Democracy - even at lowly Parish Council level - is a fundamental and essential right. Please play your part on Thursday May 1st 2025.

• research and cast your vote for Buckinghamshire Council and seven new Brill Parish Councillors (our nearest polling station is Brill Memorial Hall)

• seriously consider standing as a Parish Councillor for our community

Our March newsletter newsletter contains the fourth and final interview with current Brill Parish Councillors. We hope these candid personal accounts have helped inspire you to get involved in shaping the future of Brill. Click the names to read previous interviews.

• Cllr Emi Slater : November/December

• Cllr Steven Judge : January

• Cllr Jennifer Tuffley : February

• Cllr Liz Springs : March

Please contact our Parish Clerk, Bobs Damerell* to find out about the role from his perspective - or click to contact current councillors to arrange an informal chat:

• Steven Judge

• Emi Slater

• Liz Springs

• Jennifer Tuffley

We also recommend talking to past councillors (of which there seems to be a lot in Brill!) and reading this information on the National Association of Local Councils website.

The next step is to check your eligibility to stand for the Parish Council. (Note that this is your responsibility; the Parish Clerk cannot determine this for you.)

If you’re good to go, read the information on this page on the Buckinghamshire Council website carefully before downloading, printing and completing your nomination papers, including signatures from your proposer and seconder.

Completed nomination papers must be delivered in person to a Deputy Returning Officer in The Gateway, Aylesbury by 4pm on Wednesday April 2nd 2025.

After you’ve met the April 2nd deadline, you might like to consider canvassing residents or at least publishing some sort of personal statement in support of your candidacy, maybe on the three community bulletin boards. This is not compulsory - many Parish Council candidates rely on reputation or word-of-mouth recommendation - but it does add to the quality of the campaign.

There are seven seats on Brill Parish Council. If seven or fewer candidates stand, there will not be an election - but we think democracy would be better served by a healthy campaign, don’t you?

Thank you - and good luck!

*The Parish Council Office is open Mondays and Tuesdays, 0930-1130. There is an answer phone outside of these hours: 01844 235444.

A polite reminder!

As the days lengthen, the sun shines and we’re drawn outdoors to our gardens … a polite - but very firm - reminder: PLEASE DO NOT DUMP GARDEN WASTE ON THE COMMON OR THE WALKS! This is (a) unsightly, and (b) risks spreading garden plant species (and diseases) to the common.

There are two excellent alternatives:

• Compost at home LOTS of information on the Buckinghamshire Recycles website - plus money off equipment for Bucks residents to get you started.

• Bucks Council garden waste collection Fortnightly collection from your front door for a reasonable fee - plus the satisfaction of knowing that your garden waste is turned into quality peat-free compost sold at Household Recycling Centres.

Village Photography Project

A message from Buckinghamshire Culture:

Thank you for taking part in the Village Project 2024 - and thank you to our local partners in this project, Brill Parish Council and The Brill Society.

The large-scale Brill Village image has been presented to Brill Parish Council. It will be on display temporarily in the church and will later have a permanent home in the village. We have also launched a beautiful publication called Village, featuring the three large images (which open up), a selection of close-up portraits and the stories written by our resident writers from all three participating villages (Brill, Fairford Leys and Burnham).

There is more information about the project on the Bucks Culture website, including a link to download Letters to Brill, a delightfully illustrated digital book written by Brill School pupils.

Participants will have already received instructions for downloading the images. If you have not received this information, please email Lallie Davis (Director of Bucks Culture) for details.

The Brill Society have copies of the project book Village, available for £10. Email Andy to arrange payment and collection. Village is otherwise available (at £12) using this link. 

EV Charging Points in Brill

Two electric vehicle charge points will be installed in the car park behind Brill Memorial Hall during the summer. This is part of a wider Buckinghamshire Council project. Just two spaces will be reserved initially for electric cars but, since each point can charge two cars, two more spaces could be reserved in the future when electric vehicles become more common. 

We all know that the Memorial Hall car park is badly in need of repair. The current Parish Council has set aside some funding to support the renovation but nothing can be done at the moment as the surveyors have not yet decided where to run the cables. 

Pension Credit & Winter Fuel Payment

According to Age UK, 39% of pensioners entitled to Pension Credit (which includes several other benefits such as Winter Fuel Allowance) have not yet claimed. Maybe you can help a family member or neighbour get the help to which they are entitled?

1. Check eligibility (you will need National Insurance number and information about any income, savings and investments)

2. Apply online or call the Pension Credit claim line on 0800 99 1234

3. Wait to hear from the Department of Work & Pensions; the claimant will be notified by letter

Some people are put off by the complexity of the process but help is available. Age UK offer comprehensive advice and a free advice line: 0800 678 1602 (lines open 8am-7pm, 365 days a year). Bucks Council have also organised free drop-in support sessions in libraries across the county.

New to Brill?

Just moved? Got questions? Not sure where to start? Drop us a line using the contact form below and we’ll try and help.

For Bucks Sake

Bucks Council is one of the first councils to use new powers of higher fines (up to £500) for littering. They’ve also introduced a quicker route to catching and punishing the culprits, using photographic evidence submitted by the public.

People are invited to upload dashcam footage and photos of littering to a new webpage. Car registration details will enable the Waste Enforcement Team to trace and prosecute culprits through the civil process, meaning it will be the vehicle owner who will be liable, whether they threw the litter or not. The reporting process will be confidential.

Stop, hang up, call 159

159 is a security scheme launched in conjunction with major UK banks. Calling 159 puts you directly in touch with your bank.

If you receive a phone call and you think someone is trying to trick you into handing over money or personal details: STOP, HANG UP & CALL 159.

159 will never call you, but you can rely on 159 to get you through to your bank. Call 159 if

• someone contacts you saying they’re from your bank, even if they are not suspicious

• you receive a call asking you to transfer money or make a payment, even if it seems genuine

• you receive a call about a financial matter and it seems suspicious

See our Community Safety page for more information on personal security.