1940’s Tea Dance
Get ready to enjoy a fun-filled afternoon of dancing, music, and delicious afternoon tea at our 1940’s Tea Dance!
Tickets available at Eventbrite
Meet Your Local Councillors
Join us in Farnham Common Library on Saturday to meet your new Buckinghamshire Councillor and discuss your concerns, thoughts and aspirations for our villages.
Nine new homes at Allerds Farm, Farnham Royal: Permission Refused
Thank you to all those who submitted objections. Together we will protect our villages.
The Farnham Neighbourhood Plan
We want to hear from you…
Your postman is delivering a bitesize version of the Pre-Submission Plan through your door.
Please take a look and download further information at http://farnhamroyal-pc.gov.uk/neighbourhood-plan/
How to access emergency help from Buckinghamshire Council over the festive season
In the run up to Christmas, Buckinghamshire Council is highlighting where families and individuals can seek emergency help and support if they need it over the festive season.
Any Buckinghamshire residents needing emergency support or help with food and/or energy should contact the council’s Helping Hand service using the online form or by calling 01296 531 151. This service is available during office hours but is closed at weekends and on the public holiday days over Christmas and New Year.
Anyone in immediate need of food who cannot wait until the next working day when the Helping Hand service is open – and has no other avenue to help – should contact the council’s Emergency Social Work Team on 0800 999 7767. They will not be able to provide food on Christmas Day when the shops are closed, but otherwise can provide immediate help and advice in an emergency.
Many foodbanks will be operating different opening days and times over the Christmas period – residents who need to access a foodbank will need a referral from the council’s Helping Hand service, or another similar support service, so please contact the Helping Hand service in the first instance if you or someone you know needs to use a foodbank.
If you see anyone sleeping out on the streets in Buckinghamshire, please contact StreetLink online or call 0300 500 0914. They will notify the council’s dedicated outreach workers. If you see anyone you believe to be under the age of 18 and/or are concerned about the health or welfare of anyone that you see sleeping rough, please call 999.
Residents who may be finding this time of year challenging or lonely, or are experiencing difficulty with their mental health can find help and advice on the NHS Buckinghamshire Taking Therapies webpage. In addition, there are some top tips on mental health and being ‘kind to your mind’ during the festive period at Health and Wellbeing Bucks.
Information about additional support can be found on the council’s cost of living webpages.
Online advice is available 24/7 from Citizens Advice Bucks, plus the national advice line is available during office hours on 0800 144 8848 if you need immediate advice.
Arif Hussain is Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities. He said:
“While most of us are excited about the festive season, for some Buckinghamshire households it can be a challenging time of year, and some people may need to access some extra help or support.
“Please share the information above with your friends, neighbours and local networks. You never know who might need it this Christmas.”
Changes to household DIY waste disposal due from 31 December 2023
Residents in Buckinghamshire will be able to dispose of small amounts of DIY waste for free at Household Recycling Centres (HRCs) from 31 December 2023.
The changes have been brought in by central government and will make it easier for people to freely dispose of small amounts of waste created at home from DIY projects such as re-tiling, renovating a bathroom or digging a pond in the garden.
Today (Tuesday 12 December), Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet voted in favour of necessary changes to the council’s Waste Access & Acceptance Policy which sets out rules and procedures for the county’s 10 HRCs, to reflect the new legislation.
Following the change in law regarding the disposal of household DIY waste, the council is reintroducing a digital e-permit for DIY waste. From 31 December, any resident wanting to dispose of household DIY waste at a HRC will need to have an e-permit printed out or on a portable device, such as a mobile phone or tablet, before they visit. This only affects residents who wish to bring household DIY waste.
The DIY e-permit will allow residents to dispose of one load of DIY waste each week for free. One load of DIY waste is no more than 100 litres of loose DIY waste, or one large item no bigger than 2m x 0.75m x 0.7m such as one bath tub, one door or one kitchen unit. Staff will scan the permit and check the resident’s address, after which the e-permit will expire. It can be renewed after seven days, to allow residents to dispose of another load of DIY waste for free. Anyone wishing to dispose of more than one load of DIY waste in a week will be able to do so but will be charged, using the same price list which has been in place for the past four years.
Gareth Williams, Cabinet Member for Climate Change & Environment said: “We know these government changes will be welcomed by residents, but in order for us to manage them effectively, we are reintroducing a DIY e-permit system like we have used previously. This may be an extra step for residents, but it allows us to ensure that everything will run smoothly and will deter commercial traders from abusing the new system which is for residents only.”
Gareth continued: “We don’t want people to be held up in queues at the HRCs while the new system is bedding in, so we are looking to give people as much notice as possible of the changes and the need for them to download their e-permit before they visit the HRC from 31 December. We will be promoting the new process widely and would suggest people check our website and social media channels for the most up to date information. The whole process is very simple and straightforward and should become second nature to everyone once it has been up and running for a few weeks.”
The changes will only apply to DIY waste. Residents bringing garden waste, electricals, general and other types of waste commonly brought to HRCs will not be affected and can continue to use the sites in exactly the same way as before.
Commercial traders, landlords and residents disposing of waste produced by traders will still need to pay for commercial waste disposal.
For more information on the changes visit Buckinghamshire Council’s website.
