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Welcome to Castlethorpe

Castlethorpe is a village with a population of around 1,100 set in rolling countryside seven miles north of Milton Keynes city centre and close to the boundary with Northamptonshire. It lies on the northern edge of the Tove River Valley, which is designated as being landscape of Special Character. 
The surrounding area is thought to have first been inhabited in the Bronze Age but the village itself started out in life as a Norman castle belonging to the lord of the manor of nearby Hanslope which was destroyed in 1215 during the Barons' Revolt against King John. 

The parish church is dedicated to St Simon and St Jude, and dates back to Anglo-Saxon times, though the present church is of mainly Norman design. There are a number of other listed buildings in the village, some dating back to the 15th Century, with fine examples of homes from the 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st centuries as well.
You can click here to find more information about the history of the village, including pictures and a video, and there's even more on the Milton Keynes Heritage Association website www.mkheritage.org.uk/cv.

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The village's weekly refuse collection day is normally Friday, even after Bank Holidays. The only change is over the Christmas and New Year period. For more information about what to put in each sack and your green bin click here. 
All three household recycling centres in Milton Keynes are open seven days a week, except for Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day, but entry is by appointment only (same day appointments are available) and anyone without an appointment will be turned away. To book your slot phone 01908 252811 or apply online here.

MK City Council have published an update on the new bin collection system coming later in the year. Read more at https://milton-keynes.gov.uk/wheelie-bins. You can check how your address will get your rubbish collected at https://tinyurl.com/Wheelie-Bins.


For detailed information on the latest developments in the COVID-19 pandemic and how to keep yourself safe go to the COVID-19 page on this website, the Government website or milton-keynes.gov.uk/coronavirus

Advance warning of two road closures for repair work on Thursday 6 April: The road between Bullington End and Devil’s Dip will be closed from noon to 4.30pm and Hartwell Road in Hanslope will be closed from Williams Close to Forest Road from 9:30am -12:30pm.

Parish Council meeting on Monday

The next monthly meeting of the Parish Council will be held in the Village Hall on Monday 3 April , starting at 7.30pm with a Public Forum at which residents can raise issues of concern with the councillors. 
The meeting will be livestreamed on the Castlethorpe Parish

Council YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=castlethorpe+parish+council and will also be available to view afterwards.
The agenda and the minutes of last month's meeting can be downloaded at https://castlethorpe-pc.gov.uk/papers.html

Do you want to become a Parish Councillor?

All seven seats on Castlethorpe are up for election on Thursday 4 May and nominations are open until 4pm on Tuesday 4 April. By becoming a parish councillor you become someone your community will look to for help, guidance and support – a  

community leader with the power to influence decisions for the  benefit of the people you serve. What matters to you? What needs changing in the Parish of Castlethorpe? You could be the person to change it! To find out more click here. 

Milton Keynes City Council has now published the new Castlethorpe Conservation Area Review after a delay caused by the Covid pandemic. There are some changes to the boundary of the Conservation Area and the document also includes some fascinating historical information about many houses in the Conservation Area. You can download it by clicking here.

Have your say on local crime and safety

The local Neighbourhood Policing Team would like to hear from any residents interested in being a part of a brand new group, the North Rural West Community Forum (covering Castlethorpe, Hanslope, Haversham, Stoke Goldington and Tathall End). Please contact PCSO David Huckle at david.huckle@thamesvalley.police.uk for more information.

The Community forum will represent the local community by working together with the police, partners, stakeholders and community groups. The forum will identify and implement measures to resolve any issues identified.

Get the latest info direct to your inbox

How would you like the latest news and information about what's happening in Castlethorpe to be sent straight to your email inbox? The Parish Council has launched an email News Alert system to keep local people updated on things like road closures and traffic delays, problems with services like buses

or the bins, traffic delays, events coming up shortly and much, much more.
All you have to do is to click here and fill in the form with your name and email address and we'll do the rest. You can unsubscribe at any time just by letting us know.

Welcome to new residents in Carrington Grove

I would like to welcome the new residents to the village and hope they will enjoy living here and make use of all our facilities.
If you are new to Castlethorpe, this website contains a lot of information about facilities and events or you can speak to any councillor. We'll also be distributing a welcome booklet shortly and this will also be available to download from this website.
The houses themselves look very nice though it did take constant pressure from the Parish Council on design and even the colour of the bricks.
We still have issues with Stonewater, the developer, as under the terms of the “S106” Agreement signed when planning permission was given, they were meant to provide exactly 2 shared ownership homes, 6 affordable rent and 2 social rent houses.
Any change has to be agreed at MKC’s Development Control Committee where the Parish Council would have the right to 

speak. Instead, Stonewater have taken deposits for 12 (so far) shared ownership homes and are intending for all 30 homes to be social housing.
The Parish Council disagrees with this as it conflicts with our Neighbourhood Plan which amended the settlement boundary to allow housing in the first place and which required some open market houses for downsizers and first-time buyers who might not qualify for social housing.
MKC also disagrees because it has policies to integrate social housing with open market housing. MKC, as the signatory with Stonewater of the S106 Agreement, have told Stonewater that they are in breach and of the legal consequences of not complying.
The Parish Council has been pursuing this with MKC since 2019 and will continue to pressure them to get Stonewater to comply.
Philip Ayles, Chairman, Castlethorpe Parish Council

Village Hall rates to go up

The Village Hall Commitee has reluctanty decided to increase the hire charges for the Village Hall for the first time in more than eight years because of the financial situation the hall now faces, with a massive rise in energy prices and the loss of the revenue from Ducklings Pre-School, which closed at Christmas.
All new one-off bookings for events happening after 1 April 2023 will now be charged at the standard hire rate of £25 per hour, which is still one of the lowest rates in the area.
Residents of Castlethorpe will pay £20 per hour, a 20% discount from the standard rate. The rates for regular users have also been increased.
All new bookings for events before April 1 and all existing bookings for events after that which have been paid for will be charged at the current rate.
There is more information about the hall, including a brochure, booking forms and online reservation at castlethorpe-pc.gov.uk/villagehall.html.

Stop the speeding!

Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber has launched a new Community Speed Watch (CSW) programme, which uses a speed gun operated by volunteers.
Details of vehicles exceeding a threshold - usually the speed limit plus 10% plus 2mph - are entered into a national website and the vehicle owner is then sent a warning letter by the police. If a second offence occurs anywhere in the UK the owner is visited by the police.
If an area shows high levels of speeding, then the police will take enforcement action as, of course, only police officers can issue a penalty notice. CSW say that 90% of drivers sent a warning letter do not reoffend.
The speed gun, which will initially be loaned by the police, has to be operated by a team of three volunteers, one to hold the gun and the other two to collect the details of the vehicle.

Find out more

If you would like to help, please contact Steve Bradbury, Clerk to the Parish Council, at clerk@ castlethorpe-pc.gov.uk or phone 01908 337928 or by letter to 63 Thrupp Close, Castlethorpe MK19 7PL.

Save someone's life with village's two defibrillators

Castlethorpe has two defibrillators which the Parish Council has obtained with funding from the Milton Keynes Partnership Foundation. One is outside the Village Hall and the other on the Cricket Pavilion at the Sports Ground.
Both are in code-locked cabinets which are registered with the emergency services and show up on their equipment maps. You can also see their location on the Save a Life app.
The defibrillators are fully automatic and will '”speak” to the user to tell them exactly what to do. It can also detect whether it is being used correctly and will not operate if not correct or not required.
WHAT TO DO
In the event of an emergency, such as someone having a heart attack, always call 999 first and stay with the patient. The emergency operator will determine whether there is a need for the defibrillator and, if there is someone else available to fetch it, direct them to the nearest cabinet and give them the code to open it.
At the same time, the operator will alert other emergency services required, such as a First Responder or an ambulance.

Live travel updates

Click on the images below for the latest information

Traffic and roadworks

Check for live traffic delays and roadworks (type Castlethorpe in the search bar)

Buses

Live bus times or download the timetable for the 33 service through Castlethorpe

Trains

Live train arrivals and
departures at Milton Keynes Central station

Flights

Live arrivals and departures
at Heathrow, Luton, Stansted
and Gatwick airports

Salcey Forest now on 33 bus route

The 33 bus through Castlethorpe now calls at the main car park in Salcey Forest. This has meant a slight revision to the times in Castlethorpe. You can download a handy PDF timetable by clicking on the timetable below.

MK Connect is a Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) service available to bus users who don't have access to the weekday daytime routes. It is not restricted to previous timetables or routes, and picks up passengers from their chosen destination to their required drop-off point when they want to travel.
It works like a minibus that comes when you want, where you want — book a ride straight from your phone, get picked up in minutes, and be dropped within a short walk of your destination.
Passengers with a wheelchair or disability will always be matched with a fully accessible vehicle and the service is

accessible to passengers with vision, hearing and other requirements.
The service is available on evenings across MK, operating from: 6am to 11pm Monday to Saturday and 9am to 6pm on Sunday. You can book your journey by smartphone app, web or phone.
Price: £3.50 during peak hours (7am-9am, 4.30pm-6.30pm), £2.50 at all other times. Concessionary passes under the ENCTS scheme will still be valid for free travel as it is on buses, as will the All-in-One £1 fare.
For more information go to ridewithvia.com/mk-connect

Castlethorpe statistics

Population                    1,047 (2011 Census)
OS grid reference       SP795445
Latitude/longitude    52.093°N   0.840°W
Civil parish                   Castlethorpe
Unitary authority       Milton Keynes
Ceremonial county    Buckinghamshire
Region                           South East
Post town                     Milton Keynes 
Postcode district        MK19
Dialling code                01908
Police                             Thames Valley
Fire                                 Buckinghamshire
Ambulance                   South Central
UK Parliament             Milton Keynes North 


© 2023 Castlethorpe Parish Council 
63 Thrupp Close, Castlethorpe, Milton Keynes MK19 7PL
Email: contact@castlethorpe-pc.gov.uk
Phone: 01908 337928 Mobile: 07565 710183
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