Anger and disappointment at the lack of ambition for Aylesbury Town Centre

Lib Dem run Aylesbury Town Council have slammed Bucks Council for their lack of ambition and action for the regeneration of of the Town Centre after Bucks Council watered down, again, plans for the County Town.  

Cllr Tim Dixon who is one of the two Lib Councillors representing Central Ward, which the town centre is based around, put a motion to the Town Council on 13th June which said:

This Town Council does not recognise the planned improvements to Market Square, Kingsbury, and Cambridge Street as anything more than maintenance of the areas and a change in status from a temporary traffic order to a permanent traffic order.
• This Town Council is disappointed at the lack of long-term positive changes to Kingsbury, and Market Square.
• This Town Council requests the evidence used in the decision to demolish the Gala Bingo Hall be supplied to the Town Council. This is so that a fully informed decision can be made on the level of support for the new plans by members of Aylesbury Town Council.

Cllr Dixon said “Aylesbury's assets have been neglected by the Conservative run Buckinghamshire Council, and regeneration money has been reallocated to the Exchange area before consultation with residents.  The result of which has left Kingsbury and Market Square without the regeneration outlined to residents, businesses, and the Town Council over many years.”

After a passionate and healthy debate, the resolution was passed without amendment and unsurprisingly the Conservative Councillors present voted against the motion. Cllr Sherrilyn Bateman who also represents Central Ward at the Town Co

uncil said “It makes me so sad that time and again we have tried to engage with Bucks Council and our residents and small businesses get ignored. It’s shameful.”
Last month officers from Bucks Council attended the full council meeting to present the plans. However, the plans they presented had factual errors which had been pointed out to them before. Cllr Bateman added “I had seen the presentation given a few weeks before and commented then that the plans were inaccurate and had also spelling mistakes. They paid no attention to my suggestions and that of local residents who were present and gave the same unchanged presentation to the town council! It was shocking and disrespectful.”

Cllr Dixon added “This is an abject failure of Bucks Council’s own pledge in its Parish Charter setting out how it would positively work with Parish and Town Councils. The Charter has become a waste of the paper it is written on.  All Bucks Council are doing is waving a shroud in the hope that someone will thing there is a plan and action for our county town, when that just isn’t the case. They Conservatives are failing our town yet again.”