Aylesbury is the county town of Buckinghamshire and the largest town in the Vale, with a growing population of 68,000.
Aylesbury enjoys a fabulous countryside location, just 45 miles north-west of London and with excellent access to major road, rail and airport links. It's an historic market town, at the centre of an ambitious, multi-million redevelopment programme to transform it into a market town for modern living.
The Waterside Theatre is already taking centre stage to the south of Exchange Street, with a new Waitrose store, multi-storey car park and 80-bedroom hotel due to open alongside in spring 2013. The National Enterprise Academy is also planning to open its UK HQ next to the theatre, with the opening date to be confirmed once the funding arrangements have been finalised (negotiations are currently ongoing). The NEA will be the UK's first ever educational institution dedicated to enterprise and entrepreneurship.
As testament to its market town roots, Aylesbury boasts a number of historic buildings, including the 14th century King's Head, owned by the National Trust. There are busy traditional and farmers' markets on the historic cobbles of Market Square, as well as events and parades in the town centre, including the famous Roald Dahl Festival each summer. The charming conservation area around St Mary's Church and the County Museum nestles quietly alongside the shopping and business heart. Aylesbury boasts two shopping centres and a tradtional High Street, with the area close to the historic Market Square now set aside for new retail and restaurants.
Aylesbury offers an excellent range of educational facilities for all ages, including grammar and upper schools at secondary level and further education courses at Aylesbury College.
Please see below the link to a presentation made by Teresa Lane on Improving and Developing our Town Centres which was given to the Business Community at their meeting on 4 December 2012.
East West Rail
East West Rail is a major project to establish a strategic railway connecting East Anglia with Central, Southern and Western England. The project is being promoted by the East West Rail Consortium – a group of local authorities and businesses with an interest in improving access to and from East Anglia and the Milton Keynes South Midlands growth area.
The complete East West Rail scheme comprises a strategic rail route that will link Ipswich, Norwich and Cambridge, with Letchworth, Bedford, Milton Keynes, Bicester and Oxford, allowing connections to Swindon, the Thames Valley, South West England and South Wales, together with a spur to Aylesbury.
Paralympic Flame Celebration
Aylesbury Town Centre celebrated Stoke Mandeville as the birthplace of the Paralympics Movement with a spectacular free event to the mirror the Fame Lighting Ceremony at Stoke Mandeville Stadium. The event was organised by AVDC and supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England www.artscouncil.org.uk
In the spirit of the Paralympic Games, AVDC and Buckinghamshire Disability Service (BuDS) ensured that people with disabilities were included in this once-in-a-lifetime event by giving them exclusive access to premier viewing areas in Market Square and Kingsbury.
This event was part of Accentuate, the London 2012 Legacy Programme for the South East. Accentuate has been funded by Legacy Trust UK, creating a lasting impact from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games by funding ideas and local talent to inspire creativity across the UK, SEEDA and the Regional Cultural Agencies.
To see the film from the event please see below:
