Archived News
January 2012
Use of the Rye Recreation Ground
Eaton Bray Parish Council has been approached by EB Lions, our local junior Football Club, about the possibility of enclosing a small part of the Rye Recreation Ground to build an all-weather training pitch. This would be paid for by EB Lions; the Parish Council would not provide any funding. We need your views on this proposal.
On the plan shown, the proposed location of the proposed facility is to the right of the main football pitch on the Totternhoe Road side (the green is already used for grass football matches and will continue to be so).
A larger plan of this design can be found on the parish notice board (Knights Close) and the parish website - Rye Recreation Ground - Larger Plan. Although not shown, the playground area will remain in its current position.
The proposed development is being put forward with the view that the project offers the following benefits to the local community:
- An all-weather facility is important for the local youth football players to allow their training/ coaching to take place throughout the year.
- The facility would be available to the local primary schools to use during the week to support the delivery of the PE curriculum and extra-curricular activities. The shared use of the facility would also strengthen school-club links.
- The provision of an all-weather pitch would reduce wear on the current grass pitches which are being used for training and matches.
- Without a local all-weather pitch facility it is considered that the club's continued development would be hindered.
This is where you come in ...
To have your say regarding this facility, its proposed location and its benefit to the local community/children; please write to/email the Parish Clerk at Eaton Bray Parish Council.
Please ensure you include your postcode/village where you live, to enable the council to collate comments into areas of response.
Thank you
Parish Office: 20 Good Intent, Edlesborough, LU6 2RD
Email: [email protected]
All responses MUST be received by the Parish Clerk
NO LATER than Friday 24th February 2012.
Quarterly Crime Update
Quarterly crime figures published show overall levels in Bedfordshire for the 12 months to September 2011 are below the England and Wales average at 70 crimes per 1000 people compared to 74 crimes per 1000 people in England and Wales.
Results of the British Crime Survey, which have also been made available, show Bedfordshire's victim satisfaction rates are currently showing an improving trend. The latest local data shows an improvement from 79% satisfaction in the 12 months to October 2010 to 82% in the 12 months to October 2011.
Chief Constable Alf Hitchcock said: "We note the recent report comparing figures to September 2011 and these represent an historic snapshot of where the Force was in 2010 and part of 2011 policing years. The Force is working hard to drive down those crimes that most harm communities including burglary, robbery and MSV (Most Serious Violence) as well as bringing to justice those responsible. The figure to the end of December shows our continuing success in reversing previous trends and we remain committed to fighting crime and protecting the public."
The figures show crime levels in Bedfordshire have fallen in a number of crime categories – there has been a 25% reduction in "Sexual Offences", a 9% reduction in "Offences against Vehicles", a 6% reduction in "Criminal Damage" and a 24% reduction in "Other Offences". Bedfordshire currently has the lowest rate of "Sexual Offences" in England and Wales.
There has been a 12% increase in "Violence against the person – without Injury" in Bedfordshire. However, Bedfordshire is still below the England and Wales average for this offence category at 7.3 crimes per 1000 people compared to the England and Wales rate of 7.7 crimes per 1000 people. Bedfordshire is also similar to the England and Wales crime rate for overall "Violence against the person" and for "Violence against the person – with Injury".
Bedfordshire's Domestic Burglary rate was 14.6 crimes per 1000 households compared to an England and Wales average of 11 crimes per 1000 households. This remains a priority for the force and rates for the period April to December 2011 are 19% lower than the period in April to December 2010 and the detection rate for Domestic Burglary has improved from 16% to 21%.
While the quarterly figures published show Bedfordshire had one of the highest Robbery levels in England and Wales in the 12 month period to September 2011 this equates to a Robbery rate of 1.3 crimes per 1000 people. Bedfordshire's robbery level has remained unchanged in comparison to the previous 12 month period compared to a 4% increase in England and Wales. Robbery rates for the period April to December 2011 are 6% lower than the period in April to December 2010 and the detection rate for Robbery has improved from 19% to 23%.
Bedfordshire has a below average rate of recorded drug offences at 2.7 crimes per 1000 population compared to 4.2 crimes per 1000 people in England and Wales.
Source: Ringmaster Bedfordshire
The Pirates of Edlesbray (The curse of the village hall)
A show written by Bekka Prideaux and Jo Butcher
Tickets £6 and £4 from box office 01525 222283
A mad mixture of merriment, mayhem, music and dance, featuring all the usual suspects
Thurs. Fri. Sat. 26th 27th & 28th Jan. 2012 --- 7.30pm
plus 2.00pm Saturday matinee
Licensed bar in aid of Medical Detection Dogs
Matinee refreshments Raffle
Eaton Bray Village Hall, Church Lane, LU6 2DJ
Christmas Tree Festival December 3rd and 4th December
The Christmas Tree Festival was a great success and thank you to all those who exhibited a tree, they were all so well done. There was a total of 43 exhibits which was amazing and all so different.
I would like to thank all those who supported me over the two days, from making tea, taking money, placing posters and printing and producing wonderful flower arrangements and checking all the lighting. I couldn't have done it without you. Thank you so much and I hope you will all be there in 2013! The event raised £1.058.
Driving home the message to young people in Central Bedfordshire
Teenagers can have a bad reputation when it comes to cars - some drive too fast and they haven't got the experience of more mature motorists.
But two new courses aimed at giving young drivers the skills they need before they venture onto the area's roads could change all that.
Supported by Central Bedfordshire Council in partnership with their Highways Contractor Amey, the courses will be running in January and March.
Having already proved popular in the past, the MORE 16 and MORE Drive programmes target young people in Central Bedfordshire , aged between 16 and 24 and offer three workshops on driving skills, maintenance and safety before they start learning to drive.
The workshops are run by vehicle inspectors and collision investigators from Bedfordshire Police, Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service, Three Shires Driving School and Bedford's Millbrook proving ground and offer real-life experience from professionals at the top of their field.
The MORE 16 programme, which will be running on Saturday 28 January and Saturday 3 March, is aimed at 16 year-olds and offers them their first taste of driving on a Millbrook track. The course also offers guidance to parents on choosing a driving instructor and how to help their teens when practising. As an incentive for parents to attend, they receive a high-speed passenger ride around a track with a Millbrook pro-driver with competition history in motorsport such as Rallying or Racing.
The MORE Drive programme, which will run on Sunday 29 January and Sunday 4 March, offers 17 to 24 year-olds, who have passed their driving test, the chance to drive on a skid pan and experience ABS braking systems as well as practising emergency stops at speed to demonstrate the distance it takes to stop at varying speeds.
Elliott Viola, who has already taken part in a course, said: "What will stay with me is what not to do while driving - like speeding, drinking alcohol, or being on a mobile phone - and making sure that you are in charge, not someone else trying to influence you."
Councillor Budge Wells, Deputy Executive Member for Sustainable Communities Services, said: "These programmes offer a fantastic opportunity for young people to learn new skills and improve their driving ability.
"I'm delighted that we can offer these opportunities across Central Bedfordshire. Having attended MORE Drive, I have seen how much everyone took away with them and hope we have even more young people attend the future events."
For more information on either the MORE 16 or MORE Drive programmes, or to attend events next year, email [email protected].
Source: Ringmaster Bedfordshire
Parish Council Minutes - January 2012
Minutes of Parish Council Meeting: Monday 9th January 2012
The next Parish Council meeting will be on Monday 6th February 2012, 7.30pm, in the Coffee Tavern.
Set sail with the Pirates of Edlesbray
Ahoy there me hearties! The Pirates of Edlesbray (The Curse of the Village Hall) sets sail at the end of this month and a good time is expected to be had by all.
This year's festive family show at Eaton Bray Village Hall is based on a theme of pirates in response to requests from the public after this year's St Mary's village carnival when the theme was also buccanneer based.
It has been written by director Bekka Prideaux and her partner Joe Butcher who many will remember from past productions and many successful appearances for Dunstable Rep at the Little Theatre.
Pirate captain Jerk, played by Matt Flitton, is tired of pirating and is looking for a replacement to take charge of the infamous pirate ship The White Opal.
A motley collection of characters from a selection of pantos turn up to audition for the job. A variety of tasks is set to weed out the wheat from the chaff, and those who fail will be forced to walk the plank. Those who triumph go through to the next round. Unfortunately, as with all pantos, nothing is straightforward and Davey Jones (played by the larger than life Jo Butcher) wants the ship for himself. He doesn't want to go through the selection process and has his own plan to take over the ship! As the cast sing and dance their way through the show there should be plenty to entertain all ages and tastes.
The Pirates of Edlesbray runs from January 26-28 including a Saturday matinee. There is a licensed bar in the evenings run by the new Eaton Bray & Edlesborough Lions group, with all bar profits going to the charity Medical Detection Dogs which uses dogs to detect cancer, warn of the onset of epileptic attacks, the onset of low blood sugar for diabetics.
For tickets call the box office 01525 222283.
New Carers Support Service - Carers in Bedfordshire
Following months of planning by carers, NHS Bedfordshire, Bedford Borough Council, Central Bedfordshire Council and Voluntary Organisations, the single carers support service went live on 1st October 2011 serving all of Bedfordshire.
Carers in Bedfordshire now provide support to carers of all ages in all caring groups across Bedfordshire. This includes telephone, email and web advice and information, specialist one to one support (such as for people caring for someone with a mental health problem) and support for young carers. They deliver training courses, run support groups and administer the NHS Carers Break and Training Grant service and run the very popular carers cafes at weekends across Bedfordshire.
If you or someone you know provides unpaid support (not including benefits) to someone who is ill, frail, disabled or who has a mental health or substance misuse problem - that makes you a carer. Many carers do not see themselves as carers; they say they are just someone's husband, wife, relative, friend or neighbour. However, if you carry out caring responsibilities for someone who could not manage without your help then that means you are a carer and are entitled to information and support.
For information, advice and support around your caring role contact Carers in Bedfordshire on 0300 111 1919, email [email protected] or visit www.carersinbeds.co.uk