Buckinghamshire Council Priority phone line for Town and Parish Councils, proposed changes to the National Planning Policy, BC Planning Forum
Dear Colleagues
Well, if you blinked you may have missed it, summer has been and gone, promises of a late visitation have yet to materialise and it’s time to start thinking about draught excluder and a properly aged and dried log delivery! Lorraine and I managed a few days off in the midst of ongoing commitments and you have all continued to be very busy too, judging by the 175 emails I am working my way through. Please forgive me if I haven’t got to you on the list yet, I’m on my way!
First off, is for our BC members, to remind you of the BC Priority phone line for Town and Parish Councils, usage of this line is quite low and to retain it, Communities need to demonstrate it’s value to keep it open.
Thank you to Gail for circulating the horrendous warning regarding razor blades being hidden under stickers. I’ve attached the poster here, it’s probably useful to print it out and circulate it to your contacts and noticeboards. BC parishes may have had this already but it’s worth sharing again.
Bookings for the Bio Diversity Seminar Day on the 16 September is now closed. Thanks to Lorraine we have an outstanding selection of speakers and practical help on this very topical matter, perhaps I should not have mentioned my logs! We look forward to seeing you on the day.
This week we welcomed online delegates from BMKALC and Northants ALC to consider the importance and improvement of report writing. Reports are integral to our lives be they informing our colleagues, councils or members of the public. A well structured report can also win funding bids and educate.
Don’t forget the two important dates 10th and 12th Sept 18:00 – 19:30 online, for joining BC on the proposed changes to the National Planning Policy and in particular the impact on housing targets for Buckinghamshire.
The next BC Planning Forum will now be online on the 14th October 2024, the agenda and invitation to join will come from BC in the last week of September. Please let me have any questions you would like to be considered as soon as possible so that we can endeavour to have the right officers available.
I’ve received this week notice of parishes who have failed to submit either a Certificate of Exemption or AGAR, I have written to all of you and urge you to get in touch with PKF Littlejohn to resolve the situation. It starts to get quite costly if you don’t sort this out.
Attachments: circulated to clerks and chair of council under separate cover
- To introduce you to a Bucks Council funded volunteer programme which helps residents reduce their household waste. See attached poster for more details.
- Also for all our Councils we have Parish Liaison / Forums coming up, find an email with links regarding the MKCC one and find the Agenda for next BC one.
- Update from the Information Commissioners Office
- BC Contacts List
I hope to start next week with a fully caught up inbox, if you haven’t heard from me on an outstanding matter, please give me a nudge! Lorraine and I wish you a restful weekend and look forward to speaking with you next week.
Kind regards
Mel & Lorraine