Cllr Pearl Lewis

I’m not sure where the last few months have gone! Time seems to be going so quickly – things were very busy in the Spring preparing for the re election of the Council, I’ve recently started a new job at the University, and AVDC is moving forward with it’s Vale of Aylesbury Plan and broadband work.

Canvassing in Maids Moreton with Iain Stewart (MP for Milton Keynes South), James Elles (MEP), Jeremy Quin (Chairman of Buckingham Conservatives), my brother, and my friend Oli

I began my election campaign in March. There was glorious sunshine for my canvassing days which helped (I’ve now realised that was the extent of our ‘summer’)! It was great to meet lots of new people on the doorstep and let them know what I’d been working on for the past year. It was a very different campaign to my by-election, with lots of new issues and obviously it was nice to feel more aware of local issues and be able to inform residents of things happening with the Council.

I was absolutely delighted to be re-elected to AVDC with 63% of the vote – it is so humbling to know I have the support and trust of the people in my ward, and I’m working hard to continue making contacts and going to parish meetings. It was an exciting election and we had a turnout of 49% in Luffield Abbey.

I was also pleased to see the referendum on the Alternative Vote system return a resounding 70% ‘No’ result in Aylesbury Vale, and across the nation. The future of our democratic principle of ‘one person one vote’ remains, and I am proud that Britain has had a chance to have it’s say on such a fundamental constitutional question.

We were delighted to maintain our majority in the Council chamber, and to welcome lots of new members, including some younger councillors.

Campaigning for the No to AV vote in Buckingham

ENTERPRISING THINKING

I welcome the Government’s decision to abolish our expensive Regional Development Agencies and instead allow local authorities to join up and create Local Enterprise Partnerships. The South East Midlands LEP is currently in formation and will be nurturing the creation and growth of businesses in our area – linking up institutions with common areas of expertise – like education or engineering. It’s been particularly exciting to see the proposals for the development at Silverstone – a brand new business park, education centre, museum, visitor centre and the necessary infrastructure investment. It’s pleasing to see that the circuit will now be a venue for events all year round and continue to provide jobs for local people. The millions of pounds that the circuit’s activities create for our local economy are much valued. In 2009, AVDC helped to secure the Formula One Grand Prix at Silverstone for the next 17 years – a massive boost for our local economy. I attend a sub group chaired by South Northants Council which feeds back residents concerns and comments about the activities at the race track to the circuit managers so that all events can continue to be managed with the support of local people in the future. This will be particularly relevant with the phased development that is planned.

THE LOCALISM AGENDA AND THE VALE OF AYLESBURY PLAN

Our new, Conservative led Government has provided some exciting opportunities for localism and the Big Society in our communities. I’m proud to see the red tape being stripped away and a chance for communities to have an input into the development of their areas. I will be working with parishes over the coming months on the creation of their parish plans, which will need the input of all residents. We are working on our Vale of Aylesbury Plan at present, and I have been to several Member seminar’s to discuss how the plan might be formulated. There are lots of factors to take into consideration when looking at housing need and housing demand – things like sustainability, community consultation, land availability, infrastructure requirements, demographic changes (for example, the rise in the number of pensioners in the future will provide new and different challenges to the type of development we need in the Vale), employment, and the growth of the surrounding cities and ‘hubs’ – Aylesbury Vale can currently be considered a ‘dormitory’ district where people live but commute out to work. But of course the key factor – and the most unpredictable – the economy itself. There are challenging times ahead, but it is refreshing to see our plan being lead by the parishes, towns and districts rather than by national government targets.

CANALS, COMMUNITY AND CABINET

The Buckingham Canal Society are working hard with their plans for restoration, and are currently undergoing planning application processes to re water the Buckingham end. They have also acquired permission from British Waterways to begin work on the Cosgrove end of the canal, and hope to have at least one of these sections in water by the end of the year. It continues to amaze and impress me that not only are the Canal Society working hard to reach their ultimate aim, but the means by which they get there – through community involvement, events, education and fundraising – are always so innovative and focused on the best values that community projects thrives on, like joining up thinking between public and private sectors and leveraging opportunities for the good of all. Part of that leveraging of opportunities was creating a formal partnership for the Society with AVDC. Terry Cavender presented the Society’s proposal to the Cabinet in February and then BCS on to form a partnership with South Northants Council in July. AVDC’s Cabinet Member for Leisure said of the partnership:

Cllr John Cartwright presenting a cheque for £2000 to Buckingham Canal Society

“The restoration of the canal is a large and ambitious project, but one that AVDC is proud to support. It will create a fantastic waterside environment that will bring real benefits to those living and working in Buckingham and the surrounding area. We look forward to working with the canal society to help take the project forward.” (Cllr David Thompson, Cabinet Member for Leisure).

My thanks must also go to Cllr John Cartwright for his generous donation of £2,000 to the Society from the Community Leader’s fund at Bucks County Council.

£2M BOOST FOR BUCKINGHAMSHIRE BROADBAND

Buckinghamshire (in the form of Bucks Business First, formally Bucks Economic Learning Partnership) were delighted to have their application accepted for a grant of the Government’s money for broadband development in the county – Bucks has been given £2.1m. This will be split among some of the already ongoing projects in the Vale (where there are the most ‘not spots’) and other areas in Buckinghamshire. At present, BAC3 (the community interest company that Terry Cavender and I created), is looking at some new exciting options for providing some pilot projects north of Buckingham, and once again Terry has come up trumps delivering on some fantastic private sector collaborations. The Economy Scrutiny Committee (of which I am vice-chair) at AVDC has agreed to look at broadband provision in the Vale as part of a three-stage (or more if necessary) review, and I hope that this will provide an opportunity for AVDC to consider what work is being done at present to improve broadband provision – with particular reference to our rural economy – and suggest ways that we can move forward with some of the good work already being done. It should also be a great opportunity for us to identify all the smaller community projects that are going on at present and link their work up to create bigger and better opportunities for the district and surrounding areas outside of small villages.

Meeting Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP at the CCA Conference in February 2011

OUT AND ABOUT

2011 has not been without its field trips! I spent a weekend in February up in Warwickshire at the Conservative Councillor’s Conference, and met some Cabinet ministers and councillors from all over the country. It’s a great event to show you that actually local government isn’t just confined to your own district or county – there are common challenges being faced by all local authorities at present, and it was very interesting to talk about how to approach these.

My favourite event was on the Big Society, the outcome of which I am always thinking about – that the Big Society is not just about volunteering as the media so often conveys, it is about a changing the relationship between people and the state, the ethics of stewardship, a partnership, taking responsibility. It is about fresh thinking towards our services, who provides them and most importantly – why do we need them and how can this be reflected in their delivery?

PARTY EVENTS

Conservative Future at the CCA Conference with CF President Ben Howlett

Our newly established Conservative Policy Forum meets for the first time next week in Winslow. Conservative Associations all over the country set up local groups to discuss policy and then it gets fed straight back to government ministers: http://www.conservativepolicyforum.com/.

Finally, October brings our second Conservative Party Conference, and I’ll be heading up to Manchester for a few days in October – once again there are hundreds of fringe events and receptions happening, and hopefully this year we’ll make it into the hall to hear David Cameron’s closing speech!

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