Justine Greening, Secretary of State for Transport, has today announced her decision to proceed with the plans to build a high speed rail line between London and the West Midlands and on to Manchester and Leeds. HS2 will improve capacity across the rail network, shorten journey times between Britain's major population centres, boost the economy and create thousands of jobs.

This will affect Northamptonshire by the introduction of a longer green tunnel past Chipping Warden and Aston le Walls, and curve the route to avoid a cluster of important heritage sites around Edgcote. These changes will provide additional mitigation for Aston le Walls, reduce setting impact on Grade I listed Edgcote House, avoid a Scheduled Monument (the Roman Villa site) and the possible location of the historic Edgcote Moor battlefield.

It will also lower the alignment and introduce a green tunnel past Greatworth, and a short green tunnel at Turweston.  These changes will help mitigate landscape, noise and visual impacts as well as remove the need for a viaduct.

For the full New Release please click here.

The Town Council wishes to invite professional  arboriculturalist to tender for hedge laying works as in the attached documents.

If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact the Town Clerk.

The closing date for returning the completed tender forms is 9am Monday 16 th January 2012.

Click here for the Tender Form
Click here for the map

Once again there was a wonderful ‘Switch On' event this year on the Piazza and Town Hall which drew a considerable number of residents and visitors to the Town Centre to signal the start of the Christmas festivities 2011. It is understand that the shops and restaurants, cafes and public houses also enjoyed a busy afternoon.

The Town Council would like to invite organizations to discuss the 2012 celebrations with view to them taking over the arrangements and being able to provide further funding to update, renew and possibly create a Festival of Lights to end an historic year for the town.

The neighbouring town's displays are organized by business clubs and local community

not-for-profit organizations which may be able to access funding which is not available for local authorities. The Town Council would therefore like to offer an organisation the exciting opportunity of lighting Brackley in 2012 and beyond which is a festive way for them to enhance their profile within the community and make a visible contribution to the town.

Brackley Town Council has agreed to work closely with the organisation, especially in the early years to guide and support them with our own expertise and offer you:

•  The current stock of lights

•  Assistance with the cost of the electrical contractor for two years

•  The cost of the electricity involved in running the lights

To take advantage of this opportunity, please write to me by 31st January 2012 expressing your interest. A short list of applicants will be drawn up and invited to make a presentation to the Council and I will write to you will all the details as soon as possible after the above date.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Town Clerk

Under the terms of the Licensing Act 2003 Brackley Town Council is required to appoint a Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) who has a Licensing Qualification BIIAB Level 2 National Certificate or GOAL Level 2 Certificate for the sale of alcohol during functions and parties held at the Town Hall.

The Town Council has reached the end of a fixed term contract with its current license holder and wishes re- tender the position to all license holder's in Brackley to ascertain who would be interested in taking on this role for a fixed period of three years subject to satisfactory performance from April 2012. The appointed DPS would be the main supplier of bar facilities and would be responsible for all licensable events in the Town Hall and Brackley Park where alcohol is served. Currently all booking forms requiring a license bar are signed by the DPS and therefore it would be advantageous if the appointed person is easily contactable by hirers of the Town Hall.

A copy of the Town Hall premises licence is attached for your information detailing the hours of opening along with the Brackley Park premises licence . There have been eight licensed bars in 2011.

If you wish to be considered for this position please contact myself in writing by 31st January 2012 and further information will be sent to you in due course. References will be taken from Northamptonshire Police prior to appointment.

Sue Crouch

Town Clerk

Brackley Premises Licence
South Northants Premises Licence

“Our telephone number is changing – and our website is better than ever”

Northamptonshire County Council's number for general enquiries changes to 0300 126 1000 from today, Thursday 1 st December 2011.

Click here for further information.

BBC one, BBC two, BBC four.........................

Dear Sir/Madam

The BBC would like to invite you to join Things to Do: BBC ..................

Click here to read more

Northamptonshire Association for the Blind (NAB)

Will be bringing their Mobile Information Unit  to the Piazza, outside the Town Hall, Market Place, Brackley

On the following dates

Wednesday 1 February 2012

Wednesday 2 May 2012

Wednesday 1 August 2012

Wednesday 7 November 2012

Time: 10.30am – 1pm (2 hours 30 mins, all dates)

BRACKLEY MARKET , although a lot smaller than it was on the Upper Market Place, still has a variety of stalls with good quality merchandise and friendly traders you can trust.

Click here for details of current traders

We have room for a few more traders so if you sell anything different to the above contact the Town Council on 01280 702441.

It is important a market keeps its regular traders so customers know that, should there be any problems or faults with goods, the trader will be back next week. On the other hand the traders need to know that the customers will be back!!!!!!!! PLEASE SUPPORT THEM