Jobless increase – The number of people in the area claiming unemployment benefit rose by nearly 50 per cent last year. In all 9,300 people in the Wycombe, Chiltern and South Bucks area were claiming jobless benefits at the end of December compared to 6,210 the previous December. The percentage of those claiming benefits is just below the national average of five per cent.
Daily chats with children – Tylers Green Middle School said yesterday it is planning to introduce daily live sessions with children working from home to allow questioning, discussion, assessment and to check of pupils’ wellbeing. All primary schools in the village have produced details of their remote learning provision on their websites. Schools were told yesterday that the earliest they may be able to reopen is 8 March.
Visitors quadruple – Half the car parks in Burnham Beeches are to be closed because visitor numbers have quadrupled since the start of the first lockdown last March and there has been some damage to habitats within the nature reserve. Buckinghamshire Council is to introduce parking restrictions on surrounding roads.
Pubs resume takeaway food – The Potters Arms at Winchmore Hill has received planning permission for its outside Terrace Bar. It is open between 10.30 and 2pm and between 5pm and 8pm from Wednesdays to Saturdays for click and collect food and drink. The Red Lion in Penn is resuming its Thursday to Saturday take-away service tonight.
Vaccine scam – Police and trading standards say they have had hundreds of complaints about a fake email being sent to people inviting them to an Covid vaccine once they have given their bank details. They are scams. Ignore them. No one has to pay for a vaccine.
Barn conversion plan – A planning application has been submitted to convert an old barn opposite The Chinnery in Church Road, Penn into a one-bedroom residential dwelling.
Trains suspended – Chiltern Railways says there will be no trains running between Wembley and Bicester at the weekend because of engineering works. This means there will be no service at local stations and a bus replacement service will be in place.