesbury MP David Lidington is urging the local community to get involved in the sixth annual Countryside Alliance Awards, which are now open to public nomination.  Everyone who supports rural businesses, produce, and communities is strongly encouraged to nominate their favourites, and to help the South of England claim another national title.

The Awards, nicknamed the ‘Rural Oscars’, are the Countryside Alliance’s celebration of communities, produce, enterprise, and rural heritage.  Voted for by the public, they applaud those who routinely go the extra mile for their community, and who help to promote rural life. 

In the Awards’ five years the South of England has taken two national titles and won three commendations, meaning it is in second place on the Awards Leader Board out of the 12 competing regions.

The Award categories are:

• Local Food Award
• Village Shop/ Post Office Award
• Enterprise Award
• Daily Telegraph Traditional Business Award
• Butcher Award
• Hunter Rural Hero of 2010 (16 years and over)
• Hunter Rural Hero of 2010 (15 years and under)
• The Grassroots Award for the Countryside Alliance member who has done the most to further our campaigning work

David commented:

‘These Awards are a terrific way to promote the local businesses of Aylesbury and the surrounding villages.  Our local produce is second to none, so I do urge people in the area to get involved and nominate today.  I really do believe that Buckinghamshire has a very strong chance of winning an award.’

Countryside Alliance South of England Regional Director Sara Rutherford said:

‘The Awards really do have a feelgood factor that gives a boost to everyone involved.  The region has produce, skills, and community spirit of which to be proud, and I look forward to this year’s crop of diverse and inspiring nominations.’

Cast your vote at www.countrysideallianceawards.co.uk

by Friday 22^nd October.