A few days ago, residents were invited to submit questions to our 12 prospective District Councillors. Below is a compilation of all the questions received. None were submitted by any of the candidates themselves:
In 2009 AVDC transferred considerable Property and Land Assets owned by AVDC to a joint venture company called Aylesbury Vale Property Investment Company (AVPIC), in which AVDC holds a 50% share. The other 50% is held by a London based property management company by the name of Akeman Partnership who also manage the AVPIC. The assets have been transferred to AVPIC on very favourable terms ( i.e. deferred payment ).
One such asset in the land adjacent to Snakemoor. In 2009 a proposal was put forward on behalf of the Parish Council to lease or buy the land for use as a community green space in the form of a wild flower meadow. The proposal was not accepted ( or to be more accurate was ignored ) and the land transferred to AVPIC for £500 on deferred terms ( i.e. no money has actually been paid for the land) but ownership has been transferred to AVPIC
The initiative was proposed by Councillor Michael Edmonds – Cabinet Member for Economic Development and was supported by our AVDC District Councillors at the time, Judy Brandis and Brian Foster.
(Source: Freedom of Information Request)
Questions Arising:
1. Could Mr Michael Edmonds please explain how the people of Aylesbury Vale have benefitted from the initiative that he championed?
2. Could Mrs Judy Brandis and Mr Brian Foster explain why they supported this initiative and what steps they would take to make the land adjacent to Snakemoor available to the Community?
3. To all the other candidates: In view of the likelihood of a considerable increase in the population of Haddenham, how you would see this approach to the use of public land being reversed and additional green space made available to the Community?
Additional Questions:
4. Question for our UKIP candidates:
Your election leaflet states that you are against any further Housing development in Haddenham including the Glebe and Airfield sites. Can you please provide some indication as to how this might be achieved given the advance stage of the development applications for these sites?
5. Question for our Green Party Candidates:
What steps will you take to stop HS2 blighting our countryside?
6. Question for Liberal Democrat Candidate:
The previous AVDC Council seemed to place scant regard to the Haddenham Neighbourhood Plan. What are your views and what steps will you take to ensure that all development applications reflect this plan?
7. To all candidates:
Please outline your attitude to wind and solar energy generation, and the potential to capitalise on these technologies in the Vale of Aylesbury? How else might the local area contribute to achieving the UK's targets for renewable energy generation?
8. To all candidates:
What local services would you seek to maintain at all costs and which would you be prepared to see potentially compromised by pressures on AVDC expenditure?
