Local News By Email

 

 

This page is relevant to all villages.

 

 

Unchanging useful links/info
Roadworks and diversions
Bear in mind that the Roadworks Map link, on the above website, isn't particularly useful as it will look as if the majority of roads are closed when they aren't and the dates for closure span many weeks with no specific closed dates. It's no wonder people ignore 'road closed' signs as they often are not. Ed

 

 

A Handy link to the cheapest petrol in your area

 

 

Nottingham Knockers

A great deal of people, especially the lone elderly, do not like opening their front door to be face to face with a young man selling what most households already have in their possession. If anything, the Nottingham Knocker call is more akin to menacing begging based on some of the Facebook posts regarding this activity. Often, a Facebook post raises the alarm for locals so that they can be more wary of opening the door. Stickers on doors stating 'No doorstep Selling Zone' do not deter these people. Most of the time the Facebook alarm is too late and so a simple Whatsapp group for an instant alert would work better. A simple statement of Road and Village will quickly highlight where these activities are taking place.
If you want to be notified by and/or notify your neighbours of activity in the areas covered by these pages follow the instructions below.
Click here to join if you're reading this on your mobile or scan the QR code with your phone if looking at this on your PC.

 

 

Added 4 February

Hodgemoor Wood (Chalfont St Giles) parking charges


We are writing to let you know that Forestry England will soon be introducing car parking charges at our forest car park at Hodgemoor Woods.

Background

Visitors and residents may be aware Hodgemoor Wood is part of a working forest. Forestry England encourages public access for recreation with the car park, picnic area and horse trails. We’re proud to manage Hodgemoor for people to enjoy, for wildlife to flourish, and as a sustainable source of timber for the local economy.

Forestry England receives less than 10% of our funding from government, so we generate most of our income through trading activities, including timber production and car parking. As a public body, we reinvest the money we make into looking after the nation’s forests, supporting everything from tree planting and biodiversity projects, to trails, car parks, and benches.

What’s happening now

Since we created the car park at Hodgemoor Woods, it has been free of charge. But, like all businesses, our costs continue to rise. This includes services like surface repairs, trail maintenance, and vegetation management. It is no longer sustainable for us to maintain the car park for free.

Modest car parking charges will help us to continue looking after Hodgemoor for everyone to enjoy.

Charges and payment methods

We expect that parking charges will come into effect in March, but we can’t yet confirm an exact date.

The charges will be:

Up to 1 hour £2.00
Up to 2 hours £2.50
Up to 3 hours £3.50
Up to 4 hours £4.00
Up to 5 hours £5.00
Up to 12 hours £8.00

Visitors will be able to pay by using one of the pay & display machines in the car park, using card or contactless.

Alternatives to paying for parking

Payments can also be made Via RingGo Location 31106 which gives the option to pay 48 hours prior. For regular visitors to Hodgemoor Woods, we recommend Forestry England membership. This provides a year of unlimited parking at Hodgemoor Woods and dozens of other Forestry England sites such as Wendover Woods for £94 per household, which equates to less than £2 per week

Visitors are also welcome at any of our public forests or woodlands that don’t have parking charges.

Who will manage the car park?

Hodgemoor Woods car park is owned and managed by Forestry England. It will continue to be managed under Forestry England’s parking terms & conditions, which include adherence to the Highway Code and parking appropriately

Green List

Volunteers, Contractors, permission holders and stakeholders who will be using the car park for business activities will be able to fill in a request form to be added to a green list which exempts them from the parking charges. Please use the link: Hodgemoor Wood Green List – Fill in form

We hope this information is useful. Please direct any questions or enquiries to chilterns@forestryengland.uk to ensure that they receive a timely response from our team.

Yours sincerely,

Mia Gilmour
Recreation Ranger

 

 

Our News February

Link to newsletter here

 

 

A targeted police operation aimed at tackling burglary in Buckinghamshire over the winter period has led to a further reduction in offending, following significant enforcement activity across the area.

Operation Grotto focused on proactive patrols, intelligence-led policing and disruption of criminal activity during the months when burglary traditionally increases. From 27 October to 31 December, officers made 23 arrests, including 3 for burglary, and stopped 238 vehicles as part of targeted enforcement activity, of which 17 were seized.

The operation also saw more than 70 dedicated patrols, delivered by multiple officers and specialist departments working together to prevent crime, identifying offenders and reassuring communities.

The results build on previous success, with a 10% reduction in burglaries last year, followed by a further 9% reduction this year, demonstrating the continued impact of sustained and focused policing.

Following this success, Detective Inspector Mark Hill from Priority Crime Team said, “we remain committed to tackling burglary, protecting communities and building on the success of Operation Grotto through ongoing patrols and partnership working.”

 

 


My Health, My Responsibility

Healthwatch Bucks want to find out how much people feel is their responsibility to look after their own health and wellbeing, and what they think is the responsibility of the NHS.

The NHS 10 Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future aims to “reinvent the NHS through 3 radical shifts“. One of these is ‘From Sickness to Prevention’

Project Manager, Alison Holloway says: “We know that people are busy and keeping themselves healthy, or seeking help for health issues isn’t always a priority. However, it is always better to prevent people getting unwell rather than having to make people well again.”

We want to know if people are aware of resources available already to help them keep as healthy as possible. We also want to understand what would help people in Bucks become better active participants/agents in their own care.
They would like people to share their feedback in confidence via their online survey on their website

The survey closes on 31 May.

They would also like to have small group discussions with 6 to 12 people, especially if you're not comfortable using a computer to fill out our survey. Please call us on 01494 324832 if you would be interested in hosting a group to talk in more detail about this subject.

Healthwatch Bucks will produce a report and a set of recommendations to inform those who are involved with public health in Bucks. This will include what people tell us would help them look after their own health and wellbeing better.

Zoe McIntosh, Chief Executive of Healthwatch Bucks, says: “We want to make sure local people have the information they need to prevent ill-health, where they can, and access care services when they need them. We will share what we learn so we can work with providers of health services to make improvements where it’s needed.”

 

 

Added 28 January

If you’re connected to any business, charity, public authority, or organisation, there’s a free service designed to help protect it from cybercrime. If that’s not you, please signpost to friends, family or colleagues who may benefit.


Online threats such as ransomware, data breaches, and account takeovers are disrupting organisations every day. Whether you run a shop, café, hotel, factory, Airbnb, or you’re a sole trader, charitable trust, or not‑for‑profit using email, social media, websites, computers, or any internet‑enabled devices, the Cyber Resilience Centre exist to help protect you.


These centres provide a public service offering access to training, tools, and guidance that help identify and fix vulnerabilities before criminals exploit them. The training helps staff spot risks, reduces disruption, and supports your data protection and GDPR responsibilities.


Most people know the basics of cyber security, such as:


  • Passwords: use three random words, 12+ characters
  • Two‑step verification: turn on 2SV/2FA/MFA wherever possible
  • Updates: keep systems and software up to date
  • Backups: keep secure copies of important information
  • Training: ensure staff know what to look out for as one wrong click can compromise an entire network

But after the basics, cyber security can feel complicated, expensive, or overwhelming. Many organisations want to improve their cyber resilience but don’t know where to start or can’t afford specialist support.


That’s where the Cyber Resilience Centre for the South East can help. They are one of nine Home Office‑funded centres across the UK, a collaboration between policing, academia, and the private sector. They provide funded, practical cyber security support tailored to your organisation’s needs.


Membership gives you access to the essential information you were never taught at school. They can help when you’re stuck, keep you updated on the latest threats, and offer free webinars that demystify topics such as securing your website or understanding how criminals target organisations online.


Membership is completely free and takes only a few minutes to set up. Protect your organisation by joining today: www.secrc.police.uk/join

 

 

 

 

Added 21 January

Scam Phone Calls again

Beware! Phone calls from people claiming to be from Help for Heroes. This is an old scam and HfH has confirmed that it's a fraud call. The numbers begin with 0161 949 .... It may be an old scam but the calls continue apparently.