| Aylesbury Vale District | |
|---|---|
| — Non-metropolitan district — | |
| Part of Aylesbury Vale taken from the top of Coombe Hill, looking towards Aylesbury | |
| Aylesbury Vale shown within Buckinghamshire | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Constituent country | England |
| Region | South East England |
| Non-metropolitan county | Buckinghamshire |
| Status | Non-metropolitan district |
| Admin HQ | Aylesbury |
| Incorporated | 1 April 1974 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Non-metropolitan district council |
| • Body | Aylesbury Vale District Council |
| • Leadership | Leader & Cabinet (Conservative) |
| • MPs | John Bercow David Lidington |
| Area | |
| • Total | 348.6 sq mi (902.75 km2) |
| Area rank | 36th (of 326) |
| Population (2010 est.) | |
| • Total | 174,400 |
| • Rank | 98th (of 326) |
| • Density | 500.4/sq mi (193.2/km2) |
| • Ethnicity | 92.3% White 3.7% S.Asian 1.5% Black 1.5% Mixed 1.0% Chinese or Other |
| Time zone | GMT (UTC0) |
| • Summer (DST) | BST (UTC+1) |
| ONS code | 11UB |
| OS grid reference | SP818138 |
| Website | www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk |
The Aylesbury Vale (or Vale of Aylesbury) is a large area of flat land mostly in Buckinghamshire, England. Its boundary is marked by Milton Keynes to the north, Leighton Buzzard and the Chiltern Hills to the east and south, Thame to the south and Bicester and Brackley to the west.
The vale is named after Aylesbury, the county town of Buckinghamshire. Two other towns lie within the vale and they are Winslow and Buckingham.
The bed of the vale is largely made up of clay that was formed at the end of the ice age. Also at this time the vast underground reserves of water that make the water table higher than average in the Vale of Aylesbury were created.
In the 2001 UK census the population of Aylesbury Vale was 165,748, representing an increase since 1991 of 18,600 people.[1] About half of those live in the county town Aylesbury.
Today the area is a local government district of northern Buckinghamshire, administered by Aylesbury Vale District Council.[2] This district was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the boroughs of Aylesbury and Buckingham, Aylesbury Rural District, Buckingham Rural District, Wing Rural District and part of Winslow Rural District. The district offices are based in Aylesbury. The district council's logo includes the historical figure of John Hampden
There are 111 civil parishes: 84 with a parish council, including three town councils (Aylesbury, Buckingham and Winslow), and a further 27 operating with a Parish meeting, see list of civil parishes in Aylesbury Vale.
Elections to the district council take place every 4 years, with 59 councillors being elected from 36 wards. Since winning a majority at the 2003 election the Conservative party has held control of the council. After the latest election in 2011 the council is composed of the following councillors:-[3]
| Year | Con | LD | UKIP | Lab | Ind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 37 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
The district contains no motorway junctions, although the M40 does enter the district for five miles between junctions 8A and 9. Major roads include the A41, A413 and A418- which all meet at Aylesbury. The A421 passes through the north of the district providing connections to Milton Keynes, Bedford and the M1 to the east, and the M40 and Oxford and Birmingham to the west.
For its size, the district contains relatively few railway stations; most of its stations are in the very south of the district along the London to Aylesbury Line- the major station being Aylesbury. At Aylesbury there are connecting services to Princes Risborough station. In addition, the West Coast and Chiltern main lines both pass through the district, each having a station within the district.
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