Comedy Night: Angela Barnes tickets now on sale!

Posted on 11th December 2019 by office

Looking for a fantastic experience to gift this Christmas? Book tickets now for the 1st February 2020 Comedy Night!

Fantastic comedian Angela Barnes will be back in Buckingham for a headline gig on the 1st February 2020, Charlie Baker will MC and a mystery third support act is yet to be announced.

Angela is a regular guest on panel shows Mock the Week and Russell Howard’s Good News, and has even given a hilarious performance on Live at the Apollo. Radio 4 listeners will recognise Angela from The News Quiz.

“She’s just a gloriously down-to-earth, straight talking and extremely funny comic.” The Guardian

Tickets are for over 18s only and a paid bar will be available on site at the Royal Latin School. Doors open 7.30pm with the show starting at 8pm.

Book your tickets today!

Tickets are non-refundable.

Money for Buckingham app project from the National Lottery Heritage Fund

Posted on 14th November 2019 by office

The Buckingham Community Heritage App Project

Buckingham Town Council has received a grant of £10,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund for a Community Heritage App based in Buckingham. This exciting project has been developed with input from children and residents in the town and will be a fun interactive way to explore Buckingham and learn more about the town’s history.

Made possible by money raised by National Lottery players the project will enable residents and visitors to learn more about common landmarks like the Old Gaol and Chantry Chapel; as well as the hidden history of Buckingham and the Royal Family, Doctor De’ath, leather boots for circus elephants and duck races. To unlock historic photographs and earn points users will have to race around the town, visiting real locations and spotting the evidence of Buckingham’s historic past.

Buckingham Town Council has developed this project via its Economic Development Working Group which aims to support and develop the long term economic health of the town through town planning and increasing public pride and knowledge of the town. The app will encourage users to walk or cycle around the town, improving knowledge of paths and promoting visiting the historic Town Centre, riverside parks and other heritage locations further afield.

Councillor Mike Smith, Chair of the Economic Development Working Group said "This is great news for Buckingham, and thanks to the National Lottery we shall be able to introduce a completely modern approach to displaying and steering local residents and our many visitors around our numerous heritage sites. We are very grateful for the support of the National Lottery in this project, and look forward to welcoming some of its many players once the App has been developed."

Thanks to this National Lottery Heritage Fund grant, Buckingham Town Council and the work of local developer Mark Vanstone, from TechnoVisual, young people at both The Buckingham School and the Royal Latin School will be able to take part in the creation of their very own app from market research, coding and testing to launch, a fantastic learning opportunity – all while engaging with their Buckingham heritage.

“It’s nice to be involved in a project as big as big as this, I’d like to have a future career in cyber security.” Faye, from the Royal Latin School

“I thought it was a good opportunity to try something new and stretch my boundaries, which I’ve been doing more at secondary school.” “Kids often use things that are fun, and if you use this app you aren’t just having fun you’re learning about history too. Kids are on their phones all the time and this way they’re doing something educational too.” William and Chloe-Isabell, from The Buckingham School

About The National Lottery Heritage Fund

Using money raised by the National Lottery, we Inspire, lead and resource the UK’s heritage to create positive and lasting change for people and communities, now and in the future. www.heritagefund.org.uk.

9th November: new date for Buckingham Bonfire and Fireworks!

Posted on 4th November 2019 by office

Bonfire and Fireworks poster 9th November 2019 Buckingham Town Council was forced to make the difficult decision to cancel the Buckingham Bonfire and Fireworks event at 9am on Saturday morning. The decision was made due to the extremely boggy conditions at the Bourton Park paddock where the event is held; which experienced staff members judged as too wet for the vehicles moving into the field for the event, and potentially hazardous to those coming to watch the fireworks.

This assessment was made early on the Saturday morning and all parties notified as quickly as possible in order to avoid cancellation fees – this means that the funds used to pay for the event are still available and with some minor changes it has been possible to reschedule the Bonfire and Fireworks this Saturday 9th November.

We are delighted to confirm that Titanium Fireworks will be lighting up the sky with a colour popping display, the event starts from 6pm with music and tasty hot food and drinks, including donuts.

In line with our environmental policies Titanium have told us that they are committed to carbon offsetting, and have already offset 80 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

Chair of the Town Centre & Events Committee Councillor Andy Mahi said: “We’re delighted to be able to reschedule the Bonfire and Fireworks as we know how popular it is with residents – we hope to see everyone there on Saturday 9^th November at 6pm!”

Buckingham pavement potholes filled in

Posted on 11th September 2019 by office

Repair of long term pavement defects on Church Street, funded by the scheme

Buckingham Town Council has been working with Buckinghamshire County Council to cut down on wait times for road and footpath repairs in Buckingham.

Under a new devolved pilot scheme, Buckingham was chosen as one of five town and parish councils who have been given permission and funding to tackle issues such as potholes on minor roads directly. Under the agreement, Buckingham Town Council had enough funding to repair 140 defects in local roads and paths in Buckingham with a speed limit of 30mph or less. Following a review of complaints and a survey by Town Councillors, each defect was identified as one that could be significantly improved with small repairs. This has included 136 potholes, relaying slabs and creating new footpath drain channels.

While some roads could not be worked on as they are in need of total resurfacing, these small repairs are important to keep pedestrians and cyclists safe and protect vehicles from pothole damage.

The works would not have taken place without this scheme, so the Town Council has been able to provide improvements in partnership with the County Council for the first time.

Cllr. Ruth Newell

Buckingham Town Councillor Ruth Newell, chair of the Environment Committee that agreed the work said Buckingham Town Councillor Ruth Newell, chair of the Environment Committee that agreed the work said “I am so glad that we were able to take part in this scheme, that I fully supported as we were able to focus the repairs on the defective roads and paths that were important to Buckingham people …”

Mark Shaw, Buckinghamshire County Council Deputy Leader and Transport Cabinet Member said: “Town and parish councils have their feet firmly on the ground and can react quickly to local highways needs, which makes the partnership between Buckingham Town Council and the County Council of enormous benefit to residents and businesses in the town.”

Grants for 2020/21 are now open!

Posted on 10th September 2019 by office

Do you think Buckingham needs a community fridge? Does your sports club need new equipment? A support group for a health condition? Is there an environmental project your group would love to run?

Buckingham Town Council’s grant process is now open for the financial year 2020/2021. The process to apply is simple – complete a form for Buckingham Town

Council to consider, along with information about the group that is applying for funding and get it back to us by 12 noon on Friday 1st November.

A few rules apply:

Grants will only be considered for projects and activities beneficial to the people of Buckingham.
Grant recipients must be based in Buckingham or provide evidence of the percentage of the work that is conducted in or on behalf of Buckingham residents.
No commercial organisation will be considered for a grant.

More information and copies of the forms are available on the Grant Applications page.

Audio version of the Summer 2019 newsletter.

Posted on 27th August 2019 by office

The audio version of the summer 2019 Buckingham Town Matters newsletter is now online. If you would like any more information about anything you have heard or read about in the newsletter, please get in touch with the Town Council Office.

To find a PDF version of this newsletter, and previous editions of the Buckingham Town Matters newsletters since 2010, visit our publications page.

Next steps: Buckingham Town Council and the climate emergency

Posted on 1st August 2019 by office

Cllr Mark Cole JP, Mayor of Buckingham, signing the Mayors Covenant.

After declaring a climate emergency on the 15th July, Mayor Cllr Mark Cole JP has signed the Covenant of Mayors for climate and energy. The next step for Buckingham Town Council will be to find out more about where the Town Council is now and what changes can be made. We will be drafting a climate action plan during the autumn.

The signed covenant sets out a step-by-step approach to how local authorities can assess their current emissions, the risks of climate change and create a sustainable energy and climate actions plan within two years.

Buckingham Town Council principally commits to:

Reducing CO₂ (and possibly other greenhouse gas) emissions on its territory by at least 40% by 2030, namely through improved energy efficiency and greater use of renewable energy sources;
Increasing its resilience by adapting to the impacts of climate change.

Buckingham Town Council declares climate emergency

Posted on 16th July 2019 by office

Buckingham Town Council has declared a Climate Emergency. The Council made the decision at its meeting Monday 15th July.

Councillor Ruth Newell

It is now clear that the world has less than 12 years to switch away from fossil fuels to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. In response to a motion proposed by Councillor Ruth Newell and seconded by Councillor Robin Stuchbury, Buckingham Town Councillors discussed what they could do to draw attention to the issue, and to take action now to begin to work towards the Town Council being carbon neutral by 2030.

The Town Council also agreed to sign up to the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy to track Buckingham’s progress and link with towns around the world who are cutting emissions.

The Town Council also agreed to a second motion, supporting the need for a Climate Change Action Plan for Buckingham Town, which will be the first step towards taking some concerted actions to reduce and move towards a Net Zero Carbon Footprint for the town.

Councillor Ruth Newell, Chair of the Council’s Environment Committee, said,

“I’m really pleased that Buckingham Town Council is taking the lead in recognising that we need to take actions locally to address climate change. We look forward to working with local groups, as well as reviewing our own operations to take immediate action, and also to plan for longer term changes, such as the vehicles we use. There are so many no-cost and low-cost options available that when combined with the funding available to community and other organisations we can start to play an increased role in combating climate change.”

25,000 Chub and Dace added to the River Great Ouse

Posted on 12th July 2019 by office

An extra 25,000 Chub and Dace were added to the River Great Ouse today, 12th July, along the stretch between Radclive to Thornborough Mill by the Environment Agency.

This is the second restock by the Environment Agency in the Buckingham area after a pollution incident in the summer of 2018, and is a great step forward for the recovery of the river. Other positive signs have been noted by residents and River Wardens in the last year, including video footage of otters emerging from the river.

Today’s restock took place near Hunter St Bridge and in Bourton Park within Buckingham.

To learn more about how you can be involved in caring for the river in Buckingham, read about the River Wardens scheme on our Buckingham Parks page.