Tuesday, June 15th, 2010

AYLESBURY VALE ADVANTAGE – June newsletter

Welcome to the June 2010 newsletter from Aylesbury Vale Advantage (AVA), the delivery agency for the Aylesbury Vale growth area.

Berryfields– Work on one of Aylesbury Vale’s biggest developments gets underway in the next few weeks.  Berryfields, which is being developed alongside the A41 and by the Aylesbury Parkway rail station, will see 3,250 homes being built over the next few years. In addition the development includes the  Aylesbury Vale Academy – providing students with high tech skills –  plus shops,  schools, community facilities and employment areas.

AVA played a key role in unblocking some of the many difficulties  that stood in the way of this crucial development – particularly in the major economic downturn of the last couple of years – by releasing growth funds to enable progress to be made.

Shortlisted for award – Incidentally, AVA has been shortlisted for a national award for its work on Berryfields. Its behind-the-scenes work has been recognised by its shortlisting in this year’s Homes and Communities Awards, co-sponsored by the Government’s Homes and Communities Agency and the magazine Regeneeration and Renewal.

Weedon Hill – Meanwhile, plans are being submitted for the final phase of the successful Weedon Hill housing development, north of the town. The recession affected Aylesbury Vale’s housing delivery target, but not as severely as other parts of the country, and AVA has played an important role in keeping initiatives rolling. Further phases of development are continuing at Stoke Mandeville Hospital and the former Princess Mary hospital site in Wendover.

 Aylesbury Station lifts – AVA was also able to provide growth funding towards a Transport for Buckinghamshire and Chiltern Railways initiative to install lifts at Aylesbury’s central station. The lifts improve accessibility to all those visiting Aylesbury, but in addition  the station is a key transport interchange for patients at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, many of whom faced difficulties before the lifts were installed because access from one platform to another meant crossing the line.  The lifts will also be invaluable when thousands of disabled athletes and spectators travel to Stoke Mandeville via Aylesbury for the 2012 Paralympics.

Superfast Broadband – AVA’s Board has agreed to contribute £80,000 towards the dramatic expansion of superfast Broadband in the Aylesbury Vale area. With so many businesses and individuals in the area increasingly reliant on top speed Broadband  in order to be economic and competitive, AVA is supporting the Buckinghamshire Economic and Learning Partnership in its programme to vastly increase Broadband speeds in the county.

 Aylesbury Waterside  – One of the highlights of Aylesbury’s year will be the opening of the council’s Waterside Theatre in the autumn.  AVA has played a part in the regeneration of this central part of the town by providing  up to £2.5m worth of investment – subject to certain conditions – that will help provide a pleasing environment and innovative design in the area immediately around the theatre. The funds will also help towards the demolition of the Civic Centre – another part of the Waterside regeneration.

 This multi-million pound regeneration scheme, led by Aylesbury Vale District Council, Buckinghamshire County Council and AVA is just part of a district-wide programme of investment that will help create and sustain the  thousands of new homes and jobs that are planned for the Vale by 2026.

 Infrastructure – AVA continues to play its part in the preparation of proper infrastructure, such as transport links and energy supply, not just for the planned expansion in and around Aylesbury, but in areas such as Silverstone and Buckingham. We’ll have more news in our next  newsletter.

 

 

You can find out more about AVA on our website, www.aylesburyvaleadvantage.co.uk