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Olney Town Council Reports

Mercury's reports for 2011

January 2011

Olney Council report for January 2011

Public participation
Tim Regan Coneygere resident Tim Regan spoke at the start of this month's meeting. Tim explained that he was there to present a 'human face' on an issue which has been the subject of some discussion at council meetings over the last few months. This matter was an item later on the agenda but for information, Tim has a large tree growing outside his house, number 6, which is threatening lo undermine the foundations and he wants to have It removed. Olney Town Council's (OTC) position has been that this is a matter between him and the builder, since the tree was there when the house was built and the builder should have provide the house with suitable footings. Tim was at pains to point out that he is not 'anti-tree' and if it were possible to put the offending tree on wheels and move it elsewhere he would be delighted, but the fact is that it is knocking down his house. Due to the age of the house (some 20 years, believes Mercury) Tim said he did not think it practical to go back to the builders and, although he would be sad to see it go, removal is the only option.

Driftway
It is possible that an end to the long running saga of the Driftway landscaping may be in sight. Attending the meeting was John Price Milton Keynes Council (MKC) Neighbourhood Manager for Environmental Services for Rural Areas and his assistant, Rob Ward. John said that there were a number of options available to resolve the problem:

1. Do nothing and continue with efforts to establish wild flowers on the existing banks. Cost to be met by developer.

2. Keep the existing profile, remove the wild flowers, and establish topsoil and amenity grass. Cost approx £10,000 to be met by MKC.

3. Reshape the Mound and establish amenity grass. Full cost in region of £120,000 to be met by MKC.

John explained that the original problem with option 2 had been that the banks were too steep to be maintained by traditional mowing equipment, but as a result of an accident elsewhere MKC had been obliged to purchase equipment which could mow the banks. He said some preliminary investigations had been done into option 3 and presented the plans to the council. The reshaping would have the effect of reducing the overall height of the bank by 1.5m and the soil removed would be used to fill the existing gap. The downside was that some residents would now have a view across to the industrial estate opposite, which the mound currently blocks. Dave Price was concerned that OTC should consult the affected residents, but Steve Clark said any reshaping would require planning permission which would necessitate notification to the residents who could then express their opinion.
Tony Evans said that the options presented were no different to those offered by MKC six months ago. The situation had now changed in that it would be possible to leave the profile of the banks as they are and sow with grass which could now be mown, although he thought that £10,000 to 'sow grass on a heap of soil was very expensive!'. He thought it a waste of lime to even consider the more expensive plan which had no chance of getting approved. If a decent sward could be grown on the existing banks without invasion by weeds and thistles then that was the obvious choice, he said. Jeremy Rawlings felt that to spend £120,000 of MKC's ratepayers' money on what was essentially cosmetic work was "obscene" in the present financial climate. At this stage Mayor Mike Hughes reminded the meeting that it was not OTC that had bought the proposals to the table, but MKC.
Rob Ward said that the costs quoted were worst case scenarios and agreed that they appeared very expensive but warned to ensure that all options were put before OTC so that they could make an informed decision.
Dave Price once again suggested that local residents should be consulted but Mike Hughes believed that this would not be necessary for the preferred option 2, since there was now no intention to reshape the mound which had been constructed in line with the original planning permission. Steve Clark proposed that the council progress with option 2 and the vote was passed unanimously.

Planning Items
Steve Clark reported that a notification had been received from MKC concerning development of land to the rear of 57 and 59 Moores Hill. At this point Tony Evans declared an interest, having relatives living nearby. One of these houses is privately owned and the other is owned by MKC. The property owned by MKC has a covenant preventing further building taking place on the plot, which it will be seeking to relax. The intention then would be to apply for planning permission to build three new houses on the combined plot, with access from Dinglederry, although that would be subject of a separate request for Planning Permission. Steve reminded the council that such infill requests had been rejected in the past and said they would need to decide whether or not to object to this one in principle. Deidre Bethune said that this appeared to go against government policy of not splitting up gardens for development. She also noted that intention appeared to be to limit the number of houses to three and wondered if that would be fair on other residents in the area who might then wish to sell off land in a similar fashion. Ron Bull asked if the scheme would help towards MKC's quota of new houses but Deidre said that infill does not count towards the quota Mike Hughes, possibly playing devil's advocate, asked if OTC should not be supporting what appeared to be a workable plan which would raise money for cash-strapped MKC and was likely to go ahead in any case. Tony Evans emphasised the need to consult the nearby residents, since 15-20 houses in total could be seriOusly impacted. He felt that it was important that the matter should be dealt with correctly by MKC, since they own part of the land, will sell it to a developer and will be responsible for granting planning permission. Mike Hughes reminded the members that the plans before them only related lo the disposal of the land and not any subsequent building and that residents would get the chance to comment when planning permission was requested. He proposed the motion that the council should thank MKC for the consultation and reserve comment for any subsequent planning request, which was passed on a vote.
The matter of the tree outside number 6 Coneygere was discussed under this agenda item. Tony Evans said it was clear that the tree had been there when the house was built but if the owner asked for permission to remove It and replace with two trees in the cemetery that would be acceptable. Mike Hughes said that OTC would not wish to be seen as intransigent on the matter and suggested that the council should allow the tree to be removed, so long as It was not at a cost to MKC. Della Cheal wondered if the owner's insurance would cover the cost of removing the tree. At this point Standing Orders were suspended and Tim Regan was invited to speak.
Tim confirmed that he had building insurance and hoped that ii would cover such costs. Standing Orders were then reintroduced and a vote taken recommending that MKC be requested to remove the offending tree, which was passed unanimously.

Councillors' email addresses
Jeremy Rawlings explained that OTC has use of the domain 'olneytowncouncil.gov.uk' which can be used as a suffix for members' personalised email addresses, e.g. JeremyRawlings@olneytowncouncil.gov.uk. This provides a standard format which would make it easier for members of the public to contact their councillors, rather than the current collection of individual email addresses, he said. If they did not want a personal email published then members could opt for admin@olneytowncouncil.gov.uk, which would go the Town Clerk for onward distribution.
The proposal, whilst apparently acceptable to most members generated a surprising amount of anger and hostility from some, who appeared not to like having such a 'label' imposed upon them. John Sharp felt that councillors should be free to decide if they wanted to publish their existing personal email addresses and Deidre Bethune felt they were being treated like naughty school children and being told what to do. In any case, she never gets any emails from members of the public so what does it matter, she said. Eventually it was decided to allow members to publish their existing personal addresses If they really want to.

Bits 'n' Bobs
A letter had been received from Mark Luckin of The Olney Group (TOG) who organise the annual Fireworks Night. TOG has donated £500 to OTC in recognition of the fact that OTC underwrites the event every year in case of financial loss. The underwriting has only had to be called upon once in the entire history of this popular event. Tony Evans reported that a vacancy had arisen at the Ann Hopkins Smith Almshouses and any elderly female resident of the town wishing to take it up should contact him.
Steve Clark reported that the Whirly Pit had frozen over in the recent cold spell, resulting in the loss or many, if not all of the fish. The pit is under the ownership of MKC, who had apparently made no effort to prevent it from freezing over or to remove the dead fish, resulting in something of a bad smell. Mike Hughes suggested an agenda item for a future meeting lo propose that OTC take ownership, enabling the council's own workers to maintain it. Deidre Bethune said that there had been much confusion about refuse collection over the Christmas period, resulting in refuse bags lying around for over two weeks. The MKC website slated that there would be a collection between Christmas and the New Year but it was not until Christmas Eve that an email had been sent to the Town Clerk confirming that the next scheduled collection would be Tuesday January 4th, which was then too late lo advertise. Jeremy Rawlings reminded the council that only last month they had decided not to progress with training for the Clerk on the use of Social Media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter etc.) which would have been an Ideal method of distributing such news.
Next Meeting - Monday 7th February The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 7th February in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

February 2011

Olney Council report for February 2011

A Full but Brief Meeting
Despite there being a very full agenda for this month's meeting. Deputy Mayor Steve Clark managed to keep the meeting moving at a brisk pace. This was In no small part due to locally produced ale 'Hopping Mad' being on sale at The Swan for £1 a pint on this particular evening!*

Public Participation
Although the council chamber was packed with members of the public, none of them were there to speak at the beginning of the meeting. II transpired that most ol them were there for the meeting referred to in the first agenda item and left as soon as it had been discussed.

Future of Healthcare in Milton Keynes
Present at the meeting was Gill Prager, Director of Quality and Governance for Milton Keynes Primary Care Trust Gill was there to present to the council the proposals set out in the consultation document 'Shaping the Future of Healthcare in Milton Keynes' and afterwards to hold one of a series of 'Tell Us' meetings at which the public would have an opportunity to speak to NHS staff about the specific proposals. Gill explained that the NHS is facing Its toughest financial challenge and most radical reorganisation since it was created in 1948. NHS Milton Keynes is responsible for providing healthcare service for all people registered with General Practitioner (GP) surgeries In Milton Keynes. as well as dentists, hospitals and community services.
It has an annual budget of £360 million which rise by less than 0.5% per year over the next few years, despite the fact that the population Is rising and becoming increasingly elderly. It has been overspending for some time and as a result the hospital, alone, is £5 million in the red. II will not be possible to continue to provide the same level of services, so ways must be found or providing better services for more people with less money and to claw back some of the deficit. The reorganisation will see the end of Primary Healthcare trusts. she said, and in preparation for that NHS MK had already reduced its managers and administration staff by 40"/4.
The consultation document refers to 'thresholds' which are guidelines for GPs to follow to when assessing patients· needs for treatment. Deidre Bethune asked Gill how sticking to these thresholds would save money? GIii said that GPs do not currently stick to the current guidelines and will refer patients for treatment according to their professional opinions, regardless of the guidelines and cost. For many types of treatment new thresholds will be introduced which GPs will be obliged to comply with.
This will reduce the number of patients undergoing those treatments, thus saving money, she said. Jeremy Rawlings said that this would lead to people suffering and singled out the new threshold for hip replacement patients lo be unable to walk more than 250 metres as ridiculous. Gill acknowledged that in some cases it may mean more people having to suffer pain for longer. The consultation period runs until Friday 25th February, so may well be over by the time you read this report, but the document can be downloaded from www.mlltonkeynes.nhs.uk/discussion2011.htm

Driftway
Tony Evans reported that he had had a meeting with John Prioe, Milton Keynes Council (MKC) Neighbourhood Manager for Environmental Services for Rural Areas, and his assistant Rob Ward. It had been agreed that the mound would be left with the existing profile, although there were concerns about the quality of the existing topsoil. MKC are looking to see if they can come to a financial agreement with Wimpey's, the developers. Tony emphasised that !the work must be done this spring and said that John and Rob were keen to resolve the Issue.

Infants School
Jeremy Rawlings reported that as of February 1st the school had obtained Foundation status, which Is the first stage to becoming an Academy. The Governors now own the land and buildings so the switch over to full academy status can happen any lime. with June 1st being the probable date.

Olney Brass Band
Tony Moroney, Chairman of Stantonbury Brass, presented a proposal to change their name to 'Olney Brass'. Tony explained that the band would shortly lose its main source of funding and would have to fold on April 1st unless an alternative source of funding could be found. The proposal was to change the name and form a closer allegiance to the town and request some funding from OTC. As a working band, they would look to be as self supportive as possible and raise money through member subscriptions, engagements and concerts. They would also apply for charitable status. which would also bring financial benefit through the gift aid scheme, he said. The band has 12 residents of Olney and Emberton amongst its strength of 25, 4 of whom are founder members. Throughout its 30 - 40 year existence Olney has featured more than anywhere else in !their regular performances, whether through its annual Christmas concert, Dickens of a Christmas, various fates and carolling. Over the years it would be fair to say that the band enjoyed a stronger affiliation with Olney, than with either Stantonbury or Milton Keynes, he said. Younger members of the band progress. both as Individuals and as musicians and often go on to study music at university. The band were particularly proud of two of their current young players, one of whom has been offered a place at The Royal Northern College, whilst his own 15 year old son has been accepted Into The National Youth Brass Band. As part of their commitment to Olney and the surrounding area it is also the intention to form an Olney Brass Development band, which would be available to all brass players who have attained at least grade 3 and it is hoped that they would be able to offer this opportunity free to members less than 18 years of age. The council members seemed generally happy to endorse the name change and the issue or funding was referred to the Finance Committee.

Cobbs Garden Surgery - Specialist Nurse for the Elderly
Carol Russell of Cobbs Garden Patient Participation Group was present to request OTC funding of a Specialist Nurse for the Elderly. Carol explained that that the surgery had employed an ex-District Nurse for the past two years, funded by Milton Keynes PCT. This funding had now been withdrawn so the present incumbent would be made redundant. She said that a letter in The Phonebox requesting local businesses, charities and MKC to provide sponsorship had met with only a limited response, so It was vital that funding be found from elsewhere. The intention would be to separate the post from the surgery so that it belonged to the community rather than the surgery, but the surgery would continue to provide facilities such as a desk, computer and phone. The current post holder was employed for 15 hours a week working with people who were socially isolated, lonely and anxious. Many of these people need time to be listened to, and practical help In many ways, such as filling out forms to claim attendance allowance etc. Carol said that in order to keep the nurse employed for a year they would need £13,500. Deidre Bethune, as Chair of the Finance Committee, was concerned that It would need to be an ongoing grant and wondered if OTC could be liable for redundancy payments if the post could not be maintained. Carol said she was optimistic that funding might be forthcoming from elsewhere for future years. Deidre said that. Deidre said that the Finance Committee were minded to fund the post for a year at a cost of £13,500 and proposed that the full council approve the recommendation, which they did unanimously on a vote.

Bits n Bobs
The Parish Precept {the amount of Olney residents' Council Tax which goes directly to OTC) will once again be retained at the existing rate. The council agreed to purchase laptop for the Town Clerk and Deputy at a cost of £498+VAT to include relevant Microsoft software. A vacancy exists for the Chair of the Personnel Committee. New member Colin Rodden was nominated and selected but then deselected on a pint of order, possibly the shortest tenure of any committee chairman on the council! Next Meeting - Monday 7th March The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 7th March in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate. *It had sold out by the time Mercury arrived.

March 2011

Olney Council report for March 2012

Public Participation
Chris Talbot Chris Talbot, Treasurer of Olney Rugby Club, opened this month's meeting. He explained that Olney has enjoyed splendid sports facilities due to Olney Town Council (OTC) and the Sports Clubs. Olney Rugby Club now owns ten acres of land freehold and the Club's Management Committee has decided to proceed down a limited liability company route, splitting the Club into two parts: one to hold the assets and the other to run the activities and provide the facilities while maintaining the status required for gift aid, etc. He asked if OTC would let the Club acquire the freehold of the land on which the clubhouse stands in exchange for a suitable sum, thus giving it the freehold of both the clubhouse and the adjacent field. If this was approved, he noted that the Club would be happy for there to be a covenant restricting the land's use to being for a clubhouse.

Census for England and Wales
Richard Izzard. responsible for coordinating the Census for Olney, Newport Pagnell, Astwood and Stoke Goldington, gave a detailed talk about it. The main point is that, if you've not submitted yours by the time you read this - get a move on!

Olney Rugby Club
The first item to be considered in the meeting proper was Chris Talbot's request for the Club to acquire the freehold of the land on which the clubhouse stands. Two Councillors. Tony Evans and John Smail, had declared a personal interest in this item, meaning they could discuss but not vote on it. Mike Hughes introduced the topic, explaining that the Bowls Club owns its own clubhouse while the Tennis, Crick.et, Rugby and Football Clubs do not. He invited Councillors' views. Tony spoke in favour of granting the request, seeing nothing wrong with it. John Sharp spoke against ii. feeling that the Council should try to benefit the whole town and not Just the Rugby Club. Dave Price spoke in favour, noting that the Club does benefit the whole town - through sport and other community activities such as quiz and charity nights. Finally, Ron Bull asked how the Council would come to a decision as to what the freehold was worth, Gill Edmonson noting that, as achieving best value is a Council requirement, this would indeed have to be done properly. Ron believed it would have a high value, while Mike Hughes disagreed, due to the covenant which would be associated with the land. Councillors voted by majority of seven to one, with two abstentions, in favour of obtaining legal advice and furthering the discussion with the Rugby Club.

Environmental Services
Rob Ward, Milton Keynes Council Neighbourhood Manager for Environmental Services, gave a presentation. Note that Rob's title is as stated here and not, as stated previously, the assistant to that post. In the first part of his presentation, Rob explained that he manages the delivery of Environmental Services in the rural parts of Milton Keynes (MK) Borough, covering waste collection, landscape, highway maintenance, play area maintenance and neighbourhood enforcement. Savings of around 30% would have to be made in the next lour years, which would require choices of what could and could not be achieved, alongside ensuring the best use of resources. Readers who wish to report a problem with any of the services Rob manages should call 01908 252570.

Driftway
The second part of Rob's presentation concerned the Driftway banks. As background, note that in the previous meeting, John Price and Rob Ward had presented three options to resolve the problem ...
1. Do nothing and continue with efforts to establish wild flowers on the existing banks. Cost to be met by the developer. 2. Keep the existing profile, remove the wild flowers, and establish topsoil and amenity grass. Cost approx £10,000 to be met by MKC. 3. Reshape the mound and establish amenity grass. Full cost in region of £120,000 to be met by MKC.
... and the Council had voted unanimously in favour of option 2. At the time, the Driftway banks were believed not to have been adopted by MKC. Since then, Rob had discovered that MKC's Highways department had in fact adopted the Driftway banks, although the Section 106 element relating to completion of the landscaping had not been signed off. The results of this were that MKC may not have as much negotiating power with the developer, Taylor Wimpey, as previously thought. However, independent of that. Rob stressed that MKC remained committed to completing the works on Driftway.
Rob proposed two new options:
A. Plant grass and shrubs in six inches of topsoil then cut approximately six times per year. Costs: £8,500 to Implement, £900 per year to cut. Summary: high potential for success, attractive, higher ongoing cost.
B. Plant further mixed species and wild flowers In a thin layer of topsoil, providing new growth and encouraging what's there to develop, then cut twice a year. Costs: £3,200 to implement, £300 per year to cut. Summary: Higher biodiversity, fairly attractive, lower maintenance cost.
Mike Hughes stated that option A was basically that agreed by OTC in its previous meeting, that this was what should be done and that suggesting a cheaper alternative was merely MKC trying to ease its way into doing less and less work. This was debated at length and the following is a just brief summary. Tony Evans felt that only option A was likely to be successful. Deidre Bethune suggested a compromise, planting mixed species and wild flowers in six inches of topsoil. Both Tony Evans and Mike Hughes wanted MKC to stick to the original agreement, option A, and commit to an ear1y planting date in order to increase the chance of a successful outcome. Rob Ward agreed to follow option A, with the work to be done 'in weeks' and certainly before the end of April.

Market costs
For each Thursday Market, the Council hires a skip and cleaning service to complete tidying up after the stallholders have left. This costs £322 per week which, put another way, represents 44% of each stall's weekly rent. As the skip doesn't get particularly full, the Council discussed whether it and the cleaning service provided were worth continuing with. No decision was made, though the issue will be explored further.

More doggy do
There'd been an incident during a Rugby match on Doffs Field where a player had fallen into some dog poo, which caused his eye to swell up. This raised the issue of dog fouling in general, which continues to be a problem on the Sports Fields. Although no decision was made, it's likely that around ten additional signs will be placed around the Fields to ensure there's no doubt that the practice is illegal.

Personnel Committee Chair
In February, Della Cheal stepped down from being Chair of the Personnel Committee. She was generally acknowledged to have been very good at this role, and Councillors were keen to fill the vacant position. As reported in last month's Mercury, Colin Rodden had been selected for the post and then immediately deselected on a point of order. The issue was that he wasn't a Committee Chair, Standing Order 16 stating that the 'Personnel Committee (is) to be formed from Chairpersons of Committees but to include one female Councillor if possible'. Councillors now considered whether the wording should be changed to 'Personnel Committee to be formed from Chairpersons of Committees or suitably qualified Personnel Officer and to include one female Councillor if possible'. John Sharp did not like this at all, standing up and stating that, if this happened, "I'll resign as of now. You are altering things to suit the Council. It's corrupt." Mike Hughes explained that the issue was being brought before Council for a decision, as per usual procedure. Deidre Bethune and Gill Edmonson also attempted to pour oil on troubled waters. However, all this seemed to make little difference and John left the Council Chamber. Ron Bull felt some sympathy with John, believing that Councillors setting the rules for the year then changing them arbitrarily part way through ii was starting down a slippery slope. Mike Hughes declared himself "staggered" by John's reaction. After further discussion, the Standing Order was not changed, the issue instead being deferred to the next annual meeting.

Blooming competitions
Councillors decided to enter Olney for the Tindal Cup, the only category in the Best Kept Village competition it can enter this time round, having won the Best Kept Town award last year. Then they decided, as last year, not to enter Olney for Britain in Bloom.

Conygere tree
As reported in last month's Mercury, 6 Conygere was built close to a large tree which is now threatening to undermine the building's foundations. The tree is on OTC's land and, as the Council has now received a solicitor's letter on the subject, it passed the issue to its own solicitors. Next Meeting - Monday 4th April The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 4th April in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

April 2011

Olney Council report for April 2012

Public Participation
No member of the public present wished to speak at this month's meeting.

Land Purchase
Mayor Mike Hughes announced that the council had completed the purchase of a piece of land although no details of the land or the purchase price were provided. Subsequent enquiries by Mercury revealed that ii comprises seven acres of land to the south of the Charity Field used by the Football and Rugby Clubs and the aim is to use this for casual recreational use with no formal pitch markings. It is not known when it will be available for public use or what preparation needs to be done, apart from providing an entrance via the Charity Field.

Conygere tree
Mike Hughes reported that following the solicitor's letter received on the subject of the tree adjacent to 6 Conygere, the council's solicitor has responding pointing out "the error of their ways". No response had been received as of yet, he said.

Fly the flag
The existing flagpole on the front of the Olney Centre is no longer serviceable and needs to be repaired or replaced. One of the options being considered is to replace it with a new lightweight freestanding pole concreted Into the centre of the garden circular planting area, at a cost of approximately £600. Jeremy Rawlings asked why ii was necessary to have a flagpole at the Olney Centre when there are already two on the Markel Place, but Tony Evans pointed out that they are managed by the British Legion. Tony said that in his opinion ii the centre was to have a flagpole then it was important for the council to 'fly the flag'. Mike Hughes said he would like to see the flag flown on special occasions, such as Veteran's Day and the forthcoming royal wedding. One member suggested that perhaps it should be flown when the Clerk, Gill Edmondson was 'in residence'!

Planning Applications
Olney Town Council is not a planning authority but is consulted about any applications in the parish by Milton Keynes Council. An application has been made for the erection of two 2 bedroom premises at 8 Berrells Court. Steve Clark said that he saw no reason to object to the plans but that there were already issues with the access to Berrells Court from East Street and the council should ask for that to be taken into consideration when MKC consider the application. Deidre Bethune thought It sad that in his pre-application advice the MKC planning officer had found it necessary to comment on the standard of the existing buildings, since the planning authority had passed the plans for their erection in the first place. For information, the officer's actual comment was: "Given a situation where so much has already been given away to developers there is now little left that would amount to a sound basis for discouraging the proposals in this location on conservation grounds. One might argue that the general design or the proposed pair of houses has no discernible regard for context other than aping the general appearance of the existing poorly scaled and detailed terraced dwellings and hence further exacerbating the disintegration of local character, I suppose. As for context, the wider burgage plot form is still respected and some cluttering remnants of ramshackle sheds / garages that are of no discernible interest would be losl • For information, full details of this and all other planning applications can be found at http://publicaccess.millon-keynes.gov. uk/def ault.aspx

Driftway
Last month Rob Ward, Milton Keynes Council Neighbourhood Manager for Environmental Services, attended the council meeting to give an update on the landscaping plans for the banks of Driftway. This ended with Rob saying that the work was to be done 'in weeks' and certainly before the end of April. Tony Evans said he was pleased to report that within days of that meeting the bank surfaces had been scraped and topsoil and seed applied. Tony suggested that the council write to Rob and thank him for his prompt action. However, pressure would need to be maintained to ensure the success of the scheme he said.

Market costs (continued)
As reported last month, the council hires a skip and cleaning service to complete tidying up after the Thursday Market stallholders have left. This costs £322 per week which represents 44% of each stall's weekly rent. As the skip doesn't get particularly full, the Council discussed whether ii and the cleaning service provided were worth continuing with. The discussion resumed this month with Tony Evans explaining that the skip would never be filled to more than half capacity, since it was delivered containing the sweeping machine which drove out at the end of the day to clear up the rubbish. As a result, the Market Place was always left clean and tidy and without this service the obligation would then rest with the stallholders to sweep up. Jeremy Rawlings asked if the stallholders had been asked if they would prefer to keep the skip and cleaner or have a rent reduction. although many felt that they would always opt for a rent reduction regardless of the consequences. Della Cheal asked If the rate charged by the skip supplier was competitive and Mike Hughes said he believed that it was. Tony Evans said he would like representative of the stallholders to attend a meeting with the council, since the council were currently getting very little direct feedback and the proposed stallholders committee had yet to materialise, he said. Eventually it was decided to keep the existing arrangement but review in the event of a price increase by the skip supplier.

Market Place parking
Napier Parking, the company that manages the parking restrictions on the Market Place, had informed the council that changes in legislation meant that the wording of the signage would need to be amended and quoted £1300 for the new signs. Tony Evans said that such legislative changes do not occur overnight and Napier should have known about them when they provided the original signs. He did not see why OTC should have to pay for Napier's mistake. Dave Price said he found it offensive that the new wording specifically stated that the parking restriction also applied to disabled drivers, although others though that it was necessary to provide clarification. There was concern from some members that the council are not gelling value for money from Napier and Mike Hughes wondered If they should investigate other contractors, but pointed out rather tongue in cheek that he was not connected with any such companies (presumably In response to a recent letter In The Phonebox!)

Dave Price
Dave Price announced that he was standing down and handed his formal letter of resignation to the Clerk. For Information, Dave has served on the council for the last 15 years, including four years as Mayor from 1998 to 2002. Mike Hughes thanked Dave for his service to the council and noted that he would be sorely missed, prompting a round of applause from the rest of the members. Dave then donned a leather flying helmet and goggles (he really did! - Mercury) and walked out quietly into the night to begin a new life as an ordinary citizen of Olney, or possibly a poet ......

Next Meeting - Monday 9th May
The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 9th May in the Council Chamber In the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate. Olney Town Council Annual Town Meeting will take place on Thursday 28th April 2011 at 7.30pm In the Olney Centre.

April 28th 2011 - Olney Town Meeting

Olney Town Meeting report for May 2012

The Meeting
The Town Meeting is held yearly and is a chance for the public to learn what the local Police. Olney Town Council and local groups and charities have been doing. Members of the public are welcome to attend and free to ask questions.

Chairman's report
Mike Hughes started the meeting with his report. He praised the various events and organisations in the Town mentioning, amongst many, the Cherry Fair, Raft Race, Motorama, the Scouts and the Sports Clubs. He felt that the organisations and the volunteers behind them added greatly to Olney's sense of community. Noting that Olney had won the Best Kept Town award, he thanked both the ground staff and those tending their private gardens. He also explained that Olney Town Council (OTC) had purchased seven acres of land, adjacent to the current sports fields and the allotments, with the aim of using it for recreational and sports use. This would take a few years to achieve due to the surface preparation required. In future years, he said, it also raises the possible return of the Fireworks Night bonfire.

Environmental Services
Rob Ward, Milton Keynes Council (MKC) Neighbourhood Manager for Environmental Services. gave a brief summary of the Rural Neighbourhood Management team's work. It covers the entire rural area of Milton Keynes Borough, two thirds or its geographical area but with a minority of its population. It's the first point of contact for issues such as potholes, bins not being emptied and landscaping issues. When reporting a problem, ring the Environmental Services Helpline on 01908 252570 or surf to www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/street-care

Police report
Chris Ward gave the Police report. He explained that antisocial behaviour in Olney had declined generally, there'd been increasing numbers attending the Youth Centre and Officers had given talks both there and at local Schools. The 'highlights' of the crime figures for Olney between April last year and February this year were: 38 violent offences, 2 sexual offences, 8 burglaries, 11 crimes related to vehicles, 5 thefts of pedal cycles, 22 shoplifting offences, 59 theft offences, 57 incidents or criminal damage and 6 drug offences. Overall there were 203 offences, a 28.5% reduction over the same period the year before.

Recreations and Services Committee
Committee Chair Tony Evans gave this report. He started by noting that, although the changes made each year by OTC may seem small, the difference made over the approximately 25 years he's been Chair of this committee had been astonishing. This year, changes had included the new play equipment on the Recreation Ground and the new Tennis Court. Dog fouling continues to be a major issue, and Tony stressed the need to persuade dog owners to pick up their mess. He also gave a little more detail on the planned use of the newly purchased land adjacent to the current sports fields and the allotments. Over the next two to three years, it would be prepared as an area suitable for recreation - not necessarily a formal pitch area. He felt it might be used by Junior sides at the weekends and for kick-abouts, but hoped not to see permanent posts erected there. Take-up of the allotments continues to be very high and, due to vandalism, new gates and fences have been erected near their entrance. Tony thanked Rob Ward for picking up the issue of the Driftway verges and sorting it out. Six inches of topsoil have since been laid and seeded with grass although, unluckily, there'd been hardly any rain since. The Market Place had seen the addition of two new noticeboards and lour new bins, and Tony felt the parking scheme there continued to work very well. He concluded by thanking the groundsmen Ian and Richard, Reg Webster for his work on the Cemetery grounds, and Gill and Sandra, the Town and Deputy Town Clerks, for their hard work over the year.

Planning Liaison Committee
Steve Clark started by explaining that Olney Town Council can only advise on planning applications, this advice being passed to Milton Keynes Council which then makes the decisions. It had been a quiet year due to current economic conditions and the remaining parcels of land suitable for development running out. He noted that the landlocked area between the end of Moores Hill and Dinglederry had attracted various planning applications over the years. OTC had consistently opposed them, but ii now seemed likely that MKC may leave the way open for development by selling off some land and releasing a restrictive covenant. The details are beyond the scope of this report but are well worth a read so, for a comprehensive description, surf to stephenclark.mycouncillor.org.uk/2011/01/13/moores-hill-development. Either way, Steve concluded by saying that, until a new planning application had been received, there was nothing concrete for OTC to discuss.

Finance Committee
Deidre Bethune presented a very brief report noting that, again, there'd been no precept raise this year and that the 'Sydney Dix' fund would shortly be renamed the 'Olney Town Council Community Fund'. Its purpose, described by the new name. remains unchanged. From the handout, the following figures are for the year ended 31st March 2011, with the bracketed figures being for the year before. Total income was £272,000 (£.277,000) and total expenditure £442,000 (£300,000), resulting in an excess of expenditure over income of £169,000 (£23,000). Cash reserves are £363,000 (£526,000). The main difference between this year and last ls the expenditure on land capital of £125,000 (£0), this presumably being related to the purchase of land adjacent to the sports fields.

Olney Centre Management Committee
Alan Richardson gave this report, saying that the Centre was vibrant and well used. He explained wryly that, in line with the latest safety regulations, door furniture such as handles and crash bars had been replaced, finally making the doors safe after 137 years of continuous use! New presentation boards, projection screens and a flagpole had been purchased. He concluded by thanking Peter the caretaker, Rob the early morning cleaner and Gill and Sandra.

Local Groups
The Cowper and Museum report was very brief, noting that attendance had been higher than last year and thanking OTC for its support. From the handout, admission income was up 2.7% on last year and a surplus of income over expenditure of £800 was made, compared with a deficit of £3200 last year. The Ann Hopkins Smith Almshouse Charity had seen two properties become vacant, both now taken by new residents. All houses are occupied but a waiting list is maintained. Any elderly Lady with strong Olney connections can apply for an Almshouse by writing to Tony Evans at Olney Park Farm, Yardley Road, Olney. The British School Charity awards grants to people in Olney aged under 25 engaging in further education beyond A Level or in occupational training. The ongoing very low interest rates mean that, while It used to rely on an annual income in excess of £3,000, current income is less than £400. This makes the Charity effectively dormant. John Ferris gave a report on the Newport Pagnell and Olney Lions Club. The Club has around 16 members and has raised just over £14,000 and donated £10,000 during the year, the remaining £4,000 being in reserves. All money donated goes to good causes, administration costs being borne instead by club members. Just over half the donations were local, and included ones to the Brooklands Centre in Newport Pagnell and Willen Hospice. Neill Elliot reported on The Olney Group (TOG). It had been a successful year, with the Duck and Raft Races being well attended (bar the World Cup) and Fireworks Night going exceptionally well. Mainly as a result of the latter, the total income was £9,000 and there was a surplus of income over expenditure of £2,400. TOG also donated £500 to OTC in part recompense for the loss Incurred three years ago when Fireworks Night was hit by exceptionally wet weather. This year's Raft Race will include entertainment from Olney's Got Balls and the MK Friends of the Caribbean.

May 2011

June 2011

Olney Council report for August 2011

Public participation
No members of the public present (Mercury plus one!) wished to speak at this month's meeting.

Co-option of members
A vacancy had arisen following the recent resignation of Nigel Birrell and there being no request for an election from the requisite number of the electorate, it fell to the council members present to fill the vacancy by co-option. The two candidates were invited to give a short address to the council to summarise their CVs. First to speak was David Rumens, who was standing again following his failure to be coopted to fill one of two vacancies at last month's meeting. David was first elected to OTC in 2008 and served for two years before having to resign due to ill health. Now that his health issues had been resolved David said he would welcome the opportunity of serving the town again as a member of the council. His experience in local government dates back to 1979 when he was elected to South Beds District Council and he has held many positions since. During his last stint on OTC he represented the council at many meetings with Milton Keynes Council (MKC) as he has a keen interest in resolving the enduring problem of high traffic volumes through Olney. He was also instrumental in the battle to keep Olney as a single ward, against the wishes of MKC who wanted to split it into three. He is currently a member of the Neighbourhood Action Group and is proud of his reputation as a 'campaigning councillor', he said. The second candidate to speak was Tony Summerscales, a civil engineer in the water industry. Although he admitted he had no experience in local government he said that he had a young son and wanted him to grow up in a safe community and he was putting himself forward so that he could get involved in maintaining the town and its community for the enjoyment of the next generation. A secret ballot then took place with Tony Summerscales receiving the most votes and he was duly elected. Steve Clark thanked David Rumens for his interest. David left the meeting at this point.

Flood Risk Management
Bruce Stewart, Senior Planning Officer - Strategic Flood Risk Management for Milton Keynes Council was present to explain his role, which he has been in since March 2011, and the implications of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 which is gradually being implemented nationally. The current framework was largely established in the 1930s and 40s, he said and, although some updating had taken place, it did not comply with EU legislation and guidance. The new act meant that MKC as the Local Authority were obliged to take over certain flood responsibilities from the Environment Agency (EA) and Dept. for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). MKC has set up a parent Cabinet-led management group and three officer lead working subgroups comprising Strategic Flood Planning, Flood Prevention and Flooding Emergency Response. The principle shortcomings identified thus far are a lack of in-house water, drainage and flood expertise and a shortage of available funding to address problems in those areas. It isMKC's intention to form closer relationships with Parish and Town Councils who may be able to assist in providing information on local water and flood risk management issues, said Bruce. Mayor Steve Clark said that councils were frustrated that developers were allowed to put in planning applications for floodplains and Bruce replied that any applications with flood implications would now be submitted to him.

Localism Bill
The Localism was introduced to Parliament in December 2010 and seeks to shift much of the decision making of central government to local authorities. Part of the bill deals with the right of communities to submit an 'expression of interest' to the local authority to provide or assist in providing a relevant service on behalf of that authority and that could lead to a transfer of assets from the authority. Steve Clark said that OTC already manages many of its own assets but the bill would widen the scope when it became law. MKC might come under pressure to dispose of some of its local assets such as car parks, the Olney Centre and Emberton Park, he said. In the event of the latter it was unlikely that Emberton Parish Council would be able to afford to manage the park but OTC could consider a joint venture, he suggested. MKC will be running a series of workshops during August and OTC will send representatives with a view to forming a sub-committee. This will doubtless be the subject of discussion at future meeting since in Steve's view it is a massive subject at which OTC should "nibble gently".

Recreation ground sewage pipe (continued)
As reported last month the sewage pipe connecting the four sports club houses to the main in East Street has collapsed, which is why there is regularly an overflow when functions take place at the clubs, necessitating rodding by the council staff. Alan Richardson said that since the last council meeting he had had two meetings with Anglian Water and they had confirmed that from October 1 st 2011 the section of pipe which had collapsed would become the responsibility of Anglian Water under the new proposal to adopt private sewers and lateral drains. Although any work that Anglian Water deemed necessary would be done free of charge the replacement would not happen immediately, he said. The first time a blockage was reported Anglian Water would attend and rod the drain to unblock it. If it then became a regular occurrence then the gang would report it with a recommendation to consider replacement work. Eventually it would get replaced, he said. Deidre Bethune asked if the council would now reconsider the refurbishment of the Market Place toilets now that this particular problem would be resolved at nil cost to the council.

Big Olney Food Festival (BOFF)
Deidre Bethune reported that this hugely popular event would take place for the third year running on Saturday September 12th. Last year's event had made a slight loss, she said, and since then the membership of the Chamber of Trade had reduced. In view of these facts she asked if the council would consider underwriting the event in case of financial loss, as they do for the Firework Night run by TOG (The Olney Group). A figure of £1200 was suggested. Ron Bull said that the Fireworks organisers had only found ii necessary to call on the underwriting once in the 20 year history and he was concerned that BOFF might regularly make a loss. Deidre said that BOFF does not have the funds to absorb the loss themselves. Tony Evans said that he had been a member of the BOFF organising committee for its first two years but felt that there was a big difference between BOFF and the Firework Night, which was organised for the Town. BOFF is a commercial event and stall holders make a profit. Although he agreed that it is a fantastic event he said he felt uncomfortable with the request for underwriting. Should the organisers not be looking to the stallholders themselves to make up any loss, he wondered. Mike Hughes said he felt OTC's role should be to encourage trade and visitors to the town and BOFF should be encouraged so he would not want to be part of any refusal. Eventually the requested for underwriting was agreed by a majority vote.

Stoke Goldington wind turbines application
As reported last month, an application has been received to build 15 wind turbines at Stoke Lodge Farm, Stoke Goldington. Deidre Bethune said in her opinion MKC was in no position to consider this application at present because it does not have a current or adequate policy. Last month Jeremy Rawlings reported that the existing policy had not been updated for some time and MKC had been asked to update it to bring in line with national guidelines. In particular, there was no reference to consideration being given to the proximity of existing installations. There then followed a general discussion about the merits of wind power, in general. Colin Rodden said that he believed sustainable energy is required but wondered if data was available to support it. Deidre said the operating companies refused to publish data about the output of such installations, claiming that it was 'commercially sensitive', so it was impossible to know if they were efficient or not. Jeremy Rawlings said that when there is too much power in the grid it is easier to switch off wind turbines than coal fired power stations so the operators are paid to keep them stationary. Tony Evans said that the incentives to farmers to allow wind farms to be sited on their land were enormous so OTC needed to act quickly if they wanted to stop every farmer around having them. Alan Richardson said that if past experience was anything to go by, once an application was submitted there was nothing that OTC or anyone else could do to stop it. Steve Clark disagreed, saying that the Wind Farm at Petsoe End had been the first application submitted to MKC and that had only been passed by a narrow margin, so it was not a foregone conclusion. Although no formal vote was taken, an informal vote showed that the members were overwhelmingly against the proposal. Full details of the planning application, ref 11/01193/FULEIS can be found at http://publicaccess.milton-keynes.gov.uk/

Odds and sods
The newly acquired field next to the Charity Field has been sprayed and ploughed and needs to be seeded as soon as possible after the end of August. A number of quotes for seeding have been received and the council agreed to a local quote of £1800. At the moment it is just known as 'the new field', so if anyone has a suggestion for a better name please contact the Town Clerk, or send your suggestion to The Phonebox. Mike Hughes said that a resident had reported human excrement at the top of the children's slide on Johnson's Field the previous Friday. He had personally attended with cleaning equipment and removed it, but the incident had been repeated the next day. Rosemary Osbourne asked Debbie Brock what was happening about the provision of double yellow lines at the entrance to Chantry Rise, as turning right on to Weston Road was extremely dangerous. Debbie replied that the consultation had recently taken place as part of the process, which was ongoing. Jeremy Rawlings reported that after 24 years of loyal service Cheryl Wilson's position at the Youth Club had been 'outsourced' by MKC. The promised administrator was yet to appear though. Steve Clark reported that as of that day Ousedale School had become an academy. Mercury assumes that The Phonebox's invitation to the celebrations got lost in the post. Tony Evan said that the grass banks on Driftway were a mess and asked that they be strimmed. In fact, all local landscaped areas that are the responsibility of MKC are in a similar state, he said. Steve Clark said that the inaugural concert by the Olney Community Choir at the Parish Church had been incredibly well attended. Also, the inaugural concert of Olney Brass at the Carlton House Club had been a great success, with a specially commissioned piece of music 'The One and Olney' being played for the first time. In recognition of their support OTC had been presented with a framed copy of the music, which would be hung in the Olney Centre. Next Meeting - Monday 5th September The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 5th September in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

July 2011

Olney Council report for August 2011

Public participation
No members of the public present (Mercury plus one!) wished to speak at this month's meeting.

Co-option of members
A vacancy had arisen following the recent resignation of Nigel Birrell and there being no request for an election from the requisite number of the electorate, it fell to the council members present to fill the vacancy by co-option. The two candidates were invited to give a short address to the council to summarise their CVs. First to speak was David Rumens, who was standing again following his failure to be coopted to fill one of two vacancies at last month's meeting. David was first elected to OTC in 2008 and served for two years before having to resign due to ill health. Now that his health issues had been resolved David said he would welcome the opportunity of serving the town again as a member of the council. His experience in local government dates back to 1979 when he was elected to South Beds District Council and he has held many positions since. During his last stint on OTC he represented the council at many meetings with Milton Keynes Council (MKC) as he has a keen interest in resolving the enduring problem of high traffic volumes through Olney. He was also instrumental in the battle to keep Olney as a single ward, against the wishes of MKC who wanted to split it into three. He is currently a member of the Neighbourhood Action Group and is proud of his reputation as a 'campaigning councillor', he said. The second candidate to speak was Tony Summerscales, a civil engineer in the water industry. Although he admitted he had no experience in local government he said that he had a young son and wanted him to grow up in a safe community and he was putting himself forward so that he could get involved in maintaining the town and its community for the enjoyment of the next generation. A secret ballot then took place with Tony Summerscales receiving the most votes and he was duly elected. Steve Clark thanked David Rumens for his interest. David left the meeting at this point.

Flood Risk Management
Bruce Stewart, Senior Planning Officer - Strategic Flood Risk Management for Milton Keynes Council was present to explain his role, which he has been in since March 2011, and the implications of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 which is gradually being implemented nationally. The current framework was largely established in the 1930s and 40s, he said and, although some updating had taken place, it did not comply with EU legislation and guidance. The new act meant that MKC as the Local Authority were obliged to take over certain flood responsibilities from the Environment Agency (EA) and Dept. for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). MKC has set up a parent Cabinet-led management group and three officer lead working subgroups comprising Strategic Flood Planning, Flood Prevention and Flooding Emergency Response. The principle shortcomings identified thus far are a lack of in-house water, drainage and flood expertise and a shortage of available funding to address problems in those areas. It isMKC's intention to form closer relationships with Parish and Town Councils who may be able to assist in providing information on local water and flood risk management issues, said Bruce. Mayor Steve Clark said that councils were frustrated that developers were allowed to put in planning applications for floodplains and Bruce replied that any applications with flood implications would now be submitted to him.

Localism Bill
The Localism was introduced to Parliament in December 2010 and seeks to shift much of the decision making of central government to local authorities. Part of the bill deals with the right of communities to submit an 'expression of interest' to the local authority to provide or assist in providing a relevant service on behalf of that authority and that could lead to a transfer of assets from the authority. Steve Clark said that OTC already manages many of its own assets but the bill would widen the scope when it became law. MKC might come under pressure to dispose of some of its local assets such as car parks, the Olney Centre and Emberton Park, he said. In the event of the latter it was unlikely that Emberton Parish Council would be able to afford to manage the park but OTC could consider a joint venture, he suggested. MKC will be running a series of workshops during August and OTC will send representatives with a view to forming a sub-committee. This will doubtless be the subject of discussion at future meeting since in Steve's view it is a massive subject at which OTC should "nibble gently".

Recreation ground sewage pipe (continued)
As reported last month the sewage pipe connecting the four sports club houses to the main in East Street has collapsed, which is why there is regularly an overflow when functions take place at the clubs, necessitating rodding by the council staff. Alan Richardson said that since the last council meeting he had had two meetings with Anglian Water and they had confirmed that from October 1st 2011 the section of pipe which had collapsed would become the responsibility of Anglian Water under the new proposal to adopt private sewers and lateral drains. Although any work that Anglian Water deemed necessary would be done free of charge the replacement would not happen immediately, he said. The first time a blockage was reported Anglian Water would attend and rod the drain to unblock it. If it then became a regular occurrence then the gang would report it with a recommendation to consider replacement work. Eventually it would get replaced, he said. Deidre Bethune asked if the council would now reconsider the refurbishment of the Market Place toilets now that this particular problem would be resolved at nil cost to the council.

Big Olney Food Festival (BOFF)
Deirdre Bethune reported that this hugely popular event would take place for the third year running on Saturday September 12th. Last year's event had made a slight loss, she said, and since then the membership of the Chamber of Trade had reduced. In view of these facts she asked if the council would consider underwriting the event in case of financial loss, as they do for the Firework Night run by TOG (The Olney Group). A figure of £1200 was suggested. Ron Bull said that the Fireworks organisers had only found ii necessary to call on the underwriting once in the 20 year history and he was concerned that BOFF might regularly make a loss. Deidre said that BOFF does not have the funds to absorb the loss themselves. Tony Evans said that he had been a member of the BOFF organising committee for its first two years but felt that there was a big difference between BOFF and the Firework Night, which was organised for the Town. BOFF is a commercial event and stall holders make a profit. Although he agreed that it is a fantastic event he said he felt uncomfortable with the request for underwriting. Should the organisers not be looking to the stallholders themselves to make up any loss, he wondered. Mike Hughes said he felt OTC's role should be to encourage trade and visitors to the town and BOFF should be encouraged so he would not want to be part of any refusal. Eventually the requested for underwriting was agreed by a majority vote.

Stoke Goldington wind turbines application
As reported last month, an application has been received to build 15 wind turbines at Stoke Lodge Farm, Stoke Goldington. Deidre Bethune said in her opinion MKC was in no position to consider this application at present because it does not have a current or adequate policy. Last month Jeremy Rawlings reported that the existing policy had not been updated for some time and MKC had been asked to update it to bring in line with national guidelines. In particular, there was no reference to consideration being given to the proximity of existing installations. There then followed a general discussion about the merits of wind power, in general. Colin Rodden said that he believed sustainable energy is required but wondered if data was available to support it. Deidre said the operating companies refused to publish data about the output of such installations, claiming that it was 'commercially sensitive', so it was impossible to know if they were efficient or not. Jeremy Rawlings said that when there is too much power in the grid it is easier to switch off wind turbines than coal fired power stations so the operators are paid to keep them stationary. Tony Evans said that the incentives to farmers to allow wind farms to be sited on their land were enormous so OTC needed to act quickly if they wanted to stop every farmer around having them. Alan Richardson said that if past experience was anything to go by, once an application was submitted there was nothing that OTC or anyone else could do to stop it. Steve Clark disagreed, saying that the Wind Farm at Petsoe End had been the first application submitted to MKC and that had only been passed by a narrow margin, so it was not a foregone conclusion. Although no formal vote was taken, an informal vote showed that the members were overwhelmingly against the proposal. Full details of the planning application, ref 11/01193/FULEIS can be found at http://publicaccess.milton-keynes.gov.uk/

Odds and sods
The newly acquired field next to the Charity Field has been sprayed and ploughed and needs to be seeded as soon as possible after the end of August. A number of quotes for seeding have been received and the council agreed to a local quote of £1800. At the moment it is just known as 'the new field', so if anyone has a suggestion for a better name please contact the Town Clerk, or send your suggestion to The Phonebox. Mike Hughes said that a resident had reported human excrement at the top of the children's slide on Johnson's Field the previous Friday. He had personally attended with cleaning equipment and removed it, but the incident had been repeated the next day. Rosemary Osbourne asked Debbie Brock what was happening about the provision of double yellow lines at the entrance to Chantry Rise, as turning right on to Weston Road was extremely dangerous. Debbie replied that the consultation had recently taken place as part of the process, which was ongoing. Jeremy Rawlings reported that after 24 years of loyal service Cheryl Wilson's position at the Youth Club had been 'outsourced' by MKC. The promised administrator was yet to appear though. Steve Clark reported that as of that day Ousedale School had become an academy. Mercury assumes that The Phonebox's invitation to the celebrations got lost in the post. Tony Evan said that the grass banks on Driftway were a mess and asked that they be strimmed. In fact, all local landscaped areas that are the responsibility of MKC are in a similar state, he said. Steve Clark said that the inaugural concert by the Olney Community Choir at the Parish Church had been incredibly well attended. Also, the inaugural concert of Olney Brass at the Carlton House Club had been a great success, with a specially commissioned piece of music 'The One and Olney' being played for the first time. In recognition of their support OTC had been presented with a framed copy of the music, which would be hung in the Olney Centre. Next Meeting - Monday 5th September The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 5th September in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

August 2011

Olney Council report for August.... 2011

Public participation
No members of the public present (Mercury plus one!) wished to speak at this month's meeting.

Co-option of members
A vacancy had arisen following the recent resignation of Nigel Birrell and there being no request for an election from the requisite number of the electorate, it fell to the council members present to fill the vacancy by co-option. The two candidates were invited to give a short address to the council to summarise their CVs. First to speak was David Rumens, who was standing again following his failure to be coopted to fill one of two vacancies at last month's meeting. David was first elected to OTC in 2008 and served for two years before having to resign due to ill health. Now that his health issues had been resolved David said he would welcome the opportunity of serving the town again as a member of the council. His experience in local government dates back to 1979 when he was elected to South Beds District Council and he has held many positions since. During his last stint on OTC he represented the council at many meetings with Milton Keynes Council (MKC) as he has a keen interest in resolving the enduring problem of high traffic volumes through Olney. He was also instrumental in the battle to keep Olney as a single ward, against the wishes of MKC who wanted to split it into three. He is currently a member of the Neighbourhood Action Group and is proud of his reputation as a 'campaigning councillor', he said. The second candidate to speak was Tony Summerscales, a civil engineer in the water industry. Although he admitted he had no experience in local government he said that he had a young son and wanted him to grow up in a safe community and he was putting himself forward so that he could get involved in maintaining the town and its community for the enjoyment of the next generation. A secret ballot then took place with Tony Summerscales receiving the most votes and he was duly elected. Steve Clark thanked David Rumens for his interest. David left the meeting at this point.

Flood Risk Management
Bruce Stewart, Senior Planning Officer - Strategic Flood Risk Management for Milton Keynes Council was present to explain his role, which he has been in since March 2011, and the implications of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 which is gradually being implemented nationally. The current framework was largely established in the 1930s and 40s, he said and, although some updating had taken place, it did not comply with EU legislation and guidance. The new act meant that MKC as the Local Authority were obliged to take over certain flood responsibilities from the Environment Agency (EA) and Dept. for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). MKC has set up a parent Cabinet-led management group and three officer lead working subgroups comprising Strategic Flood Planning, Flood Prevention and Flooding Emergency Response. The principle shortcomings identified thus far are a lack of in-house water, drainage and flood expertise and a shortage of available funding to address problems in those areas. It isMKC's intention to form closer relationships with Parish and Town Councils who may be able to assist in providing information on local water and flood risk management issues, said Bruce. Mayor Steve Clark said that councils were frustrated that developers were allowed to put in planning applications for floodplains and Bruce replied that any applications with flood implications would now be submitted to him.

Localism Bill
The Localism was introduced to Parliament in December 2010 and seeks to shift much of the decision making of central government to local authorities. Part of the bill deals with the right of communities to submit an 'expression of interest' to the local authority to provide or assist in providing a relevant service on behalf of that authority and that could lead to a transfer of assets from the authority. Steve Clark said that OTC already manages many of its own assets but the bill would widen the scope when it became law. MKC might come under pressure to dispose of some of its local assets such as car parks, the Olney Centre and Emberton Park, he said. In the event of the latter it was unlikely that Emberton Parish Council would be able to afford to manage the park but OTC could consider a joint venture, he suggested. MKC will be running a series of workshops during August and OTC will send representatives with a view to forming a sub-committee. This will doubtless be the subject of discussion at future meeting since in Steve's view it is a massive subject at which OTC should "nibble gently".

Recreation ground sewage pipe (continued)
As reported last month the sewage pipe connecting the four sports club houses to the main in East Street has collapsed, which is why there is regularly an overflow when functions take place at the clubs, necessitating rodding by the council staff. Alan Richardson said that since the last council meeting he had had two meetings with Anglian Water and they had confirmed that from October 1 st 2011 the section of pipe which had collapsed would become the responsibility of Anglian Water under the new proposal to adopt private sewers and lateral drains. Although any work that Anglian Water deemed necessary would be done free of charge the replacement would not happen immediately, he said. The first time a blockage was reported Anglian Water would attend and rod the drain to unblock it. If it then became a regular occurrence then the gang would report it with a recommendation to consider replacement work. Eventually it would get replaced, he said. Deidre Bethune asked if the council would now reconsider the refurbishment of the Market Place toilets now that this particular problem would be resolved at nil cost to the council.

Big Olney Food Festival (BOFF)
Deidre Bethune reported that this hugely popular event would take place for the third year running on Saturday September 12th. Last year's event had made a slight loss, she said, and since then the membership of the Chamber of Trade had reduced. In view of these facts she asked if the council would consider underwriting the event in case of financial loss, as they do for the Firework Night run by TOG (The Olney Group). A figure of £1200 was suggested. Ron Bull said that the Fireworks organisers had only found ii necessary to call on the underwriting once in the 20 year history and he was concerned that BOFF might regularly make a loss. Deidre said that BOFF does not have the funds to absorb the loss themselves. Tony Evans said that he had been a member of the BOFF organising committee for its first two years but felt that there was a big difference between BOFF and the Firework Night, which was organised for the Town. BOFF is a commercial event and stall holders make a profit. Although he agreed that it is a fantastic event he said he felt uncomfortable with the request for underwriting. Should the organisers not be looking to the stallholders themselves to make up any loss, he wondered. Mike Hughes said he felt OTC's role should be to encourage trade and visitors to the town and BOFF should be encouraged so he would not want to be part of any refusal. Eventually the requested for underwriting was agreed by a majority vote.

Stoke Goldington wind turbines application
As reported last month, an application has been received to build 15 wind turbines at Stoke Lodge Farm, Stoke Goldington. Deidre Bethune said in her opinion MKC was in no position to consider this application at present because it does not have a current or adequate policy. Last month Jeremy Rawlings reported that the existing policy had not been updated for some time and MKC had been asked to update it to bring in line with national guidelines. In particular, there was no reference to consideration being given to the proximity of existing installations. There then followed a general discussion about the merits of wind power, in general. Colin Rodden said that he believed sustainable energy is required but wondered if data was available to support it. Deidre said the operating companies refused to publish data about the output of such installations, claiming that it was 'commercially sensitive', so it was impossible to know if they were efficient or not. Jeremy Rawlings said that when there is too much power in the grid it is easier to switch off wind turbines than coal fired power stations so the operators are paid to keep them stationary. Tony Evans said that the incentives to farmers to allow wind farms to be sited on their land were enormous so OTC needed to act quickly if they wanted to stop every farmer around having them. Alan Richardson said that if past experience was anything to go by, once an application was submitted there was nothing that OTC or anyone else could do to stop it. Steve Clark disagreed, saying that the Wind Farm at Petsoe End had been the first application submitted to MKC and that had only been passed by a narrow margin, so it was not a foregone conclusion. Although no formal vote was taken, an informal vote showed that the members were overwhelmingly against the proposal. Full details of the planning application, ref 11/01193/FULEIS can be found at http://publicaccess.milton-keynes.gov.uk/

Odds and sods
The newly acquired field next to the Charity Field has been sprayed and ploughed and needs to be seeded as soon as possible after the end of August. A number of quotes for seeding have been received and the council agreed to a local quote of £1800. At the moment it is just known as 'the new field', so if anyone has a suggestion for a better name please contact the Town Clerk, or send your suggestion to The Phonebox. Mike Hughes said that a resident had reported human excrement at the top of the children's slide on Johnson's Field the previous Friday. He had personally attended with cleaning equipment and removed it, but the incident had been repeated the next day. Rosemary Osbourne asked Debbie Brock what was happening about the provision of double yellow lines at the entrance to Chantry Rise, as turning right on to Weston Road was extremely dangerous. Debbie replied that the consultation had recently taken place as part of the process, which was ongoing. Jeremy Rawlings reported that after 24 years of loyal service Cheryl Wilson's position at the Youth Club had been 'outsourced' by MKC. The promised administrator was yet to appear though. Steve Clark reported that as of that day Ousedale School had become an academy. Mercury assumes that The Phonebox's invitation to the celebrations got lost in the post. Tony Evan said that the grass banks on Driftway were a mess and asked that they be strimmed. In fact, all local landscaped areas that are the responsibility of MKC are in a similar state, he said. Steve Clark said that the inaugural concert by the Olney Community Choir at the Parish Church had been incredibly well attended. Also, the inaugural concert of Olney Brass at the Carlton House Club had been a great success, with a specially commissioned piece of music 'The One and Olney' being played for the first time. In recognition of their support OTC had been presented with a framed copy of the music, which would be hung in the Olney Centre. Next Meeting - Monday 5th September The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 5th September in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

Mercury's reports for 2012

January 2012

Olney Council report for Monday 9th January 2012

New Town Clerk
Mayor Steve Clark opened the meeting by wishing all present a happy New Year and welcomed the new Town Clerk, Liam Costello. As reported last month, Liam has seven years' Council experience, previously holding the post of Clerk to Marlborough Town Council.

Public participation
Gerald Wilson The first person to speak was Gerald Wilson of C.T. Wilson and sons who spoke about the issue of parking in the High Street. This was discussed at last month's meeting with comments being made about the fact that the parking spaces are not marked out, leading to some vehicles parking so as to not make the best use of the spaces available. Gerald said that during the winter months it is necessary to park his coal truck outside of his shop sideways on, due to the length of the vehicle. Although this occupies more than one space it does create a layby of sorts, he said, enabling customers who wish to load coal and other heavy purchases into their cars to pull in. In the past there had been discussions about 'A' boards and displays of goods outside of some shops, he said. Whilst agreeing with Milton Keynes Council's (MKC) ban on 'A' boards, he felt Lhat his display added to the aesthetics of the High Street and it was necessary to display goods to show that the shop was open. He reminded the council that 30 years ago, via the Chamber of Trade, he had obtained an agreement with Bucks County Council, forerunner of MKC, to have a display and as far as he was concerned that arrangement still stood. Roger Mann Second to speak was Roger Mann, who also wished to express his opinion about High Street parking and in particular the suggestion made at last month's meeting to realign and mark the spaces so that vehicles would have to reverse in to them and then drive out forwards. He reminded the council that last lime markings had been discussed they had decided that it would not be appropriate in the conservation area. The current alignment enabled drivers to spot a space and indicate, albeit belatedly, and pull in lorwards. If the parked cars were 'slewed' the other way it would not be possible to see a space until the driver was level with, or even past, the space. This would lead to drivers looking out of their passenger windows or rear view mirror, rather than the road ahead, he felt. Assuming the following vehicle had left space for the driver to reverse they would then need to complete the manoeuvre quickly so as not to hold up the traffic. A lot of drivers have considerable trouble with reversing and not particularly the elderly, he said. The danger was that the alignment of the traffic on the opposite side of the road would now present a better view of spaces, so drivers would probably pull across and park front-ways in to a space. When they subsequently backed out they would either have to reverse across both lanes ol traffic or find themselves lacing oncoming traffic. In conclusion he said that anything that improves the parking or traffic situation in the town is to be encouraged, but this would do neither, possibly making the latter worse. Gerald Wilson observed cryptically that his truck was probably the only vehicle parked legally in the High Street, anyway, as he left the meeting!

Olympic Games - Olney Celebration
Tony Evans reported on plans by the Baptist and Parish Churches to hold a combined event on the Recreation Ground to celebrate the opening of the Olympic Games on the evening of Friday July 27th. It would be a celebratory, family friendly, community event by the people of Olney for the people of Olney that reflects the aims of the Olympic Village in terms of its sporting and cultural agenda running from 4:30pm to 11 :30 pm. The council agreed to support the event so long as the sports clubs are in agreement but if significant financial support is required then an approach would need to be made to the council in the proper manner. Finance was a recurring theme during this month's meeting.

Cobbs Garden Surgery - Specialist Nurse for the Elderly
For a number of years the surgery employed an ex-District Nurse funded by Milton Keynes PCT. Last year the PCT withdrew the funding and it looked as though this valuable service would be lost. At the request of Cobbs Garden Patient Participation Group the Olney Town Council (OTC) had agreed to fund the post for a year at a cost of £13,500. Steve Clark noted with some concern that a journalist from BBC Three Counties Radio had recently visited the surgery and interviewed one of the partners who had given the impression that OTC had declined to renew the funding, due to budget constraints. Steve said that no such decision had been made and ii the journalist concerned had bothered to contact the council or visit the offices whilst he/she had been in town then they could have clarified the situation. Mike Hughes suggested that the partner had probably assumed that funding would not be renewed since the original decision had just been to fund it for a year with no obligation to fund on an on-going basis.

Continental Market
Traditional Markets Ltd has applied to hold a continental market In Olney on Sunday 18th March. Debbie Brock recalled that there had been a few complaints from the public about lack of pricing signage on some of the stalls when a similar event was held last year. Mike Hughes said that some of the businesses around the market had complained that they had lost most of their trade that day to the market. The general feeling was that the council would support the event but the ofler of £250 from Traditional Markets was insufficient and £450 should be charged. This was agreed by a majority. After the vote Tony Evans said that he assumed the ban on the selling of hot food would apply, as it did for the Sunday and Thursday markets. Debbie Brock said she thought ii was reasonable to relax this rule for a one-off event but Tony said this would send out the wrong message to the existing market traders and the ban should apply to all such events on the Market Place. Andrew Dooley asked if Tony thought it should also apply to the Big Olney Food Festival (BOFF) in that easel He proposed that the council agreed to the sale of hot food and the vote was carried by a majority.

Localism Act - Council Code of Conduct
Jeremy Rawlings explained the changes that would be necessary for councillors to meet their obligations to promote and maintain high standards of conduct. The key tasks that OTC has to achieve before 31 st March are:

Adopt or amend a Code of Conduct
Adopt or amend a Register of Interests for publication
Set rules (standing orders) for disclosure of interests
Manage standards and ethical governance as part of the wider corporate governance of the Council

MKC have an existing code which meets these requirements and considers that parish councils will have met their obligations ii they adopt MKC's Code, Register and Rules. Jeremy said that the new rules were considerably more stringent than those currently in place and it would be a criminal offence not to declare an interest in matters coming before the council. A number of councillors round the table will be obliged to be much more open in the information they provide regarding properties and land that they own etc, he said.

Finance Committee
The Parish Precept (the amount of Olney residents' Council Tax which goes directly to OTC) has been retalned at the existing rate of £147,610 for the last 6 years. This has been achieved by using a reserve of funds that OTC has built up over the 'good' years and Mercury assumes that it was an effort to ease the burden on Council Tax payers during what, at the time, was thought to be an economically difficult period. However, these reserves have now exhausted and the current financial crisis means that there will actually be a deficit next year. Deidre said that the Finance Committee were proposing that the Precept should now be increased by 10%. Ron Bull suggested that it should be less that 10% so that the rest could be recouped in future years and Andrew Dooley said he would find it hard to support any increase, as the council should be cutting expenditure in the same way as householders are having to. Steve Clark closed down the conversation by saying that since this was the recommendation of the Finance Committee the full council and the full council should only be voting on it and questioning discussing it again. A vote was taken and passed by a majority. Mercury is grateful to Town Clerk, Liam Costello, for providing the following information: The total Precept will rise by 10% from £147,610 to £162,371. However, due to an increase in the Council tax base figure (which is the number of equivalent Band D Households in the parish) the actual increase to households will be 9.30%. This equates to 10p a week for a Band D property.

Odds and sods
A quote of £2602 for the planting of summer bedding plants (red, white and blue) to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee had been received. Colin Rodden suggested that in the light of the previous item that an alternative quote should be obtained. (Perhaps it would only be one third of the cost for a single colour, such as red, mused Mercury.) Tony Evans said that there were considerable cost savings obtained by continuity of the existing contract and any alternative contractor would need to do a considerable amount of pre-work which would be bound to be reflected in the quote. The council voted by a majority to accept the quote. Debbie Brock said that MKC have served notice through the High Court in London to The Planning Inspectorate, Npower and the various Land Owners that they (MKC) have lodged an appeal agalnst the Planning Inspectors Decision to grant permission for the Nun Wood Windfarm . Rosemary Osborne said that the issue of the path which runs between the bottom of Wagstaff Way and the play park and is liable to flooding should have been discussed at a meeting of MKC on 4th January but was missed off the agenda. She has been assured that it will be discussed in the February meeting. Tony Evans said that he thought the banks on Driftway were looking 'better' at the moment but doubted that it would continue. The maintenance by MKC had been erratic last year, he said, and he would like a meeting with Rob Ward, MKC Neighbourhood Manager, to find out what the schedule is for this year. It would be a tragedy if what has been done so far is not maintained, he said. Next Meeting - Monday 6th February The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 6th February in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting. or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

February 2012

Olney Council report for Monday 6th February 2012

Public Participation
Paul Watson The first person to speak was Paul Watson, a former Mayor of Olney. Paul had read in last month's Mercury that the Council had Increased its precept, the part of your Council Tax which goes to Olney Town Council (OTC), by 10%. He'd been astonished by this, given that he believed the Council's reserves to be very healthy. During the six years ended 31st March 2009, he stated that Income and expenditure had been under strict financial control, resulting in increases in the cash and bank reserves every year from £195,000 on 31st March 2003 to £386,000 on 31st March 2009, not including the money provided by Milton Keynes Council (MKC) for planning gain and land purchase. He stated that this financial discipline appeared to have been abandoned and, in each of the years ended 31st March 2010 and 31st March 2011, cash and bank balances had fallen, by in total almost £80,000. Whilst current numbers were only available to the end of December 2011, an extrapolation of those figures to a 12 month period to 31 March 2012 suggested that the same downward spiral was continuing: Even with the 10% Increase in the precept, the Council was staring at an overspend or more than £65,000. Further, he noted that, if the Council had approved the Market Place Toilet renovations, which seemed to be so strongly supported by the Chair of Finance, that would have required a further £38,500, based on OTC's estimates. Paul felt this was in stark contrast to OTC's staff having been on a pay freeze for three years, bar one Government allowance of £250 paid some time ago. He s1ated that OTC's current spending level was profligate, and that it wasn't too late to reduce spending by instructing the Chair of Finance to rescind the budget approved last month, eliminate the precept increase and prepare a budget which balanced income with expenditure. Members of the Public speaking in this slot are allowed a maximum of three minutes and, in this meeting, the limit was enforced vigorously by Steve Clark. So, Paul didn't get to finish his contribution. Later In the meeting, Mike Hughes spoke to express his concern about this, and register his disgust at how harshly Steve had called time on the former Councillor's contribution. He felt It was a disgrace. Steve noted his comment. For information, the minutes of December's Finance Committee meeting show that, of the eight people on the committee, two were absent and, at the vote to set the level of the precept, three voted in favour, one against and two abstained. This proposal was then brought to full Council and finalised. Carole Russell The second person to speak was Carole Russell, asking the Council to continue part• funding a Specialist Nurse for the Elderly at Cobbs Garden Surgery. The Friends of the Surgery had been campaigning to raise funds but, while they'd raised nearly £2,000, this was nowhere near enough to fund the post. Carole felt that the nurse was a lifeline for the elderly in the area and that, particularly with Olney having a higher than average proportion of elderly people, it would be a travesty if the post could no longer be funded. She concluded by saying that the Friends would not give up raising funds in future and that she was sorry to have to tall back on the Council. Terry How The third speaker was Terry How, expressing his concerns about the disposal of the land to the rear of 57 - 59 Moores Hill, a topic also covered later in this meeting. Terry felt that c􀁴rtain individuals had pocketed vast sums of money over the sale or the land. He stated that there'd been no representation from Olney's Ward Councillors, who seemed to know what was going to happen in advance of It happening. He was sure that the disposal of the land could have been handled better - it seemed to him to be a case of collusion al MKC, with Olney's Ward Councillors having something to do with ii. He slated that the situation stunk and asked that, If some individuals have made £200,000 to £300,000, how much would go back to Olney residents? He felt that the correct procedures had not been followed by MKC, who are under investigation by the Ombudsman about the issue. Terry fell strongly that a similar situation should not be allowed to happen again, and that OTC had a duty to make sure it didn't. For information, Olney's Ward Councillors are Debbie Brock, absent from this meeting, and Peter Geary, present and seated in the public viewing area.

Circus
Pinder's Circus is due to visit Olney, with the likely time and place being 7th - 9th May on The Pyghtle. The Council will inform local residents.

Grant Application for Nurse post
Following on from Carole Russell's contribution, this agenda item was for the Council lo decide whether or not to accept a Grant Application for £11,550 which, added to the money raised by the Friends, would fund the Nurse post for another year. Tony Evans and Mike Hughes thought the post was important, were in favour of funding it but nervous that the commitment was open ended. Deidre Bethune S1ated that the Council had budgeted for the funding. Colin Rodden felt that there were certain things that the Council needed to do, but that it mustn't duplicate things that should be done by the Health Authority. The Grant Application went to the vote, with all voting in favour bar one abstention - the Council will fund the position tor another year.

Land to rear of 57 - 59 Moores Hill
First, some background on this long running issue. Over the years, a number of Planning Applications to build houses on the land to the rear of 57 - 59 Moores Hill have been made and rejected. Now, an Application has been accepted by MKC and, contingent on that acceptance, a developer has purchased two thirds of the garden of one of the Council houses in Moores Hill from MKC, which has also granted an easement for access to the site via a thin strip or its land off Dinglederry. In addition, the developer has purchased part of the garden of a nearby privately owned Moores Hill property, a key area which Joins the access strip with the Council house garden area. The purchase of the two areas of garden, the granting of easement for access and of Planning Permission all come together to create an area of land on which houses may be built. There were questions as to whether MKC has handled this process correctly, so a complaint was raised In order to discover what happened. MKC complaint investigations can pass through a number of stages - surf to http://bil.ly/z98jJZ for further information. The main findings of Stage two or the investigation were:

There was no evidence of MKC consulting with OTC or OTC's Ward Councillors about the land disposal;
The land was not advertised for sale in an appropriate publication. This was because MKC's Valuer felt that sale to this developer was the only viable option for achieving a development rate for the land, since this developer had already secured the key area of private garden. The Valuer should have set out the justifications for not advertising the land in writing, but appeared not to have done so.
MKC used independent expertise to value the land at a development rate, and secured a price higher than this valuation.
Summary: "In my opinion, the Council ... disposed or the land in accordance with relevant law and largely in compliance with Council Policy, There were some procedural issues which appear to have been missed but in reality these issues are unlikely to have resulted in any different outcome in the disposal."

Presumably, the investigation had been escalated further, as the Council had received the following letter from MKC: "The outcome of the stage three investigation Into the Council's processes surrounding the disposal of the above property interests concluded that Property Services had not properly administered the processes ln regard to consultation with Town and Parish Councils and their respective Ward Members. Although this maladministration occurred during the time of my predecessor (2010) I should like to apologise for any inconvenience caused to each of you. The protocols put in place ensure that evidence or timely consultation is included as part of the sign-off procedures, such that there Is now no scope for error or omission in the future. Jeremy Rawlings spoke first, having followed the land disposal issue from the start. He felt that Terry How was right - the support given to affected residents had been abysmal. He summarised the letter as saying that, yes, MKC had made a mistake, but that they weren't planning lo do anything much about it. He felt that OTC must make sure the issue gets raised to a higher level. Jeremy stated that the way the land disposal had been handled was wrong, but didn't know how to proceed further. He concluded by saying that the sale of the land was alter an MKC Planning Meeting in which most of the comments were against It yet, when it came to the vote, most Councillors abstained. Mike Hughes asked Steve Clark, as Mayor, for his views and perhaps an undertaking to investigate possible ways to proceed. Steve agreed with Jeremy but, again, lei! it unclear what the Council could do. Tony Evans stated that OTC needed legal advice, MKC having operated Improperly and against its own protocol by not advertising the land sale. He also noted rumours that the land had since been sold on by the original purchasers lor a massive profit. He explained that OTC had said the situation was wrong from the start, that It should seek legal advice and, perhaps, that it should sue MKC. Colin Rodden, a lone voice, questioned the validity of one public body suing another in these money-saving times. He also lelt that Olney had to be allowed to grow - houses had to be built somewhere. Jeremy Rawlings stated that, while one Olney Ward Councillor is related to one of those who'd purchased the land from MKC, there was emphatically no suggestion that either Ward Councillor had done anything wrong. Investigations after the meeting confirmed that the residents have raised the complaint to the Ombudsman and discovered that, while the Council was unable to raise it in this way, it's investigating other options, including whether it could support the residents' complaint. Mercury thanks Jeremy Rawlings and other Councillors who've provided background for this section and helped ensure its accuracy.

Grant Application for Youth Centre
Jeremy Rawlings gave a brief introduction, saying that the Youth Centre was applying for a grant or £1,250, the salary of a professionally qualified Youth Worker for two sessions per month, for the year starting April 2012. The Council funded the post last year and the sessions have proved very popular with around 50-60 children attending. Mike Hughes asked if the Youth Centre had tried to obtain funding elsewhere. Jeremy said that ii hadn't, noting that MKC doesn't fund these sessions tor Under 13s. Mike suggested that perhaps the session entry fee should be increased from 60p to £1.60 per person, thus covering the cost. Tony Evans felt that the Grant Application was very good value for money and that, with some people spending time criticising young people In the area, the Youth Club was doing something positive to help. Deidre Bethune concurred, saying that OTC needed to fund the sessions. A vote was taken and passed with all in favour bar two abstentions - the Council will pay the grant.

Bits 'n' bobs
MKC is running meetings to explain the process of Community Asset Transfer, in which it plans to transfer some of the assets it owns lo more local ownership. Peter Geary spoke briefly from the public gallery to clarify the purpose of these meetings. As Alan Richardson noted and Peter Geary confirmed, the Olney Centre is not one of these assets - it's not MKC's to transfer. Some funds arising from the Petsoe End Wind Farm development are becoming available. with £7,000 assigned to the Olney Parish. This money must be allocated towards schemes "for the promotion, installation and education of renewable energy or energy saving measures" in the Parish. OTC will send a representative to the next meeting of the Community Development Liaison Committee, set up to administer these funds.

Parking
The Council had received a letter from a local business asking that the Market Place Car Park time limit be increased from three to five hours. The Council refused this request for reasons including three hours being long enough, there being longer stay spaces in the town and the cost of changing the signage. In the Cattle Market Car Park, a single parking bay is reserved for turning. However, Mike Hughes noted that it's often heavily encroached on by the vehicle in the next space, thus leaving insufficient angle for vehicles to turn. This results in cars having to back out of the Car Park onto the main road - hardly ideal. MKC has suggested increasing the reserved area to two bays, thus allowing cars to turn more easily. The Council ag.reed with this suggestion.

Olympics event
As reported in earlier Mercury articles, the local Churches are organising an event on 27th July to coincide with the Olympics· Opening Ceremony. Tony Evans noted that this was progressing and that, once the finances had been estimated properly, the organisers must be encouraged to put a proper proposal to OTC. He felt ii would be a fantastic event, if it could be made to work. Next Meeting 5th March The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 5th March in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

March 2012

Olney Council report for March 2012

Public Participation
Terry How The only person to speak at this month's meeting was Terry How, once again speaking about the disposal of the land to the rear of 57-59 Moores Hill. Much of Terry's statement was a reiteration of what he had said at last month's meeting and he noted that while the Ombudsman was now looking into the handling of the matter, none of his questions from last month had been answered. He repeated his assertion that the whole matter ·stinks" and said there appeared to be no transparency from the councillors who should be representing the residents. Mercury assumed that this was directed at the Milton Keynes (MKC) councillors, rather than Olney Town Council (OTC). He said that this was the "thin edge of the wedge for Olney" and, noting that the matter was on the agenda to be discussed when the public and press had been excluded, said that he thought it should be discussed in an open forum. Deidre Bethune asked why It was being discussed in private session and Town Clerk Liam Costello explained that OTC had sought advice from their solicitors which was confidential, at present. Although no discussion normally takes place in the public participation slot, Mayor Steve Clark said that he would allow some discussion to take place, but not regarding the solicitor's advice. It might be possible to communicate this advice to the residents once this had been discussed in the closed session, he said. Jeremy Rawlings said he had spent some lime working with the residents and MKC officers and, while the third and final stage of MKC's complaints procedure had found some shortcomings, it was by and large legal. OTC is not permitted to formally support the residents' complaint to the Ombudsmen, he said. Tony Evans noted rumours that the developer was now looking to buy additional land and build up to six houses. There had been no response to OTC's concerns about drainage, Highways impact in Dinglederry, loss of trees subject to Tree Preservation Orders and overlooking of houses in Moores Hill, he said. Steve Clark said that there were some questions around the procedures adopted for the land sale. When previous planning applications for the land had been submitted the MKC Planning Officers had agreed with OTC's recommendation that It should be rejected. However, this time round an officer had recommended approval and under such circumstance the Planning Committee is obliged to have good reason to ignore the advice of Its own officer in order to overturn this recommendation. Even ii this were to happen an appeal by the developer would usually be successful, he said. Mercury is grateful to Steve Clark for providing the following Information regarding the Solicitors' advice: The gist of the legal advice was that it would be very unwise for the Town Council to contemplate Instigation of a judicial review into the matter as it would prove lo be extremely expensive and risky and would be hard to justify on the basis that MKC had 'generally followed the correct procedure'. Members were all of the opinion that they could not possibly justify spending a massive sum of public money to pursue this case given the very high risk that it could go against Olney Town Council.

Hot food at Thursday and Sunday Markets
In the past OTC has always rejected requests from market traders to sell hot food on the Sunday and Thursday markets, not only because they didn't want to see things like burgers and hot dogs on sale but also in order to protect the interests of the businesses around the Market Place. Following a recent market where one of the traders had apparently ignored this rule, there had been some feedback at the Recreations and Services Committee meeting about how popular the product on sale had been because it was something different that was not regularly available In the area. Tony Evans reported that the Recreations and Services Committee was now recommending that this rule should be rescinded, subject to certain conditions. Deidre Bethune questioned the actual proposal from the R&S meeting, saying that she thought the recommendation from that meeting was to ·consider· rather than to 'allow'. (For information, the minutes of that meeting show that no vote was actually taken). Tony said that any trader wishing to sell hot food would have to apply in advance and comply with strict conditions. Mike Hughes was in favour of the proposal and said if anyone flouted the new conditions they would be ordered to leave immediately. A vote was taken and passed by a majority with two members voting against. As an aside, Town Clerk Liam Costello suggested that sub-committees should be more autonomous and not be obliged to take every decision to the full council in order to get it approved. Mercury understands that this is common practice with many other local councils, such as Newport Pagnell, and would certainly overcome the frustration expressed by councillors in the past that, having fully discussed and agreed a course of action at a sub-committee, it is then discussed again at length by the full council.

Milton Keynes wind turbine policy
The council has been sent a copy of the document Draft Wind Turbines Supplementary Planning Document and Emerging Policy: Wind Turbines Planning Applications for comment, and also a request from the Chair of Castlethorpe Parish Council, Philip Ayles, to support the policy. Philip's letter noted that the existing policy is over 10 years old and was written when turbines were half the height they are today, which is typically 125m (the height of the local turbines at Petsoe End). In fact 200m turbines exist and plans for the first 1000m turbines were recently announced. Much of the policy is around the minimum separation distance between wind farms and housing. The policy is available at www.millon-keynes.gov.uk/wind-turbines and the public are invited to comment, although the consultation period officially ends on 28th March 2012. Unfortunately these documents were sent out in early February and were on the OTC agenda in March but this report will not appear until the end of that month.

Milton Keynes Transport Strategy Review
MKC has written to the council asking for comments on the Transport Strategy Review. The policy is available at www.millon-keynes.gov.uk/transport/ and the public are Invited to comment, although the consultation period is even lighter, officially ending on 23rd March 2012.

Parish Partnership Fund
This fund is granted by MKC to local councils to enable them to apply for funding of up to 50¾ for improvements or facilities which they wish to provide in their local area, and applications are now being invited. Tony Evans noted that the path into the cemetery needed upgrading, while Deidre Bethune suggested improvements to the roadway to the allotments. Mike Hughes suggested the current hedge laying work that is taking place on Crouch's Field (previously known as 'The New Field'). John Boardman noted that some items of play equipment had been removed from the recreation ground for safety reasons, although Steve Clark said that a similar scheme, the Play Area Improvement Scheme existing specifically for such reasons and MKC was also inviting applications for funding under that scheme. It was agreed to get quotes for the suggestions which will presumably be discussed at a future meeting.

Parish Meeting
This has traditionally taken place in April so that in an election year, such as this, the outgoing council are able to present the annual accounts prior to the start of the new council year, although Uam Costello said that this is not actually a formal requirement. The election for the new council will take place on 3rd May so it was decided to hold the Town Meeting on 26th April. Liam questioned whether the closeness of the two events might impinge on the members ability to 'go knocking on doors' but the opinion of some councillors was that if the electorate could actually be bothered to turn up at the meeting then it would save them the trouble! Mercury is usually almost as lonely at the Town Meeting as he is at the monthly OTC meetings, so ii you want the chance to meet your councillors before the election and question them on anything you like, please come along.

Odds and Sods
Tony Evans reported that Crouch's Field is looking good and the council workers have done an excellent Job, particularly with the fencing, The hedge laying is coming along well, also. He invited any councillors (and presumably the public as well) to go along and have a look. Steve Clark reported on the recent meeting of the Emberton Park Liaison Group. There is concern about car movements in the park and the 10 mph speed limit is not well observed. A one way system is being considered, with two way traffic being permitted up to the cafe, he said. The downside of this would mean that access to the Sailing Club would result in a large circuit of the park, though. Consideration is also being given to extending the season for the static caravans, he said. Rosemary Osbourne reported that MKC had now approved the work required to resolve the Issue of the path which runs between the bottom of Wagstaff Way and the play park that is liable to flooding. Work would commence in May and is due to be completed by August. Mike Hughes reported 1hat a recent survey conducted by the Neighbourhood Action Group showed that the main issues concerning the residen1s of Olney were:

1. Traffic congestion 2. Parking 3. Dog fouling

all of which came as a surprise to precisely no one, suspected Mercury. Next Meeting - Monday 2nd April The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 2nd April in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, ii they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides Is appropriate. The Town Meeting will take place on Thursday 26th April and members of the public are invited to attend and question the council on any matters concerning them. Remember. it's your opportunity to make your voice heard and it's no use complaining that you don't know any of the people behind the names on your ballot paper or you don't agree with what your hard earned money is being spent on ii you don't attend.

April 2012

Olney Council report for April 2012

Filled to capacity
The council chamber was filled to capacity by members of the public this month, many eager to speak about the plans to build houses on land to the rear of two houses in Moores Hill or listen to the council debate on the matter. The possibility of two more properties to the rear of a further house has inflamed the situation even further.

Public Participation
Sue Warren The first person to speak was Sue Warren, once again addressing the council on the matter of parking in Oakdown Crescent. Sue said that the situation had worsened as two more nearby residents had recently passed their driving test. She asked Mayor Steve Clarke why he had not responded to a request for action some years ago from MP Mark Lancaster's assistant to himself and Graham Mabbutt when they had been Milton Keynes Council (MKC) ward councillors. (For information, Steve has informed Mercury that neither he nor Graham have any record or recollection of such a request being made). She criticised the council for addressing parking issues elsewhere in the town, quoting the erection of signs to dissuade drivers from parking near Crouch's field, whilst ignoring the plight of the residents of Oakdown Crescent. She criticised the Town Clerk for not following up a letter written in November to Richard Duffill, MKC Traffic and Parking Team Leader, and also Richard himself (who was not present) for not responding to any of her letters or emails, but suspected that the reason for that was her mother giving him a 'hard time' when he had visited to investigate the situation. Finally she criticised MKC Councillor Debbie Brock for not following up a request for information from the Ambulance Service after an incident where an ambulance had not been able to park close to the house of a sick resident. She challenged the councillors to take action and reminded them that it is an election year and there are 20 elderly residents who need their support to have a good end to their life instead of living in a car park. Chris Kitchener Chris Kitchener spoke on behalf of the residents of Dinglederry about the plans to build additional housing using the rear gardens of some houses in Moores Hill with access via Dinglederry. Chris said that a number of applications had been made over the years for two houses, five houses and lastly three bungalows, all of which had been rejected. The latter had been the subject of an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate in Bristol. The residents had been supported by both OTC and MKC in those objections and in July 2002 MKC had placed a preservation order on trees in the gardens. In July 2004 she and her neighbours in Dinglederry had been approached by a firm of property developers with a request to purchase eight metres of their gardens to enable access to the gardens in Moores Hill but had turned down a considerable offer because they loved their existing rural outlook. She concluded by saying that the Government have stated that they want local people to have more say in the development of their localities and asked that they be listened to. Nick Shipton Next to speak on the subject was Nick Shipton. Please note that the following transcription is based on a statement read by Nick and The Phonebox cannot vouch for the accuracy of its content. Nick stated that as a result of the Stage 3 complaint which the residents had raised with MKC, they now had a letter and apology which stated that the sale of the council land and the easement of the 'ransom strip' was not carried out according to policy and process and was unlawful. He said that MKC had admitted that the land was sold illegally to the developer and was now considering compounding the situation by allowing further houses to be built. The original developer had since sold on the gardens on to a builder at a huge profit, he said, but local government law does not allow ex-council land to be sold on undeveloped. He also had a letter from Peter Smettem, Valuer to MKC, which stated that the easement over the council owned strip would be limited to three dwellings and another letter from Richard Jenden, Estates Manager, confirming this to be the case. This commitment should be upheld as promised, he said. The granting of the previous application will have a devastating consequence to many families living in Dinglederry and any further building in the area would ruin other families' home lives, including his own. The developer was not providing valuable services to Olney through the building of social housing, but was merely looking to make money. Due to the family relationship of the original developer to both of Olney's MKC ward councillors (Debbie Brock and husband Peter Geary) the residents will, again, not have the benefit of a ward councillor to support them, he said. With the previous application they were only able to secure the services of a 'proxy' councillor (i.e. a councillor with no interest from another ward) a week before the meeting at which the planning permission was granted. Terry How The last person to speak was Terry How, who had spoken at the two previous meetings. He was highly critical of the two ward councillors, making a number of accusations, and called for them both to resign. In view of the forthcoming MKC elections and libel laws of this country, The Phonebox has decided not to report these accusations.

Easement to rear of 59 Moores Hill
This was the formal agenda item for the council to discuss this matter. The interested members of the public were still present for this item and some attempted to join the debate, but Mayor Steve Clark was strict in imposing the Standing Order which forbids this. Jeremy Rawlings informed the council that an application had been received for a further easement of the MKC owned access strip, as discussed in the public participation section of the meeting. This was not unexpected he said, as previous applications had included development to the rear of 61 Moores Hill. He said the whole thing was steeped in mystique and bad dealings and felt that MKC should be bought to account. He was frustrated that no one at MKC was being brought to account for the original mistakes in the consultation process. Deidre Bethune said that there was no point in objecting as MKC would just ignore the recommendation of OTC. Mike Hughes thought that the Mayor and Town Clerk should make an official and personal representation stating OTC's objection rather than proffering it in a 'limp' way. He felt it was time that OTC was listened to prior to the easement being debated. Background details should be provided pointing out that MKC has admitted previous wrong doing, he said. Town Clerk, Liam Costello, reminded members that MKC had admitted its previous mistakes but has been advised by its solicitors that it had not acted illegally so the only subject currently up for debate was the extension to the easement. Jeremy said that if OTC had a spare £1 00k it could take on MKC and probably win, but unfortunately it didn't. Steve Clark compared the situation with the strategy of a certain major supermarket chain when dealing with objections to planning permissions. Ron Bull suggested harnessing the power of the local media to point out that MKC had broken its own rules and the general consensus was that this was a good idea and should be investigated.

Church Community Festival for Olympics
As reported previously, the combined Baptist and Parish Churches plan to hold an event on the Recreation Ground to celebrate the opening of the Olympic Games on the evening of Friday July 27th. It would be a celebratory, family friendly, community event by the people of Olney for the people of Olney that reflects the aims of the Olympic Vision in terms of its sporting and cultural agenda, running from 4:30pm to 11 :30 pm. The intention is that the event should be selffinancing through proceeds from takings, together with sponsorship and donations from organisations. To that end the organisers have requested a grant of £2056 from OTC and an underwriting sum of £660 to cover the hire of toilets. In view of recent criticism of council spending the council decided not to agree to the grant outright but agreed on a majority vote to underwrite the event to the value of £2,716 to cover the costs of the marquee and toilets. The money will be paid by instalments to cover any costs when they incur, and is to be repaid if the event generates a surplus.

Community Parking Fund
This fund is managed by MKC with the aim of providing additional parking availability in established residential areas and is delivered in partnership with Parish and Town Councils. The maximum award is normally £30k per Parish/T'own Council per year and a maximum of three applications may be made by each Parish, although the Parish is expected to contribute 50% of the costs. Tony Evans reported on two plans, the first to increase the number of spaces in the East Street (Rugby Club) car park and the second to provide a new car park at the East Street end of the Nursery Field (football pitch). At the moment there is a central dividing kerb, with two rows of perpendicular parking either side of it. There is a considerable amount of space between the rows of bays which often results in cars parking in the middle blocking access to and from the marked bays. It is proposed to remove the central kerb, moving the rows towards the pitch with the bays at 45 degrees, which should allow one, or possibly two, rows of additional parking. The second plan involves the creation of a new parking area behind the football pitch at the East Street boundary, to provide an additional 36 spaces. Mercury understands that a six foot high fence will be erected for protection. A vote was taken with a majority voting in favour of making two applications for funding under the scheme. The council is keen to hear views of residents and details of the proposals, including plans, can be viewed at the offices in the Olney Centre during normal offices hours of 9:00am to 4:00pm Monday to Thursday, and 9:00am to 3:00pm on Friday.

Market waste skip
Councillors had noted that little waste is placed in the weekly skip and that the automatic sweeper is no longer used. This is an annual cost to the OTC of £16750. The last meeting of the Rees and Services Committee had recommended that the provision of a skip be discontinued and the market traders asked to clear their pitch at the end of the day and take their rubbish away. Tony Evans reported on a subsequent meeting with the market traders to discuss the issue where Neil Bowditch had managed to obtain a quote for a basic open top skip for £8060 per year. The council voted by a majority to have a six month trial and Debbie Brock thanked Neil for his initiative.

Emptying of dog waste bins
There are currently 39 dog bins in Olney which are emptied on Monday each week, with a second collection on Thursday between the months of April and September (Mercury assumes this is in order to avoid unpleasant odours, rather than the impact of hot weather on the canine metabolism). The current contactor has quoted £2.69 plus VAT per bin for the first empty and £1.34 plus VAT for the second empty for an eight year contract running up to March 2020. The council consider this good value for money and agreed to renew the contract.

Disclosure of Interest
Town Clerk, Liam Costello, provided a summary of a document issued by the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) regarding members' conduct and the registration of and disclosure of their interests, as defined in the Localism Act 2011. The Act provides that every relevant authority in England is under a duty to promote and maintain high standards of conduct by its members and co-opted members and in doing so must adopt a code of conduct. The definition of co-opted member covers noncouncillor members of sub-committees and joint committees who are entitled to vote at meetings. This would include such groups as the Dickens of a Christmas Committee, said Liam. The lack of a declaration of interest is now considered a criminal offence, he said. Mercury noted that the offence carries a potential fine of £5000 and/or disqualification for up to five years.

Odds and Sods
Representatives of OTC will in future be entitled to issue parking tickets themselves for parking violations on the Market Place on days when parking is prohibited, such as market days. The tickets will be enforced by its contractor, Napier Parking. Deidre Bethune said she thought the thick yellow bus stop markers painted by MKC are an eyesore and noted that complaints had been received from members of the public. Alan Richardson noted that parking around The Knoll was becoming a problem and suggested that double yellow lines should be provided. Mike Hughes reported that he would be standing down at the forthcoming elections and thanked the council for an enjoyable time, including his two years as Mayor. Steve Clark thanked him for his valuable contribution. The recent continental market was not judged to be a success. The food was of very poor quality and the whole event was described as scruffy and down at heel. Jeremy Rawlings noted that the German Sausage vendor was a burger van and Tony Evans said that the traders left all of their rubbish at the end. Next Meeting - Monday 14th May The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 14th May in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate. The Town Meeting will take place on Thursday 26th April and members of the public are invited to attend and question the council on any matters concerning them

May 2012

Olney Council report for May 2012

Public Participation
Kevin Osborne The first person to speak was Kevin Osborne, representing lhe Olney and Clifton Reynes Fishing Association. Over 30 years ago, the Association built a set of walkways and small bridges alongside the river between the Mill and Doff's Field in order to improve access for its members. Over time, the riverside walk has become taken for granted by the Public and, while the Association has no problem with nonmembers using the structures, this usage increases wear and tear. As such the Association is asking if they could contribute towards what has become a town facility, either by supplying materials or reducing the Association's rent. Mike Hughes Mike Hughes, who's just stepped down as the Councillor, spoke very briefly to wish the Council and residents of Olney good fortune and a successful year. Samantha Tomlin Samantha Tomlin, of the Olney Chamber of Trade (CoT), had asked the Council for permission for the CoT to use the Market Square on Friday 14th and Saturday 15th September for the Big Olney Food Festival (BOFF). This topic and that of the next speaker were to be discussed later In the meeting. Paul Collins Finally, Paul Collins, a Trustee of the Cowper and Newton Museum, noted that ii was hosting a number of events starting on Sunday 16th September. On that day, the High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire will be starting a Charity horse ride from the North to the South of the County and. with Olney being pretty much at the Northernmost lip, the ride is starting from the Museum.

Elections
This was the first meeting of this year's Council, so ii started with various elections. Steve Clark was re-elected as Mayor with Jeremy Rawlings continuing as his deputy, both posts being uncontested. The committee Chairs stayed as last year although Deidre Bethune, absent this evening, had noted that, If anyone else wished to lake over as Finance Committee Chair, she'd be more than happy for them to do so. The Committee will elect its own Chair at its first meeting.

Storage unit licences
The storage units on the Recreation Ground are rented to The Olney Group (TOG), Olney Rugby Club and Olney Colts Football Club. The licences are due for renewal and, following advice from a Solicitor, they've been tightened up somewhat and, to reduce administration, now have a five year upper limit on their duration.

Big Olney Food Festival
As you may have noticed, the High Sheriff's horse ride will be starting one day after the BOFF. As such, the CoT and the Museum plan to coordinate and, after a brief discussion involving Councillors and, with Standing Orders temporarily suspended to allow it, Samantha and Paul, it seemed like this would work out well. The CoT offered either to have the BOFF Marquees taken down on the Saturday night, leaving the Square free for the ne-xt day, or to leave them up for the Sunday, allowing the Museum to use them with, if desired, some food stalts. This item concluded with the CoT being given permission to use the Market Square for 48 hours from midday Friday 14th September.

Chantry Rise play area
As reported before, the lower footpath in the Chantry Rise play area is liable to flooding. To alleviate this problem, Milton Keynes Council (MKC) has proposed building a boardwalk over much of this path, similar to those in Emberton Par1<. Councillors liked this and, after a short discussion, it was approved. Debbie Brock concluded by thanking the Neighbourhood Action Group for its help pushing this through.

Olney Middle School Car Boot Sale
The Friends of Olney Middle School have asked the Council for permission to use the East Street Car Park to host a Car Boot Sale in the summer to raise funds for the School. Tony Evans started by noting that, while he didn't want to be a killjoy, the Council had always refused requests to use this Car Park for non-parking purposes. Steve Clark asked where people attending the Sale would park. Other possible nearby venues included the area between East Street and the nearby goalposts on the Recreation Ground - that which may in any case soon become a Car Park. After further discussion, a consensus was reached. The Council agreed in principle to support the event, and to hold discussions with the School about precisely where to hold it.

Dickens of a Christmas
Introduced by Alan Richardson, this item was to request a budget increase for Dickens of a Christmas (DoC). In essence, Alan wanted to increase the entertainments budget from £3,000 to £4,000 in order to provide more to see along the High Street - the aim being for the event lo be continuous between the Amaya restaurant and the Market Square. Councillors voted to accept this request - this was a major event which deserved the backing. Peter Geary, while in favour of the increase, noted that it must be round without increasing the overall budget for the current financial year, currently projected to overspend by £65,000. In other words, other things would have to be trimmed to compensate. Liam Costello noted that recent budgets had underspent compared with initial projections. Peter replied that the budget should be redrafted in order to make It realistic.

Sound and lights
Alan Richardson noted that the Olney Centre sound system, around 20 years old, had failed and, with that affecting bookings, the amplifier had been replaced by local company Impact. The Council had budgeted £2,250 this year towards the ongoing replacement of the lamppost-mounted Christmas light curtains with more efficient LED versions. Councillors approved this expenditure and, with some local shops offering to make contributions to the local community, will see if that could make it possible to replace them more quickly. The Jubilee Beacon lighting is being organised by a group of Councillors and one of the TOG members. It will be Iii at 10.1 Spm on 4th June. For more information on the Beacons Which will be lit around the UK, surf to http://bit.ly/Kg6YVX.

Development publicity
Following on from Terry Howe's question at the Town Meeting, Ron Bull asked Liam Costello for the latest information on the Moores Hill development issues. Much as before, Liam replied that the Council was still waiting on MKC for an update and that, while publications had been made aware of the issues, he couldn't force them to publish them.

Long grass
Tony Evans noted that the last lime MKC had cut the grass around Olney was 6th April, with the next cut being due for 18th May, six weeks later. He felt this was totally unacceptable. He concluded by comparing the schedule with those of previous years: Last year there were eight cuts, one every four weeks, while In the year before there were 13. Next Meeting - Monday 11th June The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 11th June in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

June 2012

Olney Council report for June 2012

Public Participation
Sue Warren First to speak was Susan Warren. chasing for progress with the ongoing parking problems in Oakdown Crescent, asking about the outcome of the site meeting held on the 8th May and for any news on a letter concerning the issue sent to Milton Keynes Council (MKC) last November. She also brought some old letters, including one from Newport Pagnell RuralDistrict Council to Weston Road _ residents dated November 1968 which stated that the "tuming space, in Oakdown Crescent, is not to be used for long term parking and your cooperation to ensure this is so, is requested'. Susan concluded by saying that the Oakdown Crescent residents deserve better and that she would not give up. Debbie Brock Debbie Brock responded that the site meeting had been on behalf of MKC officers working on several proposals to improve parking in the area but that the process would take time. Susan claimed that Debbie was not informing people of progress. Debbie concluded thisitem by explaining that there was nothing - to say but. when there was, she'd say it. Barry Edwards Last to speak was Barry Edwards of Dodo Antiques, giving background on road closures he'd requested for consideration in this meeting. In summary, the closures are for the length of road between 2 and 8 Silver End for the daytime of various weekends over the summer for the purpose of charily fundraising antiques fairs.

Bits n Bobs
Tony Evans and Ben Brock were not present, having sent their apologies. Tony had sent a letter explaining that, following recent rainfall, the pitch between the Football Club and East Street was too soft for heavy vehicles and, thus, unsuitable for the fair due lo arrive on Monday 18th June. So, regrettably, his letter recommended that the Council cancel the fair In order to avoid the risk of serious damage lo the ground. Councillors agreed. Debbie Brock noted that the April grass cutting date given In last month's meeting, and reported by Mercury, was incorrect. e correct dale ls in fact 16th - 17th Apnl, ,:ti ten days later than given, meaning that the lime between cuts was shorter than claimed. Councillors briefly discussed then agreed Barry's request for Silver End road closures over the summer.

Moores Hill development - part one
This item was to discuss correspondence from MKC regarding the easement to the land to the rear of Moores Hill from Dinglederry and, having earlier declared personal and prejudicial interests, Debbie Brock and Peter Geary left the meeting. Jeremy Rawlings started the discussion, feeling that the decision, at Peter Geary's request, to split the single agenda item covering the development Into two parts was not ideal because the parts were not separable. He noted that John Bint, the Ward Councillor who'd represented residents' views at the Development Control meeting, had done a good job. After further discussion In which every Councillor who contributed appeared unhappy with the whole issue, bar Steve Clark who took more of a chairman's role, Councillors decided to note their displeasure and to make furtherrepresentations If and when a Planning. Application for the land is received.

Moores HIii development - part two
Having earlier declared only a personal interest in this item, which was to discuss the Ombudsman's Reports, Debbie and Peter retumed to the meeting. As background, there were two Reports. The first responded to a nearby resident's complaint that MKC had failed to properly process a transaction involving the sale of Council owned land and that, as a result, he missed out on the opportunity to bid for the land. The second responded to another nearby resident's complaint that in addition to a similar MKC failing, MKC was at fault for the grant of an easement over the access to that land. He'd also claimed that a survey of Great Crested NeW1s should have been arranged and that incorrect information about Tree Preservation Orders had been presented to the Development Control Committee. The Ombudsman's decision on the first Report was that there was no requirement !or MKC to advertise the land for sale but that rt should have consulted with Olney Town Council alternative (OTC) uses and for its the Ward Councillors about alternative uses for the land, a failing which MKC had acknowledge,cL The Ombudsman felt that the complainant had not suffered significant injustice because, even if his views on alternative uses for the land had been heard, the price obtained by the Council for the land reflected its development value and took into account the easement and, thus, would have exceeded and provided better value than any otter made by the complainant. The decision concluded with the Ombudsman saying that he needn't be further involved with the complaint. The decision on the second Report was broadly similar, though also noting that MKC had behaved correctly regarding the ecological points. This decision concluded with the Ombudsman discontinuing his office's involvement in the complaint. Back to the meeting, Jeremy Rawlings felt that, once again, the Reports had indicated errors in MKC's handling of the land sale but that the Ombudsman had ignored them. Peter Geary felt differently and, starting with "I wasn't going to say anything but...", gave his views. He felt that OTC had received a one sided recollection of what had taken place. The facts were that the Ombudsman had identified some failings, for which MKC had apologised, but concluded that these _failings had not changed the overall outcome. Pet r felt there'd been one main failing - that 􀂡neither OTC nor them as Ward Councillors had been notified - but that much debate had taken place in OTC and in the town. However, the Obmudsman's Reports were from an independent, unbiased body with no axe to grind. He concluded by noting a concern that, with OTC having taken legal advice in this case due lo requests from concerned residents, a precedent could have been set for how it handles similar requests in future. Andrew Dooley pointed out that this planning issue was different from others, as neither Ward Councillor had been allowed to represent the town. People thought they'd been abandoned by OTC and it could not change their views. Peter replied that he'd spent many hours on the phone to Nick Shipton, who'd spoken as a member of the public in April's OTC meeting, but that when it became clear they could no longer take part in the issue, he and Debbie had backed out. Going further, Peter slated that people had not been abandoned: This was a myth and not part of the complaints. In fact, someone had taken on representing residents' views a few days later. He noted that one complainant was an aggrieved developer who'd also wanted to bid for the land. Debbie gave some background, some of which was in answering a post-meeting question from Mercury. She explained that Peter had been due lo speak In a Planning Meeting as a member of the public against the Planning Application. He'd declared a prejudicial interest and so was allowed to do this but would have had to leave before the debate had taken place. However, a day or two before the meeting, MKC received accusations about Debbie's conduct along with a strong view that neither she or Peter should have anything to do with the Application. As a result, they backed away from it apart from, when asked, helping lo arrange an alternative Ward Councillor to represent residents' views. She said that they'd never abandon people in the town, "we just wouldn't", and that the whole episode had been regrettable. She fell that OTC had been manipulated to an extent: One of its members, not present at this mooting, should not have been part of some conversations in this Chamber - not good news. Jeremy Rawlings concluded the discussion, saying that MKC had made an arbitrary decision not to advertise the land on the open market due to it not being possible to use standalone. He felt this had been glossed over.

Code of conduct and declaration of Interests
As regular readers will know, Councillors are obliged to declare ii they have an interest in any items being discussed. Peter Geary explained that not doing so will shortly become a criminal offence. This meant that Councillors must understand what constituted personal and prejudicial interests or else, in theory at least, they could end up appearing before a Court.

Local boundary review
Differences in the rate of population expansion across M1lton Keynes Borough mean that some Ward Councillors now represent many more people than others and, thus, MKC ls performing a Ward boundary review. First of all the Electoral Commission is asklng how m􀃘ny Councillors should sit on MKC. Once it knows this, the ratio of Ward Councillors lo people is known and the resulting Ward boundary positions will then be decided. This raises the possibility of Olney, plus some surrounding villages, being split into two Wards and, thus, each Olney Town Councillor being elected to represent one or the other. Historically, OTC has not believed this to be a good situation, and discussion tonight confirmed this view. As a result, OTC's opinion was that the number of MKC Councillors should be increased to around 67 - 70, thus keeping the ratio of Ward Councillors to people about the same and, it hoped, avoiding Olney being split into two Wards. Mercury thanks Debbie Brock and Peter Geary for providing background on this issue.

East Street car parking
OTC noted in this year's Town Meeting that it's looking to provide additional parking near the sports fields by changing some of the grass area between the westernmost Recreation Ground goalposts and East Street for use as a car park. Details of this proposal have been on display at Olney Town Council but, in summary, a reconfiguration of the existing nearby car park would provide an additional 25 spaces while the additional area would provide a further 36. The MKC Community Parking Fund may help fund this work. liam Costello Introduced the Item noting that there'd been some opposition from local residents and suggesting that, since both parts of the scheme were feasible, OTC could apply for funding for the two, then make firm decisions later on which, if any, to implement. Noting that, in spite of the Council having sent consultation letters to nearby residents, some had first heard of the proposals from the Phone Box, Debbie felt that they were very much hypothetical - they may never happen. She also stated that the devices added to the existing East Street car park to reduce antisocial behaviour mustn't be removed by any changes. Councillors decided to submit formal applications to the Community Parking Fund, listing the reconfiguration of the existing car park as the priority.

Football Club fence
Olney Football Club has informed the Council of plans to erect a perimeter fence around its main pitch on the Recreation Ground. Paul Tough, Chair of the Club, was present and, at various points, standing orders were lilted so he could answer questions. Summarising, Paul explained that the fencing would be low, likely green in colour, and was required to meet new Football Association rules and thus allow the Club to continue to operate. It was not the intention to stop the public, or indeed the fair, from using the area. As such, the plans included two areas where the fencing would slide back to allow access, and that these would be closed just between Friday and Saturday evenings. An additional benefit would be the reduction of dog fouling on match days. Finally, given the earlier discussion on parking, he noted that, if the area between the westernmost goal and East Street did become a car park, it could be possible to have a temporary high net behind the goal, to be erected only on match days, thus avoiding a permanent, and likely less pleasing, high fence there. Councillors voted in favour of the plans, with six voting for, two against and three abstalning.

Bobs 'n' bits
liam said that the Jubilee Beacon lighting had been very successful, and thanked The Olney Group (TOG) and Neill Elliot for helping organise it. He also reported that a new head groundsman has started at the Council. Finally, all Ann Hopkins Smith Alms Houses are currently lull but the waiting list is empty, so any elderly Lady with strong Olney connections can apply for an Almshouse by writing to Tony Evans at Olney Park Farm, Yardley Road, Olney, Bucks. Next Meeting - Monday 2nd July The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 2nd July in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

July 2012

Olney Council report for July 2012

More Public than Members
There were more members of the public than councillors present at the start of this month's meeting, so Mercury was looking forward to an evening of lively debate.

Public Participation
Jim Middleton Five members of the public spoke at this month's meeting. First to speak was Jim Middleton on the subject or the Olney bypass. Jim read from a statement he had submitted to the Milton Keynes Core Strategy examination hearing. Jim said as a resident of Olney he attended the MK South Midlands Panel but was not allowed to say anything at the examination. The point he had made in the written submission was that all the development of urban areas north, south, east and west of Olney was having a hugely detrimental effect on Olney with traffic getting ever worse. Jim said he was ignored, and the panel in fact allowed no transport schemes, other than those in the then government's short term plans. This was a pathetic response from so called professionals to a long term planning exercise, he said, and in his opinion there can be no stronger case for a bypass anywhere in the country than Olney. Jim's full submission can be downloaded from http://www.milton keynes.gov.uk/planning-policy/documents/REP-269971- 3_MiddletonMKlnqdoc1 OlneyBP.pdf Karen Gilbert Next to speak was Karen Gilbert, owner of Beans Cate in the Market Place, on a subject that was obviously of concern to a number of members of the public present, namely the application by Real Estate Advisors Savills, on behalf of Calle Nero, to open a branch in the building previously occupied by Derby House Saddtery. Karen said hers is a small, independent business which would struggle to compete against a large, national chain. The rates in Olney were the highest of the lour locations where she had branches and while Caffe Nero could absorb high business rates, she could not. Elaine Baxendale Elaine Baxendale also spoke against the application. She has been an Olney resident for nine years, she said, and one of the attractions of the town is Its small 'quirky' establishments. Local businesses would be certain to suffer, she feat. and questioned whether Olney needed another big concern. There was a need to consider the environment, she said. The planning application was discussed as an agenda item later in the meeting. Brian Rice Next to speak was Bryan Rice on the continued problems of parking In Oakdown Crescent. Richard Stone Richard Stone, Bar Manager of The Carlton House Club (formerly Olney Working Men's Club) spoke about the proposal to position a bench outside of the club. For Information, this has been the subject of discussions by the council for many years. Many elderly people have complained that there is no where to sit and rest whist making the long walk along the High Street and the council have been looking to find a suitable location for a bench. Richard said that one of the license conditions of the club was that members should leave the club in a quiet and orderly manner. Although the club has a smoking area within the grounds he was concerned that a bench at the front would encourage members who wished to smoke to sit on the bench and also take drinks with them, which would be against the terms of the license. As a previous licensee of The Bull he knew what problems a bench outside would attract, he said. Added to that he and his family lived above the club with bedrooms facing out on to the High Street and they would be bound to suffer disturbed nights, he said. George Horncasltle George Horncastle, Secretary of the club spoke next and said whist he accepted that the bench was for the benefit of elderly members of the community it would be bound to attract other people and the club would be blamed for disorderly behaviour of customers leaving adjacent licensed premises.

Best Kept VIiiage 2012
Although Olney is a town it is eligible for entry to this competition and this year won the Michaelis Cup for small towns. The competition awards are for Best Kept towns/villages, not beautiful villages, and care, cleanliness, maintenance and community effort were what the judges were looking for when they visited in June. There will be a brief presentation ceremony at the Olney Centre on 8th September. Mercury noted, somewhat ironically, that Savills Is one of the sponsors of the competition.

Planning application for Derby House
For information, this building has been empty since the Derby House Saddlery vacated the premises a year ago. It is a building of significant local importance and history, having been the site ol J.W. and E. Sowman which was established as an ironmongers in 1888 and went on to become a large emporium, finally being sold to Burgess' In 1962. Burgess' left the town in 1984. Real Estate Advisors Savllls have lodged two planning applications with respect to the premises. The first is to convert the upper floor into four two bedroom residential apartments. The second is for a change of use from a shop (use Class A 1) to a cafe (mixed A1/A3) for occvpation by a branch of Calle Nero. In the Planning Statement Savills referred back to similar change of use applications which had been granted in Olney over the last 12 years. They also listed a number of natJonal appeal decisions which had established the justification for change to mixed A 1 /A3, which some councillors found somewhat intimidating. MKC ward councillor Peter Geary reminded the members that objections could only be made on planning grounds rather than the impact it would have on local businesses. However, the council might decide that there are already enough similar businesses nearby and any more would change the character of the town, in which case an objection might be justified. Multi-national companies like Savills and Caffe Nero have huge financial resources to appeal against any rejections he said, pointing out Tesco had successfully taken over two shops in the town. Mayor Steve Clark felt that Caffe Nero could not be regarded as a quality outlet and would not increase footfall in the town. He said it was regrettable that Derby House had closed the branch, since he knew of customers who travelled over 100 miles to shop there. Jeremy Rawlings thought it most unlikely that anyone would travel 100 mile to visit Caffe Nero, although he pointed out that if the application was rejected the building could be empty for many years. Peter Geary suggested that the council should support the application for the flats since it would reduce the size of the shop and make it more marketable. He also reminded councillors that if Gaffe Nero were so minded they could buy up one of the existing coffee shops in the town and would not need to apply for a change of use. Colin Rodden was concerned that the plans did not allow for sufficient car parking for the cafe and flats. Debbie Brock said that it was important that the Integrity of the front and rear of the building Is maintained so the proposed UPVC windows were not appropriate. Alan Richardson noted that the plans Included retlling of the entrance but pointed out the existing tiling is of historical importance.

Electoral Review of MIiton Keynes
Mercury is grateful to MKC ward councillor Peter Geary for providing the background to this issue. The Local Government Boundary Commission for England has undertaken discussions with MKC and consulted publicly on council size and has decided that the number of councillor should be increased to 57, from the current 51. Each councillor will cover 3,300 residents as opposed to 3,000 at present. What now has to be decided is the way the wards in Milton Keynes are constructed. The starting point is 19 wards, each represented by three councillors. In most of urban MK this is fine but in the rural areas this leaves very large geographical areas with many individual communities requiring individual attention from their councillors in attending parish council meetings etc. For example a merged Sherington and Olney ward would comprise around 18 parishes. With this in mind the two councillors. The boundary commission says that if a parish is split then it must be warded. Two years ago OTC campaigned against proposals by MKC to impose warding but these proposals mean that parish would be warded by stealth. Both the Sherington Ward and the Olney Ward currently have the correct representation for the new ratio of 3,300 electors per councillor so little change would be necessary and maintaining the status quo may well mean that better representation could be given to the areas. If, however, the areas are to be merged it would be better to have one three-councillor ward as opposed to single councillor wards which would see Olney Town Council warded. Peter said that in his opinion the two-councillor ward has worked successfully for many years, with the two councillors dividing up responsibility between them. Jeremy Rawlings questioned if this would work across the political spectrum, but Debbie Brock said that she and Steve Clark had managed ok. Steve Clark said that Olney Councillors have always expressed a desire to represent all of the people of the town.

102 Weston Road
The Town Council have received notification from the Housing Revenue Account Strategic Landlord Asset Management Group within MKC that the ground floor flat forming part of the property is to be removed from their housing stock and disposed of. It appears that when the previous occupant left it was no longer fit for habitation and has been empty for the last two years. MKC cannot justify the 'extensive financial investment to bring it up to a suitable standard for future beneficial occupation·. Peter Geary explained that the property has many issues and would cost an enormous amount to repair so the money would be better spent on building another, more easily maintainable property somewhere in Milton Keynes. One of the by• products of the disposal might be a partial solution to the parking problems in Oakdown Crescent since the property has a large front garden, some of which could be retained and used for parking. This would need consultation with the residents, he said.

Odds and Sods
A kebab van has applied to MKC for permission to operate from the old cattle market car park, owned by MKC. The councillors agreed not to support the application on the grounds of there being another establishment nearby catering for the need. Steve Clark said the applicant seemed to be under the impression that MKC had already granted permission and suggested that OTC apply to take over ownership of the car park as a Community Asset Transfer so that they could fully control it. Steve Clark reported that he had attended the Olney 2012 event to mark the start or the London Olympics and it had been a great success. Rosemary Osbourne reported that the boardwalk over the flood plane in Wagstaff Way should have started but had been delayed by the bad weather! It was now expected to be completed by 20th August. Next Meeting - Monday 3rd September The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 3rd September in the Council Chamber In the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate. Official minutes of all meetings and much more information can be accessed via OTC's revamped website at www.olneytowncouncil.gov.uk

August 2012

Olney Council report for August.... 2011

Public participation
No members of the public present (Mercury plus one!) wished to speak at this month's meeting.

Co-option of members
A vacancy had arisen following the recent resignation of Nigel Birrell and there being no request for an election from the requisite number of the electorate, it fell to the council members present to fill the vacancy by co-option. The two candidates were invited to give a short address to the council to summarise their CVs. First to speak was David Rumens, who was standing again following his failure to be coopted to fill one of two vacancies at last month's meeting. David was first elected to OTC in 2008 and served for two years before having to resign due to ill health. Now that his health issues had been resolved David said he would welcome the opportunity of serving the town again as a member of the council. His experience in local government dates back to 1979 when he was elected to South Beds District Council and he has held many positions since. During his last stint on OTC he represented the council at many meetings with Milton Keynes Council (MKC) as he has a keen interest in resolving the enduring problem of high traffic volumes through Olney. He was also instrumental in the battle to keep Olney as a single ward, against the wishes of MKC who wanted to split it into three. He is currently a member of the Neighbourhood Action Group and is proud of his reputation as a 'campaigning councillor', he said. The second candidate to speak was Tony Summerscales, a civil engineer in the water industry. Although he admitted he had no experience in local govennment he said that he had a young son and wanted him to grow up in a safe community and he was putting himself forward so that he could get involved in maintaining the town and its community for the enjoyment of the next generation. A secret ballot then took place with Tony Summerscales receiving the most votes and he was duly elected. Steve Clark thanked David Rumens for his interest. David left the meeting at this point.

Flood Risk Management
Bruce Stewart, Senior Planning Officer - Strategic Flood Risk Management for Milton Keynes Council was present to explain his role, which he has been in since March 2011, and the implications of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 which is gradually being implemented nationally. The current framework was largely established in the 1930s and 40s, he said and, although some updating had taken place, it did not comply with EU legislation and guidance. The new act meant that MKC as the Local Authority were obliged to take over certain flood responsibilities from the Environment Agency (EA) and Dept. for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). MKC has set up a parent Cabinet-led management group and three officer lead working subgroups comprising Strategic Flood Planning, Flood Prevention and Flooding Emergency Response. The principle shortcomings identified thus far are a lack of in-house water, drainage and flood expertise and a shortage of available funding to address problems in those areas. It isMKC's intention to form closer relationships with Parish and Town Councils who may be able to assist in providing information on local water and flood risk management issues, said Bruce. Mayor Steve Clark said that councils were frustrated that developers were allowed to put in planning applications for floodplains and Bruce replied that any applications with flood implications would now be submitted to him.

Localism Bill
The Localism was introduced to Parliament in December 2010 and seeks to shift much of the decision making of central government to local authorities. Part of the bill deals with the right of communities to submit an 'expression of interest' to the local authority to provide or assist in providing a relevant service on behalf of that authority and that could lead to a transfer of assets from the authority. Steve Clark said that OTC already manages many of its own assets but the bill would widen the scope when it became law. MKC might come under pressure to dispose of some of its local assets such as car parks, the Olney Centre and Emberton Park, he said. In the event of the latter it was unlikely that Emberton Parish Council would be able to afford to manage the park but OTC could consider a joint venture, he suggested. MKC will be running a series of workshops during August and OTC will send representatives with a view to forming a sub-committee. This will doubtless be the subject of discussion at future meeting since in Steve's view it is a massive subject at which OTC should "nibble gently".

Recreation ground sewage pipe (continued)
As reported last month the sewage pipe connecting the four sports club houses to the main in East Street has collapsed, which is why there is regularly an overflow when functions take place at the clubs, necessitating rodding by the council staff. Alan Richardson said that since the last council meeting he had had two meetings with Anglian Water and they had confirmed that from October 1 st 2011 the section of pipe which had collapsed would become the responsibility of Anglian Water under the new proposal to adopt private sewers and lateral drains. Although any work that Anglian Water deemed necessary would be done free of charge the replacement would not happen immediately, he said. The first time a blockage was reported Anglian Water would attend and rod the drain to unblock it. If it then became a regular occurrence then the gang would report it with a recommendation to consider replacement work. Eventually it would get replaced, he said. Deidre Bethune asked if the council would now reconsider the refurbishment of the Market Place toilets now that this particular problem would be resolved at nil cost to the council.

Big Olney Food Festival (BOFF)
Deidre Bethune reported that this hugely popular event would take place for the third year running on Saturday September 12th. Last year's event had made a slight loss, she said, and since then the membership of the Chamber of Trade had reduced. In view of these facts she asked if the council would consider underwriting the event in case of financial loss, as they do for the Firework Night run by TOG (The Olney Group). A figure of £1200 was suggested. Ron Bull said that the Fireworks organisers had only found ii necessary to call on the underwriting once in the 20 year history and he was concerned that BOFF might regularly make a loss. Deidre said that BOFF does not have the funds to absorb the loss themselves. Tony Evans said that he had been a member of the BOFF organising committee for its first two years but felt that there was a big difference between BOFF and the Firework Night, which was organised for the Town. BOFF is a commercial event and stall holders make a profit. Although he agreed that it is a fantastic event he said he felt uncomfortable with the request for underwriting. Should the organisers not be looking to the stallholders themselves to make up any loss, he wondered. Mike Hughes said he felt OTC's role should be to encourage trade and visitors to the town and BOFF should be encouraged so he would not want to be part of any refusal. Eventually the requested for underwriting was agreed by a majority vote.

Stoke Goldington wind turbines application
As reported last month, an application has been received to build 15 wind turbines at Stoke Lodge Farm, Stoke Goldington. Deidre Bethune said in her opinion MKC was in no position to consider this application at present because it does not have a current or adequate policy. Last month Jeremy Rawlings reported that the existing policy had not been updated for some time and MKC had been asked to update it to bring in line with national guidelines. In particular, there was no reference to consideration being given to the proximity of existing installations. There then followed a general discussion about the merits of wind power, in general. Colin Rodden said that he believed sustainable energy is required but wondered if data was available to support it. Deidre said the operating companies refused to publish data about the output of such installations, claiming that it was 'commercially sensitive', so it was impossible to know if they were efficient or not. Jeremy Rawlings said that when there is too much power in the grid it is easier to switch off wind turbines than coal fired power stations so the operators are paid to keep them stationary. Tony Evans said that the incentives to farmers to allow wind farms to be sited on their land were enormous so OTC needed to act quickly if they wanted to stop every farmer around having them. Alan Richardson said that if past experience was anything to go by, once an application was submitted there was nothing that OTC or anyone else could do to stop it. Steve Clark disagreed, saying that the Wind Farm at Petsoe End had been the first application submitted to MKC and that had only been passed by a narrow margin, so it was not a foregone conclusion. Although no formal vote was taken, an informal vote showed that the members were overwhelmingly against the proposal. Full details of the planning application, ref 11/01193/FULEIS can be found at http://publicaccess.milton-keynes.gov.uk/

Odds and sods
The newly acquired field next to the Charity Field has been sprayed and ploughed and needs to be seeded as soon as possible after the end of August. A number of quotes for seeding have been received and the council agreed to a local quote of £1800. At the moment it is just known as 'the new field', so if anyone has a suggestion for a better name please contact the Town Clerk, or send your suggestion to The Phonebox. Mike Hughes said that a resident had reported human excrement at the top of the children's slide on Johnson's Field the previous Friday. He had personally attended with cleaning equipment and removed it, but the incident had been repeated the next day. Rosemary Osbourne asked Debbie Brock what was happening about the provision of double yellow lines at the entrance to Chantry Rise, as turning right on to Weston Road was extremely dangerous. Debbie replied that the consultation had recently taken place as part of the process, which was ongoing. Jeremy Rawlings reported that after 24 years of loyal service Cheryl Wilson's position at the Youth Club had been 'outsourced' by MKC. The promised administrator was yet to appear though. Steve Clark reported that as of that day Ousedale School had become an academy. Mercury assumes that The Phonebox's invitation to the celebrations got lost in the post. Tony Evan said that the grass banks on Driftway were a mess and asked that they be strimmed. In fact, all local landscaped areas that are the responsibility of MKC are in a similar state, he said. Steve Clark said that the inaugural concert by the Olney Community Choir at the Parish Church had been incredibly well attended. Also, the inaugural concert of Olney Brass at the Carlton House Club had been a great success, with a specially commissioned piece of music 'The One and Olney' being played for the first time. In recognition of their support OTC had been presented with a framed copy of the music, which would be hung in the Olney Centre. Next Meeting - Monday 5th September The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 5th September in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

September 2012

Olney Council report for September 2012

Public Participation
Simon Barker First up was Simon Barker of Olney Baptist Church, speaking on behalf of all the Churches of Olney. He thanked Olney Town Council (OTC) for its support for the recent Olympics event In the town - the Council had agreed to underwrite the £2,700 cost of the marquee and toilets. He stated that the event had been by the people and for the people of the town, and also thanked the Sports Clubs, The Olney Group, Best Seat In The House, Mike Hughes and others for their contributions towards the day. The event had enjoyed good weather and was well attended, with perhaps 2·3,000 attending through the day. Although its accounts are still provisional, the organisers expect to be able to pay around £1,200 back to OTC, meaning the Council will effectively pay only around £1,500 of the underwriting costs. Leonard Lean Next to speak was Leonard Lean, complete with his own stopwatch to lime the three minutes for which participants in this slot are allowed to speak. As interim coordinator of the Bedford-Olney-Northampton Rail Link Forum, he spoke about its alm to get the track bed of this long closed route restored to full commercial use for both passengers and freight The Forum has been performing a survey of the track bed and believes restoration would be possible. The passenger service would essentially contribute towards a link between Birmingham, Coventry, Luton and Gatwick airports and he envisaged two trains per hour for daytime services. Sue Warren Last up was Sue Warren, on the familiar topic or parking in Oakdown Crescent. A few weeks before, she'd been advised by Richard Duffill, Milton Keynes Council (MKC) Traffic and Parking Team Leader, that he'd appointed a person to carry out a feasibility study on two sites which had the potential to help with the parking issue: 102 Weston Road and the unused garages at the bottom of the Crescent. She felt this represented progress, a feeling reinforced by her receiving an email saying that a parking scheme had been agreed, but then couldn't understand why an auction sign had been erected on the Weston Road site. She concluded by thanking Deirdre Bethune for her previous comments on the Issue, As background, note that last month's Mercury reported that 102 Weston Road was due to be sold, and that one of the by-products of the sale might be a partial solution to the parking problems in Oakdown Crescent since the property has a large front garden, some of which could be retained and used for parking. Debbie Brock Debbie Brock responded briefly to Sue, noting that there was a draft plan containing several options but that it had not yet been approved. She explained that all aspects of any scheme had to be considered - Oakdown Crescent did not exist in isolation - and that, while matters were progressing, a scheme had not yet been confirmed. She also noted that, should Jack's land be sold, the Council would retain part of its garden.

High Street Bench
Following on from a topic aired in last month's Public Participation, the Recreations and Services Committee has recommended that a two-seat bench be placed on the pavement outside the United Reform Church, mainly for the benefit ol the elderly. Councillors discussed this, and decided by a majority that the bench would be installed on a trial basis, with reviews after six and 12 months, to which Its two main opponents - the United Reform Church and the Carlton House Club - would be invited to contribute their views.

East Street Car Park
As reported before, OTC has applied for funding to improve the East Street car park. The applications for both phases of this 50% match funding - £32,500 and £25,000 - have been successful. There was some discussion over whether the dimensions of the proposed additional parking area were adequate, and a small group of Councillors look an action to confirm this. OTC will arrange and advertise a public meeting, likely in October, to explain the proposals.

Rights of Way
Back In 2004, OTC submitted an application to MKC to add a lootpath around the Northern and Eastern edges of Doff's Field, plus one from around the centre of its Northern edge running ,diagonally to Its South Eastern corner. Much later, OTC advised MKC that it wished to remove the diagonal path from the application. The whole matter seems to have progressed slowly, with OTC having just rnceived an email indicating that MKC would shortly be considering the application, and asking OTC to confirm whether it did Indeed wish to remove the diagonal path. After a brief discussion, Councillors agreed that this path should be removed, leaving just that round the two edges.

Bits 'n' bobs
As discussed in June's meeting, funds arising from the Petsoe End Wind Farm would soon become available. Olney now has £7,000 which will be used to install low energy lighting in the Olney Centre and the Market Place toilets. Tony Evans reported that, having had to postpone their residents' Jubilee Lunch in June, the Ann Hopkins Smith trustees held the lunch late in August and it was a great success. Jeremy Rawlings reported that the new Youth Leader is Terry Isles, filling the post vacated by Darren Smith. Ron Bull raised the issue that parking in Spring Lane was sometimes preventing buses from travelling along it as, in one section, particular.

Public Participation
Sue Warren First to speak was Sue Warren, on the regular topic of parking in Oakdown Crescent. Sue said she was pleased that Richard Duffill was present but disappointed that over a year had passed since she flrst made the council aware of the situation and it was still not resolved. She said the wheels of local government obviously turned very slowly but this was of no consolation to the elderly residents who wanted a nice place in which to live, not a car park. She also thanked Deidre Bethune for her efforts in seeking a resolution. Kim Cupper Olney resident Kim Cupper said that he rented two of the garages at the bottom of the crescent and frequently had problems gaining access to them, the problem having worsened in the last few weeks. He pointed out that he pays over £100 per month for the privilege of parking, whereas everyone else parks for free. Phil Gilbert Next to speak was Phil Gilbert of Beans Cale, responding to recent complaints about tables and chairs encroaching on the footway and blocking mobility scooters. The chairs are 0.6m wide and the pavement is 2.5m wide at that point so there should be plenty of room to pass, he said. However, he recognised that customers sometimes moved the furniture and apologised for the Inconvenience this causes. He also spoke on the issue of the application by Real Estate Advisors Savills, on behalf or Caffe Nero, to open a branch in the building previously occupied by Derby House Saddlery. He said he runs six businesses around the country and loved Olney because it is full of smaller, bespoke shops. He felt that people travel from elsewhere in Milton Keynes because Olney is so different. He contrasted Olney with Stamford which is a town of similar size that has allowed the 'mulltiples' to move in. Mayor Steve Clark responded saying that the application for conversion or the top floor into flats had been passed and Peter Geary noted that the request for the change of use for the ground floor was still on-going but he remained hopeful of a satisfactory outcome.

Update from Richard Dufflll on highways Issues
Richard started by apologising to Sue Warren for appearing to be so elusive but explained that his was a small but highly stretched team. He said he had been made aware of the Oakdown Crescent situation a year ago and ward councillors Debbie Brock and Peter Geary had been constantly on his back for a resolution! He had also consulted colleagues in the Housing Department, as the problem stemmed from a lack or parking spaces on Weston Road. He was looking at how the land retained from the sale by MKC of 102 Weston Road might be used, as well as a number of other possibihlles. One option would be to make a few additional spaces available in Oakdown Crescent, itself, and he is considering three different schemes to generate up to eight additional spaces although there is a BT pole which would need moving. Most of the land is not adopted and the garages are In private ownership, he explained. However, none would work without some form of restrictions, i.e. residents' parking permits. since most of the cars currently parked there belong to residents of Weston Road. With regard to the possibility of using the retained land from 102 Weston Road, he said there were issues with the level or the land but none of them are insurmountable. He thought that marked bays could provide parking for eight vehicles but if unmarked could possibly result In a couple more, due to the often discussed 'imaginative parking' techniques adopted elsewhere in the town. The next steps would be lor all of the schemes to start the consultation process, the result of which could see the approved option being completed this rlnancial year. The use of 102 Weston Road might take a little longer, though, depending on opposition from nearby residents. Jeremy Rawlings didn't think just creating a car park would solve the problem which prompted Richard to ask what problem he was being asked to address, as his understanding was that issue is around access for emergency vehicles and parking for residents. John Sharpe asked ii the proceeds from the sale of 102 Weston Road could be used to fund the scheme but Peter Geary said this was not possible as it had to be used for housing. Debbie Brock asked Richard for an update on the remodelling of the junction of Weston Road with High Street South (Halleluiah lamppost). Richard said that the original proposals were being revised to include improvements to the Co-op entrance and to make rt more pedestrian friendly. The revised plans will go to full consultatlon before the end of the year with work starling in the next financial year. Likewise, the original Yardley Road plans are being reVlsed to include well laid out parking spaces and Richard said he would return with the plans within the next two months, prior to consultation.

Crossing point at Bridge Street/High Street South
An email had been received rrom a member of the public pointing out the difficulties of crossing the street with a buggy to get to Emberton Park. Crossing Weston Road by the Co-op means having to negotiate traffic coming from three directions, she said, and the Island near Church Street is not large enough for pedestrians plus buggy so is not sale. An elderly relative had been killed on this stretch of road, she said, and did not want ii to happening again. Richard Dufflll said that the revised scheme would look to address this issue.

East Street parking proposals
Richard Duffill stayed on for this item, saying that anything that lakes place on East Street has an impact on his department. As reported before, OTC has applied for funding to improve the East Street car park. The applications for both phases of this 50% match funding-1:32,500 and 1:25,000 -have been succ,essful. One scheme is to reconfigure the layout of the existing car park at the front of the Rugby Club to create add11lonal spaces. There are currently 121 marked spaces which would increase 132 or 129 plus 2 disabled spaces, depending on the scheme adopted. Ron Bull quest10ned the need for any changes saying that an additional 46 cars had managed to park for a recent sporting event {presumably using the lore mentioned 'imaginative parking' techniques!). Tony Evans said that was precisely why changes were needed, since that had resulted in a number of correctly parked cars being blocked in. The second and more controversial plan is to provide 36 spaces on a new parking area on East Street behind the goal posts of the lootball pitch. There then followed a discussion on whether this was the best location for the new area. It was suggested that perhaps the current grassed area to the north of the Football Club might be better. {Mercury was seen to reooil In horror at this suggesllon, since this is the site for 'Booze on the Ouse', highlight of Olney's social and musical calendar). Fortunately, Tony Evans said that this would not be appropriate since this area ,s used for training and would also present problems for access. Mercury wondered if the perfectly flat grassed area behind the nearby hedge might prove a better location but since at least one member or the Bowls Club was present, decided to keep his own counsel. Tony Evans was keen to emphasise that both schemes were not just for the benefit of the sports clubs but would alleviate some of the parking problems in the town. Jeremy Rawlings disagreed, saying that the sports clubs would be the main benefactors. The proor of this is that the East Street car park is empty for most of the week. Tony replied saying that the council need to educate the public that the car park Is there and available. People do not like to park 'round the back' and walk to the shops but at least having the additional spaces directly on East Street would make them more visible.

Odds 'n' sods
Rosemary Osbourne reported back from the NAG (Neighbourhood Action Group) on the Dog Control Order proposals which had prompted some correspondence to The Phonebox, emphasising that the intention was not to stop people walking dogs but to do It more responsibly. MKC have suggested that OTC might like to take over the running of the Youth Club as part of the Community Asset Transfer Scheme. John Sharpe noted that a number of pathways are becoming overgrown by hedges, particularly by Emberton Park. Peter Geary replied that most of the overgrowing hedges are not owned by MKC and cutting them could set an expectation that MKC would continue to do so, although he admitted that the one by the park is under their ownership. Deidre Bethune said that comments had been made to her about the purple colour scheme adopted by the shop that has replaced 'Aubergine'. Mercury - what do you think? Just because the High Street is a conservation area should MKC planners be able to dictate the colours that owners can paint their properties, or does a splash of colour make it more interesting? Your thoughts are welcome through The Phonebox.

November 2012

Olney Council report for November 2012

Public Participation
Mark Luckin First to speak was Mark Luckin of The Olney Group (TOG). He explained that Fireworks Night was due to be held on Sunday 4th November but, due to heavy rain and the resulting very poor ground conditions, TOG had decided to postpone it until Saturday 10th November - felt to be the best date available while avoiding Remembrance Day. Mark ended with a call for more helpers on the night, as the postponement meant it was proving hard to get marshals and gate people at such short notice. Elaine Herniman Second up was Elaine Herniman from the Olney Allotment Holders Association. She was disappointed that the Council's Recreations and Services Committee had recommended, without consultation, that onsite bonfires be banned. She explained that Royal Horticultural Society guidelines recommended that burning was the best way to dispose of plants affected by blight, club root, etc. Elaine concluded by saying that this had the potential to undermine the relationship between the allotment holders and the Council. Steve Clark Steve Clark spoke briefly at this point to say that, while the issue had indeed been discussed by the Recreations and Services Committee, its decision was to consult first with allotment holders. It hadn't done so yet and so had not recommended anything to full Council.

East Street parking proposals
Tony Evans reported that, as a result of the recent Public Meeting, the Recreations and Services Committee was recommending to full Council that the planned alterations to the existing East Street Car Park should go ahead. Although the total was not yet costed, 50% of it would be paid for by Milton Keynes Council (MKC). However, Tony explained that the Public Meeting found the additional car park area at the top of the Nursery Field adjacent to East Street to be much more controversial, with around half the those attending being in favour and half against. In any case, it would likely need planning permission, so the Committee recommended that Olney Town Council (OTC) seek pre-planning advice from MKC, at a cost of around £200. Councillors all voted in favour the alterations to the existing East Street Car Park bar one against - Ron Bull, who noted that the resulting number of spaces, while greater than that currently marked, was less than that currently achieved in practice. Councillors also voted in favour of seeking pre-planning advice about the additional parking area.

Allotment bonfires
Tony Evans introduced this topic, saying that the Recreations and Services Committee would consult with the allotment holders, as was said in its last meeting. There followed a somewhat arcane discussion on how this information had been passed to the allotment holders. The main point is that they will be consulted.

Hedge laylng
OTC had received a quote for £2,300 to hedge the boundary between the Allotments Field and the newly purchased Crouch's Field. Tony Evans noted that the right time of year to do the job would be between now and the end of February.

Rights of way
As reported in an earlier Mercury, back in January 2004 OTC submitted an application to MKC to add a footpath around the Northern and Eastern edges of Doff's Field, plus one from around the centre of its Northern edge running diagonally to its South Eastern corner. Later, OTC advised MKC that it wished to remove the diagonal path from the application. Continuing apace, it has now been resolved that there is no evidence that the diagonal path across Doff's Field should become a public right of way. The decision on the status of the path around the Northern and Eastern edges of Doffs Field and continuing South along the riverbank to the bridge to Clifton Reynes has been deferred until January 2013, to allow any further evidence to be collected.

Youth Centre
Steve Clark explained that MKC owns the Olney Youth Centre building, and provides a yearly grant towards its running costs. Councillors discussed whether OTC should express an interest in obtaining the building and, it was assumed, the land behind it under the Community Asset Transfer scheme. Peter Geary stated that this could move quite quickly, perhaps being concluded in around six months. A small group of Councillors will be set up to progress this issue.

Traffic Issues
Debbie Brock introduced this item. She'd corresponded with a local resident about traffic issues in the West Street area and noted that, if the Council was minded, it could redirect MKC officers to consider the traffic issues there. At the same time, she acknowledged that it was far from being the only awkward traffic area in the town. This started a wide ranging discussion and, summarising, there were two outcomes. First, the Council would re-assess the Yardley road junction plans, due from MKC shortly. Second, it would consider producing a Neighbourhood Plan, as this would give local people more say over the town's development.

Berrells Court
The extremely poor condition of Berrells Court, off East Street, is causing concern. Councillors passed around pictures of the road and it was clear that things were far from satisfactory, with huge areas of standing water covering much of the surface. Dedire Bethune felt passionately that it was dangerous and a "disgusting tip". She felt the situation had to be sorted out, in spite of difficulties about who owned the land. Other Councillors backed up Deidre in her view. She noted that uncertainty over who owned the land was a problem, and that there was some dependency on a Planning Permission granted nine months ago, and which remained valid for another two years and three months. Peter Geary noted that a condition of this Permission was that the road surface should be brought up to standard, with tarmac and drainage, before construction could start. Liam Costello believed that this condition was effectively stopping the development -presumably due to the expense of improving the road. John Boardman concluded the discussion by suggesting that OTC initiate a meeting of all the interested parties. Councillors agreed with this.

Market Place toilets
Liam Costello Liam Costello reported that work on the toilets was progressing well, and that delivery of the stainless steel furniture was awaited. Tony said it appeared that the hot and cold water sink for the Market traders had been removed from the store room and, as the specification didn't say it should be removed, it needed to be returned.

Traka
Steve Clark had been invited to Traka, www.traka.com, a local business, in celebration of it being awarded its third Queen's Award for Enterprise. He'd most enjoyed the day, feeling the tour was "stunning". As background, he explained that the company had been founded in 1995 with four people, and had now grown to around 100.

Odds and sods

Next Meeting - Monday 3rd December The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 3rd December In the Council Chamber In the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

December 2012

Olney Council report for December 2012

Public Participation
Peter Gage First to speak was Peter Gage on the subject of dog fouling. Peter said he attended a recent Neighbourhood Action Group (NAG) meeting in order to dispel some of the myths around the issue. The NAG was claiming that a recent survey had shown this to be the biggest concern in the minds of the people of Olney, but this was ʻnonsenseʼ, he said. The survey had only interviewed 80 people, which is around 1.6% of the population. An inspection of the recreation ground by enforcement officers from Milton Keynes Council (MKC) had concluded that it was as clean as anywhere in Milton Keynes. Peter said that he regularly refereed football matches for Olney Town Colts and had personally only experienced one occurrence of dog fouling on the pitch, but he did concede that it was more of a problem on the main pitch in front of the Football Club. He did not think that a Dog Control Order (DCO) forcing owners to keep their dogs on a lead would make any difference. This subject was a later item on the meeting agenda. Carol Barrett Next to speak was Berrells Court resident Carol Barrett on the subject of the poor state of the road surface in that area, following the discussion at last monthʼs meeting. She said she had raised the issue a year ago but nothing had happened, apart from the fact that it had actually got worse and one resident had had a fall due to the problem. She reminded the council that planning permission for building had been granted, subject to renovation of the surface, but that could be a long time coming, she felt.

Berrells Court
Although this did not appear to be a formal agenda item this month, it was discussed at last monthʼs meeting so the discussion continued under Matters Arising. Deidre Bethune said the situation was a ʻcrying shameʼ and she fully supported Carol Barrettʼs efforts. John Sharp said that the Land Registry show that Berrells Court has not been adopted as part of the public highway. He had spoken to a number of property owners, some of whom had indicated a willingness to pay for the repairs but, equally, there were those who would not. No formal estimate appears to exist to indicate how much the remedial work would cost but MKC Ward Councillor Peter Geary said that in his opinion one should be obtained in order to ʻmop upʼ any unclaimed grants from MKC. If a simple covering of tarmac was laid it would probably need doing again in two to three years, he said, and thought the best option would be to lay proper drainage and seek adoption by MKC. Deidre Bethune pointed out that the required standards for adoption are very high but agreed that it should be the preferred option. Carol Barrett spoke again, saying that adoption and repair would mainly benefit the developer who would be building and then selling the proposed new property and she, personally, would be happy for remedial work short of adoption.

Dog fouling on recreation ground
Following the recent inspection and report by MKC about the issue, Tony Evans said it was news to him that there is NOT a problem! He thought that getting the MKC enforcement officers involved would identify persistent offenders, with possible prosecutions. Jeremy Rawlings wondered that if the ʻprofessionalsʼ said there was no problem and Peter Gage was of the same opinion then perhaps it was not an issue. Deidre Bethune disagreed, saying that even if responsible dog owners picked up their dogsʼ mess it often got ʻsmeared aroundʼ leaving some behind. Jeremy wondered if dog faeces is actually more dangerous than that of the wild animals that would naturally use the field. Mayor Steve Clark said that the problem is Toxocara Canis and Toxocara Cati that is present in dog and cat faeces, respectively. John Sharp suggested that the solution might be to ban dogs altogether from marked out pitches and fines could be imposed for offenders. Peter Geary observed that the enforcement officers cannot be there all of the time and it was no surprise that owners cleared up while they were there observing. He suggested that there could be three distinct areas:

Dogs not allowed
Where dogs are allowed on a lead
Where dogs are allowed to run free

Peter Gage interjected, saying that a DCO was not appropriate, considering that most pitches were only used for two to three hours a week during three or four months of the year. Tony Evans pointed out that the recreation ground is used for other events, such as the highly successful Olympic Opening celebration, when two to three thousand people had sat down on the grass. He described dog fouling as an ʻevil thingʼ. Peter Geary said there would be no point in imposing a DCO if it was not enforced. Deidre Bethune said that unless something is illegal the police would not be interested in enforcing it and Jeremy Rawlings was of the opinion that dog fouling is not actually illegal unless it is on the public highway. John Sharp suggested using the Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) but Peter Geary said that would only be possible if Thames Valley Police agree and the Chief Constableʼs view would no doubt be that PCSOs should concentrate on crime prevention. He recommended that the council press ahead with seeking a DCO otherwise the issue would continue to go ʻround and roundʼ with no resolution. Steve Clark closed the subject by saying that Rob Ward from MKC Environmental Services would be invited to the next meeting of the Recs and Services Committee.
Market Place parking
This issue is frequently discussed at meetings of OTC. The council have always resisted the idea of formally marked out parking spaces because it would reduce the theoretical number of spaces that are available due to ʻimaginativeʼ parking. However, this relies on the first cars that park each day doing so in a manner that allows two rows down the middle. If this does not happen then the number of spaces is considerably reduced for the rest of that day. John Sharp said that the council had previously suggested the marking of a single white line down the centre of the car park to show where cars should park nose to tail. Ron Bull suggested that this should be done on a temporary basis to see if it is adhered to. It was agreed that a small group of councillors will investigate this option.

Farmersʼ Market hot food
As reported previously, the council have agreed to overturn the ban on hot takeaway food being sold at the market and as a result have had a request from a start-up Olney company wishing to sell Paella. Tony Evans suggested that before giving them the go-ahead on a permanent basis they should be invited to have a ʻguest spotʼ so that they can be audited to ensure that they use locally sourced ingredients, where possible. Mercury understands that they use poultry from a local farm, so presumably this wonʼt be an issue.

Model T Ford Rally
A letter had been received from the organisers of this event on Friday June 7th 2013, requesting reserved parking spaces for about 45 cars. Councillors agreed that the obvious place for this would be the Market Place but recognised that closing the Market Place for any length of time could impact trade. The upside could be that it might attract visitors and the exhibitors would possibly eat in the town. John Boardman said that it would only attract visitors if the event was sufficiently well advertised and hoped that the organisers would do so. It was suggested that the market would be closed until 3.00pm and Deidre Bethune would consult the Chamber of Trade.

Booze on the Ouse
A letter had been received from Olney Town Colts informing the council that this popular event would be taking place on Saturday June 29th 2013. This was noted and agreed, but also pointed out that this should have come in as a request because it is held on OTC land. Tony Evans said that he really did not like the title of the event as it sends out completely the wrong message.

Odds and sods
Steve Clark reported that the refurbished toilets on the Market Place were now open, but did not say if he had performed an official opening ceremony. Andrew Dooley has resigned from the council due to work commitments, so a vacancy now exists. The period during which residents can demand a by-election was due to expire at midnight on the day of the meeting so it is assumed that the vacancy will be filled by co-option. Any resident wishing to stand should get in touch with the Town Clerk at the Olney Centre. Rosemary Osbourne asked when the issue of extending the yellow lines at the entrance to Chantry Rise would be resolved and Peter Geary said that the process of consultation is on-going, but he had received a letter asking that the existing lines are NOT extended. John Sharp noted that the overhanging hedges by Emberton Park had still not been cut back by MKC and Peter Geary replied that it was on the list of work to be done but the recent bad weather had caused a back-log.
Next Meeting - Monday 7th January The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 7th January in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.
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Mercury's reports for 2013 and before

January 2013

Mercury report for the Council Meeting of Monday 7th January 2013

Public Participation
Rena Partridge First to speak was Rena Partridge, noting that the street lighting at the north end of West Street is very poor and a danger for pedestrians, and asking if there’d been any progress on improving access arrangements to the Co-op car park. She felt the current access from Weston Road was dangerous, particularly for pedestrians exiting the car park. Steve Clark explained it was a pity that neither Ward Councillor was present, as they’d have the most up to date information for Rena. He commented only on her second point, saying that changes were under consideration but he didn’t know when they’d be made. Bryan Rice Second to speak was Bryan Rice, clearly not happy about the subject of parking in Oakdown Crescent and Weston Road. Noting that the latest round of complaints had been ongoing for around a year, he felt that nothing had been done and that the remit given to the Milton Keynes Council (MKC) Transport representative was ‘inept’. He noted a couple of ways he felt the situation could be resolved, that Councillors should ‘pull their socks up’ and that, if the situation didn’t get resolved, he’d be back the next month, and the next... until it did. Steve Clark explained that neither Highways nor Parking issues were in the power of Olney Town Council (OTC) to solve – they were MKC issues. Ron Bull concluded this item, noting pointedly that there was a vacancy for a new Councillor, should one wish to put themselves forward.

Recreation Ground dog fouling
Rosemary Osborne had met Rob Ward, Neighbourhood Manager at MKC, to discuss various issues related to dog fouling. Namely, to consider whether the Recreation Ground should have a designated area for dog walkers, whether the improved signage has helped, and to discuss the proposed fencing around the football pitch adjacent to East Street. The decisions made in this meeting were to install dog bag dispensers at the main entrances to the Ground, to monitor the impact of the improved signage, to request that the Sports Clubs talk with dog walkers using their pitches and, if appropriate, hand out dog bags to them, and that an article would be produced for the Phonebox to educate people about the effects of dog fouling. Liam Costello noted that the proposed fencing around the main football pitch would make it easier for a dog control order to be applied to that area, but that for private land, such as that on which various rugby pitches are based, a joint scheme would be required. Ben Brock, one of the Rugby Club coaches, noted that the Club may well be in favour of such an approach. Peter Gage, who’d spoken on this topic in the Public Participation section of last month’s meeting and had come to listen to this one, felt that providing information and education to the Ground’s users was an excellent approach.

East Street Car Park
As noted in an earlier Mercury, OTC has sought advice from MKC related to the East Street Car Park extension, prior to it submitting a formal Planning Application. That advice highlighted two areas of concern. First, there are three large trees located to the edge of the proposed additional car parking area. These trees must be retained, implying that protection must be afforded to their roots, meaning that the space immediately around them can’t be used. Second, there must be a six metre over-run area between the football pitch and the additional parking area. This latter area of concern surprised Councillors, in that the Football Club’s Planning Application specifies that the fencing will be only two metres from the Pitch. After some discussions, Councillors decided to wait on the outcome of this Application, due to be considered mid January, then to consider having proper Architect’s plans drawn up for the site, including allowances for the tree roots.

Berrells Court
As reported previously, the Council is trying to facilitate surface improvements to Berrells Court. It’s contacted the landlords of properties on the Court and now has a list of those who’d be interested in collaborating to pay for the improvements. Councillors planned to discuss pricing for these improvements in the confidential items agenda item handled after the public, including Mercury, have left the meeting.

Summer planting
Tony Evans explained that the Council has received the quotation and plans for the summer bedding plants around Olney. Martin, the new Groundsman, is keen to add more of a ‘wow factor’ to the displays by using a wider range of informal plants and, as such, The Knoll and the bed outside the Cemetery Rest Room will trial these ideas. These have resulted in the quotation of £3077 being £480 more than last year. Councillors felt the would bring, and voted unanimously to accept it.

Armed Forces Day
Alan Richardson introduced this item noting that, each June, the Council hosts a buffet meal for war veterans in the Olney Centre. This is much appreciated, but the attendees would like to eat sitting together in one room, and the Olney Centre can’t accommodate this. Alan had talked informally with the Carlton House Club, and it appeared they could host the event in their function room, also providing the food. Councillors liked this, giving their unanimous approval for Alan to pursue this course of action.
Pinders Circus
After a successful visit to the Pyghtle last year, Pinders Circus has asked to visit again, the dates being Thursday 9th to Sunday 12th May. Councillors agreed unanimously to this request, with all bar one voting to keep the daily rate charged to the Circus unchanged this year. Surf to www.pinderscircus.co.uk for more information.

Model T Ford Rally
Councillors voted to allow the Market Square Car Park to be used as part of a Model T Ford Rally on Friday 7th June. All voted in favour bar three against. The benefits cited were that it’d be interesting for people to see, and should bring more people to the town. The drawbacks were the consequent lack of parking in the centre.

Market Place Toilet refurbishment
The toilet refurbishment having been completed, Councillors reviewed the cost breakdown. The main issue was a significant overspend of around £6,000, around a third of the expected total. This was discussed at some length and just the main points are covered here. Tony Evans asked if all the additional amounts had been sanctioned by Mike Hughes, the Clerk of Works appointed by the Council. Liam Costello replied that they had. Jeremy Rawlings felt that some of the overspend, such as that on unforeseen underground sewage work, was reasonable. Overall, there was concern about the issue and, when Rosemary Osborne suggested inviting Mike to a meeting so that Councillors could put their questions to him and he could answer them, it was agreed quickly.

Specialist Nurse for the Elderly
Steve Clark noted that, with OTC having funded a specialist nurse for the elderly for the previous year, Olney finance firm The MPA Group – surf to www.thempagroup. co.uk – have set a great example to other local businesses by taking on the funding of that post.

TOG, PCSOs and torches
Steve reported that during last year’s Fireworks Display, The Olney Group (TOG) was glad to have help from the local Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs). TOG realised that the PCSOs’ torches were considerably less powerful than those used by the event marshals, and asked whether it could purchase brighter ones to replace them. The response was positive, six bright new LED torches were bought, and they’re now in the hands of the PCSOs.

Kitchener Centre
The Kitchener Centre offers day care to older people from Olney and the surrounding villages. Steve Clark outlined a proposal which local GP and ex-Councillor Brian Partridge had discussed with him. Brian was instrumental in the original Kitchener Centre project and, with over a quarter of local people now being over 60, the need for this day care is on the increase. As such, the Kitchener Centre is bursting at the seams and would benefit from additional capacity. Brian had asked Steve if OTC would be involved in a project to raise funds for an extension to the building. This topic will be included on the next meeting’s agenda. Next Meeting - 4th February The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 4th February in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

February 2013

Mercury report for the Council Meeting of Monday 4th February 2013

Public Participation
Isobel Ager-Righinioti The only person wishing to speak at this monthʼs meeting was Isobel Ager-Righinioti. Isobel said that she uses her bike for short journeys around the town in preference to driving a car. One afternoon last July she was riding down West Street and as she drew level with ʻThe Archʼ a car caused her to fall off her bike. She felt that a contributing factor had been the presence of the cobblestones in the road, which she said should not be there on such a narrow street and said she had legal advice confirming this fact. Would it not be better if East Street and West Street were both one-way, she suggested? Deidre Bethune responded, saying that one of the conditions of the planning permission which was granted for the houses served by The Arch was that some form of traffic calming must be provided and the cobbles were not actually part of the highway.

Co-option of new councillor
Following the resignation of Andrew Dooley, a vacancy had arisen on the council and, there being no call from the electorate for an election to fill the post, it fell to the council to fill the post by co-option. Only one candidate had put his name forward for nomination, that being Joe Stacey. Joe was invited by Mayor Steve Clark to give a brief resume of his reasons for wishing to join the council. Joe said he moved to Olney from Suffolk, where he had previously served as a councillor, in July last year and had found it to be a “smashing place”. He had worked for 40 years in the construction industry, he said, and hoped to bring some of this experience in serving on the council. There then followed a short discussion on what was the minimum period of residence before one could become a town councillor, with periods of between one and three years being suggested. Peter Geary said there was no statutory minimum and the council could elect “whoever they wished”. There being no other candidates, Joe was co-opted unopposed and took his seat at the table.

Kitchener Centre
Following the discussion at last monthʼs meeting about a possible extension to the Kitchener Centre, Dr Brian Partridge and centre manager Helena Newbold were present to discuss the proposal. Brian explained that the Kitchener Centre offers day care to older people from Olney and the surrounding villages and, with over a quarter of local people now being over 60, the need for this day care is on the increase. OTC had always been receptive to the needs of the elderly and took up the challenge of getting the centre built when the nearest similar facility was in Newport Pagnell, he said. One of the key roles of the centre was to enable the elderly to continue to live in their own homes rather than go in to residential care but the ability to remain independent becomes less as we grow older. The centre currently provides for 14 people per day between the hours of 10:00 am and 3:00 pm, enabling them to have a hot meal, meet other people and be gently supervised. Helena explained that there are two waiting lists in operation: The first is for people wishing to join the service and there are currently nine on the list with another six in progress. The second list is for people who already use the centre but want additional sessions and this currently stands at 12. Sadly, the only way that people move up the list is when others go in to residential care or pass away. The clientele covers a wide range of ages (more than 30 years) and abilities, with some people in their sixties with dementia attending sessions with those in their nineties. Over such a range it was inevitable that people would have different interests and ideally separate sessions should be available for different age groups, she said. Brian concluded by that he was garnering views as to whether there was a perceived need for further provision for the elderly in Olney and the surrounding area but so far the indication were positive. However, he wanted to be sure that if the centre expanded it would continue to be financially viable, particularly when public finances are being cut back. He did not have time to personally spearhead a fundraising campaign, he said, but thought that perhaps an individual with the right skills and sufficient time might be persuaded to volunteer. Ward Councillor Peter Geary suggested that a Business Case should be prepared and funding sought from MKC. Tony Evans said that since the centre opened in 2000, OTC had supported it and thought there was no question that they would want to be involved but wondered what sort of costs were likely to be involved and would it be just for the building and running costs or staffing as well. OTC could help get the ball rolling but agreed it would need someone to manage the fundraising on a full time basis.

East Street Car Park
As previously reported, OTC has sought advice from MKC related to the East Street Car Park extension, prior to it submitting a formal Planning Application. One of the points that MKC identified was that the Football Club had applied for Planning permission to erect a protective fence around their pitch to comply with league regulations and a condition of that permission being granted would be that there must be a six metre over-run area between the football pitch and the fence, The Football Club was subsequently able to argue that the 6m run off area suggested by planning officers was not actually an element of the league regulations, so the officers eventually agreed not to require this as a condition. Steve Clark said there were still a number of issues around the planned car park and the council recognised that an application for car parking may not be popular, so they intend to conduct a survey to gauge the amount of local support. If the outcome is reasonably positive, they would then apply for planning permission. Tony Evans said that in his opinion the town desperately needs more car parking spaces and was passionate that it should go ahead. Peter Geary was sure that there would be flak from residents and said that he did not want the council to start work on the scheme and then back out. He said he, personally, would not be voting for the scheme because it was too expensive for too few additional spaces. Jeremy Rawlings thought that additional parking was required but only at specific times and would only support the scheme if the additional parking was only available as an overflow on match days. John Sharp disagreed, saying that it was needed seven days a week and would be used. The existing East Street (Rugby Club) car park is too far away and too dark, he said. Eventually a vote was taken on whether to progress with the survey which was narrowly passed by four votes to three, the rest of the members present inexplicably choosing to abstain.

Budget and Precept 2013/2014
The finance committee have recommended an increase of 5.84% to the precept. This is the portion of the council tax which is collected by MKC on behalf of OTC. The Income & Expenditure Budget vs. Actual appeared to show a deficit of £15k, although there seemed some doubt as to whether it was a ʻrealʼ deficit. Peter Geary felt that the budget should balance and said that the council needed a plan to reduce the deficit and balance the budget. MKC is capped in terms of the amount it can increase the council tax and OTC could be the same. Tony Evans felt that they were a good set of figures and easily understandable. The budget was passed by a vote of five to three. Electoral Review of Milton Keynes As previously reported, The Local Government Boundary Commission for England has undertaken discussions with MKC and consulted publicly on council size and has decided that the number of councillor should be increased to 57, from the current 51. Each a councillor will cover 3300 residents as opposed to 3000 at present. The draft proposal as now been published and recommends that Milton Keynes be divided into 19 wards, each represented by three councillors. In most of urban MK this is fine but in the rural areas this leaves very large geographical areas with many individual communities requiring individual attention from their councillors in attending parish council meetings etc. For example a merged Sherington and Olney ward would comprise 17 parishes, which Jeremy Rawlings described as ridiculous. Steve Clark proposed that OTCʼs response to the document should be a request to maintain the status quo such that the current Olney ward continues to be represented by two councillors. The motion was passed by five votes to two, again with a number of abstentions.

Neighbourhood Planning
The council had received a copy of the document ʻQuick Guide to Neighbourhood Plansʼ. Since April 2012 local communities have been able to produce Neighbourhood Plans for their local area, putting in place planning policies for the future development and growth of their neighbourhood. The plan is subject to examination and referendum and then forms part of the Local Development Plan. This statutory status gives Neighbourhood Plans far more weight than parish/community plans, such as the 'Olney for You' document that was produced by members of the community over five years ago. Tony Evans thought that a plan for Olney is a 'must do' as it is an opportunity to influence the planners and wondered if it might be possible to reuse some of the Olney for You output. Peter Geary pointed out that if Olney produced a plan ii must fit in with the existing development framework and could not be used to override MKC plans. If, for example, MKC strategy was to build 400 new homes in the town then a Neighbourhood Plan could not be produced proposing no new housing. Unlike Olney for You it would need to be council led and the effort involved would be massive in comparison. Several such plans were being produced elsewhere in Millon Keynes, he said, and were close to going to referendum. The council agreed to set up a working group of members to investigate the feasibility of producing a plan for Olney.

Superfast Broadband for Olney
Town Clerk Uarn Costello reported that he'd had meetings with MKC about the position of street cabinets that will be required for superfast broadband to be rolled out in Olney. Pete Geary explained that this is being enabled by an alliance between MKC, Bedford Borough and Central Bedfordshire Councils to provide superfast broadband to areas that are not part of BT's commercial deployment plans, as described in the Councillor Comer article in January's Phonebox. MKC has set aside £2.4m and has won a government grant of £ 140k to appoint a contractor to do the work, the contract being due to be let in August or September this year. However, since the meeting this has been overtaken by the recent announcement from BT that Olney is now part of its own commercial deployment some time in 2014. Next Meeting - 4th March The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 4th March In the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides Is appropriate.

March 2013

Mercury report for the Olney Town Council meeting of March 2013

Public Participation
Claire Wood Claire Wood addressed Councillors about the Church Hall on High Street South. The Church has been considering how the Hall could be better used, and aims to make it meet some of the needs within Olney and be more part of the townʼs community. Itʼs identified some projects to help it meet this aim: a Memory Club for those in the early stages of memory degeneration, a Youth Milkshake Café with two separate strands –to provide a place for secondary school young people to meet after school (initially weekly) and to provide training for them –and New Skill for those who need basic skills training, for example those recently bereaved whose partners had provided for them before. To achieve these projects, some changes to the Church Hall will be starting shortly, including improved access, improved toilet and shower facilities, a new meeting room, a mezzanine floor and a meeting area.

Kitchener Centre
Ann Lark and Nick Stacey from Age UK attended the meeting to discuss the Kitchener Centre, a day care centre for vulnerable older people from in and around Olney. Age UK has been managing the Centre under contract to Milton Keynes Council (MKC) since 2000. The contract to manage the Kitchener Centre and another day care centre in Bletchley, currently run by the British Red Cross (BRC), has been out for competitive tender, the bid process having just been completed. Itʼs not yet known who has won the contract, but Ann and Nick provided background information on what might happen next. First, the BRC did not submit a bid for the Bletchley centre, as running day care centres no longer fits with its national agenda. Second, and most important for Olney, the contract value specified by MKC is significantly below that which Age UK believes is required to continue to offer the current level of service at the Kitchener Centre. Age UK has been given notice to leave the Kitchener Centre later this year unless this issue is resolved. Responding to the clear, though not fully articulated, implications for the standard of care being offered, David Rumens, of Senior Voice MK and previously Olney Town Council (OTC), said his organisation would apply as much pressure to MKC as it could, and will also keep in contact with OTC on the subject. Olney Councillors were also clearly concerned about this issue. In the background, OTCʼs letter to MKC regarding the possibility of an extension has now received a reply, any consideration being put on hold until the end of June when the contract commissioning process should be near completion.

Highways
Andrew Jackman is the new Team Leader for Traffic Management at MKC, having replaced Richard Duffill in the post. Tonight he was attending the Council meeting to discuss various Highways issues in the town. Parking in Oakdown Crescent is a longstanding and contentious issue. Andrew agreed that there was severe pressure on parking there, as had been made clear to him by Ward Councillors Peter Geary and Debbie Brock and stated that, if there was a simple solution, itʼd be in place by now. Peter Geary outlined three current ideas, each with highly approximate ballpark figures: • A new road running from Dagnall Road through The Pyghtle to serve the properties which face it, £250,000. • A car park in the (retained) garden of 102 Weston Road, £85,000. • A residentsʼ parking scheme in Oakdown Crescent, £5,000. As is usual for this issue, a good deal of discussion followed. The main points were that Peter Geary felt OTC should propose a solution, Andrew wanted to understand the problem and have MKC work out the best solution and, when pushed by Ron Bull, Andrew said the issue would be addressed by the end of March 2014. Finally, Debbie Brock noted that the investigative work done so far hadnʼt gone to waste – it would still be useful when choosing the best way forward. The Olney Traffic Management Review in 2008 included the idea of having one-way systems in East Street and West Street. Andrew felt that using a one-way system to calm traffic was an odd idea, since evidence shows that such systems in fact make people drive 5-10 MPH faster. Based on the brief discussion which followed, which saw various Councillors expressing safety concerns regarding East Street, itʼs hard to see the one-way idea progressing further. Regarding potholes, Andrew explained that the Highways Authority has a duty to maintain roads in a safe condition. All roads are inspected regularly at least once a year. Defects, whether spotted during inspections or reported by members of the public, are dealt with in 24 hours if classified as dangerous or 28 days otherwise. The general condition of the roads has been contributed to by bad winters causing water which has penetrated the road to freeze and lift the surface. Insufficient maintenance on a national basis hasnʼt helped either. MKC is developing plans for a pothole month, likely April, during which the Council would deploy many road gangs to blitz the problem.

Fairʼs fair
OTC agreed to requests to hold the annual fair on the Recreation Ground between Wednesday 19th and Saturday 22nd June, and the Cherry Fair on the Glebe on Saturday 29th June.

Olney Centre facilities
Great news for those who attend Council meetings but, by the end, feel like theyʼve missed out on the interesting bits. OTC has received quotes to improve the Olney Centreʼs facilities for the hard of hearing. One quote was for a fixed system, building on the hearing aid induction loop already fitted in the Council Chamber and supplying boundary microphones and an amplifier. The other also provided microphones but, instead of using the existing induction loop, provided earphones and two mini loops which the hard of hearing could wear around their necks. No decision was made on the night, but one or both systems will be trialled during a real Council meeting.

Fields
Liam noted that the hedge laying on Crouchʼs Field has been completed. Also, the gate into Crouchʼs Field has been moved to comply with the right of way through to Nichols Field - the field to the East of Crouch's Field beside the river.

East Street Car Park
There was a brief discussion about the proposed extension to the East Street Car Park, particularly including how it would adjoin the proposed fencing around the Recreation Ground football pitch. Joe Stacey noted that, while a concrete path is planned to go all the way round the pitch, thatʼs not an FA requirement – the FA requires hard standing on only two sides. He suggested instead that the path at the East Street end could be removed from the proposals, thus creating more space for parking which currently looks pretty tight. Although the Football Club does have planning permission, and OTC as landlord has given its permission, OTC could change its permission if the Council felt that section of the path should not be included. The Council will discuss the issue with the Football Club.

Community Asset Transfer and the Olney Centre
Back in February 2012, Alan Richardson stated and Peter Geary confirmed that the Olney Centre was not an asset which would be affected by the Community Asset Transfer (CAT) scheme, as it was not MKCʼs asset to transfer. Now, however, legal opinions about this differ. The Olney Centre is held in a trust and, until recently, was believed to be owned by that trust and not by MKC, even though the trustees are wholly that Council. Day to day, MKC is responsible for certain aspects of the repair of the building while OTC is responsible for other aspects. The ownership of the Centre has been challenged, with the Queenʼs Counsel (QC) and the Charity Commission having been asked for advice. The QCʼs advice was that the Olney Centre was the property of the trust and hence could not be transferred. However, the Charity Commission believes that, since around £400 was paid on the transfer of the building in 1870, it seems to have been purchased by the predecessor to Buckinghamshire County Council, then reverted to that Council when it formed, and then to MKC in 1996. It is therefore currently thought that the property could be transferred under the CAT programme to a community organisation or group such as OTC. MKC is to arrange a Public Meeting at the Olney Centre at 6.00pm on Wednesday 22nd May to explain CAT and how it affects the Olney Centre. This may well be a very interesting meeting. Mercury thanks Peter Geary and Liam Costello for background information on this topic. Next Meeting - 8th April The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 8th April in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

April 2013

Mercury report for the Olney Town Council meeting of April 2013

Public Participation
David Rumens There was only one member of the public wishing to speak at this month’s meeting and that was ex-Olney Town Councillor David Rumens speaking on behalf of Senior Voice MK. David explained that the contract to run the Kitchener Centre was recently put out to tender by Milton Keynes Council and they had set a tender value of £312,000. Age UK is the only organisation to have tendered for the contract but its tender was rejected as it was substantially above MKC’s valuation. This raised the question of whether the original tender was correctly valued, he said. The fact that there was only one bid from an existing provider and that it exceeded the tender value by a considerable sum suggested that something may have gone wrong during the tender valuation process. There is considerable concern being expressed about the ability of Milton Keynes Council to deliver a Day Care Service at an equivalent standard on the allocated budget both now and in the future, he said. As things stand the service will be brought in house and decision will be made by Councillor Debbie Brock, as Cabinet Member of MKC with Portfolio responsibility for Adult, Older Years and Health, as to whether the council or Milton Keynes Service Partnership will manage the Day Care Service. This matter was discussed as a formal agenda item later in the meeting and David was invited to stay for that discussion.

Superfast Broadband
Present at this month’s meeting was Nick Brown from MKC planning department. Nick explained that his role was to negotiate with Openreach to identify the best locations for the additional street cabinets that are necessary to contain the equipment that provides the service. They need to be located as near as possible to the existing cabinets which they connect to. There is one such cabinet in the High Street opposite the Flower Shop and the proposed site of the equipment cabinet is in the Market Place, opposite Darwins Gifts and Cards. Nick explained that it could not be positioned next to the existing cabinet due to the requirement for Openreach to access the cabinet every time a customer was set up for the service, which would restrict access on the footpath. The proposed position would enable parking while the engineer carried out the work, he said. The usual locations selected were footpaths, which MKC own as part of the highway, so there are no issues with access. The member present felt that the box would be rather obtrusive in the proposed location so agreed to Nick’s request for it to be moved back a few feet on to the Market Place and rotated by 90 degrees so that it was parallel with the wall for the planter. Nick said he expected work to commence in 6-8 weeks.

Future of the Kitchener Centre
As reported last month, Age UK has been managing the Centre under contract to Milton Keynes Council (MKC) since 2000. The contract to manage the Kitchener Centre had been out for competitive tender and the bid process has just been completed. There had been 10 Expressions of Interest but only Age UK had tendered and its application had been rejected because it is £100,000 more than MKC’s tender value of £312,000. Jeremy Rawlings said the decision could be ‘called in’ if 20 members of the electorate requested it and suggested that David Rumens went down that route’. Why had the other nine parties declined to bid, he wondered. Could it be that the indicative price had put them off? He also observed that OTC only had Age UK’s estimate that it would cost more to run the service, since no other bids had been submitted. David Rumens said that as part of the bid process any interested party could submit questions and the answer would be made available to all of the other parties so they would have been fully aware that that Age UK had received no replies. Debbie Brock said that due diligence had been applied and MKC were confident that £312,000 to run the service is a realistic figure and as portfolio holder she felt that ‘internalisation’ is the best option. Jeremy said that, with respect to Debbie, MKC did not have a good track record on due diligence. Debbie said that good grounds would have to exist in order for the decision to be called in, but Jeremy replied that Age UK’s expert opinion that the service could not be run within that financial constraint should be sufficient. Jeremy formally proposed that OTC recommend that the decision should be called in. The motion was seconded by Deidre Bethune and passed by a large majority.

Parking in Oakdown Crescent
Following on from last month’s discussion about the Parking in Oakdown Crescent there was an item on this month’s agenda to discuss one of the options: A new road running from Dagnall Road through The Pyghtle to serve the properties which face it, i.e. numbers 70 – 92 Weston Road. This scheme would involve the council relinquishing part of The Pyghtle, which caused some consternation to members. Steve Clark observed that when permission was granted for the houses on The Pyghtle there was a condition that at least half of the land must be retained for recreational use. Even if OTC agreed to relinquish the land it was unlikely that MKC would fund the scheme he said, since it was estimated that it would cost £250K. John Sharp noted that part of the problem with parking in Oakdown Crescent was due to the fact that a fence that previously existed had fallen down. If that was reinstated then there would be no shortcut making parking there less attractive, he thought. Peter Geary stated that because the fence had been down for a number of years it was now effectively a right of way. Joe Stacey wondered if providing parking spaces in the garden of the houses in Oakdown Crescent might alleviate the situation but Peter Geary pointed out that most of the cars parked there did not belong to residents. (Mercury wondered if this might be a passing reference to the revolutionary ‘Driveway Parking Scheme’ announced in the April edition of The Phonebox, as did a number of other councillors, apparently!) Deidre Bethune proposed that the scheme be rejected in favour of one of the cheaper alternatives: parking spaces on the retained garden of 102 Weston Road. This was seconded and passed unanimously, meaning that every member present voted. This is a most unusual occurrence for OTC.

Community Defibrillator at Recreation Ground
The Joint User Group (JUG) has recommended that a defibrillator be located at the recreation ground for the use of the various sports clubs that use it. Steve Clark wondered if the clubs would be prepared to assist with funding and Town Clerk Liam Costello said that the individual clubs had schemes through which funding would be available. It would be housed in a lockable unit with a key or combination given out in a controlled manner. Alan Richardson wondered whether such a unit should also be located at the Olney Centre. It was agreed that OTC would contribute £1500 for the installation of a community defibrillator at the Olney Centre and £1000 for one at the Recreation Ground.

Olney Brass request for funding
The council have been asked to consider a request from Olney Brass that they award a grant of £2.5K towards the running costs of the youth section of Olney Brass for the coming year, possibly from the Community (previously Sydney Dix) Fund. As part of the application Olney Brass were required to submit a copy of their accounts and on inspection the council agreed to the request.

Exclusion of Public and Press Representatives
Whenever matters are to be discussed that the council deems to be of a confidential nature the following item appears on the agenda: ‘To consider exclusion of Public and Press Representatives pursuant to the Public Bodies (admission to meetings) Act 1960 on the basis that publicity would be prejudicial to the public interests by the confidential nature of the business to be transacted’. Joe Stacey questioned whether the item to be discussed warranted the exclusion of the public and press, since it was a matter of public interest. Debbie Brock agreed, saying that she had often questioned the rationale behind such exclusions. Peter Geary was of the opinion that because the matter was of a financial nature relating to the tendering of contracts this justified the exclusion. The council resolved to seek guidance from Bucks Association of Local Councils on when exclusion is justified. For information, the draft minutes published on OTC’s website state: The council considered quotations for surfacing work at the Recreation Ground. As all three contractors had provided different specifications, they are to be asked to re-quote on a like for like basis.

Annual Town Meeting - Thursday 2nd May
This will take place at 7:00 pm on Thursday 2nd May in the Olney Centre and all Olney residents are invited to attend to question the council on any matter of concern to them. If you want to know why the precept you pay to OTC as part of the Council Tax has risen by 5.8% this year, why we may lose part of the recreation ground to a car park or have any other concerns, then come along and exercise your democratic right.

May 2013

Mercury report for the Olney Town Council meeting for May 2013

Public Participation
Brian Rice In this slot, Brian Rice spoke about parking in Oakdown Crescent. First, some background on this issue: In last month's meeting, Councillors rejected the option of a new road through the Pyghtle, reluctant to relinquish the land and believing that Milton Keynes Council (MKC) wouldn't finance the £250,000 projected ballpark cost. Instead, they unanimously agreed that the best solution would be to provide parking spaces on the retained garden of 102 Weston Road. They also discussed to what extent the lack of a previously existing fence, now allowing access from Oakdown Crescent to the back of the properties 70 - 92 Weston Road, was affecting the parking problem. Brian made a number of points. He stated that the agreed solution would provide parking for only around six cars, when around double that was needed. He also felt that the projected cost of the new road was far too high, around £80,000 being realistic which, as it happens, is remarkably close to the ballpark cost of the agreed solution. Finally, Brian felt that the fence referred to had never existed, so access had always been available. John Sharp disagreed, saying there'd not always been access. A 1945 picture of the area, courtesy of Google Earth, appears to show that there was access at that time, though that in itself implies nothing about the situation when Oakdown Crescent was built. Mercury thanks Liam Costello for background information on this point.

Annual elections and appointments
The Mayor and Deputy Mayor were elected, this time round Steve Clark and Jeremy Rawlings being re-elected to their respective roles. Committee Chairs and members were appointed, almost completely unchanged from last year. Usually, Standing Orders are formally adopted with little change but, this time, adoption was postponed pending change and review. Specifically, Deidre Bethune wanted to make them less gender-specific (i.e. male) and, following a debate started by Joe Stacey, there was general discussion about whether or not Committees should provide reports to full Council meetings. This latter point meant that the Council will review the Scheme of Delegation to Committees and Staff.

Inventory review
Always an interesting topic, Councillors reviewed Olney Town Council's (OTC's) inventory of land and assets. Council regulations state that fixed cost accounting must be used, meaning that each item is listed with its purchase cost, these not being depreciated over time. Peter Geary and Joe Stacey felt that it'd be helpful to also include each item's replacement value. Tony Evans brought the ensuing debate to a close, stating that "We have to accept that these figures are absolutely meaningless", and "move on".

The Kitchener Centre
This has become a contentious topic, with enough background information and vociferous disagreement to fill an article on its own. To fit the most into the space available, and try to keep it interesting, this is a mix of what occurred in the meeting and the background to it. provides day care in Olney. As reported last month, the contract to manage the Centre had been out for competitive tender, and the bid process had completed with ten expressions of interest but only one bid, from the incumbent provider, Age UK. That bid was rejected because it was around £100,000 more than the price for which MKC believed it could manage the Centre in-house. So, that's what it decided to do. OTC disagreed with this decision, so voted by majority to call it in. As a result, two meetings on this topic took place between OTC and MKC. The first meeting was adjourned after some delay. Steve Clark attended, and believes the delay was due to evidence, thought to be from MKC Officers, having been submitted late to the members of the panel, allowing too little time for proper consideration. Peter Geary believes it was due to there being insufficient supporting information for the committee to reach a conclusion. Jeremy Rawlings attended the second meeting. He'd presented the Council's case that MKC's decision to manage the Kitchener Centre in-house should be called in. Debbie Brock, MKC Councillor and OTC Ward Councillor, had then presented the opposing case. Both presentations had been 'robust'. Jeremy noted that the Officers who were justifying MKC's costs said that various management items, for example human resources, payroll and training, could be absorbed by Council departments with no impact on their budgets and thus not appear in MKC's contract price. The cost quoted by Age UK for these items was £45,000, and Jeremy felt that 'absorbing' such significant and real cost was impossible for a smaller organisation such as Age UK. A vote was taken, OTC lost, so the decision stands: MKC will manage the Kitchener Centre. Peter Geary, also MKC Councillor and OTC Ward Councillor, replied with his view. Peter felt that OTC needed to understand what it had agreed to when it decided to present its case to call in the decision: It delayed the process, which resulted in MKC having to extend care provision using the current providers at both the Kitchener Centre and the Bletchley day care site, thus putting care at risk if either provider had refused this extension. Peter cited the £45,000 Age UK management figure, questioning why OTC had backed Age UK quoting this amount when the spend would not be necessary if MKC ran the service. He also stated that the credibility of OTC had taken a nosedive, due to it presenting flawed figures, thus succeeding in uniting the MKC parties round the table to an extent rarely achieved, with the vote being eight to one against calling in the decision - there was no case to answer. He noted that OTC would shortly be asking MKC Officers to expand the Kitchener Centre, 'within weeks of effectively calling the same Officers liars'. Tony Evans had heard enough. Forcefully disagreeing with Peter, he said that the first meeting had been 'a farce', that MKC had its figures incorrect and that if Peter didn't like OTC, he should 'get off it'. Steve Clark called the discussion to a halt. Note that, if you're wondering why Debbie didn't express her views, she was absent from this meeting. Mercury thanks Steve Clark, Jeremy Rawlings and Peter Geary for background on this issue.

Naval Cadet Corps
A while ago, the Naval Cadet Corps had identified a derelict building near the Emberton Park cafe and, with permission, started repairing it to make it suitable for use as the centre for a new Olney based Cadet Group. The Corps aims to start the new group soon, accepting children from eight to eighteen years living in Olney and the surrounding villages. The work thus far has been paid for by the Corps, and thus money is very tight. In order to help complete this work, the Corps are now seeking a £4,500 grant from OTC. Councillors were generally sympathetic to the request but required more information in order to make a decision. So, a Corps representative will be invited to the next meeting.

Speed Indicator Display units
Speed Indicator Display units (SIDs) are the live vehicle speed indication devices you sometimes see on lampposts. Behind the scenes, they also note recorded speeds and times, the resulting data often proving useful to analyse traffic patterns and general driver behaviour. Due to a recruitment freeze in MKC's road safety team, and MKC's SIDs needing replacement, it's inviting Town Councils to either purchase their own SIDs or to participate in a loan and operate scheme, where they'd borrow the SIDs and be trained to deploy and operate the units themselves. The Council liked the loan and operate scheme, and will tell MKC it would like to participate.
Private and confidential?

At the end of most OTC meetings, Councillors vote 'to consider exclusion of Public and Press Representatives pursuant to the Public Bodies (admission to meetings) Act 1960 on the basis that publicity would be prejudicial to the public interests by the confidential nature of the business to be transacted'. This mouthful is almost invariably agreed, and Mercury, along with any remaining members of the Public make their way home, while Councillors stay to discuss the confidential business. It tends to get used to cover items such as personnel matters, where its use is uncontroversial, and tenders, where it isn't. Councillors had received guidance on the legislation and how to interpret it. The initial position should always be in favour of disclosing as much information as possible about the decisions the Council takes, and only in limited circumstances should information be withheld, where there's justification, in law, for doing so. The relevant considerations in favour of disclosure include openness and accountability for tender processes and prices. After some debate, in which it was clear that there was general agreement in favour of openness, Councillors agreed that tenders would not generally be regarded as confidential, and that the names of the companies and organisations concerned would be anonymised. This common practice would prevent, for example, one company gaining business-critical information from another's quotation.

Anemometer
It was mentioned in passing that a planning application had been received from RWE npower renewables for a temporary 80 metre anemometer on land at Bozeat Grange, just South of Bozeat. For more information, surf to planning.wellingborough.gov.uk/portal, click Application Search, enter Reference number WP/2013/0162 and click Search.

Hanging baskets
The hanging baskets in the town during the Summer months, bar those around the Market Square, are all sponsored by local companies, organisations and individuals. Ron Bull, who's kindly organised this sponsorship in recent years, is not able to run it this time due to health reasons. As a result, the Council has stepped in and is starting to organise sponsorship for this year. So, if you've had a basket in the last few years, it'll be the Council approaching you to see if you'd like to sponsor one again this time round. If you're a company, organisation or individual who'd like to sponsor a basket this year, please contact the Council by calling Liam or Sandra on 01234 711679, or emailing them at townclerk@ olneytowncouncil.gov.uk. Each basket has an individual plaque showing the name of its sponsor.

Buses
As a result of MKC budget cuts, the Number 1 bus service between Olney and Milton Keynes will be considerably reduced from 2nd June - surf to www.milton-keynes.gov. uk/bus/documents/1.pdf. Essentially, most of the evening buses will be cut, and there'll be no buses at all on Sundays. The Council will ask MKC if any of these evening buses could be reintroduced. Next Meeting 3rd June The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 3rd June in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

June 2013

Mercury report for the Olney Town Council meeting for June 2013

Public Participation
Samantha Chapman Samantha Chapman spoke about the cuts to the bus serice between Olney and Milton Keynes which have taken place since the beginning of June. Samantha said that as someone who works in Milton Keynes she was a regular user of the late evening bus service, which had now been cut. As a result she was now unable to work late nights and Sundays. She felt that it was unfair to penalise residents of Olney who do not have access to a car, particularly when the majority of shops do not shut until 8.00 pm. This subject was an agenda item later in the meeting so it was agreed to move it to become the first item. Bob Blackie The next person to speak was Bob Blackie from the United Reformed Church. Bob said that the URC would be holding a flower festival on Friday 12th and Saturday 13th July, followed by a service on Sunday 14th. He thanked the council for their generous donation towards the running of the event and invited all councillors to attend.

Cuts to Bus service
As reported last month and discussed in public participation, because of Milton Keynes Council budget cuts, the Number 1 Arriva bus service between Olney and Milton Keynes has been considerably reduced. The last bus leaves Central MK at 19:18 and there are no Arriva buses at all on Sundays. Northampton based Meridian Bus will now be running a new service 101 on Sunday from Lavendon to Central MK, but this is being run as a commercial initiative and is not subsidised by MKC. Deidre Bethune was unhappy that Olney Town Council had not been consulted but recognised that it would not be possible to get all services reinstated. She wondered if it would be possible to get a specific evening bus reinstated. MKC ward councillor Peter Geary said that the council had a £20m revenue challenge and the original proposals had been far worse. One possibility could be provision of a linking bus from Newport Pagnell to the villages, he said, but consideration would need to be given to the likely demand and cost. Tony Evans said he'd had a lot of representation from young people, who are not the sort of people who come to meetings of OTC (and looking round the room, Mercury was inclined to agree!). The cuts had made it difficult for them to get to MK for an evening out, he said. The issue will be raised at the next meeting of the N.E. Area Forum.

Naval Cadet Corps
As reported last month, the Naval Cadet Corps have identified a derelict building near the Emberton Park cafe and, with permission, started repairing it to make it suitable for use as the centre for a new Olney based Cadet Group. The work thus far has been paid for by the Corps, and in order to complete this work, the Corps is now seeking a £4,500 grant from OTC. Cdr. David Moth was present to explain more about the group and how the money would be spent. David explained that the Corps had now leased the building for a peppercorn rent from MKC and were refurbishing it at no cost to them. The group will give boys and girls from the age of 8 - 18 from Olney and the surrounding villages the chance to learn about and participate in activities such as climbing, sailing and camping. A similar unit at Leighton Buzzard was created a year and a half a with 5 cadets now has a membership of 40 he said. Deidre Bethune noted that a large amount of the requested grant was to be spent on catering equipment and wondered if this was necessary at the start of the venture. David explained that all of the equipment had to be new and child friendly, due to Health and Safety regs, because it would be used by the cadets as part of their training in seamanship. Jeremy Rawlings proposed that the council award the full amount of £4500 but it was not passed by a majority on the vote. A subsequent vote to award a lesser amount of £3000 was passed with the understanding that the Corps can seek further funding at a later date.

Church Hall renovation
The Parochial Church Council are undertaking a major refurbishment of the Church Hall in order for it to be used for a number of community uses, including a memory club for those experiencing memory loss and a youth cafe. The PCC is seeking a grant of £5000 towards the cost of renewing the floor in the entire building and provided a very thorough cost breakdown of the entire project. The total costs for the renovation are in the order of £163K, £119K of which has already been raised and the total cost of the floor renewal is £12.5K. The council voted to grant the full £5000 requested.

The Olney Centre Community Asset Transfer
OTC has been offered the opportunity to obtain the freehold of the Olney Centre from MKC under the Community Asset Transfer scheme. MKC had recently held a public meeting at the centre to explain the options and see if there were any parties interested in moving forward with the scheme. It came as a surprise to the members of OTC who attended that OTC is not the only interested party and a private developer was also in the running. Tony Evans was of the opinion that this meant that OTC had no option but to start the process as soon as possible and Jeremy Rawlings agreed, saying that it appeared that any commercial company could join in the bidding process. Ward Councillor Peter Geary said that under the rules of the scheme the bidding had to be open to all but unless the applicant met the strict community usage criteria they would not progress to the next stage. There are a number of safeguards in place and the process can be stopped at any time. Tony said that if OTC was successful then MKC would hand ownership to them but would not do any maintenance prior to the transfer. A survey conduct two years ago had revealed that the building was 'not about to fall down' but there were a number of things that needed doing. Ben Brock was of the opinion that a full survey should be carried out as part of the transfer process. Town Clerk Liam Costello reminded members that the building came with a 'sitting tenant' of the MKC Library Service. Tony Evans proposed that OTC progress with stage 1 of the transfer process, which was passed unanimously.

Future of MKC Parish Wardens
A letter has been received from MKC explaining that the Parish Warden posts were created nearly a decade ago from central government funding and subsequently picked up by themselves. MKC now wish to 'delete' the six remaining warden posts, four of which are currently occupied. This came as something of a surprise to most members of OTC as they had no idea that Olney even had a warden or what duties they actually perform. Peter Geary explained that the wardens spent on average half a day per week in their allocated parish and could perform duties such as enforcing dog fouling fines, supporting the police and PCSOs etc. Castlethorpe Parish Council is currently undertaking a trial of directly funding a warden on an hourly basis to enforce a dog control area. Deidre Bethune suggested that OTC might be interested if the Castlethorpe trial actually resulted in some penalty notices being issued. Jeremy Rawlings suggested that OTC request a breakdown of what the wardens have contributed to Olney over the past few months before deciding what to do, which was agreed.

Council protocols
During the meeting there were a number of separate discussions around the way that OTC conducts its business and manages its finances and these are summarised here. During the item concerning the Internal Audit Joe Stacey said that the council did not appear to have proper and adequate control over the spending of sub committees. Tony Evans replied saying that he believed this was not the case. Each subcommittee has devolved authority to spend up to £2k and all expenditure has to be authorised by the full council. Later in the meeting Joe requested that any item that was not resolved at a meeting should be an agenda item at future meetings until it is resolved. He felt that there was a risk of items simply 'dropping off' as things stand. Earlier in the meeting he had noted an issue that had not appeared in the official minutes of a previous meeting but had been covered in the Mercury report of the same meeting. Debbie Brock suggested the setting up of an issues register. Joe thought that as a matter of routine all committees should summarise the decisions they have made to the full council. Jeremy Rawlings pointed out that the minutes of all committee meetings are circulated to the full council but Joe felt that this did not give members the chance to ask questions. Liam Costello said that there was a risk that each meeting could end up effectively being held twice. Peter Geary proposed that these issues should be covered in a future debate about the council's Standing Orders.

Odds and sods
Jeremy Rawlings said that in due course the Youth Club would be up for consideration as a candidate for the Community Asset Transfer scheme. He wondered if the same individual who had shown an interest in the Olney Centre would also be bidding. Liam Costello reported that High Street South will be closed for resurfacing from 19th to 28th August and during this time all traffic will be diverted along Weston Road and Aspreys. The new Mayor of Milton Keynes, Brian White, will be in attendance at next month's meeting to address the council. And finally ... Tony Evans observed that the banks along Driftway were looking good but MKC should be reminded of the requirement for regular mowing if they are to remain that way. Next Meeting - 1st July The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 1st July in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

July 2013

Mercury report for the Olney Town Council meeting for July 2013

Introduction
Steve Clark started the meeting by saying how wonderful it was to see Ron bull take his place back in the Council Chamber.

Public Participation
Brian Rice Now almost a regular at these meetings, Brian Rice spoke about parking in Oakdown Crescent. In an earlier meeting, Councillors had referred to ballpark costs for two possible ways to address the issue: £80,000 to provide parking in the retained garden of 102 Weston Road, and £250,000 to provide an access road through the Pyghtle. Sceptical of these figures, Brian asked if Olney Town Council (OTC) had investigated whether they were correct. Questioning the lack of consultation on the proposals, he reported that residents thought the 102 Weston Road proposal was 'funny'. Liam Costello explained that OTC was still waiting for Milton Keynes Council (MKC) to propose a scheme and, once it did, it would be put to public consultation in due course. Peter Geary and Debbie Brock, OTC's Ward Councillors on MKC, said that a scheme should be proposed by MKC in this financial year. Brian White Brian White, Milton Keynes Mayor, attended the start of the meeting. He wanted to show that the Mayoralty wasn't just for Milton Keynes town, but for the whole borough and, to do this, he aimed to be seen in every Parish. He also promoted the need for a two way flow of information between MKC and OTC. He spoke briefly about his two nominated Charities for the year: the International Campaign to Ban Land Mines (www.icbl.org), and Ted's Gang (www.tedsgang.co.uk), a local Charity supporting children with Shwachman Diamond Syndrome.

Youth Centre grant application
Jeremy Rawlings introduced this item before, along with others, leaving the meeting having earlier declared a pecuniary interest. MKC doesn't fund youth work for the under 13s and, about 15 years ago, Olney Youth Centre felt it would be good to provide a service for that age group. So, it started an under 13s night on the first and third Mondays of each month, staffed by volunteers without the benefit of Council funding. These nights grew in popularity and now regularly attract 50-60 children. As they grew, they became harder to manage without professional help and, for the last two years, OTC has funded a professional Youth Worker to run them alongside the volunteers. The Youth Centre would like to continue funding this position, and is applying for a £1 200 grant to cover it for another year. With the various Councillors having left the meeting, those remaining discussed the item briefly before approving the application.

Parish Wardens
Peter Geary introduced this item, explaining that about three quarters of the 17 Parish Wardens in Milton Keynes Borough area are currently employed by Parishes, the balance being employed by MKC and generally working in the smaller Parishes. These roles were cut from MKC's budget last year and one year's grace given to allow Parishes to buy in to paint for their work as a service. For example, OTC might decide to pay £4680 per year for half a day a week of Parish Warden time. Either way, it needs to decide on the first year by the end of September. Examples of a Parish Warden's duties include weekly patrols for dog fouling and littering, and checks for household waste being put out early. This was discussed at length, the main points including that the Wardens may be trained to implement road closures, and an interesting explanation of how dog fouling enforcement works. In order to issue a ticket for dog fouling in an area not under a dog control order, a Warden has to be visible and prominent, watch the deed being done, watch the owner walk away, offer a bag and challenge the owner to pick up, and only on their refusal can the Warden issue a ticket. Most owners pick up when challenged, hence so few tickets being issued. Compare that with the more straightforward situation in which an area might be covered by a dog control order which, amongst other things, mandates that no dogs are allowed. Jeremy Rawlings proposed that OTC sign up for half a day a week of Warden time for a year. A vote was taken, and carried with all in favour bar two abstentions.

Road closure
The A509 will be closed for resurfacing between its junctions with Weston Road and Lavendon Road for approximately 8 days, the proposed start date being Monday 19th August. Local traffic will be diverted via Weston Road, Aspreys and Driftway, and through traffic diverted via the outskirts of Bramham on the A422 and A428.

Traffic regulation order
In order to alleviate problems due to vehicles parking on or near various West Street junctions and on the North side of Spring Lane towards the High Street, MKC is considering introducing waiting restrictions, denoted by double yellow lines. Further, due to a request from a nearby resident, the existing restrictions on Spinney Hill Road opposite the School are being changed to allow more flexibility with parking outside the School's pick up and drop off times.

Scheme of delegation
The proposed scheme set out the circumstances in which the Town Clerk and various Committees are authorised to act with delegated authority. So, while it seems pretty mundane, it's actually very important to the smooth running of the Council. For example, the scheme proposed that the Town Clerk can authorise emergency expenditure of up to £2,000 without requiring the approval of full Council. The ensuing discussion centred mainly on one particular aspect of the scheme: the way in which Committees report their work to full Council meetings. Steve Clark explained that, in the past, this reporting would sometimes result in full Council reopening and debating recommendations made by the Committees, thus wasting time and lengthening Council meetings. Joe Stacey felt that since Committees would now be reporting on decisions rather than recommendations, these debates simply would not happen, and meetings would in fact be shorter. The scheme of delegation was approved.

Bus services
Following on from the issue covered in previous Mercury reports, meetings are being held to see if it would be possible to reinstate a small number of the cut services. Peter Geary noted that the critical cost was that which MKC would need to pay to subsidise a service, per person per journey, and that, if this was less than £2.50, reinstatement may be possible.

Core planning strategy
MKC will be talking with Olney and Newport Pagnell Town Councils about additional land allocation for small housing developments, with the Town Councils having a say on where these pieces of land might be. Peter Geary stressed the importance of this issue - local Councils should be able to have their say on housing and retail planning in their areas.

Hanging baskets
Ron Bull usually organises sponsorship for the hanging baskets on the High Street and Yardley Road, and recruits a team of people to put them up. It wasn't possible for him to do so this year, so alternative arrangements were made. He thanked Liam and Sandra for arranging sponsorship, and Mark Luckin, TOG, the Lions and others for putting them up.
Next Meeting - 2nd September The next meeting wlll be held at 7 .30pm on Monday 2nd September in the Councll Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always weloome to attend and, If they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

August 2013

There was no Olney Town Council meeting in August 2013

September 2013

Mercury report for the Olney Town Council meeting for September 2013

Monday 1st July 2013
It was the start of a new term and the chums of Olney town Council were excitedly telling each other what ripping adventures they'd got up to during the long summer vac…..

Bench outside the Carlton House Club
For many years Olney Town Council (OTC) had received requests for a bench somewhere in the middle of the High Street, so that pedestrians could rest on the long walk from one end of town to the other. The location of the bench had been the cause of considerable debate and eventually OTC had agreed to site it at the front of the Carlton House Club. At the time there had been objections from the club and the United Reformed Church, both fearing that it would lead to an increase in rowdy behaviour outside their premises. The council had agreed to review the situation after six months so Town Clerk Liam Costello had written to both organisations in July. No response had been received from The Carlton House Club and the URC had responded saying that they had not observed any adverse impacts. A number of councillors said they had observed the bench being used and felt it had been a success.

Cattle Market car park
This car park is owned by Milton Keynes Council (MKC) and some years ago bollards were placed at the Freemans Garden entrance to stop drivers ‘joy riding’ around the car park. This has caused issues to drivers who, finding that there are no spare spaces, have to back out on to Silver End. A number of suggestions had been considered by the Neighbourhood Action Group but the eventual proposal that they recommended to OTC was to lose half a parking space to the right of the current ‘keep clear’ bay to create a wider area for vehicles to turn in – creating 1.5 spaces for vehicles to turn in but losing an additional parking space. The half space could be used for a motorcycle bay. OTC agreed to support the NAG proposal.

Olney Centre Zebra Crossing
In order to increase the visibility for car drivers and pedestrians alike, bollards have been placed to prevent cars parking close to the crossing. However, due to the ‘imaginative parking’ for which Olney residents have become renowned it is still possible to squeeze cars into the gaps between the road and the pavement via the crossing itself. The NAG has requested that more bollards be erected in order to prevent such opportunities. MKC Traffic Management Team have supported this suggestion and proposed that eight new bollards be installed. Colin Rodden was not in favour of the plan saying that he felt there were enough “large bits of metal” in the area already. He suggested that the solution would be to enforce the existing parking restrictions. Though some members were sympathetic to this idea the consensus was that the traffic wardens do not attend regularly enough to do this. Mayor Steve Clark proposed that OTC support the installation of the extra bollards and Rosemary Osbourne seconded the proposal. It was passed by a majority with one vote against.

Road junction improvements
Plans for two schemes had been received from MKC. The first is a remodelling of the road system by The Knoll at the north end of town. The proposal is intended to make Yardley Road less appealing to HGVs and ensure that they use the more suitable A509 Wellingborough Road. Tony Evans agreed with the aim saying that drivers were using Yardley road to save “a Farthings worth of diesel”. (For readers born after 1960 Mercury should explain that a Farthing was a quarter of an old penny, or 1/960 of a pound!). The plan involves reducing the width of the roadway in a number of places and creating more traditional T junctions. Some of the space thus gained is proposed to be used to create additional parking spaces, eight of which will be on newly created space adjacent. MKC Ward Councillor Peter Geary said the costs would be in the region of £70k – to £80k and members seemed generally in favour of the scheme, although Tony Evans said it was important to maintain the character of The Knoll. The second scheme is for the long awaited improvements to the Weston Road/High Street junction by the Hallelujah Lamppost. The intention here is to slightly relocate the lamppost and remodel the island such that traffic turning left or right from Weston Road would need to keep to the left of the island. Traffic travelling from the south and turning left into Weston Road would do so as now. Traffic travelling from the north and wishing to turn right into Weston Road would do so via a new filter lane, keeping to the left of the new island. A new tactile paved crossing point would be provided on Weston Road by the entrance to the Coop and another on the High Street to the south of the junction with a central refuge. This scheme caused more discussion than the first with Peter Geary observing that it was the eighth such proposal for this junction and none had been perfect, although he was less convinced of the merits of this one than some of the previous ones. Jeremy Rawlings disliked the amount of road markings and said he had quite enjoyed the lack of white lines during the recent resurfacing work, but Ward Councillor Debbie Brock said it was necessary for such a complex junction. Mercury noted that it did not appear to address the issue of access to and from the Coop car park which was one of the problems with the previous schemes.

Landscape maintenance and associated services
MKC has recently approved a procurement process to test the market in terms of both cost and service standards as part of a ‘value for money’ review of the landscape services that include grass cutting, shrub, hedge and tree maintenance and weed control. OTC has been asked whether it wishes MKC to retain responsibility for the services, which would be put out to tender, or take responsibility for the services themselves. If they opted to take responsibility themselves they would receive an apportionment of the current budget, expected to be in the region of £24.25k. Tony Evans was of the opinion that it would be good for OTC to control all maintenance but felt that the figure quoted would only “scratch the surface” of the actual cost. The expense of employing an extra person, purchasing the necessary equipment and depreciation thereof could easily exceed £50k, he thought. Debbie Brock was keen that OTC should not dismiss the idea without doing a full desktop estimate of how much it would cost. John Boardman asked if OTC had received any complaints about the existing level of service, which caused considerable amusement amongst members who have regularly listened to Tony Evans’ complaints about the state of the banks on Driftway. He quickly qualified the question with “from the public” and Peter Geary replied that there had been numerous complaints in the last year. Jeremy Rawlings was of the opinion that if MKC continued to provide the service the standard would get steadily worse as they continued to cut costs, but Peter Geary said that by outsourcing MKC would get better value and standards would improve. Ron Bull said that OTC should take on the work and it was a golden opportunity for them to employ a young person as an apprentice. Tony Evans suggested that the matter should be fully investigated with all the facts and figures, since OTC prides itself on the way it looks after its assets. It was agreed to invite Andy Hudson, Head of Environment and Waste at MKC to attend a future meeting to address the council.

Play areas
MKC has received a Section 106 financial contribution of £35,584.33 as planning gain from the residential development off Yardley road. This money has to be spent on improvements to public space and play areas in the town and expires in May 2017. In a letter to OTC they pointed out that some of the equipment at Dagnall Road and the recreation ground is nearing the end of its useable life and does not comply with current regulations. There are also issues with the structural fencing and equipment at the Cowper Tannery site. Tony Evans was concerned that MKC was suggesting using the money to replace equipment nearing the end of its life, since MKC were obliged to replace that, anyway. The money should be used for improvements, not maintenance he said. Peter Geary said that the money does not have to be spent just on play areas. It could be used on any open spaces, he said, and he also warned against spending it all in one go as there would not be any further Section 106 income for a long time. Tony Evans suggested getting input from the parents of children who use the play areas, as happened some years ago when some of the equipment on the recreation ground was replaced.

Odds and sods
A letter has been received from a young resident of Lavendon asking the council to provide a cycle path between Lavendon and Olney.

October 2013

Mercury report for the Olney Town Council meeting for October 2013

Public Participation
Brian Rice Brian Rice, the only speaker in this slot, had come to discuss parking in and around Oakdown Crescent. He reported that the previous Friday evening, a large van had parked on a corner in the Crescent in such a way as to make it hard to drive cars, let alone emergency vehicles, round it. Noting that the Crescent was full of cars most evenings, he said that the parking issue needed to be addressed within the next 12 months.

Colts changing rooms
Olney Town Colts Football Club (FC) has raised sufficient funds to build changing rooms, and contacted Olney Town Council (OTC) to discuss where they would be best located. After discussion, the Recreations and Services Committee recommended they be placed in an extension to the left of the tractor shed, approximately symmetrical with the toilet blocks to its right. The Council approved this recommendation, with all in favour bar Ron Bull, who was against the location on principle, feeling that the Football Clubs should be located together. As background, Olney Town Colts FC has 23 teams covering the junior age range from U6 to U18, while Olney Town FC has various senior teams. The two clubs were due to meet on the same evening as this Council meeting.

Traffic regulation order
As reported in an earlier Mercury, Milton Keynes Council (MKC) has recently been considering various requests to restrict parking in parts of Olney. The proposals have been out for consultation and the results are now in. The double yellow lines on Spinney Hill Road opposite the School will, in fact, be retained. New double yellow lines will be painted on the North side of Spring Lane between the High Street and West Street, and at various West Street junctions between Dinglederry and Spring Lane.

Community Asset Transfer
Jeremy Rawlings reported that the Youth Centre had been added, to tranche seven of MKC’s Community Asset Transfer programme. He believed there were four or more parties interested in taking over the running of the Centre. Steve Clark noted that MKC still had the option to keep the Centre, being under no obligation to transfer it. Jeremy concluded the topic, by noting that two or more of the parties appeared to have ambitions to build on the field to the rear of the Centre, suspecting they were as yet unaware of the buried sewer pipe running East-West across the site to the pumping station behind, and the associated restriction that no building was allowed within four metres of its route.

Citizens Advice Bureau
As reported previously, the local Citizens Advice Outreach Service is supported financially by OTC, and had provided a report on its work between April 2012 and February 2013. It had seen 57 clients in that time, almost all from the Olney Ward, 34% aged 35-49, 26% aged 25-34 and 72% female. The biggest topics enquired about by its clients were benefits (43%) and debt (27%). It was noted that OTC had effectively paid approximately £100 per client, and that it would have been cheaper for it to pay for taxis to have those people seen in Milton Keynes, although that would not preserve their anonymity. John Boardman felt, and various Councillors agreed, that a representative from the Bureau should be invited to speak with the Council before the next anniversary of the funding, to allow Councillors to get a better picture of its operation.

Bits’n’bobs
Liam Costello noted that the allotment track is due for resurfacing in the next month or so. A site meeting has been held with the contractor, and tenants of nearby properties will be informed. Jeremy Rawlings had attended the opening night of the new Youth Café in the redeveloped Church Hall. Around 30 children came along, and Jeremy was impressed with both the Café and the Hall’s fresh new look. A new Café, La Cantina, has opened in Rose Court. It’s made use of the ‘pop up’ measures introduced by Eric Pickles to promote regeneration, where various kinds of retail outlet, including restaurants, can open for up to two years before gaining the usual planning consent – for example, change of use. However, it did not give the required 21 days’ notice to MKC Planners, who have since visited the Café and asked it to provide the information retrospectively. Steve Clark, also a member of OTC’s Planning Committee, noted that this area of planning was currently something of a minefield, with those setting up new businesses under these measures not necessarily aware of what permissions and licences they need to apply for. Next Meeting - 4th November The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 4th November in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

November 2013

Mercury report for the Olney Town Council meeting for November 2013

Olney Colts FC changing rooms
As reported last month, Olney Town Colts Football Club has raised sufficient funds to build changing rooms, so they are no longer reliant on the facilities of Olney Town FC. The Recreations and Services Committee of Olney Town Council (OTC) had recommended that it be built adjacent to the existing tractor shed and should reflect the style of the existing building. Following that meeting, the colts had engaged an architect to draw up some illustrative plans of the proposals, and he and Ian Stokes were present at the meeting to present these to the council. The building will contain two junior changing rooms, a kitchen, a changing room for match officials, showers and an over-flow changing room that could double as a function room. The entire building will be disabled friendly, said Ian. The plans met with general approval of the council and, having already agreed in principle to the proposals, agreed that The Colts could now proceed to the next stage of producing detailed plans and apply for planning permission. Deidre Bethune asked if the issue of the blocked sewer, which the building would connect to, had been resolved. For information the sewer, which serves all of the clubs and the public toilets on the recreation ground, runs along the boundary of the football pitch but diverts under the fence and private properties before joining with the main sewer in East Street. It is partially blocked by tree roots under the private properties and occasionally backs up and overflows during periods of exceptional use. Jeremy Rawlings explained that the blocked section was the responsibility of Anglian Water, who have admitted responsibility but prefers to reactively respond to blockages on each occasion and will only consider remedial work when it becomes financially advantageous to do so.

Berrells Court resurfacing and drainage
The extremely poor condition of Berrells Court, off East Street, has long been a cause of concern with huge areas of standing water often covering much of the surface. It has never been adopted by Milton Keynes Council (MKC), and according to the Land Registry it does not have an owner. Planning Permission for a new property was granted almost two years ago, and a condition of this Permission was that the road surface should be brought up to standard with tarmac and drainage before construction could start. When OTC last discussed the matter in December 201 2, the proposal was to bring the surface up to adoption standard and seek adoption. The council has since obtained quotes for a tarmac surface with five soakaways but the fact that the soakaways would be directly under the road does not meet the standard for adoption. Town Clerk Liam Costello has contacted the residents of Berrells Court with a view to getting them to contribute to the costs and all but one or two had agreed. Joe Stacey questioned whether the specification needed to be so high for a residential road that gets very little use, particularly now that adoption is not being proposed. Liam agreed to seek alternative quotes for a lower spec. Ben Brock and Deidre Bethune wondered if residents who contributed to the work would be able to claim ownership once it was done. (For a wonderful moment Mercury had a vision of them installing a toll booth and charging the recalcitrant few for access to their properties!) Jeremy Rawlings expressed his displeasure with the whole proposal, declaring it 'a farce'.

Landscaping Services
As previously reported, MKC has recently approved a procurement process to test the market in terms of both cost and service standards, as part of a 'value for money' review of the landscape services, that include grass cutting, shrub, hedge and tree maintenance and weed control. OTC has been asked whether it wishes MKC to retain responsibility for the services, which would be put out to tender, or take responsibility for the services themselves. A working party of Cllrs Evans, Geary, Boardman, Bull and Clark were appointed to look at the pros and cons of each option and have produced a detailed report which recommends that OTC take on the devolved service in house for an initial three year period, employing a part-time worker and leasing any additional equipment required. At the end of the three-year period, OTC can chose to hand the service back to MKC if it does not prove successful. The recommendation was put to a vote and passed unanimously.

Neighbourhood Plan
The Localism Act introduced a right for communities to draw up 'Neighbourhood Plans' that can become part of the formal planning framework for the area. Once adopted, these Neighbourhood Plans form part of the statutory Development Plan for the area and give the local community more say and control over development in the area. They cannot be used to counteract or override existing core strategies but are more to provide a local input to the implementation of those strategies. At a previous meeting, Joe Stacey had strongly urged OTC to produce such a plan and had agreed to be part of a working group to investigate the feasibility. Joe had consulted members of other communities that had produced plans, including Stony Stratford, Woburn Sands and Winslow, and noted that some had obtained significant funding and produced large documents, whereas others had produced smaller documents in house at little or no cost. The working party had recommended that OTC allocate a budget of £7,000 for a Steering Group, consisting of five Town Councillors and four selected representatives of the community, to produce a Neighbourhood Plan for the parish of Olney. A vote was taken to proceed with the recommendation, which was passed unanimously. A point of interest: The Working Party report refers to the MKC Core Strategy, which states that collectively Newport Pagnell, Olney and Woburn Sands are earmarked for an additional 1760 new homes over the next few years. These three settlements were chosen on the basis that they have the largest range of facilities and best public transport links in the rural area. All, bar Olney, have already embarked on producing Neighbourhood Plans, and based on historical growth patterns Olney would be expected to grow by approximately 250 properties in that time. As Olney has been identified as a key settlement, numerous landowners have put forward parcels of land to be considered for housing development. The suggested sites will now be examined in detail to see how sustainable they are, e.g. in terms of proximity of main services such as water, electricity and sewage and also how they would link in to the current highway network. One or more of the sites will then be included in the development plan as being suitable. To this end, most (if not all) of the landowners to the west of Aspreys have put forward plots of land to be considered, and the land thus far put forward is sufficient to build over 2000 dwelling, although this does not guarantee that they will be deemed acceptable and included in the development plan. The action of the landowners is not surprising bearing in mind the considerable increase in the value of green belt agricultural land that such designation would confer. Of course, any development at the Weston Road end of Aspreys would further accelerate the gradual sprawl of Olney towards Weston Underwood. Mercury is grateful to Steve Clark for clarification of the Milton Keynes Development Strategy.

Kitchener Centre
Earlier this year the council had discussed a possible extension to the Kitchen Centre, due to an increase in the need for day care for the elderly. Dr Brian Partridge and Centre Manager Helena Newbould, had attended to support the proposal, and explained that there were then two waiting lists in operation: The first for people wishing to join the service, and at the time there were nine on the list with another six in progress. The second list was for people who already used the centre but wanted additional sessions and that then stood at 12. Since then, the incumbent operator has lost the contract for running the centre and it has been bought in house by MKC. For some reason which was not made clear, there is no longer any waiting list and consequently no business justification for expansion. Debbie Brock, Cabinet Member of MKC with Portfolio responsibility for Adult, Older Years and Health, said that opportunities for additional services that do not involve expansion of the building were being explored.

Parish Wardens
Parish Wardens are employed by MKC and spend on average half a day per week in their allocated parish, performing duties such as enforcing dog fouling fines, supporting the police and PCSOs etc. Earlier this year MKC had informed OTC that it was proposing to 'delete' the six remaining warden posts, only four of which were then occupied, unless the parishes provided funding for them to continue. At the time, OTC requested a breakdown of what the wardens had contributed to Olney over the past few months, before deciding what to do. 23 other parishes had done likewise, and only three had expressed an interest in purchasing the services of the wardens so MKC has decided to end the service from 31 st March 2014.

Odds and sods
Tony Evans reported that a vacancy has arisen at the Ann Hopkins Smith Almshouses and applications are invited from ladies of the parish who are over 60 of age in need of accommodation. Deidre Bethune reported that the organisers of the Big Olney Food Festival (BOFF) would like to extend the event to cover the whole weekend of 6th & 7th of September next year. They currently have no clear plans for the Sunday but suggested it could encompass the Farmers' Market and other events. Steve Clark suggested a meeting between reps from BOFF, the Farmers' Market and OTC Rees and Services committee. Debbie Brock passed on her thanks to The Olney Group (TOG) for another highly successful fireworks display. Next Meeting - 2nd December The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 2nd December in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

December 2013

Mercury report for the Olney Town Council meeting for December 2013

Public Participation
Paul Collins, Chair of Trustees at the Cowper and Newton Museum, was the only member of the public to speak in this slot. After a recent unintended schedule clash between two musical events in the town, he urged the Council to consider implementing a central calendar for town events which local organisations would be free to use, thus reducing the possibility of such schedule related surprises in future.

Olney Dementia Project
The Council listened to a presentation from Joy Oehlman on the Olney Dementia Project, organised by the Friends of Cobbs Garden Surgery and made possible through generous donations from local businesses. It's in response to David Cameron's Dementia Challenge, and Joy is employed on a fixed term one year contract. Olney has a higher than average proportion of older people and, nationally, increases in dementia detection rates (currently 44%) are expected to significantly boost the proportion diagnosed with dementia. Two thirds of those diagnosed with dementia live in the community , with many of them feeling let down and misunderstood by those around them. The Project aims to increase awareness and understanding of dementia, trying to address issues such as shopping - dementia sufferers tend to feel more comfortable shopping locally - and signage. While not the first initiative in the UK, that honour falling to York, it is the first in Milton Keynes borough.

Big Olney Food Festival 2014
Following on from last month, the Big Olney Food Festival (BOFF) has now formally asked the Council if it can extend its September 2014 event to two days. Sunday, the second day, would see the Farmers' Market stalls housed under BOFF's covered area, encouraged to serve hot food and to stay at the venue late into the afternoon. The Council agreed to this request.

Proposed Road Changes
Although only mentioned briefly in this meeting, two proposed road changes have entered their consultation period -the High Street junctions with Yardley and Weston Roads. If you visited the Council's stall at Dickens of a Christmas, you'd have seen their details on display.

Hearing Loop System
As reported previously, the Council has been trying to install an improved hearing loop system in the Olney Centre. This has been progressing very slowly, with an external company having agreed to install a trial system but not yet having done so. In order to guarantee some progress, Councillors voted that, if the trial system was not ready by the January full Council meeting, Jeremy Rawlings would investigate the purchase of one or two boundary microphones and equipment to connect them to the existing hearing loop, thus hopefully providing a useful fixed system for the Council Chamber.

East Street Parking
Parking near the Sports fields at certain times during weekends continues to be a hot issue. Various possible solutions were discussed, and those which seemed most relevant are noted here. Firstly, the Rugby Club has offered an area in the West end of Doffs Field which could be used at weekends for sports related parking. Secondly, Tony Evans suggested the compulsory purchase of the vacant land North of and adjacent to the existing East Street car park, and currently classified as being for housing use. Peter Geary felt that the parking problem was a neighbourhood planning issue, that there was a logical process to pass through and that, since it was a problem for only around four hours per week, there may be easier solutions such as traffic management. He also noted that, with its housing classification, this vacant parcel of land was extremely valuable and, to purchase it, the Council would likely need to request that another piece of land be classified as being for housing use. If this was done, then the money from the sale could be used to fund the purchase of the land adjacent to the car park. Tony Evans felt that having decided to reclassify this land as being for housing use, thus significantly inflating its value, Milton Keynes Council (MKC) should fund the land purchase. The only thing which seemed certain at the end of the discussion, was that this issue will run and run.

Traffic Management Training
Since the Police are generally no longer providing assistance with closing roads for local events, two three-hour training courses are being run in December, which will qualify those who complete them to be able to close roads with speed limits of 30MPH and below. They'll be attended by representatives from various local groups, and from the Council.

Rugby News
Duncan Taylor, previously a junior player at Olney Rugby Club, graduated to playing with Bedford Blues, now plays for Saracens and has six caps for Scotland. Councillors congratulated this major achievement. Next Meeting - 6th January 2014 The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 6th January in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.
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Mercury's reports for 2014

January 2014

Olney Council report for January 2014

Public Participation
Mrs Holsten Local resident Mrs Holsten was the only member of the public to speak in this slot. Mrs Holsten said that she had lived in Olney for all of her 80 years and said that in years gone by there had been a public footpath to the left of ‘The Goosey’ where she had played as a child, but in recent years the sign had been taken down. Mayor Steve Clark said the current map does not show the existence of an official path. Milton Keynes Council (MKC) Ward Councillor Peter Geary said that if it was not on the current map then in is not an official path. He said he would look at the 1929 map to see if was shown on there and if it can be proved that the public have had unrestricted access for at least 20 years it can be reinstated.

Erection of 33 properties off Warrington Road
The council had been asked to consider what Section 106 contributions should be requested in case this application should be approved. Planning obligations under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, commonly known as Section 106 agreements, are often referred to as ‘developer contributions’ and are a mechanism which make a development proposal acceptable in planning terms, that would not otherwise be acceptable. The contribution for this site is expected to be £467k. Olney Town Council has already formally objected to this development which is along the path of the old railway line, behind the Stilebrook Road industrial estate. Some years ago this land was designated for B1 (office) development and permission granted for the erection of 23 units. However, only six of these units have ever been built and the developer now wishes to convert it to C3 (residential) use. The council have objected on the basis that the site:

Is a departure from the adopted plan and is outside the town development boundary
Is incompatible with the existing land use
Is disconnected from the rest of the residential development in the town
Will be accessed via the existing office development
Has poor access onto Warrington Road towards the town centre
Was a speculative development by the developer and just because it has turned out not to be financially viable for commercial use this is not justification for a fragmented housing development
May be required for future employment building for Olney to develop as a sustainable town

It was also noted that the site will back on to the unattended sewage works and when the sludge is collected the stench can last for several days. This will inevitably lead to complaints from the residents, thought councillors. Jeremy Rawlings will attend the next MKC Planning meeting to reiterate OTC’s objection to the plans and recommend a site visit so that officers can see how isolated it is. Returning to the matter of the matter of the S106 contribution, Ron Bull noted that the site would be dangerous to access for pedestrians, particularly students attending the Ousedale Campus and wondered if the contribution should be used for safer access. Peter Geary said that this would be the responsibility of the developer under Section 278. It was important that the S106 contribution does not go into the MK pot but should benefit Olney, he said. He proposed that the recommendation should be for £138k to go towards education, £6k towards allotments and burials and the rest be ring-fenced for social infrastructure. A vote was taken and Steve Clark declared it unanimous, but from where Mercury was sitting some members appeared not to vote for, against or abstain. Perhaps they couldn’t make up their minds?

Access to land at rear of 61 Moores Hill
Councillors Peter Geary, Debbie Brock and Ben Brock left the meeting at this point. The issue of development in the large rear gardens of the houses in Moore’s Hill has been a subject of considerable debate, controversy and accusations in recent years and Mercury does not intend to go over old ground here. In March 2012 OTC were made aware of MKC’s intention to grant an easement of access over a strip of land in Dinglederry at the rear of 59 Moores Hill to facilitate development on land at the rear of number 61. OTC expressed their concerns at the time so the matter did not proceed, although it ‘remained on the table’. The applicant now wishes to proceed and OTC will once again object. Tony Evans observed that this will probably be followed by another, and then another until access is eventually available for the single house and garden which remains in the ownership of MKC.

Neighbourhood Action Group (NAG)
A resident has asked, via the Olney Noticeboard Facebook page, if the minutes of NAG meetings could be made public. Mercury understands that this is in connection with the recent spate of burglaries just before Christmas, although the NAG website states that their three top priorities are 1. Traffic, 2. Parking and 3. Dog Fouling. Steve Clark said that under Thames Valley Police rules put in place when the NAGs were created, all minutes must be published.

Cattle Market car park
Although the Market Place car park is owned and controlled by OTC, the old Cattle Market car park, beyond Punch Opticians, remains in the ownership of MKC. OTC has discussed applying for ownership under the Community Asset Transfer scheme in the past but it has not been progressed. Peter Geary reminded members that if they want to proceed with this they need to start things moving soon, as the window of opportunity may not be open forever. It was agreed that this should be an agenda item next month.

Traffic management training
As reported last month, the Police are generally no longer providing assistance with closing roads for local events and two-three hour training courses were run in December, which qualified those who completed them to be able to close roads with speed limits of 30mph and below. Jeremy Rawlings reported that he had attended one and declared it ‘a complete waste of time’.

Rugby posts at Johnsons Field
Clerk Liam Costello reported that the posts had that day been erected on Johnsons Field as part of the Rugby Football Union’s Posts in the Park initiative. The information on the OTC website states: ‘Across England the build-up to Rugby World Cup 2015 has begun with the Rugby Football Union’s Posts in the Park initiative. Under this programme up to 100 posts will be installed in the 10 English RWC 2015 host cities. Aimed at broadening the appeal of the Game and reaching out to new audiences, Posts in the Park launched nationwide on the 18 September 2013, and has already inspired youngsters from all walks of life to get down to their local park and try their hand at rugby. Over the coming months Milton Keynes Sports Development team will be running activities aimed at getting more people interested in the sport.’

Events Diary
In responses to a number of requests from residents, OTC has created a diary of local events on its webpage. Organisers of any events are asked to contact the council office on (01234) 711679 or email TownClerk@OlneyTownCouncil.gov.uk to get them published. The diary can be viewed at www.olneytowncouncil.gov.uk on the Events tab. Next Meeting - 3rd February The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 3rd February in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

February 2014

Olney Council report for February 2014

Public Participation
Ian Stokes was the only member of the public to speak in this slot. He was concerned about the Pelican Crossing on the A509 near Midland Road, noting that many times he’d seen cars cross the lights at red. He felt this was due to a combination of inattention and plain not wanting to stop, and that, especially since the crossing is used by School children and elderly people, the problem needed attention. Debbie Brock said she’d highlight the issue with Milton Keynes Council (MKC).

Neighbourhood planning
Joe Stacey reported that the current status of MKC’s housing requirements for the borough’s rural areas is that 326 additional houses are required. While that’s considerably less than its previous figure of 1760, he noted that Woburn Sands had indicated it would like no further houses, having already taken significant numbers.

Dickens of a Christmas
Jeremy Rawlings gave a brief update on what was a successful Dickens of a Christmas Day. The weather on the day was very good, and it was generally thought to be one of the best since the event’s inception.

Finance Committee
Deidre Bethune explained that the Council’s accounts had been internally audited and received a glowing report. She then noted a couple more points from the Committee’s last meeting. The Committee had recommended that the Council take out its insurance with AON, which came in considerably cheaper than competing quotes, and this was agreed by full Council. The Committee had considered a three year draft budget and precept for the accounting period 2014 – 2017. It had voted to approve this budget, which will set the precept for the first year at £166,000, a 2.67% increase on the previous year. It would then rise by 1.2% for each of the following two years. Peter Geary felt that planning a three year budget was proving a useful exercise, helping the Council take a long term view of its finances. He also asked Deidre if the budget took into account the planned reductions in Government funding over the next few years. She confirmed it did, meaning that, in spite of the rise in precept, the Council’s overall income would barely rise at all.

MKC budget consultation
MKC had drawn up a detailed consultation document on its budget for 2014-2015 and sent it to its local Councils for review. Olney Town Council (OTC) discussed it at this meeting. Various Councillors felt that the document was so long and detailed that it made it hard to find the parts on which it’d be useful to comment. Peter Geary explained that the detail had been provided in order to allow Councils to see exactly the information they needed, rather than risking hiding information by, for example, gathering too many figures together under one total or summarising too heavily. Jeremy Rawlings noted that, like many other Councils, it was likely that MKC would in the coming years stop its Youth Services budget. As Chair of Olney Youth Centre, Jeremy felt it’d be beneficial for this budget to continue. Councillors agreed that OTC’s feedback would be that Youth Services should be retained, that some of the previously cut bus services should be reinstated, and that it did not wish to see a reduction in library opening hours.

Community Asset Transfer (CAT)
OTC had asked MKC whether it would be possible for the Cattle Market and Fountain Court car parks to be transferred to OTC under the CAT program. MKC had replied in the negative – that it would retain these car parks. From the comments of some Councillors, it wasn’t completely clear why the question had been asked in the first place.

Olney Town Colts FC
As reported before, Olney Town Colts FC is moving towards obtaining planning permission to build changing rooms in an extension to the left of the tractor shed, approximately symmetrical with the toilet blocks to its right. Councillors were broadly in favour of this development, noting a few issues. Deidre Bethune questioned whether sufficient space would remain available for the Council’s tractors and other machinery. Tony Evans confirmed that it would. Peter Geary, aware of ongoing occasional problems with the sewage drainage from the building, asked if the existing drainage capacity was sufficient. Tony felt it probably was not, and that the Council should request plans for both surface and foul water drainage. Tony noted the need to end up with a machinery compound as safe as the current one and with suitable access, without any cost to OTC. Finally it’s likely that, once planning permission is obtained, the land will be passed to the Colts on a long term lease for a peppercorn rent, much as happens for other Clubs’ buildings.

June events
The Council gave permission for the Newport Pagnell & Olney Lions to hold Motorama on Sunday 8th June. Permission was also given for Booze on the Ouse to be held on Saturday 28th June, this year with the marquee located between the tennis and all weather courts, close to the Colts’ planned new building.

Community transport
MKC is consulting about how it should in future provide transport for those who are disabled or have difficulties using public transport, and had sent a consultation document to its local Councils to discover their views. The suggested options included on-demand shared taxis and various volunteer driver schemes. Debbie Brock noted that the existing service was creaking under the weight of demand and not able to fulfil expectations. The Council will feed back its wish that any changes should not result in Olney suffering a reduction in this service.

Wicker runners
Two wicker pancake race runners have been ordered and will shortly be installed in one of the Market Square flower beds. Next Meeting - 3rd March The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 3rd March in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

March 2014

Olney Council report for March 2014

Public Participation
Andrew Harris The only member of the public to speak at this month’s meeting was Andrew Harris of Olney Brass, in support of a funding application which had recently been submitted. Andrew explained that the band is a registered charity that charges adult members £180 a year but is free to under 18s. The band had raised its profile in the last 12 months he said, having given a number of public performances and taken part in competitions. They had also become more financially prudent, but there are number of costs to be met, particularly with respect to running the junior band. Last year they had received a grant from Olney Town Council (OTC) of £2500 but controlling costs meant that they would only need to apply for a £1250 grant for the coming year.

Goosey Fields footpath
At the January meeting local resident Mrs Holsten had asked about the sign identifying a footpath across the Goosey Field which had been removed at some time in the past. The path is not marked on any current maps but the council agreed to look at the 1929 map to see if it was shown on there. John Smail said he recalled that a stile used to exist over the fence on the right hand side before the bridge and the path ran across the field parallel to Weston Road, but it is now blocked and overgrown. Milton Keynes (MKC) ward councillor Peter Geary said that unless there was evidence that the path had been accessed within the last 20 years then the right of way would have lapsed and in order for it to be reinstated the council would need to make a Definitive Map Modification Order. It was agreed not to proceed with such an application.

Parking restrictions
Debbie Brock reported that she had had an email from a resident of Timpsons Row complaining of a number of ‘near miss’ traffic accidents caused by inconsiderate parking at the Coneygere junctions with Palmers Row and Church Street and also at the junction of the one-way system in East Street. The resident had requested that consideration be given to providing double yellow lines at these junctions. John Boardman thought that this was further evidence of a growing trend of inconsiderate parking in the town and Ron Bull agreed, but didn’t think that the Coneygere junctions were particularly bad. He agreed that East Street visibility could be a problem, but didn’t think it warranted double yellow lines. Deidre Bethune was of the opinion that parking in the whole Coneygere/Timpsons Row area needed addressing, saying that she had received complaints from the allotment holders. Joe Stacey observed that Church Street was effectively a single track road for much of the time, due to cars parked on both sides. Jeremy Rawlings said that double yellow lines were not always the best solution as they simply moved the problem elsewhere. Peter Geary said the council must consider if there is an issue that needs addressing and if so it should go through the correct process. Joe Stacey proposed that the council should not take any action and the proposal was passed by a majority. While sympathetic to the problem, the general feeling seemed to be that the resident could take up the issue directly with MKC if they felt so minded.

Thursday Market stall charges
Town Clerk Liam Costello reported that he had received a complaint from the Market Traders’ Association about the recent 5% rise in charges. John Sharp said he thought that 5% was a large increase. There had been seven traders give up their pitch recently, he said, although it was pointed that some of those had been before the rise was announced. Peter Geary reminded members that the rise had been approved by the council as part of the annual budget. Deidre Bethune felt that in future the charges should go up by a small amount each year rather than have occasional, but larger, increases. Debbie Brock wondered how Olney prices compared with other local markets. An important part of being a market town was that we should have a market, she said, so it should be supported.

Veterans’ Day
The Town Council will once again be running this very popular event. The date this year will be Friday 27th June and will take place in the Carlton House Club. Next Meeting - 7th April The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 7th April in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

April 2014

Olney Council report for April 2014

Public Participation
Lesley Viney Lesley Viney was first to speak in this slot, looking at the recent bus service changes from the perspective of Olney youngsters travelling to and from Milton Keynes. Residents under 19 in the MK Borough can apply for an All In One card, which allows them to travel on pretty much any MK bus for 45p. Some of the service changes have resulted in two separate journeys being required when previously only one was needed - this doubles the price. A example is the journey between Olney and Bletchley. Debbie Brock said she’d be happy to follow this up. Mike Totton Mike Totton of the Olney Allotment Holders Association (OAHA) was last to speak. Starting by criticising communication with Olney Town Council (OTC) as ‘ineffectual and inefficient’, Mike then reached the nub of the matter – that the Council has raised allotment rents from £2 to £3 per pole, an increase of 50%. He felt this was unfair and also, having taken legal advice, illegal. He felt the decision had been taken without discussion with the OAHA Committee, representing a break in the agreement with the Chair of the Recreations and Services Committee. He asked that the Council reconsider its decision and concluded by saying that, if it did not, the OAHA Committee would recommend its members not pay the increase. Tony Evans Tony Evans replied briefly, stating that OTC had done its homework and Olney allotment rents were at the bottom of the scale compared to other local councils in the area. For example, Bletchley and Fenny Stratford Parish Council charged £10 per pole. Far from satisfied with this response, Mike and his supporters left the Council Chamber.

Allotment Rents
A Council meeting is driven by an agenda circulated a few days before. As the allotment rent issue had only just come to the fore, it wasn’t on the agenda and, therefore, couldn’t be discussed in detail. However, it was covered very briefly. In summary, Tony Evans appeared genuinely surprised at what Mike Totton had said. He had felt unprepared to respond, and that the way in which he and the Council had handled the situation immediately after Mike’s speech had not been ideal. Peter Geary felt the allotment holders should discuss the issue with full Council. A pole is a traditional agricultural measure of area, equivalent to around 25 square metres. There’s significant variation in the yearly pole rent charged around Milton Keynes Borough. From 2014 – 2015, Emberton Parish Council is charging £2.75, Olney £3, Campbell Park £5 and Bletchley and Fenny Stratford £10 – £12. Looking at what the increase means to allotment holders, an average sized Olney allotment is five poles in area, so the rent has increased from £10 to £15 per year. As John Boardman noted, it’s the 50%, rather than the £5 increase, which appears to be the issue.

Neighbourhood Planning
Joe Stacey reported that land agents Bidwells are representing the owners of various fields West and North West of Aspreys. As part of the Milton Keynes Council (MKC) Local Planning process, Olney will be expected to take in the region of a 250 additional houses over the period to 2031. Through the Neighbourhood Planning process, OTC will be looking to identify where that additional housing could go. Bidwells would like the site comprising the two fields adjacent to Yardley Road, just North West of Aspreys, to be allocated for development, as it could accommodate all 250 future homes. Bidwells is looking to have the site allocated as the location for housing growth, then plan to sell the land to a developer.

Community Asset Transfer (CAT)
Back in June 2013, and after various debates about the current ownership of the Olney Centre, OTC voted for the building’s ownership to be transferred from MKC to OTC (under the CAT programme). Alan Richardson reported that this transfer had moved significantly closer to fruition. After the transfer, the library would become a tenant of OTC. Following negotiations, OTC had agreed a rental figure with the library and, at a later meeting, expected it to be finalised. Alan hoped, at the next full Council meeting, to be able to report that (subject to legal agreement) OTC would be the new owner of the Olney Centre. Tony Evans and other councillors thanked Alan for his hard work on this task.

High Street Parking
Deidre Bethune raised the issue of poor parking on the High Street. In essence, she felt OTC should consider marking out parking bays in order to make drivers park more uniformly, thus making better use of the space available. Debbie Brock (noting that it seemed like Groundhog Day) said that this issue had been included in the traffic review, but the Council had done nothing about it. She also explained that painting lines may introduce a legal hurdle, by giving tacit approval to drivers reversing out into the road. That this issue keeps arising, but has not been addressed, implies that High Street parking is a real problem, but it’s hard to solve. Joe Stacey said the issue was noted in the Neighbourhood Plan, to be surveyed in the summer. No obvious conclusion was reached in this meeting.

High Street Traffic Speed
Recently, the Council received an email expressing concern that a high proportion of the vehicles travelling along the High Street appeared to be exceeding the 30mph speed limit. It cited a clear link between Santa Pod events and speeding vehicles, noting that, while speed checks were often performed on the A509 outside Olney, they were not performed on the stretch in the town. Deidre Bethune was not convinced there was a problem to solve. Speed checks have been performed and, in general, speeding on the High Street was not an issue. Councillors briefly discussed having a 20mph limit but, as Peter Geary noted, the A509 is a trunk road. Various groups, such as the Highways Agency and the Freight Transport Association, would likely oppose it. He suggested installing speed detector tubes or a Speed Indicator Device (SID) on the High Street to gather evidence.

Olney Rugby Club Extension
The rugby club has submitted plans, prior to formally applying for permission, for a small extension to its entrance area.

Defibrillator
A defibrillator has been installed at the recreation ground, and operation training will be given on Tuesday 13th May. To ensure it’s only used in emergencies, a potential user must dial 999, give the unit’s location and, in exchange, will be given a code to unlock it.

Market Place Parking
Liam Costello reported that eight penalty tickets for Market Place parking violations were issued in January and nine in February, The figures for both months are close to the average.

Summer Fun
The Council gave permission for the fun fair to visit the Olney recreation ground from June 18th to the 21st, the Cherry Fair will be held on Saturday, June 28th and the Duck and Raft Races will be (provisionally) held on Sunday, July 6th.

Sewer
Alan Richardson reported that the sewer which serves the football club, bowls club and toilet block has continued to cause problems. The route immediately starts South of the Football Club and runs West beneath the grass, alongside the roadway. About halfway to East Street, it then turns South under the roadway, under a fence and into a privately owned residential property. The Council is responsible for the length of six inch diameter pipe under the recreation ground, while Anglian Water becomes responsible as it passes under the fence and into private property. The roots of the private property’s willow tree have forced their way into the sewer, and this is believed to be responsible for much of the problem. Anglian Water are undertaking a site visit, and bringing a camera to feed along the pipe to allow the extent of the problem to be seen. The problem isn’t new and, as Tony Evans noted, will probably take a few years to solve. Alan stated that the bowls club had recently installed a macerator, something the Colts will be required to do in the new building. In engineering terms, the ideal solution would be to run a new pipe from the football club, heading West, deep beneath the grass alongside the roadway to the main sewer under East Street. However, the position of that sewer, 5.4 metres below the middle of the road, makes this a difficult task to achieve.

Weston Road Play Area
The issue of land slippage in the Weston Road play area continues. Debbie Brock reported that it will be addressed as part of a larger plan to rework the area, making it more sensitive to the environment.

Town Meeting
The annual town meeting will be held at the Olney Centre on Thursday May 8th, starting at 7pm. Members of the public are welcome to attend. It’s your opportunity to have your say, and find out how Olney works. Next Meeting - 12th May The following meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday, May 12th, in the Council Chamber at the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point the mayor decides it is appropriate.

May 2014

Olney Council report for May 2014

Public Participation
Lawrence McCartney There were two members of the public wishing to speak at this month’s meeting. The first was Cherry Orchard resident Lawrence McCartney, who wished to speak about a traffic issue. He said that there is a footpath at the top of Cherry Orchard that is used by children walking to school, and recently he had noticed an increase in speeding cars driving across the footpath as a short-cut to Sillswood. He asked what Olney Town Council (OTC) could do about it. Mayor Steve Clark explained that it could not be discussed at this meeting as it was not a formal agenda item, but the council would investigate and create an agenda item at a future meeting, if appropriate. Susan Hughes The next person to speak was Susan Hughes on behalf of Olney Neighbourhood Action Group (NAG). Susan said the NAG had noted that OTC was considering placing CCTV cameras in the Market Place and said that funding could possibly be made available if it were considered as a NAG initiative. As this was already an agenda item for this meeting, The mayor agreed that the item could be brought forward in the running order for Susan to participate in the discussion.

Election of Mayor and Deputy
Steve Clark indicated his willingness to stand for another year as Mayor and, as there were no other candidates, was duly elected on a vote. Deputy Mayor Jeremy Rawlings said he was happy to stand for another year and was also re-elected.

CCTV on Market Place
The mayor said that this matter had been the subject of some considerable debate at the previous week’s annual Town Meeting. Local police officer Andy Perry had suggested that cameras could be erected and linked to the police control room at MK police station, where they would be continually monitored so officers could be dispatched to incidents. Where it was not possible to get an officer to the scene in time, the pictures would be of sufficient quality to be used as evidence, he said. The images are normally retained for a minimum of 28 days, as members of the public have the right to request any CCTV pictures that they suspect may exist of themselves in that time.
Debbie Brock recognised that some people might be uncomfortable with the idea of placing cameras but said there were “powerful factors” in favour of it. She said it was also important that the equipment should be sympathetic to the area.
Deidre Bethune said careful consideration would need to be given to the number of cameras and the area of coverage. It was important to understand the cost, she felt, as PC Perry had indicated it might be expensive. For information, he explained that the majority of cameras in other locations were linked to the central monitoring room via relatively cheap microwave links, but because of the hill between Olney and MK it would need to be connected via more expensive fibre link.
John Boardman asked what recent incident had occurred that the cameras might prevent or assist in identifying the culprits. The specific incidents that members could recall were the very recent arson attack on the wicker pancake figure, a ram-raid on McColls, burglaries to shops around the Market Place and damage to the door of the public toilets. The mayor said the council needed to decide if it wished to progress with the scheme without committing if the cost turned out to be prohibitively expensive. It would then be necessary to look at funding options, he said.
Ben Brock wondered if it would be worth approaching the businesses around the Market Place to see if they would contribute to the funding. Tony Evans said that when cameras had been installed in the East Street (rugby club) car park the effect had been immediate and dramatic. No prosecution had been necessary because the antisocial behaviour had ceased. He supported the proposal, saying that many people felt intimidated by the large groups that congregated on the Market Square, although there was no suggestion that they might be involved in any criminal activity. The council agreed to continue the investigation.

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A Van at Emberton Park

Councillor Colin Rodden leave of absence
Under Section 85 of the Local Government Act, any councillor who does not attend meetings for a period of six months automatically ceases to be a member of the council unless granted a leave of absence. Colin Rodden is current working abroad and, although due to return to the UK in May, has found it necessary to delay his return until July and has thus requested a leave of absence. One of the factors to be considered when granting such a request is whether the individual is able to continue performing ward functions by phone or email, and in his letter of request Colin explained that he had been doing just that. Whist agreeing that Colin was still actively engaged in council business, Tony Evans said he was not comfortable with council business being conducted by email. Discussion should take place in open meetings, he felt. The council agreed by a majority to permit the leave of absence.

DOFF’s Field parking
Olney has some funding available from MKC for a community parking scheme, which was intended to go towards providing a parking area at the top of the recreation ground and additional spaces in the East Street car park. Instead, the council have been considering an alternative plan to allow limited parking on Doff’s Field, owned by the rugby club. However, this would mean applying for a variation of the planning permission originally granted for use of the field. To that end, OTC had approached MKC for pre-application advice on providing access via Austen Avenue. A response had been received from a planning officer saying that, having discussed the matter with the Senior Highways Engineer, there was not sufficient justification to apply for a variation and they would not support such an application, due to the disruption it could cause to residents of Austin Avenue and Carey Way. If OTC wished to proceed with the application it would need to submit substantial background information relating to the parking problems in the area that had led to the application.
Jeremy Rawlings said it was clear that this officer had no idea of the situation and had ignored a request from OTC, who fully understood the matter.
Tony Evans expressed his desperate disappointment that MKC had adopted such a standpoint and suggested that OTC and the rugby club now get together to submit the application.
John Sharp reminded members that it was MKC that had ordered that Crouch’s Field must not be used for organised sport until the parking situation was resolved, and now they were rejecting a parking proposal which would contribute to that resolution.
John Boardman suggested that a meeting should be held with representatives from MKC to make them fully aware of the issue before progressing with the application, which was agreed.

B.O.F.F. Indemnity
Deidre Bethune presented a request, on behalf of the organisers of the Big Olney Food Festival (BOFF), that the council consider indemnifying them in case of financial loss. A number of members were not happy with this.
John Sharp was of the opinion that it was a commercially run event and pointed out that OTC does not charge the organisers for use of the Market Place. It does not indemnify the market traders on the Thursday market if they have a bad day, he said.
Debbie Brock emphasised her support for the event, saying it was a very good event for the town. She recalled that the council had provided indemnity previously but with the caveat it would not be on a permanent recurring basis.
John Boardman said he could not support the request and thought that the organisers should build up their own contingency fund.
Tony Evans asked if BOFF had presented its accounts to OTC, saying he would not be comfortable granting the application until he knew how much it had made last year, which was considered a success
.
Ron Bull wondered in the event of a loss, who would cover it? And, if there was a profit, who would receive it?
Deidre replied that some of the profit goes to charity, some towards the cost of Dickens of a Christmas and some to building up a reserve. The council agreed that the event could now be extended to three days, but delayed a decision on the indemnity request, pending further information about finances.

Allotment fee increase
As reported last month, OTC has increased the rent it charges allotment holders from £2 to £3 per pole, an increase of 50%. An average-sized Olney allotment is five poles in area, so its rent has increased from £10 to £15 per year. Last month, a small delegation of the allotment holders had attended the OTC meeting and it had also been the subject of comments at the Town Meeting.

Tony Evans said that Olney had not increased its rents for several years and had now fallen behind most other councils. Rosemary Osbourne said that one of the main concerns of the holders seemed to be that they were not consulted, but Tony Evans said the council was not obliged to consult and wouldn’t necessarily do so with other groups. He pointed out that it costs the council £5 per pole to administer the allotment so it was effectively losing £2 per pole. Only four holders out of 140 had attended last month’s meeting, he said, so there was no reason to believe that the majority were not content to accept the increase.
Ben Brock said he had not appreciated that the council actually made a loss on the allotments, and proposed that they increase the rental still further to at least cover costs. The proposal was not supported by any other member. The mayor proposed that the council increase the rent, as recommended by the Recreation and Services Committee, which was carried.

Odds ‘n’ sods
Debbie Brock reported that MKC had recently appointed Carole Mills as its new Chief Executive. Carole has held a number of roles in local government, most recently as Deputy Chief Executive and Corporate Director for Resources at Nottingham City Council. The Parish Remuneration Panel of MKC has increased the allowance payable to members of OTC from £742.23 to £750 a year. However, no member of OTC has ever claimed the allowance. Tony Evans said that he believed that councillors should give their time free of charge and would consider his position on the council if any members claimed the allowance. Steve Clark, reporting on behalf of Emberton Park Liaison Group, said that plans to transfer the leasehold of the park to the Parks Trust were ‘bubbling along in the background’. The park had recently been the venue for a celebration of the Sikh Festival of Vaisakhi, a harvest and a New Year celebration. The authorities were not made aware of the event and it was probably advertised by social media, he said. A lot of litter had been left, and there were reports of excessive noise and speeding, although one nearby resident claimed not to have heard a thing. Emberton resident Debbie Brock said it was great to see the park being used by such a diverse group of visitors.
Steve Clark said comments had been made on the Olney Noticeboard Facebook page about the bad state of the Whirly Pit, and some residents were offering to clean it up themselves. Steve had suggested that they attend that night’s OTC meeting and present their case, but none had. The Whirly Pit is actually the responsibility of MKC, although Ron Bull said that a sign there referred to both OTC and MKC.
Debbie Brock said she would refer the matter to Andy Hudson, MKC Head of Environment and Waste. The fence and hard standing around the football pitch has now been completed, but it appears that it is not universally popular with residents.
Tony Evans wondered who would be responsible if it was damaged by the fair, for example. Would it be OTC, the football club or the Fair? Next Meeting - 2nd June The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 2nd June in the Council Chamber at the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

June 2014

Olney Council report for June 2014

Councillor vacancy
At the recent elections, Debbie Brock stood down as Olney’s Ward Councillor for Milton Keynes Council (MKC). Therefore, she felt it appropriate to stand down from Olney Town Council (OTC) as well, so OTC started advertising a casual vacancy for a new councillor. Members of the public could call for an election for the post and, if ten or more did that, an election would be held. This is highly unusual and, by the time you read this, OTC will probably be co-opting to fill the vacancy.

Berrell’s Court
As noted in earlier Mercury reports, quotes to resurface Berrell’s Court have been obtained, and the council is seeking financial contributions from interested parties. A planning application to erect a pair of two bedroom houses next to 8 Berrell’s Court has a condition attached to it. The roadway must be completed before construction of the dwellings is started. The developer has asked for this condition to be varied to prevent damage from construction vehicles. As a result, the new road would be completed after the dwellings have been fully constructed but before they’re occupied. The intent behind the condition was likely to ensure that the developer makes the agreed contribution and that the road will be resurfaced. When speculating on the likely reason that a condition was thought necessary, consider the background behind the delay building Driftway. After discussion, and some disagreement on the details, Peter Geary proposed that OTC ask the developer to pass his contribution to OTC. The council banked it and sent a letter supporting the variation to MKC. This should achieve the same aim, while preserving the new road surface. It was met with a general in favour consensus

Bus shelter
A member of the public has requested that a bus shelter be added to the existing bus stop adjacent to Brock’s Garage, on the East side of the High Street. Councillors did not generally seem convinced that this bus stop, or the one opposite, was well enough used to justify the expense. However, the issue will be added to the forthcoming review of the recently modified Yardley Road junction.

East Street parking
As reported before, MKC is not in favour of the proposal to add an additional car park at the West end of Doff’s Field. Liam had since asked for a meeting with MKC to discuss it, but their planning officer had rejected the request. There was some frustration, as the need for additional parking was real and clear. Peter Geary felt such reluctance to meet was normal, a meeting was required and the Ward Councillors would offer their support to help achieve it.

Bits ‘n’ bobs
The transfer of ownership of the Olney Centre to OTC, under the Community Asset Transfer scheme, is progressing. The Council Chamber hearing loop system, as temporarily provided by Jeremy Rawlings for last month’s meeting, proved successful, and Tony Evans thought it essential as a permanent fixture. The wicker lady from the Market Square has been sent off for repair and is expected to return in July.

Pink sacks
As reported in the local press, the availability of pink recycling sacks continues to be patchy. The mayor explained that Olney used to have three outlets – the Co-op, the library and the OTC office, with the latter piggybacking off the library’s supplies. Now, the only outlet is the Co-op and its supply is patchy. He asked if Olney’s Ward Councillors would support getting the supplies residents need. Peter Geary felt it was wrong that the library no longer had an outlet and said he’d follow up on this. He would also ask that supplies be delivered to OTC’s office.

What emergency?
Ron Bull reported that progress on preparing Olney’s Emergency Plan had stalled due to most of the three person committee being abroad or unavailable, due to work commitments. He stated that he didn’t want to continue on the committee without more help. This will be an agenda item at next month’s meeting.

Table tennis
An outdoor table tennis table, with free bats and balls, will be placed on the Recreation Ground near the children’s play area for a six week program. If the council want, it may be kept. The issue will be passed to the Recreations and Services Committee. Next Meeting - 7th July The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday, July 7, in the Council Chamber at the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

July 2014

Olney Council report for July 2014

Public Participation
Steve Axtell There were two members of the public wishing to speak at this month’s meeting.
Steve Axtell spoke on a matter that was a formal agenda item, so Mayor Steve Clark invited him to stay for that item and speak then. Brian Rice The second was Brian Rice, who reminded the council that the parking problems in Weston Road and Oakdown Crescent had been going on for two and a half years now, and he felt it was time something was done. He said the situation was getting worse and felt the proposed Sainsburys’ store would only make matters worse. Brian also said that the only solution put forward by the council so far was ‘laughable’ and it was time that they ‘pulled their fingers out’ and got it sorted. Deidre Bethune proposed that the issue was made a formal agenda item at the next meeting.

Co-option of new a member
As reported last month, there is a vacancy on Olney Town Council as Debbie Brock has resigned her seat. There had been no requests for an election from the public, so the post could be filled by co-option.
Mayor Steve Clark said that there were five candidates for the post, anyone of which he thought would make an excellent councillor. The candidates were Chris Shaw, Cassie Knight, Malcolm Messenger, Ben Peters and Sally Pezaro. Each of them submitted a résumé and was invited to briefly address the council as to why they wished to be co-opted, except Ben Peters who was not present.
Town Clerk Liam Costello explained that the council’s Standing Orders had changed so the previous ‘first past the post’ method had been replaced by a requirement for the winning candidate to have an absolute majority. A ballot would be held and at each stage the candidate with the least votes would be struck off the list, until one candidate would be declared the winner. In the first round, Ben Peters had the least votes so was struck off. In the second round, Malcolm Messenger and Cassie Knight tied, so it fell to the mayor to have the casting vote. Steve Clark said that as Malcolm Messenger had polled higher in the first round, it was only fair that he should progress to the next. In the next round, Chris Shaw gained an outright majority and was declared the winner and took his seat at the table. Chris has lived in or close to Olney for nearly 22 years and is currently part of the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group. He is a recently retired chartered surveyor with more than 40 years in the residential market. He is a trustee of Milton Keynes Parks Trust and Chair of Whitecap Ltd, a subsidiary of the trust, which is responsible for all leisure activities in and around Willen Lake. He is a trustee of Greensleeves Homes Trust and has been both Chair and Clerk to the Tyringham and Filgrave Parish meeting. He has played rugby for the Olney Rugby Club Vets.

BOFF indemnity
At a previous meeting, the council received a request to indemnify the Big Olney Food Festival against financial loss, but had voted not to do so. This month, Steve Axtell presented the request again and answered questions on behalf of the organising committee. He explained that BOFF is organised by the Olney Chamber of Trade with the objective of promoting food retailers and producers of the town and to bring visitors to the town. Over the past five years, it has grown in size and in cost, with the majority of revenue coming from business sponsors, fees charged to stall holders and bar sales. He stressed that it is not a commercial event in the sense that the chamber does not make a profit. All income received is used to fund the event, with any surplus going to charities, Christmas trees and other events in the town. As the event is weather dependent, and there are no ticket sales, Steve requested that the council consider providing insurance indemnity against any losses. He said that last year’s event had made a profit of £3500, but this year it would run over two days and would incur additional costs. For that reason, the organisers were requesting cover of £5000.
John Boardman asked what funds the organisers currently had in the bank and Steve said he would provide it after the meeting. Milton Keynes Council (MKC) Councillor Peter Geary wondered what impact the £5000 would have on OTC’s budget if it should be called in, and Clerk Liam Costello replied that there was currently £16000 in the reserves. Peter then proposed that the council indemnify the event, which was passed by a vote of three for and two against. This means that the majority of members declined to vote for either.

Draft Minerals Plan
Peter Geary explained that the current plan proposes a new extraction site in Lavendon Parish, towards Cold Brayfield. It is a ‘dry site,’ so would not naturally fill with water during the extraction process. Therefore, it would need to be back-filled with inert material such as clay, soil and rubble. The rate of extraction would be 70-80 tonnes a year, which would be transported through Olney town centre and the continual backfilling process would effectively double the amount of lorries. Peter expressed his surprise at the choice of this site, as the guidance recommends extraction south of the River Ouse.
Chris Shaw said it is important to find out why this site has been selected against this guidance. MKC are expected to take the plan to public consultation for a 12-week period from July to October but there was some concern from members that over the summer holiday period when many parish councils, including Olney, would not be meeting.

Recreations and services
On behalf of the committee, Tony Evans said that the new fence surrounding the football pitch on the Nursery Field was not universally popular, with complaints being made that it prevented the public accessing town owned land. He asked the council whether the gates around the field could be left open, but also impose a dog exclusion order. John Sharp noted that during the recent Rugby 7s tournament, cars had parked at the bottom end of the football pitch in a similar manner that had originally been proposed as a permanent arrangement, but now abandoned, by OTC. He noted that it had passed without incident. There were reports that Olney Town Football Club has been sub-letting pitches to the Colts in contravention of their lease. The council felt that any such income should go to OTC and not the club and will investigate.

New parking restrictions
MKC have proposed a number of changes to waiting restrictions around the town, mainly around Weston Road, The Knoll, West Street and East Street. The council agreed to support the proposals, so the next step will be advertising the necessary Traffic Regulation Order on which members of the public will be able to express an opinion.

Emergency plan
Months ago, the council embarked on the creation of an emergency plan to be bought into operation in the event of flood, plague or pestilence etc. It set up a sub-committee under the chairmanship of Ron Bull. He reported that it had been very difficult to engage people in the plan and felt there was very little interest in it. He said he was very disenchanted with the whole matter. Deidre Bethune proposed that the council drop the plan and this was passed by a majority.

Hearing loop
As reported last month, the Council Chamber hearing loop system provided temporarily by Jeremy Rawlings for previous meetings had proved successful, and Tony Evans thought it should become a permanent fixture. Jeremy Rawlings noted that for the equipment to be installed, it would be necessary to drill through the wall of the council chamber. This was followed by a protracted (though not entirely serious) debate about how the hole should be drilled, by whom, at what level and which picture of past distinguished mayors would need to be moved to enable it (readers might like to Google ‘Parkinson bike shed’ for an explanation of this phenomenon).

Highly Commended Clerk
Steve Clark announced that Town Clerk, Liam Costello, had recently been awarded a Highly Commended certificate by the Society of Local Council Clerks. Steve presented Liam with his framed certificate.

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Town Clerk Liam Costello receiving a Highly Commended certificate by the Society of Local Council Clerks

Odds and sods
Steve Clark reported that more than 100 veterans had attended the annual Armed Forces Day held at the Carlton House Club and much appreciation had been expressed by those present. However, he was disappointed to note that only two members of OTC were present. Joe Stacey reported that the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group were progressing with the questionnaire that would shortly be sent out. Ron Bull noted that a number of private premises had trees and shrubs extending into footpaths, causing problems for pedestrians. He suggested that members of the public contact the highways department of MKC, where discussions with the property owners had not resolved the matter. Tony Evans said there had been reports of loud music being played on the recreation ground late at night. The police had been called but seemed reluctant to take action. It had been repeated the next night near the old reservoir at the top of Long Lane, where the police had attended and confiscated the equipment. No Meeting in August Next Meeting - 1st September There being no meeting in August, so the next one will be held at 7.30pm on Monday September 1st in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

August 2014

There was no Olney Council report for August 2014

No Meeting in August
As usually is the case, there was no meeting in August.

September 2014

Olney Council report for September 2014

A Minute's Silence
At the start of this month’s meeting Mayor Steve Clark requested that all present stand for a minute’s silence to pay their respects to Police Officer Kevin Leaney, who was tragically killed in a road accident in July.

Public Participation
There were two members of the public wishing to speak at this month’s meeting. The first was Susan Warren regarding the ongoing problems of parking in Oakdown Crescent. Susan said that her husband’s illness and subsequent death had not given her time to pursue the issue but had now ‘got her Mojo back’! She pointed out that Brian Rice had been told at the last meeting that Milton Keynes Council (MKC) Ward Councillor Peter Geary would approach MKC for an update and report back at this month’s meeting.

The situation had worsened because part of the pathway had now become broken up which could cause the tenants to fall

Susan Warren
It was not on the agenda, she said, and was appalled that the elderly tenants had been pushed into the background. She said the situation had worsened because part of the pathway had now become broken up which could cause the tenants to fall. If it happened to her mother she would have no hesitation in taking Olney Town Council (OTC) to task by presenting them with a very large bill. In recognition of the council’s omission from the agenda Steve Clark said he would permit Peter Geary to give an update after the next item of public participation. Elaine Herniman spoke on behalf of the Allotment Holders Association regarding the recent increase in monthly rents from £2 to £3 per pole. Elaine said that nationally there have been press reports of instances of increased rents, which range from successful high court cases where rate increases have been revoked, to rents which are only increased in line with inflation. In November 2013 the Recreations and Services committee voted to increase all other fees by 5% and the allotment rents to £3 per pole but the meeting minutes did not state the existing rate, which could have led members to believe this this would also be a 5% increase. It was, in fact, a 50% increase, she pointed out. Elaine said the Allotment Act 1950 states that rents should cover the associated overheads only and be non-profitable. Since the land for the Olney allotments was bequeathed by the Earl of Dartmouth many years ago there was no cost are associated with the purchase of this land. She asked the council to provide a breakdown of the cost to serve of the allotments, as a figure of £5k per annum had been muted but not substantiated. If the increase in the rent per pole means the allotments are actually subsidising the other amenities, this increase could be deemed to be unfair. She asked that any future rent increase is kept in line with the rate of inflation and more importantly in line with other leisure amenities in Olney.

Oakdown Crescent parking
Peter Geary said that two years ago OTC had put in a bid for funding and had been allocated £10k for traffic orders. It was accepted that this was never going to be enough and if double yellow lines were marked in Oakdown Crescent it would need to be in conjunction with additional parking elsewhere. MKC had considered a number of possibilities including a roadway round The Pyghtle, demolition of nearby garages and creating additional spaces on land known as ‘Jack’s garden’. He said there is an opportunity to apply for funding from the current round of capital schemes, which is open until the end of September and recommended that the Recs and Services Committee put forward a proposal to MKC. It would need a significant amount of money though, he warned. Tony Evans was of the opinion that it should be discussed and agreed by the full council, not just Recs and Services and John Boardman agreed, saying that it was important for all members to be aware of and fully understand all of the options. Joe Stacey said that regardless of who was responsible for the issue OTC should drive the solution and solve the problem once and for all. Peter suggested a site meeting with all three ward councillors plus Steve Clark.

Market Place CCTV
Susan Hughes from the Neighbourhood Action Group (NAG) was present to give an update on the project. She explained that the Police and Safer MK Partnership have purchased a number of cameras and were prepared to give OTC a month’s free trial in order to assess which of the two models to consider. Deputy Mayor, Jeremy Rawlings, asked if costs were available and was told that one was £4k and the other £6k. Colin Rodden thanked Susan for her work so far and asked if a cost for the full surveillance system could be obtained. Peter Geary felt that OTC was right to continue, with the proviso that funding can be made available either by cutting expenditure elsewhere or increasing the Parish Precept.

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Olney Skate Park Request

Berrells Court resurfacing
In 2011 local resident Roy Turner obtained planning permission to erect two dwellings in Berrells Court on the site of some garages. One of the conditions of the planning consent was that the applicant lays a tarmac surface along Berrells court before development commences. The court is a public right of way but is not registered as belonging to anyone, has not been adopted by MKC and the surface is currently in a very bad state. OTC has agreed to take the lead in the resurfacing and will take contributions from interested parties, including Mr Turner who will make the major contribution. Recently Mr Turner obtained a variation in the planning consent to require him to resurface the road before occupation of the properties, rather than commencement of the building. OTC have obtained an agreement from Mr Turner to pay two thirds of his contribution up front to enable OTC to commence the work, with the remaining one third to be paid upon completion. Once again the matter of long term maintenance was raised, although Deidre Bethune cut the discussion short by saying that OTC had agreed to progress with the project, subject to agreement by Mr Turner and it was not a matter for discussion now.
Town Clerk Liam Costello said that because it was not adopted the owners of the adjacent properties would be responsible for the upkeep.
Peter Geary pointed out that the surface was being laid to a high standard so there will not be a problem of pot holes appearing for many years. He added that OTC would be making up the shortfall of the funding as not all residents and businesses in Berrells Court were prepared to contribute.
John Boardman asked if OTC could apply to have it adopted once resurfaced but Peter said the drainage via soakaway would preclude this.
Ben Brock asked what would happen if Mr Turner sold the properties before completion. It was agreed that in that case the final third should be payable on point of sale and the agreement would be modified accordingly.

Tesco deliveries
Concerns have been raised by residents of East Street about the impact of lorries delivering to the rear of Tesco in the Market Place. It appears that Tesco have honoured the promise made to only use small vehicles for deliveries, but other suppliers are using large lorries which are not suitable for such a narrow access. One resident had suggested placing bollards on the pavement to ease the situation. Peter Geary thought that provision of bollards could be requested as part of the current capital scheme but wondered if it was now time to revisit the original request from Tesco to have timed loading bays at the front of the store. Joe Stacey suggested that OTC contact these other suppliers directly, pointing out the problem but Peter thought it was up to Tesco to resolve the matter themselves.

Draft Minerals Plan
As reported in July, in order to meet the required provision of aggregates the emerging MK Minerals Local Plan should identify specific sites for extraction. As part of the ‘call for sites’ process the industry has put forward a total of 14 potential sites for allocation in the plan. Peter Geary pointed out that the Manor Farm and Lavendon Mill sites could result in an extraction rate of 70 to 80 thousand tonnes per year and not the 70 to 80 Tonnes stated in the July Mercury report. He said that MKC had done a poor job in approaching landowners and also the process plants are situated in Wolverton, so it would have made more sense to consider sites closer to there. He suggested that the actual demand might be less than estimated in the plan, so it might be possible to remove one or more sites. Peter will draft a response on behalf of OTC.

Odds and Sods
The existing wi-fi system provided by MKC to the library will be extended to the rest of the Olney Centre, although OTC will have to foot the bill of £3.8k. There was some discussion of whether this ought to go out to tender but Liam Costello said that the extension of the library network from the existing provider would be considerably cheaper than a new standalone system. He pointed out that corporate bookings for the centre had been lost due to the lack of wi-fi. The new fence round the football pitch has reduced dog fouling but Jeremy Rawlings said that it had increased on the Youth Club field. Tony Evans said that there did not seem a great desire from the Rugby Club to support the proposal to allow limited parking on Doff’s Field on match days. Tony Evans said that MKC were not fulfilling their obligation to maintain the public play areas. An officer from MKC had recently made an unannounced inspection and will be producing a report. Next Meeting - 6th October The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 6th October in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

October 2014

Olney Council report for October 2014

Public participation
There were two people speaking in this slot, both on the topic of Oakdown Cresecent.
Sue Warren, whose mother lives in Oakdown Crescent, started by thanking Deidre Bethune for her support throughout this long running issue. A site meeting held in the Crescent, which some of the Councillors had attended, had allowed many of its residents to air their views. She hoped that Councillors could now see how upset the residents were. She also asked if the agreed resolution had been sent to Milton Keynes Council (MKC) and, if so, who was going to chase to ensure it was implemented. Brian Rice spoke next, stating that people in Weston Road wanted their say. He felt that the best solution would be to provide road access to the houses and provide additional parking along the new road. This topic is covered in more depth below.

Healthcare Review
Wayne Rabin, from Healthcare Milton Keynes, gave a presentation on the Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes Healthcare Review. The quality, consistency and effectiveness of local health services need to improve, and changes in demand, for example due to population increase, need to be catered for. Alongside these, there are financial challenges. While funding is set to increase, if Milton Keynes Clinical Commissioning Group doesn’t change the way services are commissioned, it will start running at an increasing deficit, predicted to be £25m in 2018/19. Similarly, Milton Keynes Hospital Trust, running a £13m deficit in 2013/14, would run at a deficit of £31m in 2018/19. Broadly speaking, the strategy is to provide care closer to home, work with Milton Keynes Hospital to help it become more efficient, and look at ways the General Practice (GP) services could be configured to serve patients better. In spite of being asked by various Councillors, in various ways, if there was a plan to reduce the number of employees in healthcare, Wayne insisted that there was not.

Oakdown Crescent
First some background. In a meeting held a couple of weeks before, Councillors had discussed various potential solutions to the parking problem, and decided to put forward the following for inclusion in MKC’s capital programme scheme: • Additional parking to be provided on the land adjacent to 102 Weston Road, and resurfacing the parking spaces along the track from Dagnall Road. • Demolish the garages in the Crescent and redesign the area to provide additional parking. • Introduce a residents’ parking scheme in Oakdown Crescent, not to be implemented without both the above. Back to this meeting, Jeremy Rawlings introduced this topic by summarising the above. Deidre felt it important to make the area safe, noting the poor condition of the pathways due to cars driving over them. Peter Geary explained that, due to what sounded to Mercury like an administrative anomaly, the Crescent and its pathways had not been invested in for some time. However, it had been adopted by MKC a year ago and, thus, defects could now be reported and repaired in the normal way. Standing Orders were suspended in order to allow the Public to discuss the issue with Councillors. Brian Rice explained that, while he felt for those who live in the Crescent and didn’t want to park his cars there, he did need to. He was against the proposed changes because he felt the new parking areas would be a haven for thieves. Instead, he felt that an access road would be the proper solution. Peter Geary explained that a new road around the South and East boundaries of the Pyghtle had been discussed, but rejected due to the reduction in green space and its high cost: MKC wouldn’t build a new road for five or six houses. To get something done, Olney Town Council (OTC) had to be reasonable in what it asked for. The discussion concluded with Peter saying that any scheme would be consulted on before implementation – agreement was needed from local residents. Brian said that agreement on the solution proposed would probably not be forthcoming. One Councillor was heard to mutter ‘Oh dear’ before discussion moved on.

Draft minerals plan
MKC had produced a Draft Minerals Local Plan, and invited OTC to respond to it. Peter Geary had drafted a letter in response, and this was discussed now. The aim of the Plan was to select the sites from which minerals should be extracted, and decide how much from each. Peter felt the estimated amount of aggregate required overall was unrealistically high, and suggested some reasons for this. He also felt that more recycled aggregate should be used, thus reducing the figure further. Finally, he explained that extraction should be as close as possible to the developments for which it was required, meaning that it should be focussed South of the River Ouse. As the Lavendon Mill site is North of the river and there are other suitable sites nearer to Milton Keynes, he suggested the Lavendon site be removed from the Plan. There was general agreement, and Peter’s letter will be sent.

More housing in Olney
Peter Geary and Ben Brock left the meeting for this section, having earlier declared an interest. The MKC Site Allocations Plan is out for consultation until 5th November, and OTC has been asked for its views on the proposed sites for new housing development in Olney. It expects Olney to take around 300 new homes by 2030, and proposes five possible sites: • The strip of fields to the West and North West of Aspreys, excluding Ousedale School, the field immediately to its North, the School sports field and the public field to its West. Indicative capacity 825 houses. • The proposed Sainsbury’s site plus the field over the road to the South. Indicative capacity 74 houses, 46 excluding the Sainsbury’s site. • The field to the North and West of Ousedale School. Indicative capacity 252 houses. • The field between Warrington Road and the Sewage Works. Indicative capacity 117 houses. • The strip of dismantled railway between Yardley Road and Osier Way. Indicative capacity 59 houses. All this information is available for you to see. So, for more detail, surf to http://bit.ly/119osnu, click Site Allocations Plan, download the pdf and go to page 98. After discussion, Councillors decided to wait on the outcome of the Neighbourhood Plan, which will be sending a questionnaire to Olney residents at the end of October, with responses required by the end of November. Results will be compiled by the end of the year, and OTC will submit its response to the consultation then, some two months after the consultation period has ended. Views differed about whether or not this delay would be a problem. Chris Shaw concluded discussions, saying that there’d been no nasty surprises and that the decisions taken soon would define developments well after 2031.

Berrells Court
As noted in earlier Mercury reports, OTC has wanted Berrells Court to be resurfaced and has been seeking financial contributions from interested parties. OTC has now received the first part of the developer’s contribution, so a subcontractor will be engaged to do the ground work for the new road surface, with the surface itself being completed after the dwellings have been fully constructed but before they’re occupied. Councillors voted to accept the quote of £41,550, and to cover its liability of around £5,050 from Section 106 monies. The vote was unanimously in favour, bar Jeremy Rawlings voting against. Peter Geary thanked Jeremy for chairing the discussion so impartially.

Weston Road play area
As reported before, the Weston Road play area was removed due to a mixture of rot and technical issues. The landscaped area that replaced it looks good, but a consultation of nearby residents was strongly in favour of new play equipment being installed. MKC will propose a new play scheme, consult and hope to implement it in 2015. Peter Geary stressed the need to obtain concrete acceptance from MKC that, as well as building, they’d maintain the play area.

Olney Town Colts
Olney Town Colts Football Club have planning permission to build a clubhouse on the left of the toilet block on the Recreation Ground. They had some financial issues related to the VAT treatment of the build which delayed them from building over the summer. That gave them the opportunity to consider whether the location chosen was the best one. Subsequently, they had discussions with the Rugby Club about an extension to the Club building, but these proved not to be feasible due to the location of the main sewer pipes, which run to the pumping station in Austen Avenue through Doffs Field. They are now exploring the feasibility of building adjacent to the Football Club on the Nursery Field.

East Street parking
The need to provide additional parking on East Street has been clear for a while, and plans are being drawn up for parking on two strips, one to the West side of Doff’s Field and one to the West side of Nursery Field. The two sites would stay grassy, with a system such as Grasscrete or Ecogrid being used to toughen up the surface.

Crouch’s Field
When the council obtained planning permission to use Crouch’s Field as parkland a few years ago, there was a restriction that it could not be used for organised sports activity. This was, as reported before, because of the sport-related traffic problems at the weekends. The logic was that more pitches would generate more traffic and more parking problems.
OTC is currently exploring with MKC whether the restriction could be transferred from Crouch’s Field to the Allotment Field, thus moving the pitches on to Crouch’s Field and concentrating sporting activity closer to the clubhouses and main car park. At the moment OTC is getting pre-application advice from MKC, and waiting for its response.

Name change
The Council had received a request for permission to hold Booze on the Ouse on the weekend of 20-21st June 2015. Ron Bull stated that he was offended by the name and that Tony Evans, absent from this meeting, agreed. He’d prefer it to be called ‘Blues on the Ouse’ and wanted OTC’s agreement for the event being held to be conditional on a name change. This was put to the vote and lost narrowly: four yes versus five no with one abstention. Therefore, permission to hold the event was granted, with no condition placed on the name. Next Meeting - 3rd November The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 3rd November in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

November 2014

Olney Council report for November 2014

Public Participation
Sue Warren Sue Warren was the only person to speak in this slot, again on the topic of Oakdown Crescent. Sue asked if there’d been any update since last month’s meeting. Liam Costello replied that there had not, with Milton Keynes Council’s (MKC’s) Highways Department saying that the issue wouldn’t be dealt with until 2015.

Sainsbury’s Planning Application
As reported before, Sainsbury’s has submitted a Planning Application to build a store on the land immediately North East of the A509 roundabout with Lavendon Road. This Council meeting had been held in a larger room than usual in order to allow more of the Public to attend and, given the number of people present for this item, that proved a good decision. Ben Brock, who’d earlier declared an interest in this item, left for its duration. Peter Geary and Ron Bull had sent their apologies and were thus absent from the whole meeting. David Lazenby of Sainsbury’s, backed up by Maria Allaway of GKA, a property consultancy which has been representing Sainsbury’s for this Application, gave a short presentation outlining the proposed development. The site would include, from West to East, a 20,000 square foot store, a car park with 200 spaces, and a six pump petrol station. Customers’ vehicles will enter and leave the site from a new roundabout on Lavendon road, around two thirds of the way from the roundabout to the left hand bend. Coloured high friction road surfacing will be installed at key points, and there’ll be a bus stop on each side. In response to public feedback, Sainsbury’s has added more windows to the store and more trees on the site. There are various environmental measures including the use of LED lights and, for non-potable purposes, harvested water. The Public Consultation, sent to all households in Olney and Lavendon, achieved a 30% response. Apparently, 10% is typical. The responses yielded 79% in favour of the development, 20% against and 1% undecided. The store would compete primarily with Coop and Tesco Extra, and would sell day to day food products and stationary, for which there’d be some overlap with existing shops. Steve Clark explained that, as with all Planning Applications, the decision was not for Olney Town Council (OTC) to make. Instead, OTC would give its views to MKC, which would then make the decision. There was a good discussion on the topic, including some input from Jackie Fitzmaurice for which, being a member of the Public, Standing Orders were suspended. A much summarised version is included here. Jackie, who lives close to the proposed store, raised the issue of the site’s water table being high in Winter, and was sceptical as to whether the fact that the stream overflows across much of the field during that season had been considered. David responded that the water flow had been analysed, the stream could perhaps be dredged if required, and the Environment Agency would in any case state and enforce its view if needed. Councillors asked about night time lighting for the car park (LED lights, 60% off during the night) and how the site would look from various aspects. Chris Shaw drew the discussion to a close, stating that the proposal was pretty good, that the consultation had enjoyed significant support and that Sainsbury’s seemed to have gone the extra mile to accommodate local concerns. He felt that, while there would always be some difficulties around any new development site, overall it would be beneficial to Olney. He proposed that Councillors vote on the issue, and Jeremy Rawlings seconded the proposal. Councillors voted ten in favour of the scheme with one abstention (Rosemary Osborne). So, OTC will write to MKC stating its positive view, subject to various comparatively small caveats.

Neighbourhood Planning
You should all have received a Neighbourhood Plan questionnaire with the previous issue of the Phonebox. To be counted, it has to be completed and returned back to OTC’s office in the Olney Centre by the new date of Tuesday 9th December. A team will collate the returned questionnaires, plus those filled in online – surf to olneyplan.com and click consultation.

Wi-Fi
The Olney Centre now has a public access Wi-Fi system, installed on 27th October.

MKFM
Steve Clark introduced this topic. Local radio station MKFM, www.mkfm.com, has been broadcasting on the internet for several years and has supported various Olney events. It has the opportunity to bid for an FM radio licence and Steve asked if OTC would like to send it a letter of support. It’s notable that, since Horizon was taken over by Heart FM and BBC 3CR has seen various cuts, there is no FM station genuinely local to Milton Keynes. Councillors voted in favour of sending the letter.

The only Town Council website?
OTC’s website is olneytowncouncil.gov.uk. Jeremy Rawlings explained that there was another similarly named site, olneytowncouncil.co.uk, which, while unconnected with OTC, was presented in such a way as to make it appear to be associated with the Council. After a short discussion, Councillors decided that Jeremy should write to the site’s registered address, asking to open a dialogue.

Emberton Park
Steve Clark reported on a recent meeting of the Emberton Park Liaison User Group. The transfer of the park leasehold from Emberton Country Park to the Parks Trust appears to be making no progress. Emberton Park was opened on 5th June 1965, meaning that its 50th anniversary is mid next year. Built on an area which was previously a gravel works, it was the first country park to gain accreditation from the Countryside Commission.

Loud Music
You may remember that, earlier this year, there were a few incidents of loud music being played antisocially at various locations around Olney, including in the playing fields by the river. The person responsible pleaded guilty to causing a public nuisance and had to pay a £1,250 fine plus costs. Next Meeting - 1st December The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 1st December in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

December 2014

Olney Council report for December 2014

Public Participation
First to speak was Timpsons Row resident, Dave Hoyland. He said that residents were suffering from inconsiderate and ‘illegal’ parking and were concerned about the proposed switch of sporting use from the allotment field to Crouch’s Field which they felt would only increase the problem. 90% of the vehicles causing the problem belong to Olney residents ignoring the existing notices, he said, and painting yellow lines would not be an effective solution. On three occasions he had not been able to get his car off of his drive and was concerned that emergency vehicles would not be able to get through to old people’s accommodation. Mayor Steve Clark said the matter would be an agenda item at the next Recreations and Services sub-committee.
The next speaker was Mike Richardson. Mike explained that he was a previous owner of the property that until recently had been Westlands care home. Mike said that there has been considerable speculation about the future of the building which has recently been sold, particularly on the Olney Noticeboard Facebook group. Mike said the new owners were a company that owns a number of properties in the Bedford area that have been converted into ‘half-way houses’ for prisoners to be reintegrated in to the community. His own enquiries had identified that CCTV and security equipment was being installed and the existing residential layout of the building had been retained containing a bed and a single chair. New mattresses had also been provided, all of which indicated that the future use could be as a half-way house. The building currently had class 2 Planning Permission and this would need to be changed to class 2A for such a use, although this could be done retrospectively he said. He said that in his opinion two or three ex-prisoners was acceptable, but up to 20 in the centre of town was a complete “no-no”. He finished by asking if Olney Town Council (OTC) could contact the new owners to find out what was happening. Steve Clark said that OTC would not normally get involved until planning permission was applied for. Milton Keynes Council (MKC) Ward Councillor Peter Geary confirmed that there had been no pre-planning enquiries yet but said that it was possible to apply a stop notice if it appeared that planning permission was being breached. He said that in his opinion Olney was a long way from the services that newly released prisoners would require and this would be made worse with the reduction in the bus service that was Mercury report Olney Town Council likely to happen in the new financial year as a result of budget cuts. Steve Clark concluded the debate by saying that it was sad that it could not continue as a care home, as one of the parties that had expressed an interest in buying the property had wanted to do. The last person to speak was Susan Hughes on behalf of the Neighbourhood Action Group (NAG). Susan said that the free trial of the CCTV in the Market Place was ready to start. The lamp post at the side of the bus shelter had been identified as the best location for two cameras with full tilt, zoom and pan capability with a third just aimed downwards. The council will discuss the trial at a future meeting.

Oakdown Crescent parking
There were no updates to report but Town Clerk Liam Costello said that an officer from Milton Keynes Council (MKC) Highways Department had visited to investigate the reported poor condition of the pavement and found it to be satisfactory so no action would be taken.

Big Olney Food Festival (BOFF)
This year’s event was a financial success, so there will be no need to call in the much discussed indemnity provided by OTC. Sam McCallum was present at the meeting to present the accounts and request permission to hold the event on 11th to 13th September 2015. Although this meant that the event would not coincide with the Farmers’ Market the Chamber of Trade believed a two day event would still be viable. She said that if next year’s event was financially successful they would look to invest in more Christmas lights to run the entire length of the High Street. In the light of the successful collaboration with other voluntary organisation in the town, Sam said she was looking to create an ‘Olney Events’ sub-committee of the chamber which would act as an umbrella organisation to share resources and the first meeting would be held in January.

Olney Town Colts changing rooms.
Present were Ian Stokes, representing the colts and Malcolm Thomas, representing Olney Town Football Club (OTFC). Ian explained that planning permission had already been granted to build changing rooms adjacent to the existing council building on the recreation ground, using part of the council compound. However, he had recently been in consultation with OTFC and Olney Rugby Club (ORFC) about building a combined facility which would allow the RFC under 18 ladies use of the changing rooms. (A number of councillors expressed surprise and delight at this news and Mercury wondered if Satan had also been seen ice skating down the High Street!). The plan is to build an extension on the southern end of the football club so that it forms an ‘L’ shape. In order to benefit from the various grants that had already been obtained it would be necessary to have clear construction timescales in place by March 2015, so the intention was to apply for planning permission before Christmas. Because of this the RFC had reluctantly decided to step away, given that the RFU grant process would almost certainly extend beyond this deadline. Colin Rodden wondered if the combined facility would be likely to exacerbate the already difficult parking situation but Peter Geary was of the opinion that the combined facilities may help with the previously discussed parking problem in Timpsons Row. He was concerned that the MKC planning process might cause delays, though. The discussion then deviated to cover the various proposed parking schemes for the sports facilities, until Steve Clark brought the discussion to a close by proposing that OTC support the revised planning application. The motion was passed unanimously.

Speeding Traffic on Driftway
A complaint had been received about traffic exceeding the speed limit on Drift way, between Wellingborough and Yardley Road, and the correspondent asked if it would be possible to provide 30 MPH repeater signs as a reminder. Jeremy Rawlings said that distance between the lamp posts meant that repeater signs could not be provided. Peter Geary suggested that a Speed Indicator Device (SID) could be installed for a short while. This would have the effect of slowing vehicles down and also recording speeds to prove that a problem does exist. Ben Brock wondered if it would be possible to provide school signs. Liam Costello will investigate both options.

Neighbourhood Plan
Joe Stacey reported that to date 601 responses had been received and the two drop in sessions had been reasonably well attended. He said that a £5k grant is available to cover the cost of a Housing Needs Analysis and suggested that the results of the housing location survey be sent to MKC, but Chris Shaw was concerned that OTC should not commit to a policy based on the results of a small survey return.

Odds and sods
The council gave permission for The Pancake Race to be held on February 17th 2015 and the Duck and Raft Race on 5th July. Tony Evans reported that the gate at the entrance to the recreation ground was frequently being left open. He also pointed out that vehicular access was strictly for loading and unloading and not for parking. The Tennis Club were particularly poor at observing this rule, he said. Steve Clark reported that he had recently attended the Ousedale Awards for Achievement, along with various other civic dignitaries, and the standards get higher every year. He said he had sent pictures of the event to the MK Citizen and was disappointed that they only appeared to be interested in printing stories about badly performing schools. Rosemary Osbourne reported that residents of Chantry Rise were not receiving the MK Citizen. She had contacted their office and been told that a conscious decision had been made not to deliver to the area, although it may be reinstated next year. Peter Gearysaid that MKC’s forthcoming budget for the next financial year would be the toughest ever and there would be cuts in the provision of waste bags, library services and public transport, amongst other services.
The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 5th January 2015 in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

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Mercury's reports for 2015

January 2015

Olney Council report for January 2015

Public Participation
Mike Hughes Mike Hughes spoke first in this slot. Mike represents Olney on the Petsoe End Wind Farm community fund, which provides grants for locally based energy efficiency projects in public buildings or spaces. Examples of grants awarded so far include energy efficient lighting in the Olney Centre and solar panels at Clifton Reynes Church. He said that the fund is looking for new projects to provide grants for, and invited Councillors to consider if there were any projects which would meet its criteria. Sue Warren Sue Warren spoke briefly on the subject of Oakdown Crescent, focusing mainly on the poor state of its pathways. This topic is covered in more detail below.

Oakdown Crescent
Following on from Sue’s point above, Councillors discussed the state of Oakdown Crescent’s pathways. Some Councillors, particularly Joe Stacey and Deidre Bethune were frustrated with the poor state of the pathways and, likely, the lack of progress on the parking problems. Peter Geary explained that the criteria used by Milton Keynes Council (MKC) to decide when pavement needs replacement are independent of its location and use. For example, the criteria for pavement outside an old people’s home would be just the same as that in a general residential area. He advised Olney Town Council (OTC) to attempt to persuade MKC’s Highways Department that the generic criteria cannot be suitable for every scenario and that, in this case, an exception needs to be made and some of the pavement replaced. Liam Costello will request that Highways Department representatives accompany Councillors on a site visit. As a side note, Steve Clark noted that he’d seen the parking issue mentioned in minutes from a Tenants’ Association meeting... over 20 years ago.

Consultation on parking charges in Olney
MKC is conducting a parking consultation for the Borough, and one of its proposals is relevant to Olney: “(To) introduce charges to outer area long stay off street car parks in the older towns, at 40p per hour, capped at £2.40 per day, with the first two hours being free parking for Shop and Go.” It’s believed that such charges would be collected via Pay and Display. If implemented, they could apply to the three Olney car parks run by MKC: Silver End / Cattle Market (33 spaces), Silver End / East Street junction (six spaces) and Fountain Court (38 spaces). Specifically, they would not affect the car parks on the Market Place, at the Rugby Club and beside the Coop. MKC is consulting so it can learn and take into account local views before making any decision. Peter Geary explained that the idea was not a new one, and was aimed at plugging a gap in MKC’s budget – more of which later. He suggested a possible tie in with the Oakdown Crescent parking problem, for example that OTC could respond saying that, if the Pay and Display measures went ahead, the additional parking near Oakdown Crescent must be provided immediately. There were various discussions on the possible effects on local businesses. As background, Councillors also discussed an issue in Central Milton Keynes, where the increased price of the red premium bays has pushed people into the purple bays, price increases in turn pushing some shop workers into the local estates, in turn requiring the introduction of residents’ parking schemes: Overall, had any money been made by these increases? Steve Clark noted that Pay and Display car parks need policing and enforcement, which cost money. Finally, Peter noted that, if this scheme did not go ahead around the Borough, MKC would need to find a £207,000 saving elsewhere in its budget. The general, though not unanimous, view appeared to be against the introduction of Pay and Display. Thus, Liam Costello will draft a response in that vein and also talk with Stony Stratford Council, which is strongly against MKC implementing Pay and Display in its town.

MKC budget consultation
OTC had been asked to comment on MKC’s consultation for its 2015/16 budget. This was discussed for some time, and just the main points are covered here. According to the consultation document, MKC has cut its spending by £68m since 2011 and needs to cut it by a further £70m by 2020, an equivalent of £1,300 per household. Central Government is cutting the funding it gives MKC by over 40% and this year MKC needs to cut its spending by over £22m. While some Councillors picked on certain of the many spending reductions, the overall feeling was that it was not possible for OTC to analyse every line of the very long document. In particular, it was felt difficult to disagree with cut X without proposing a similar cut Y to take its place. Some Councillors felt it may be sensible not to submit a response if it wasn’t possible to perform sufficient analysis of the figures. Peter Geary felt OTC should respond but that the vast majority of the cuts would go through: MKC is running at a deficit now and has no spare money to avoid them. Peter also felt that the internal side of MKC had not been looked at, with middle management, for example, having actually increased. As an idea of the magnitude of the cuts, regular readers and bus users will be aware of cuts made already to local bus services. Peter noted that MKC had so far cut £207,000 of its bus subsidy. It has another £900,000 of bus subsidy cuts still to make. Peter, who as a Ward Councillor is more acquainted with the budget detail, will provide further information to Liam, who will then draft a response and work with Councillors to review and submit it.

Underwriting BOFF
In recent years, OTC has agreed to underwrite the Big Olney Food Festival (BOFF), but those decisions have been far from unanimous. Until a few years ago, it has also underwritten TOG’s Fireworks Night. In this item, Councillors discussed how OTC would approach underwriting future BOFF events. Peter Geary wanted to generalise the discussion, setting guidelines for what events the Council would underwrite. John Boardman and Tony Evans felt OTC should not underwrite BOFF because it’s a commercial operation over which OTC has no control. Tony also mentioned that, after claiming once on the Fireworks Night underwriting due to extremely poor weather, TOG had given money back to OTC and had played it very fair. Colin Rodden felt that BOFF was a very positive event for the town and that its organisers should have the opportunity to give a presentation to Councillors. Deidre Bethune, a member of the Chamber of Trade, explained that this year’s BOFF had been run differently and, while some in the Chamber were unhappy with this, it had made a good deal of money. She felt that BOFF was gradually separating from the Chamber, hoped BOFF could hold back enough money to underwrite itself in future, and noted that the Chamber had little money of its own. Peter Geary felt that once an event ‘has legs’ it shouldn’t need OTC underwriting on an ongoing basis. Councillors voted on a proposal by John Boardman and Tony Evans to consider not underwriting BOFF: Eight voted in favour and one, Peter Geary, against. OTC will write to the BOFF organisers explaining its intention not to underwrite BOFF in the future, and encouraging them to put money aside for a rainy day.

Sports pitches and parking
A Planning Application has now been submitted to move the ‘no organised sports’ restriction from Crouch’s Field to the Allotment field immediately to its South, with the aim of bringing organised sports closer to the clubhouses and car parks. OTC has appointed David Smith Associates to investigate the feasibility of providing additional parking spaces in the car park adjacent to the Rugby Club, on the Club side of Doff’s Field and in the Nursery Field adjacent to East Street.

Swimming Steps
Tony Evans reported that a gap of two to three inches has again opened up at the bottom of the Swimming Steps. On previous occasions this gap has been filled with concrete but, clearly, that does not appear a viable long term solution. He noted that fixing the problem could be expensive. Next Meeting - 2nd February The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 2nd February in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

February 2015

Olney Council report for February 2015

Public Participation
Stan Wicks spoke first in this slot about the problems of congestion at the Coneygere and Church Street junction. He said that cars were regularly parked on both sides of the junction meaning that lorries very often had to back up. He asked that the council consider requesting double yellow lines to be provided on the junction. Milton Keynes Council (MKC) will be informed of the situation. Next to speak was Donna Derby, Director of Transformation and Delivery for Milton Keynes NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), on the subject of the MK Healthcare review. Although Donna was subject to the strict three minute rule which Olney Town Council (OTC) imposes for public participation she managed to impart a huge amount of information and did not read a pre-written statement, so Mercury hopes that the information has been captured correctly. Donna explained that the review had been set up nine months ago to address the clinical and financial sustainability of Bedford Hospital and Milton Keynes Hospital and generate options for delivering high quality, sustainable health services for the residents of Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes. Milton Keynes does not have the same growth profile as other towns, she said. The population is growing (+15% by 2021) and ageing (+45% over 65s in MK from 2012 to 2020). The incidence of long-term conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, dementia, coronary heart disease is increasing as the existing population ages, but increasingly elderly people are moving in to the area to be closer to their families. Without change, Milton Keynes Commissioning Care Group and hospital could have a combined deficit of £56m by 2018. The next phase of the review will:

Develop plans to offer more care closer to home, i.e. move services away from hospitals into GP surgeries or the home;
Carry out further detailed work on the preferred options for the future provision of hospital services;
Develop a detailed plan outlining the practical steps that need to be taken to prepare for public consultation. This plan would be delayed till the end of the year, due to the need to avoid any activities which could be deemed as publicly sensitive in the run up to the general election;
Keep clinical, public and patient engagement at the heart of the Review.

The review of hospital services had generated two options, she said.

Milton Keynes Hospital to retain its role as a Major Emergency centre and expand to include other services, while Bedford Hospital would lose some of its existing services and become an Integrated Care centre.
The reverse of the above.

Joe Stacey said that the Neighbourhood Plan had already identified the need for expanded medical facilities in Olney and this made it more pressing. Donna agreed, saying that a way forward would probably be the multi-purpose health campus providing long term care for conditions such as dementia and diabetes. Steve Clark asked why chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) continued to be such a drain on services. Was it because of historic smoking, he wondered? Donna agreed, but said it was also down to a high immigrant population in Milton Keynes. For further information on the review go to www.shapingmkhealth.co.uk/about/

Oakdown Crescent
Town Clerk Liam Costello reported that Olney Town Council’s (OTC) bid for funding from the MKC 2015/16 Capital Programme for improved parking in the area had been approved and a scheme would be produced for consultation. Rosemary Osbourne hoped that it would include repairs to the pathways as well. Deidre Bethune agreed, reminding members that MKC had already stated that the pathways met their generic safety standards, but OTC did not believe that this was sufficient for an area housing elderly residents.

Windfarm Fund
Mike Hughes was present to discuss with the council any projects of a sustainable nature that might be appropriate to be paid for out of this fund. Tony Evans reported that the Recreation and Services Committee had suggested that a suitable use might be to replace some of the existing Christmas lights with energy efficient LED lights at a cost of about £5,000. There appeared to be no other suggestions and Mike was of the opinion that it would probably qualify, so OTC will make an application to the fund committee for funding.

Mayor’s Prize for Ousedale School
As reported previously, Mayor Steve Clark had attended the awards ceremony at Ousedale School and had been very impressed with the attainment of the students and the range of awards made. He had been in discussion with Mike Barry, the mayor of Newport Pagnell, regarding the award of a Mayor’s Prize for students at the campus within their respective parishes. Colin Rodden supported the idea, saying that anything that forged links with the school must be a good thing. Jeremy Rawlings suggested that the award should take the form of a trophy and a cash prize. Ex-Ousedale teacher Ron Bull expressed the opinion that the awarding of prizes did not actually encourage students to work any harder and Steve Clark agreed, but thought that it might be the ‘icing on the cake’. Steve said he would consult with Mike Barry and the Ousedale Head and report back.

Olney Library closure
Do you care if Olney library closes? Well it probably will do, unless you do something about it. A review of Community and Cultural Services is currently being undertaken by MKC in the light of unprecedented pressures on its budget. The review aims to save £2.75m by the end of March 2016 and will cover services such as libraries, services for young people and children’s centres. It will look at how the public and stakeholders can engage with MKC to explore ‘innovative and alternative approaches to service delivery’. This might include transferring assets such as buildings to community groups or parishes and joining with other local groups to pool resources. No services will be closed immediately as £1.5m has been set aside to fund them while the review takes place and MKC Ward Councillor Peter Geary explained that in previous years a clear pledge had been given that no libraries would close. However, that was no longer the case and unless OTC ‘does something’ then there is a real possibility that the Olney library could close. He suggested a consultation with a sub-group to find out if the residents of Olney really want to keep their library. This was only the first of many similar requests that are likely to come from MKC, he said. Ward Councillor David Hosking was also present and he emphasised that the base budget was being replaced by the temporary transition funding, meaning that the library could close in 12-18 months if OTC does not assist. The OTC purchase of the Olney Centre from MKC under the community asset transfer scheme is progressing and OTC would like completion by the end of this financial year, but OTC solicitors have some concerns which they have raised with the MKC solicitors.

Annual budget and precept
OTC is intending to increase the fees it charges in line with the Retail Price Index for the next financial year. Mercury assumes that this is to avoid accusations of unreasonable hikes when fees have remained the same for several years, as happened this year. This proposal was agreed on a majority vote with no declared abstentions but a few apparent ‘no votes’. The Council Tax Precept (i.e. the amount from the Council Tax allocated to OTC by MKC) will rise from £166,000 to £170,150, an increase of 2.5%. This will equate to an increase in the Band D Council Tax (commonly used as the benchmark) of 1.76%. This was again passed by a majority with one vote against.

Sports pitches and parking
As reported last month OTC has appointed David Smith Associates to investigate the feasibility of providing additional parking spaces in the car park adjacent to the Rugby Club, on the Club side of Doff’s Field and in the Nursery Field adjacent to East Street. Initial plans have now been received and it was clear that there is much disagreement between members on the various options. Ron Bull was of the opinion that the entire thing was money badly spent, when for 95% of the week the existing car park is empty. Why spend so much for 5%, he asked. Colin Rodden thought that OTC should be encouraging people to park in the existing car park and walk to the shops. Tony Evans disputed these arguments, saying that the improved parking would benefit everyone and not just the sports clubs. The plans had the potential to provide over 100 additional spaces, he said, and proposed that the next step should be to draw up a proper specification and get competitive quotes for the work. Peter Geary supported the proposed layouts and said that OTC should consult with residents once proper plans are available.

Ousedale School Admissions Policy
Although not part of the agenda, this was raised by Deidre Bethune under the item of Member’s Matters. Deidre said she was concerned that the school was intending to introduce a new admissions policy that would give priority to students attaining grade 2 in music for 10% of the places. The Neighbourhood Plan had already identified concern that the school was reaching capacity and local children might not get places and this latest proposal increased that possibility. David Hosking said the criteria seemed to be based on ‘aptitude’ rather than ability but because Ousedale is now an academy it is outside of MKC control. Peter Geary said he was not against the proposals so long as Ousedale intends to expand by 10% to cope with it, as local children will be disadvantaged. Colin Rodden expressed disappointment that the school had not consulted with OTC before publishing the proposals. Steve Clark noted that the consultation period ends on 24th February and proposed that a holding letter be sent requesting that the proposal is not implemented. A member of the governing body and a member of staff will be invited to the March OTC meeting to discuss the proposed changes

Odds and Sods
A request from Newport and Olney Lions to hold Motorama on the Market Place on 14th June was approved. A request from John Scarrott and Sons to hold the annual fun fair on the recreation ground from 17th to the 20th of June was initially approved, until it was pointed out that the council had already given permission to Olney Town Colts to hold their annual BOTO on the same weekend. Liam Costello said he would discuss with the various parties involved to reach agreement. The owner of 15 Kippell Hill has applied to MKC to purchase a plot of land to the front and side of his property. OTC agreed to support the request with the proviso that it is not used for building. Three members of staff have now received Speed Indicator Device training. This includes correct ladder climbing techniques so they will be able to install the Speed Indicating Devices discussed last month. Next Meeting - 2nd March The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 2nd March in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

March 2015

Olney Council report for March 2015

Public Participation
Richard Freeman Richard Freeman spoke on behalf of Sport for Willen Hospice. A group of riders aim to cycle an 800 mile route from Paris to Nice in eight days starting on the 18th September. The target is to raise £100,000 for Willen Hospice, itself facing a £500,000 deficit this year. He asked if Olney Town Council (OTC) would consider a contribution towards the group’s target. The Council discussed this later in the meeting and, in a vote proposed by Deidre Bethune, voted unanimously to donate £1,000. For more information, including how to donate, surf to rideforwillen.co.uk. Brian Rice Brian Rice spoke next, on the long running topic of parking in Oakdown Crescent. He asked when, now that Milton Keynes Council (MKC) has allocated a sum of money to address the problem, consultation with nearby residents was going to take place. This was discussed later in the meeting, with Liam Costello reporting that MKC Officers have recommended that a scheme for improvements in Oakdown Crescent be included in their Capital Schemes for 2015-16. This recommendation is subject to Cabinet Member approval scheduled for 17th March. Peter Geary explained that, once approved, Officers will design one or more schemes, and consult OTC and the Public prior to implementation.

Ousedale admissions consultation
As reported in last month’s Phonebox, the original admissions proposal will be amended to give priority to children within the catchment area, with only those from outside and applying for one of the limited number of musical aptitude places needing to sit a separate test. This change was announced in a meeting held at Ousedale’s Newport Pagnell Campus on 24th February. The change and the way the consultation was conducted raised a few issues which Councillors now discussed. During the meeting at the School, Sue Carbert, head teacher, appeared to say that Olney’s Ward Councillors had made ‘illegal’ comments in relation to the issue. Having taken legal advice and believing they’d done nothing wrong, the three Ward Councillors followed this up with a letter to Sue asking her to clarify her comments. Since this Council meeting took place, the School has replied saying that the Councillors had not done anything illegal. In terms of the proposal itself, Councillors appeared relieved that it’d been amended, although there was frustration at what they saw as the poor quality of the consultation, and concern that the School perhaps did not appreciate the scale of expansion planned within its catchment area over the next 10 years and the effect this would have on pupil numbers. Finally, David Hosking explained that the musical test would specifically measure aptitude as opposed to ability, measurement of the latter for admissions purposes being illegal under that Schools’ Admission Code. So, for example, the test may involve questions about and appreciation of music, but will not take into account grade exams.

Westlands
As reported in an earlier Mercury, Westlands, on the A509 opposite the Market Place, has been sold. There’s been a good deal of rumour concerning its future use, much centring on it becoming a ‘half-way house’. The building is now owned by the Marks Trust who, as well as assuring OTC that it was not responsible for the rumours, wishes to convert the building into apartments. MKC was apparently not supportive of the idea, citing the lack of nearby residential parking. The Trust had asked OTC for its view and, after a brief discussion, the Council decided to defer expressing an opinion until a Planning Application was received.

BOTO and fair date clash
John Scarrot had asked OTC if he could bring the fair to the Recreation Ground for the long weekend of Friday 19th to Sunday 21st June. This period coincides with Booze on the Ouse (BOTO) and concerns were expressed about the clash, mainly that the sound of the fair would affect BOTO’s Friday Comedy Night. Due to these concerns, OTC will respond that the fair can be held on the Recreation Ground but on a different weekend or, subject to later consultation, on the same weekend but on Johnson’s Field or, scaled down, the Pyghtle.

Community Asset Transfer
As reported before, the Olney Centre is being transferred to OTC under the Community Asset Transfer scheme. This is taking a while, mainly due to legal wrangling between solicitors, but the aim is to complete the transfer in March. As such, and in order to avoid a further delay until the next full OTC meeting, Councillors agreed that a small group of Councillors would have authority to make the final decision then report back to full Council.

Neighbourhood Plan
Joe Stacey reported that the returned questionnaires, containing over 5,200 comments on 27 different subjects, were now being analysed and that, for each subject, a summary will be written. He then explained that the number of new houses planned for Olney was based on the town’s share of the total number planned for rural areas by the MK Core Strategy. It now appears that Newport Pagnell may take considerably more than its planned number of new houses and, as such, there may be some flexibility in the number of such houses required in Olney. Finally, he noted that the Bedfordshire Railways and Transport Association (BRTA) has, over the years, kept an eye on the original track bed of the long closed Northampton-Olney-Bedford line, objecting to developments which could prevent it from being reopened. Joe explained that, as both the Government and Northampton County Council had contacted BRTA, rejecting its proposals to reinstate the line, there was no point in referring to the matter in the Neighbourhood Plan.

East Street car park
As reported before, OTC is investigating the provision of additional car parking spaces, primarily to reduce the parking problems which arise at times during weekend sports events. Detailed drawings have now been received for the proposed changes to East Street car park, adjacent to the Rugby Club. In summary, the drawings show that 161 marked spaces could be provided in five rows running East to West, 49 more spaces than currently. The changes required to achieve this include removing the row of trees along the North side of the car park (33 spaces), removing the row of trees along the West side (11 spaces) and removing the central raised area. Joe Stacey questioned whether further spaces could be accommodated if the car park was made one way. Residents living immediately to the West of the car park have already expressed concern about the trees on that side being removed. Also, another nearby resident has requested that MKC widely publish its proposals for both the East Street car park and the additional car park on the West side of the Recreation Ground.

Warrington Road development
As previously reported, MKC has granted Outline Planning Permission for the small parcel of land, immediately North West of the Warrington Road office development and South East of the sewage works, to be changed from employment use (category B1, office) to residential (C3). OTC was, as usual, asked for its views on the Application, and gave various reasons it thought it should be rejected. Anglian Water runs the sewage works and was thus consulted on the Application. It responded thus: “Our initial odour risk assessment indicates that there is potential for loss of amenity at sensitive property within the proposed development due to odour emissions from the operation of the Water Recycling Centre (WRC). This WRC is operated in compliance with the appropriate regulatory standards and in accordance with established best practice; however, the process is inherently prone to short periods of relatively strong odorous emissions, against which there is little practical mitigation.” However, the MKC Officers’ report on the application, in its Consultations and Representations section, stated simply that Anglian Water had cited “No objection”. Joe Stacey felt this was a misrepresentation of their response. Peter Geary stated that the Planning Permission could not be overturned because it has been more than twelve weeks since the decision was made, that being the limit before which any Judicial Review to challenge it must start. He suggested instead that OTC make a formal complaint to MKC. What would happen then is unclear, though post meeting questions suggested that MKC does have powers to overturn the decision if it felt that there was something significantly wrong in the way it had been taken, but that may expose them to paying compensation to the applicant.

Bits’n’bobs
Martin Ward, Head Groundsman, has retired and OTC is recruiting for his replacement. MKC has withdrawn its proposal to impose charges for using its car parks in the outlying areas of Milton Keynes Borough, and is developing a parking strategy. Peter Geary believed that, while this proposal was unlikely to reappear in next year’s budget, there was no guarantee that it would not re-emerge after that. The Police Office closed for the last time on Monday 16th March, and there’ll now be a mobile Police Office visiting Olney on Mondays and Fridays, 10.30am - 12.30pm starting on Friday 20th March. Steve Clark reported that plans for the Sainsbury’s store are still moving forward. Peter Geary gave a brief outline of some of the anticipated MKC budget cuts. A review of Libraries and Children’s Centres will start in April, and although there’s been no pledge on Library opening hours, there is a pledge that no Library will close. The bus service cuts, initially a very significant £900,000, will now be £150,000. Council tax is expected to increase by around £1.95%, and black bin bags will no longer be provided.

Walk
Steve Clark explained that Mick Rogers, from Burton Latimer, has just started the 5,500 mile walk from Kettering to Kilimanjaro. He’s aiming to average around 25 miles per day, then climb up Mount Kilimanjaro itself. He expects this to take around five and a half months and is hoping to gain the record for a person of his age, 50 years, for the climb. He’s doing the walk with the aim of raising £55,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support. Steve had met him in Olney on his first overnight stop. Next Meeting - 13th April The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 13th April in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the Public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

April 2015

Olney Council report for April 2015

Public Participation
Shaun O'Reilly First to speak was Shaun O’Reilly on the subject of proposed expansion of the Olney Town Council (OTC) owned car park, known locally as the Rugby Club car park. A number of improvement schemes have been suggested and Shaun, whose house backs on to the car park, was concerned about one of them which involves removal of some trees. The houses in East Street benefit from the privacy and security that these trees provide, he said. The area is also a meeting point for skateboarders and the trees provide a noise barrier to the ‘shrieking’ which can often go on to the early hours. The trees had a more aesthetic quality than a fence, he suggested. Town Clerk Liam Costello replied that OTC had been back to the consultants responsible asking for an increase in car parking spaces that would not involve removal of the trees. Joe Stacey said that the various options will be considered at a future meeting of the Recreations and Services committee. Elaine Herniman Second to speak was Elaine Herniman regarding the Community Allotment which has been running since the end of last year. The Community Allotment is run by a volunteer committee with the aim to give people who would not normally work on an allotment, such as children or disabled people, a chance to experience it. The committee have already been successful in obtaining grants for the first phase and now want to move on to the second phase, which involves building a poly-tunnel to provide a multipurpose environment to grow produce all year round, but also to have a warm and protected area for education and environment projects. The tunnel would be slightly larger than the 8’ x 10’ limit which currently applies to erections on the allotment. The matter was later discussed as a formal agenda item and unanimously agreed.

Alan Richardson
Before the start of the formal section of the meeting a minutes silence was held for Councillor Alan Richardson who had recently passed away. Apart from being a councillor, Alan was a local historian and popular member of the community. Mayor Steve Clark said that there had been a large attendance at Alan’s funeral and in recognition of his huge commitment to the Olney Centre Steve thought that it would be fitting to provide some sort of memorial there, perhaps a plaque on the wall in the Garden Room. The members agreed unanimously to proceed with a suitable memorial.

Recreation ground play area
Liam Costello reported that there had been little progress on the plans for Milton Keynes Council (MKC) to replace the play equipment and that MKC had fallen behind with the work. Deidre Bethune said that OTC must push for a resolution and Colin Rodden agreed, saying that the young people of the town do not ask for much and with summer approaching it was important to have a target date for completion.

Austen Avenue parking problems
John Boardman reported on his recent experience of the thoughtless and selfish parking by some users of the sports facilities on the recreation ground and Charity Field. On a recent Sunday the entrance to the pumping station was blocked, despite a sign saying 24 hour access required and cars were parked head to tail on the grass and the pavement and in the turning area at the bottom of the Task. John said he had observed a police officer giving out tickets who told him he had almost run out of tickets and had not yet dealt with the cars parked on double yellow lines. John said he had been approached by mothers with prams and mobility scooter users frustrated and annoyed that nothing is being done to resolve the problem. John said he didn’t think it was enough for OTC to rely on the provision of extra parking spaces to resolve the problem and people are looking for action now, possibly by more police involvement. Jeremy Rawlings thought that the sports clubs need to take more responsibility for informing their users about correct parking and said it had been discussed many times at the Joint User Group. Colin Rodden said it was great that the sports clubs were so successful and popular, but maybe if the police continue ticketing then the word may get around. Deidre Bethune said that an ‘A’ board is often displayed by the allotments and maybe consideration should be given to providing some in Austen Avenue. Ron Bull wondered whether a leaflet campaign on windscreens might help. Chris Shaw felt that the proposed addition 74 spaces would help as users would want to park as close as possible to the sports facilities, but John Boardman was not convinced, saying that people will tend to park where they know spaces exist, having seen the same cars in the same position each week.

Sainsbury’s planning gain
Sainsbury’s have now formally applied for planning permission to build a new store at the north end of the town. Planning obligations under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, commonly known as s106 agreements, are a mechanism which makes a development proposal acceptable in planning terms that would not otherwise be acceptable and are often referred to as ‘developer contributions’ or ‘planning gain’. Although MKC specifies a number of services on which the money is to be spent, there is scope to seek an additional contribution for out of town supermarkets to mitigate the impact on existing town centres. Before he and Ben Brock left the meeting, having declared an interest, Peter Geary said that OTC should ensure that as much of the social infrastructure funding as possible should stay within Olney and is not used in the wider MK. The MKC Passenger Transport Manager has requested £20k be spent towards provision of two real-time bus information displays and two bus shelters on Lavendon Road. Deidre Bethune thought the displays to be a waste of time and money as there are no longer enough buses to justify them, although Chris Shaw disagreed. One of the categories specified by MKC is for public art, which Jeremy Rawlings suggested could be used for some decent art on Whirly Pit roundabout. Steve Clark proposed that a bid should be made to retain the voluntary sector and public art contribution to be spent within Olney which was agreed unanimously.

Cleaning the war memorial
It is some years since the war memorial was given a ‘wash and brush-up’ and it is now in need of cleaning again. An estimate of £2.7k has been received, which some members questioned and Deidre Bethune wondered if the British Legion might be asked to contribute. Joe Stacey wondered if it could be done with a pressure washer but Deidre said it needs to be carefully and professionally done in order to protect the lettering. Peter Geary said that the British Legion exists to support veterans and their families and this would not be a correct use of their funds. John Boardman agreed, saying that the memorial is an important part of the town and OTC would be expected to pay for the cleaning. £2.7k is a reasonable price, he felt. Steve Clark proposed that OTC pay for the cleaning, which was passed unanimously. A short discussion followed concerning the MKC policy of using weed killer to prevent the grass growing in areas where it would be difficult to cut. Peter Geary thought that it looked unsightly, particularly around the war memorial. He said OTC should consider using the trainee groundsman to strim in such areas to avoid the ‘scorched earth’ appearance.

Housing development near to sewage works
Last year MKC approved a planning application for 33 dwellings with access from Yardley Road in Olney on the Land at Warrington Road and Osier Way, despite a number of objections from OTC and comments from Anglian Water, who operate the sewage works adjacent to the land. Anglian Water stated that the treatment process at the sewage works is inherently prone to short periods of “strong odorous emissions” (translation: Stink!) and the noise from the pumping station would affect properties within 15 metres and suggested a condition there be no development within 15 metres of the boundary. OTC’s objection included the fact that the proposed houses would be remote from the rest of the town and its services and that enquiries by the developer as to the need for further employment development had taken place during a recession and subsequent building of houses on the land would preclude any future business development when the recovery came. The land previously had planning permission for business use but the applicant successfully argued that there was no demand for additional employment use and permission was thus granted for residential use. The planning officer had ignored OTC’s objections and summarised Anglian Water’s comments as ‘No Objection’. The developer has now submitted an application for a further 33 residential properties on the site, which has been refused by MKC, primarily because it is outside of the planning boundary, but the report also apparently used some of OTC’s objection to the initial development as justification. Ward Councillor Peter Geary suggested that OTC make a formal complaint to MKC as to the manner in which the initial application was dealt with, since the refusal will probably be subject to an appeal which could go to a public enquiry. If the appeal was successful it could open the flood gates to a number of similar applications, he thought. He noted that the planning officer and management team who passed the original plans were no longer employed by MKC so it was unlikely that there would be any comeback. Chris Shaw felt that it was important to get an admission from MKC that an error had been made in granting the original application, as that might influence any appeal on the second phase. Steve Clark proposed that OTC lodge a formal complaint, which was passed unanimously.

VE Day 70th anniversary
The council have received a government request to participate in celebrations to mark the 70th anniversary of VE day. The beacon at the top of Barnfield will be lit at 21:30 on Friday 8th May and the public are invited to attend.

Town Meeting
The Annual Town Meeting will take place on Thursday 14th May at 7:00 in the Olney Centre and all registered electors of the Parish are invited to attend. It is your chance to meet your councillors and quiz them on any local matters of concern you may have.

Odds and Sods
The transfer of the Olney Centre to OTC under the Community Asset Transfer scheme is being delayed due to ongoing discussions between the solicitors representing OTC and MKC. Peter Geary thought it a travesty that the late Councillor Alan Richardson, who did so much for the centre, did not live to see it completed. Colin Rodden said he had been in discussion with MKC about the siting of the green cabinets used to provide high speed broadband outside the building previously used as the police office. He felt that the larger of the two presented an obstruction to people using the crossing point and should have been placed against the wall, not in the middle of the pavement. It appears that the MKC officer responsible had been out of the office when Colin first contacted him and as a result the contractors had placed it in its present position. As Openreach had now connected all of the infrastructure it would now be very difficult to move and would likely be in position for the next 10 years or more. Of course, if a large vehicle were to accidentally hit it, mused Mercury….. A presentation on the trial of the Market Place CCTV trial was due to be given at the June meeting, but Peter Geary requested that it should happen at the May meeting instead, due to the impending retirement of Community Policeman Andy Perry. If any members are wavering in their support of the scheme they should visit the MK police control room to see it in action, he suggested. Martin Ward will be retiring as Head Groundsman in May and the council have appointed Bob Marshall as his replacement. He will work with Martin during May to ensure a smooth handover. John Scarrot has been invited to visit Johnson’s Field with a view to deciding whether it is a suitable alternative venue for the annual fair, but has not yet done so. Planning permission has been granted for Crouch’s Field to be used for sporting activities. Saturday June 6th marks the 50th anniversary of the opening of Emberton Park and there will be a public open day running from 10:00 to 16:00, Steve Clark reported. Next Meeting - 11th May The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 11th May in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

May 2015

Olney Council report for May 2015

Public Participation
Ian Stokes Ian Stokes spoke on behalf of Olney Town Colts Football Club, which has around 320 children in teams from under six to under 18 years. As reported before, the Colts had originally planned to build their changing facility on to the South end of the toilet block and tractor shed compound and had obtained Planning Permission from Olney Town Council (OTC) to do so. Then, the Colts had proposed an alternative: Olney Football Club (OFC) has senior teams, and the Colts could build on to OFC’s existing Club building. But, after around six months of planning and associated expense, on 5th May OFC advised the Colts that it could no longer afford to continue with its part of the project. The associated delay means that the Colts are facing the potential loss of the associated grants and sponsorship, and are thus keen to move quickly while the funding remains available. Ian outlined three options: revert back to the original compound site, seek an alternative location, or postpone the project. Since further delay would risk the existing funding, and it had taken significant effort to get that funding, he felt neither of the latter options was viable. So, he now sought OTC’s confirmation that it was still acceptable for the Colts to build on to the compound, under the Planning Permission they had obtained originally. Ian was aware that, due to how recently the situation had changed, there was insufficient time for this item to appear on this month’s agenda and, thus, Councillors did not discuss it in full. However, in terms of the key point – whether the Colts still had the go-ahead to build on to the compound – Steve Clark appeared to say that they did not. Following up after the meeting, the Council said that, although the original Planning Permission for the Colts to build on to the compound remains valid, Olney Town Council withdrew its permission for them to do so when the Planning Permission for building on to the existing Football Club was given. Further, it felt that some calm reflection on the changed circumstances and different views, including its own changed needs, was required rather than to rush into a decision which might not be the best way forward for all concerned. Despite being asked if he’d like to speak, Tony Evans, Chair of the Recreations and Services Committee, was silent on this issue. Presumably, we’ll hear more next month.

Co-option
OTC has a vacancy for which four candidates had applied. Of these, one had withdrawn and the remaining three each gave a brief talk to explain why they should be co-opted onto the Council. The first, Malcolm Messenger, had been a Policeman in Olney and then Alderney and, having served on OTC before, was keen to do so again. Sally Pezaro, with background as a midwife, was young and felt she could help OTC serve that demographic better. Catherine Rose, a local musician, business owner and Green Party member, focussed on education and the arts, and had fundraised for Cobbs Garden Surgery. Councillors voted and, of the 12 present, eight voted for Sally Pezaro who, being the clear winner, signed up and took her seat alongside the other Councillors.

Oakdown Crescent
Although, unusually, none of the interested parties was in the Public area to hear it, Liam Costello updated Councillors on progress towards alleviating the parking issues in Oakdown Crescent. Liam had spoken with Rob Ward, Milton Keynes Council (MKC), and confirmed that approval to spend the money had been given. A scheme is now being designed, which will then need to be consulted on before any work was done. Along with Deidre Bethune, Joe Stacey was frustrated with the slow progress, and pushed Councillors to ask for firm dates. Peter Geary explained that Rachel Kingsley, Head of Highways Services at MKC, was now on long term sick leave and that her role had been taken over by David Hall, who was now trying to get a grip of various capital projects which appeared to be ‘going nowhere’. He suggested OTC contact him to arrange a meeting and get firm dates for the preliminary design to be completed and the consultation to start, and an anticipated date for the construction to start.

Footpath
As reported before, the informal right of way, from Austen Avenue alongside Doff’s Field to the river bank then South to the Clifton Reynes bridge, will likely become a Public footpath. The Order to make this change has been submitted to the Secretary of State for consideration. Anyone who wishes to make any comment or objection, even one they’ve made before, needs to submit it by 21st July, in writing to Jean McEntee, The Planning Inspectorate, Rights of Way Section, Room 3/25 Hawk Wing, Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Temple Quay, Bristol BS1 6PN. Ron Bull asked if the Fishing Club, which currently maintains some footbridges on which the path relies, would receive any financial recompense for this work. Peter Geary replied that, when the footpath was agreed, the Club should contact MKC to see what it proposed. Apparently a typical arrangement is that the Council provides the materials while the landowner, or in this case the Fishing Club, provides the labour.

Elections
Steve Clark was re-elected Mayor and Jeremy Rawlings his deputy, both unopposed. Elections complete, the main part of the meeting could get underway.

Olney Centre
Deidre Bethune reported that the Community Asset Transfer of the Olney Centre was now complete and, thus, it was now Olney Town Council’s. She, along with other Councillors, noted how sad it was that Alan Richardson, who’d done much of the work to reach this point, didn’t live quite long enough to see the result.

Swimming Steps
A gap has been opening up in the Swimming Steps, between the bottom and next step, due to the flow of the water past them. It’s now reached around four inches and, as reported before, the Council has been investigating how to repair it. The option being discussed is sheet piling, where a group of piles is driven into the ground close together to resist the pressure of the water.

Susan Hughes
Susan Hughes has been awarded a Local Policing Area Commander’s Commendation for her role and work in connection with the Olney Neighbourhood Action Group and MK Safer Neighbourhoods Delivery Group, both of which have made a significant contribution to the residential and business communities of Olney. The award ceremony will take place on 11th June at Milton Keynes Police Station.

Recreation Ground play area
As reported late last year, OTC hopes that improvements can be made to the Recreation Ground play area. The approx. £100,000 of improvements originally planned relied on MKC receiving half the amount as matched funding. This was expected to come from a Waste Recycling Environmental (WREN) Grant but, as there are no applicable, for example landfill, sites close enough to Olney, that source is unavailable. Instead, and after some delay, MKC has recently applied to Biffa Waste Services for the matched funding. This application may or may not be successful and, if not, it’s possible that Section 106 money could be used instead, but there remains some risk that no funding can be found. Councillors were acutely aware of the delay in making the improvements, and explored the idea of consulting the Public for its view on how the play area could be improved, in parallel with the funding being obtained. Given that the funding is not guaranteed, this approach carries some risk. After some discussion, Councillors agreed by majority to push ahead with the consultation, being open about the fact that the associated funding is not guaranteed.

Bits ‘n’ bobs
Steve Clark thanked The Olney Group for its help with the VE Day beacon lighting event, for which it provided lighting and marshals, while Tony Evans provided the fire. He noted that, as well as the event being planned rather at the last minute, the publicity was restricted deliberately in order that the number of people attending would not overwhelm the limited marshalling and facilities in place. Continuing from the VE Day publicity discussion, OTC is considering whether to have a Facebook page. Peter Geary noted that he’d read of some cowslips on Driftway being destroyed before they’d flowered which, them being a protected plant, should not have happened. Liam explained that, due to the gradient of the grass mounds on Driftway, OTC employs a contractor to cut the grass. Peter explained that OTC must make sure its contractor was aware of the cowslip’s protected status. Tony Evans felt that, while a few cowslips may have been cut, the majority were still there. Finally, he noted that, if anyone wished to see cowslips, they should head up to Barn Field and take a look at the sea of yellow. As a postscript to this topic, OTC contacted Mercury shortly before publication to say that, according to their post meeting research, cowslips are not a protected species under any legislation. The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 1st June in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

June 2015

Olney Council report for June 2015

Welcome
Mayor Steve Clark welcomed new elected mayor of Milton Keynes, ward councillor Keith McLean to the meeting.

Public Participation
Sue Warren and Ron Mihill Sue Warren and Ron Mihill were present to speak in the public participation section of the meeting. Sue spoke about the parking issue in Oakdown Crescent which, being a meeting agenda item, will be reported later. Ron Mihill Ron said he was chairman of the Pegasus Residents’ Association but was also speaking on behalf of Clifton Court residents and was concerned about the ability of elderly and disabled people to cross the roads around the Market Place, particularly by Silver End where the traffic comes from three directions. Traffic is getting faster, he said, and requested a facility to enable safer crossing. Ideally that would be a pedestrian crossing but he thought that Milton Keynes Council (MKC) would say that it would cost too much. In that case, how much did it cost to provide the electric vehicle charging point, he wondered? Mayor Steve Clark said that the matter would be put on the agenda of a future meeting of Olney Town Council (OTC) so that it could be fully discussed.

Market Place CCTV
PC Andy Perry was present, along with Susan Hughes from the Neighbourhood Action Group (NAG) to present the proposals for a CCTV scheme. Andy explained that they had looked at other schemes in and around Milton Keynes to see what is most suitable for Olney. Milton Keynes had cameras connected to the Command Suite at Central MK Police Station by dedicated fibre links and Newport Pagnell had the same but provided over a microwave link. Because of its location Olney would need a repeater at the top of the hill between Olney and Newport Pagnell, which would add to the cost. He thought that the best option would be via a broadband link to Newport Pagnell police station which would not be permanently operated and monitored in real-time, although it could be when resources allowed. The main use would be for historic monitoring and review up to twenty eight days after incidents had occurred, he said. Andy then showed a number of clips of video to demonstrate a number of high and low definition options, including some footage from the recent CCTV trial in Olney. Ward Councillor Peter Geary asked why it wasn’t possible to provide a broadband link back to CMK Police Station and Andy thought that although it was probably technically possible there may be capacity and resourcing issues. A few councillors asked if some dummy cameras could be installed, since the current proposal was for a single camera. Andy said he was not convinced of the effectiveness of dummy cameras and because the single camera would be mounted in a darkened glass dome it was not possible to tell which way it was pointing. Steve Clark thanked Andy and Susan for the presentation and said the decision whether to progress with the scheme would be an agenda item on next month’s meeting. Colin Rodden wondered if the intervening month could be used for a public consultation. Steve closed the item by wishing Andy a long and happy retirement.

Oakdown Crescent
At last month’s meeting Town Clerk Liam Costello reported that progress was being made towards alleviating the parking problems in Oakdown Crescent. Liam had spoken with Rob Ward of MKC who confirmed that approval to spend the money had been given. A scheme was being designed, which would then need to be consulted on before any work was done. None of the interested members of the public were present at last month’s meeting to hear this news. Sue Warren used the public participation section of this month’s meeting to express her annoyance that she and the other interested parties were not at last month’s meeting and launched an attack on Liam, saying that he had let down the tenants and his reply to her was an insult. The council should have chased MKC on the financial situation and just because the relevant person at MKC was on long term sick this was no excuse for lack of progress, she felt. Liam replied that he had arranged a meeting with MKC on 8th June. Deidre Bethune said the council do care about the residents’ plight and had been working to move things forward. It was unfair of Sue to attack Liam, she said, and was supported by Steve Clark.

Colts Clubhouse
As reported previously, the Olney Town Colts FC had originally planned to build their changing facility on to the end of the toilet block and tractor shed compound and had obtained support from OTC to do so. Then, the Colts had proposed an alternative scheme to build on to Olney Town FC’s existing Club building. But, after around six months of planning and associated expense OFC advised the Colts that it could no longer afford to continue with its part of the project. The associated delay means that the Colts are facing the potential loss of the associated grants and sponsorship, and are thus keen to move quickly while the funding is still available. Tony Evans, as chair of Recs and Services Committee explained that he didn’t speak when this was raised in the public participation section last month because it was not a formal agenda item. He expressed his bitter disappointment that the combined scheme had progressed so far before stalling. All sports clubs in the town embrace youth, with the exception of OTFC, he said. Since agreeing to support the original plan to build on the council compound, the council’s own position had changed, he said, and they had realised that they needed the space to store new equipment. Peter Geary was of the opinion that OTC should sit down with all parties and try and find a way forward and to ensure that the promised funding is protected. Ian Stokes, representing the Colts, said he was not convinced that OTFC will commit to the project and believed that the Colts were now bound to lose some of their sponsorship. He emphasised that the Colts comprised 320 local children of all ages who would directly benefit from the scheme, as opposed to some of the senior sports clubs where a large number of players came from outside of the town.

Library and Cultural Services Review
MKC needs to make significant savings over the next three years and the library service is one area which initially appeared to be under threat. MKC are looking for ideas from community groups, businesses, parish and town councils and local people who both use and do not use the service. Colin Rodden wondered what the footfall was for users of the Olney Library and wondered if residents really wanted it. A session was due to be held at Olney library on 25th June for MKC to present some current proposals and also for residents to put forward any ideas of their own. Peter Geary replied that figures have not been provided and thought it important to know the proportion of users that are Olney residents or come from the surrounding villages, and also the demographic of those users. Keith McLean said that he had recently been to a meeting in Stony Stratford where a group called the Friends Of Stony Stratford Library Service, known as FOSSLS had been formed. Mercury wondered if was now time to mobilise the Friends Of Olney Library Society.

Communication and Publicity Strategy
Steve Clark said there had been a complaint made at the recent town meeting regarding OTC’s Co-option process for new members. For information, when a vacancy occurs it must be advertised and if ten members of the electorate request it an election will be held. If no request is made then the council will co-opt from eligible applicants. Steve said the same system had been in use by OTC for many years and that if people were really interested in the workings of OTC then they would read the Mercury report in The Phonebox and get to know what was going on, an opinion echoed by Jeremy Rawlings. The fact that four candidates had put themselves forward for the latest vacancy was very good, he thought. Deidre Bethune wondered if vacancies should be advertised more widely. Ron Bull suggested using a strong visual impact on noticeboards where people are likely to see them, such as shops in the town. Joe Stacey suggested that there should be a formal procedure in the council’s standing orders for publicity and candidates’ statements. Sally Pezaro informed members that there was now an OTC Facebook page to counter criticism that the Olney Noticeboard had been used to publicise the recent vacancy. Anything on there would be considered ‘official’ she said, pointing out that the profanity filter had been set to ‘high’!

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Olney

Objection to new dwellings adjacent to sewage works
As reported in the April edition, MKC last year approved a planning application for 33 dwellings with access from Yardley Road in Olney on the Land at Warrington Road and Osier Way, despite a number of objections from OTC and comments from Anglian Water, who operate the sewage works adjacent to the land. A similar application for another 33 dwelling was recently refused planning permission by MKC primarily on the basis that it is outside of the planning boundary. OTC have complained to MKC about the inconsistencies in the decision-making surrounding the two applications and also that the comments made by Anglian Water about the potential impact of the sewage works had not been included in the report which recommended acceptance of the first application. A letter of response has now been received from MKC denying that there had been any inconsistencies in the two decisions but accepting that comments made by Anglian Water had not been included in the first report. However the report went on to say that Anglian Water had not actually recommended that the application be refused so the summary of ‘no objection’ was factually correct. Jeremy Rawlings said he would not have expected MKC to admit to any wrong doing and Peter Geary said he thought it was a ‘whitewash’. The complaint regarding the inconsistencies had been answered robustly, he thought, so there was no use pursuing that aspect but suggested that OTC should now raise the issue of the Anglian Water comments to the second tier of the complaints process. Steve Clark said it was not Anglian Water’s role to formally object, but to raise issues to be considered in the overall planning application. He noted that pumps do not run all of the time so the noise may have not been present when MKC made their assessment. Jeremy Rawlings said the smell was only present at certain times so the same would apply. Steve Clark said he was fed up with MKC not listening to recommendations made by OTC and proposed that the complaints process be raised to the next level.

Odds and Sods
Joe Stacey reported that a meeting had taken place between the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group, doctors and Practice Manager at Cobbs Garden Surgery, and Donna Derby of the MK Clinical Commissioning Group to discuss future provision of services on new premises in the Town. Investigations had also been carried out into the capacity of the local schools. Liam Costello reported that there will be no funfair in the town this year. The date proposed by John Scarrott had already been promised to the Colts for BOTO and no alternative date or location had been agreed. Colin Rodden said he thought that the litter problem in town is getting worse and adults seemed to be worse offenders than children. Ron Bull reported that his band of willing volunteers had put up the baskets round the lamp-posts recently. Jeremy Rawlings observed that there were an increasing number of advertising boards appearing around the sports facilities on the recreation ground, some of them very large. He didn’t express an opinion on the matter but pointed out that such signs need planning permission and the various clubs had been warned last year that MKC could issue an enforcement notice to have them removed. Chris Shaw expressed a view held by many that the associated income is an important source of revenue for the clubs. The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 6th July in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate

July 2015

Olney Council report for July 2015

Public Participation
Dana Green First to speak in this slot was Dana Green, on the subject of ragwort. Originally covered under the 1959 Weeds act, ragwort had an act all to itself when the Ragwort Control Act was introduced in 2003. Dana keeps horses in the area and, as a result, has been removing ragwort from the local area when she sees it. She believed the problem was getting worse, saying for example that there were four plants on Driftway when the road was built and that she’d recently seen 50 there. She asked if Olney Town Council (OTC) could remove it from the ditches on Driftway and those between the playing fields. Steve Clark, also Chairman of Trustees at Redwings Horse Sanctuary, explained that ragwort was toxic to many animals, causing liver damage. Although animals tend not to eat it when in flower, the plant then dries out, gets mixed up in hay and then eaten with their feed. Steve said OTC would attempt to deal with ragwort on its property. Sue Warren and Brian Rice Sue Warren and Brian Rice both spoke on the topic of Oakdown Crescent. Summarising, Sue liked the idea of there being marked parking bays in the Crescent, each with its own lockable post, thus allowing residents’ relatives to park when visiting. Brian felt this idea would be rejected if it went out for consultation and, instead, wanted a roadway to be built to provide both additional parking and road access to the nearby houses which have none. Along with Sue, he was frustrated at the lack of progress. This subject was covered further later in the meeting. Lesley Weston Lesley Weston spoke about the bus fare increases seen by local under 19s. Judging by the letters page of the 9th July MK Citizen, this is an issue affecting other parts of Milton Keynes also. There are two issues affecting Olney under 19s, the second affecting those in Milton Keynes Borough as a whole. First, as of last year, the #1 bus to Newton Leys via Bletchley starts from Newport Pagnell rather than Olney and, thus, Olney students educated at Bletchley now have two legs to their journeys: Olney to Newport Pagnell or Central Milton Keynes, change, then on to Bletchley. Second, the pricing structure of the All-In-One MK under 19s bus card has changed. Previously, each bus trip cost 50p and now, following a change on 28th June, each trip costs half the adult fare, although ten trip and weekly tickets are available with All-In-One for £10. As background, it’s worth looking at the Olney-Bletchley journey in more detail. The All-In-One card price was originally 50p each way (one bus trip, 50p fixed fare) and now, as a result of both changes, is around £2 each way (two bus trips, half adult fare). However, since it’s possible to buy a weekly ticket, with All-In-One, for £10, that means £1 each way for a typical five day a week school/college commute, limiting the increase to just 100%. Given the change in the All-In-One pricing structure, the change in the #1 service and general fare increases, some confusion about what is the correct fare would be unsurprising. Further, and as always with journeys requiring a connection, a delay in the first bus results in a long wait for the next. Peter Viney also spoke on this topic, and it may be that the unreliability he reported has some connection with the 9th July MK Citizen news story “Arriva ‘caught out’ by lack of city bus drivers” – Arriva is recruiting, email recruitment@arriva.co.uk for info. Looking at the Olney-Newport Pagnell journey, which many Ousedale Sixth formers will be taking, the situation is clearer. It was originally 50p each way with All-In-One (one bus trip, 50p fixed fare) and is now around £1 each way (one bus trip, half adult fare). Given that some posts to the Olney Noticeboard Facebook page have reported up to £1.15 being charged for this trip, it again seems sensible to purchase the weekly or ten trip ticket, with All-In-One, for £10 to cover the usual five day a week school commute. This overall topic, including the ambiguity as to the correct fares, was discussed further later in the meeting. Ron Mihill Finally, Ron Mihill spoke about the poor state of the footpath around the Market Place, particularly between Tesco and Beans.

Oakdown Crescent
There’s been almost no progress since the last report, with Deidre Bethune reporting that Milton Keynes Council (MKC) had reassigned the person who was dealing with the issue and not informed OTC of who, if anyone, was dealing with it now. Peter Geary, a Ward Councillor for Olney, recommended OTC send a letter to MKC asking who was dealing with the issue now and that it be kept in the loop in future. He, along with other Councillors, was keen to see progress and to get a proposed scheme out for consultation.

School transport costs
The bus fare issue raised earlier by Lesley Weston was now discussed at length and, in summary, Peter Geary will take up any incorrect fare charging with MKC. He explained that the #1 bus service had been changed due to budget cuts, which had been fought over strongly, that being a major reason why the budget was not passed first time. Even with all that, £150,000 had still been cut from bus services, and this was one of the ramifications: Budgets had to balance. Finally, OTC will post details of how to complain about incorrect charging on its Facebook page.

Additional pedestrian crossings at the Market Place
Ron Mihill presented a proposal to make it easier for people to get to the Market Place on foot, regardless of which direction they’re coming from. It was for two new pedestrian crossings, one across each road at the Eastern end of the Market Place just West of where the roads join. Most Councillors seemed keen on this proposal, and Peter Geary suggested OTC nominate it for a small capital scheme – a way to find funding for the work. A few Councillors, for example Deidre Bethune, were not convinced there was a problem to solve.

Library
Liz Gifford gave a brief talk on MKC’s Libraries and Cultural Services Review. She felt libraries were part of the fabric of an area, a good place to meet and learn, and she was keen to see more community involvement with running them. The question was how to sustain them in the long term. While MKC was committed to keeping them open, what did that actually mean? For example, how many hours, at what times and run by how many staff? Peter Geary was concerned about MKC’s ‘end game’ in terms of Olney Library, particularly because they’d previously had a plan to close it and he believed that may still be lurking in the background. Noting that the shared back office costs dominated Olney Library’s overall costs, he and Jeremy Rawlings felt that these costs were unusually high for Milton Keynes’ back office and that, as a result and given its location, Olney Library could likely get these shared services cheaper from Bedfordshire or Northamptonshire Councils. As background, it appeared that the reason for these costs being high was that, while shared Library services are usually provided on a County wide basis, here they are provided for Milton Keynes Borough which is a comparatively small geographical area and, thus, similar economies of scale are not achieved.

Market Place CCTV
After a long debate, Councillors voted by majority to install a permanent CCTV camera on the Market Place, as recommended by the Olney Neighbourhood Action Group (NAG) and Thames Valley Police (TVP). This will cost around £6,000 up front then £600 per year. It will be recorded continuously and monitored as required by TVP.

Olney Town Colts FC clubhouse
The Council gave its unanimous approval for Olney Town Colts FC to build its clubhouse on to the Northern end of the Olney Football Club building.

Ousedale Olney annexe
Joe Stacey had met with Sue Carbet of Ousedale School. OTC is being contacted by Ousedale’s planning consultants to discuss the possibility of expansion to cope with the expected additional housing in Olney. He noted that, clearly, this expansion was based on a long term look at capacity requirements because, currently, children were being bussed in from Bletchley to fill a surplus in the existing capacity.

Pre School LED lights
The lighting in the Pre School area of the Olney Centre needs replacing, and the Olney Centre Management Committee had recommended this be done with LED lighting, providing a yearly saving of around 35% (£126) compared with running the current lights. The choice of LED lighting was uncontroversial, but the fact that only one rather than the usual three quotes had been obtained for the work was less so. Peter Geary noted that OTC, as well as doing the right thing, must be seen to be doing the right thing and, as this view appeared to be shared more generally, the lights were approved along with a note of the need to obtain three quotes in future.

Goosey track
Ron Bull reported that the Fishing Club maintains a track for vehicles across the Goosey by periodically laying down hardcore and, as that soaks into the ground, laying more. This time round, as well as restoring the track, the start of an additional parking area had been laid also. After some discussion with Tony Evans about exactly whether this addition was or was not allowed, Steve Clark asked that Tony and Ron resolve the issue outside the meeting.

Litter control
Colin Rodden felt that the litter problem in Olney was getting worse. This was discussed, with ideas including a possible repeat of the community litter pick, which has worked well before, and posting on OTC’s Facebook page.

East Street parking
Tony Evans explained that the Recreations and Services Committee had recommended that the area on Nursery Field between East Street and the football pitch be used as a car park. The area would have gates at both ends, and would be opened for busy days only. Councillors approved this, paving the way for a full specification to be drawn up and the job to be put out to tender.

Swimming Steps’ repair
As reported before, the bottom Swimming Step is gradually subsiding, with a gap opening between it and the next step. The plan is to provide a long term fix for the problem by installing contiguous steel piling with timber capping, then pump out the water and fill the area behind the piling with concrete. This will be specified in detail and put out to tender.

Market Place electrical points
The Market Place currently has all its electrical outlets near the toilet block. The Council is investigating the provision of multiple points around the area, thus reducing the amount of cabling required on Market days and, in particular, improving safety due to fewer overhead cable runs being required on those days. Councillors voted to obtain quotes for this work.

Duck and Raft Races
Colin Rodden reported that the Duck Race had been fantastic, and Sally Pezaro that the Raft Race had been excellent. Regarding the Raft Race, she explained that people had been mentioning Floral Fiesta and how great it used to be. She felt there was potential to do more at this event and was keen to talk with the organisers.

Bits’n’bobs
By the time you read this, the Weston Road play area will have reopened. Also, Tony Evans reported that the most recent Farmers’ Market had attracted a record 32 stalls.

Olney River Palooza
As publicised on Facebook, and unrelated to Olney Duck and Raft Races, the Olney River Palooza is planned for 12:00 on Sunday 26th July. Councillors, not convinced that this would be a planned and safe event, were concerned about it. The Council planned to inform other interested parties, such as MKC, the Environment Agency and the Police, but otherwise felt powerless to act. Next Meeting - 7th September The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 7th September in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

August 2015

There was no Olney Council report for August 2015

September 2015

Olney Council report for September 2015

Public Participation
Peter Gage Peter Gage drives a School minibus for Brocks and spoke of his safety concerns regarding parking around Olney Middle School when it closes at the end of each day. He explained that, at 3.10pm, it’s impossible to park near the School and the closest he can get requires that pupils cross Moores Hill unsupervised to reach his minibus. He asked if it’d be possible to have a parking spot near the School reserved for a short period each day to allow pupils to walk from the School to the bus without needing to cross the road. Sam Jacobs Sam Jacobs was last to speak in this slot. Following on from his well received post on the Olney Noticeboard Facebook page, Sam spoke about there being little to do for teenagers in Olney. His suggested solutions included sustainable sports facilities, a small skateboard park (think of that in the Buszy, Milton Keynes), a musical area where drums and amplified instruments could be played, and a safe basketball court. This topic was covered further in the main part of the meeting.

Tennis Club extension
The Tennis Club wishes to build an extension, effectively a pergola, to the side of its clubhouse over the paved area to provide an undercover viewing area for the courts. Councillors appeared in favour of this, and the next step will be for the Club to see if planning permission is required.

Play equipment for youngsters in Olney
Steve Clark introduced this item explaining that, having seen Sam Jacobs’ post and Sally Pezaro’s response to it on Olney Noticeboard, Sam and Sally had been interviewed on air by BBC Three Counties Radio presenter Jonathan Vernon Smith. Sally asked why the skateboard ramp kept being covered in graffiti, for example whether it was because people disliked it. She also explained that, with land in Olney being expensive, it would be hard to get a building for music practice. In summary, she felt that a group of like-minded teenagers needed to get together to put forward their collective views, so all their views would be heard. Jeremy Rawlings provided some context. Around 15 years ago, there was a project to build a skate park in Olney. A piece of land around the same size as a tennis court was required and, at that time, the expected cost was around £18,000. The park was never built. An issue which would need to be considered for any new attempt is its location: It needs to be close to homes to allow ease of access, provide a safe environment and discourage vandalism, yet be far enough away not to upset people living nearby. He also explained that the Youth Centre is geared up to host music practice sessions, but that legalities mean that adults have to be present. That means, really, that parents need to get involved and that’s not always proved easy to achieve. He concluded by noting that, if the possible Community Asset Transfer (CAT) of the Youth Club to OTC does go ahead, the Council would have more influence over the services it provided. Steve Clark proposed that a working group of Councillors and children be set up. Sam thought this was a good idea.

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Olney Skate Park Request

Parking in Oakdown Crescent
Following a site visit in July, Milton Keynes Council (MKC) has suggested that a possible solution would be to introduce a residents’ parking scheme in Oakdown Crescent, with parking in the affected bays being restricted to residents and visitors. It asked what Olney Town Council (OTC) thought of this, and whether it would make a Community Parking Scheme application to help fund the scheme. Peter Geary felt that the scheme would not work in isolation, and that funding was for MKC rather that OTC to find. Deidre Bethune felt frustrated that, with some progress having been made in June, the process now seemed to have moved back to square one. OTC will request that David Hall, of MKC, come and present the scheme to OTC.

Westlands
Steve Clark introduced this item, explaining that Westlands is being used illegally as a House In Multiple Occupation (HIMO). MKC is aware of this and is treading carefully with its response. Peter Geary explained that there are many illegal HIMOs across Milton Keynes Borough and that there’ve been no reports of antisocial behaviour from this one so far. Its previous use, a care home, suggests that safety there, for example the provision of fire doors, is probably ok. He noted that if MKC served an enforcement notice for the HIMO to be closed, the building owner could lodge an appeal which, should the Council lose, would effectively be an application for a HIMO. Noting that its use as a HIMO followed MKC’s rejection of the owner’s planning application to convert the building as flats, he speculated that maybe the owner was trying to annoy the Council. Finally, he explained that the best solution might be to talk with the owner to come to some agreement for an acceptable, sustainable use for the building. Colin Rodden asked if there was a time period for which it could operate unchallenged as a HIMO, after which this use would become legal. Peter replied that this limit was four years, but that it would not apply in this case because MKC, having already serviced a notice to elicit more information from the landlord, had already started action. OTC will write to MKC expressing its support for its action and requesting monthly updates.

Events
OTC will consult via its Facebook page to see if a local event should be held to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday, to coincide with the main celebrations being held on the weekend of 10th to 12th June 2016. The Olney Group will be holding Fireworks Night on Sunday 1st November.

Recreation Ground play area
As reported a few months ago, MKC had applied to Biffa Waste Services for matched funding for improvements to be made to the Recreation Ground play area. This application had failed, but MKC had some spare play equipment, in good condition, which it now proposed to relocate to Olney at no cost to OTC. Tony Evans felt that the Council should ask MKC for a layout plan and timescale. Noting that OTC had been right not to consult early on the previously planned improvements, Peter Geary asked whether it should now consult on the new ones or whether it should just accept the equipment and not “look a gift horse in the mouth”. Steve Clark concluded this item, saying the Council would push MKC for a firm commitment on what they’d deliver and when.

Youth Centre Community Asset Transfer
OTC is considering applying to acquire the Youth Centre under the Community Asset Transfer (CAT) scheme. Introducing the topic, Jeremy Rawlings explained that the Youth Centre Committee and Local Scout Group had submitted a joint CAT bid for the Centre some time ago, but then had to pull out because the National Scouts would not support the application unless it was sole. Feeling that the Youth Centre was an important asset to the town, Jeremy asked if OTC would consider taking it on under the CAT scheme, the idea being that OTC would own the building and rent it to the Youth Centre and other groups. Tony Evans felt it was important to pursue this, as another organisation had previously shown an interest and its aims could be very different from those of the Council. Peter Geary agreed, saying that OTC should start to consider the transfer and, if it later decided that it shouldn’t go ahead, pull out of the process. In preparation, Jeremy Rawlings agreed to produce a business case for the building.

Bits ‘n’ bobs
The Market Place CCTV installation has stalled due to the local Police Constable having changed. MKC’s initial response to Ron Mihill’s proposal last month for additional pedestrian crossings on the Market Place was sceptical, as it felt there was already too much activity outside the row of shops near Costa Coffee.

Elwyn Lack
Elwyn Lack, Deputy Mayor of Olney some years ago, sadly passed away on 7th August 2015 aged 89. A minute’s silence was held for him, and concluded the meeting. Next Meeting - 5th October The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 5th October in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

October 2015

Olney Council report for October 2015

Prior to the Meeting
Prior to the meeting the members assembled for the annual Olney Town Council (OTC) official photograph so they were in their best bib and tucker and posh frocks. Some were even wearing clean jeans and t-shirt!

Public Participation
There were no residents wishing to speak at this month’s meeting but Peter Gage was present to check up on progress of the school minibus parking issue.

Oakdown Crescent
It would appear that no progress has been made on solutions to alleviate the parking problems since the site visit in July by officers of Milton Keynes Council (MKC). Deirdre Bethune said that Sue Warren had been trying to speak to David Hall of MKC on behalf of the residents but had been unable to make contact. Ward Councillor Peter Geary said he would investigate and report back.

School minibus parking
As reported last month in Public Participation, Peter Gage drives a school minibus for Brocks and spoke of his safety concerns regarding parking around Olney Middle School at the end of the day when he cannot park close to the school to pick up his passengers. This month a discussion took place as to what could be done to resolve the problem. Town Clerk Liam Costello wondered if a parking space could be found away from the school and a ‘walking bus’ implemented so that the students walk to it in a single group. Deirdre Bethune noted that this was what happened in the past when busses parked in Moores Hill and staff would escort the students to them and wondered why it had stopped. It was noted that parents very often park in the space reserved for the larger buses so there was no guarantee that the same thing would not happen in any space reserved for the minibus. Colin Rodden said that nationally some schools are training staff to give out parking violation tickets and wondered if MKC might consider implementing this. Peter Geary felt that it was unlikely that OMS staff would want to do this and also thought it unlikely that MKC would be able to get existing traffic wardens to attend regularly enough to make any difference. He suggested that the school should be encouraged to adopt a Walk to School scheme in order to change the culture of parents driving their children to school. Eventually it was agreed that the school Head was best placed to appeal to parents to obey the existing parking restrictions.

Youth Centre Community Asset Transfer
As reported last month OTC is considering applying to acquire the Youth Centre under the Community Asset Transfer (CAT) scheme, the idea being that OTC would own the building and rent it to the Youth Club and other groups as a community building, rather than just a Youth Centre. Jeremy Rawlings was actioned to put together a Business Case so that OTC is fully aware of the financial implications and any liabilities. As a precursor to this Jeremy presented the Income and Expenditure Account for last Financial Year, together with a list of regular club users and hirers. The main point to note, he said, was that currently the centre receives a grant from MKC of £13.7k which would be lost if the transfer goes ahead. He also noted that during the summer many hirers preferred to use the large playing field but also hired the building in case of inclement weather. Joe Stacey pointed out that the draft Neighbourhood Plan had earmarked land in this area for health and community use, which could include a new GP surgery. This started something of a heated discussion with some members saying that this was by no means a done deal and Jeremy said that Joe was the only person who seemed to think that it was. Joe reiterated the point that the Neighbourhood Plan had identified the need for additional surgery space and that the land in question would appear to fit the bill as a possible site as it was proposed to be for health and community use. Peter Geary observed that if the transfer of the building took place it would be on the basis of use solely as a youth centre and if OTC chose to use it for anything else then MKC might decide to ‘claw back’ some of its contribution to the transfer. In the end it was agreed to start the transfer process and, if it was later decided that it wasn’t financially viable, pull out of the process.

Planning gain from Sainsbury’s development
Although the planning application process has not yet been completed OTC has been in discussion with MKC about how the Section 106 Developer Contribution might be spent. A Town Centre Improvement Fund of £90k is proposed, which would be used to offset the impact of the development on the Town Centre by providing improvements such as car parking, traffic improvements and physical and social infrastructure improvements. Peter Geary explained that the money would become available in phases and does not need to be spent all at once but OTC need to make plans now as to possible projects. Tony Evans suggested a public consultation to ask residents for suggestions and Mayor Steve Clark agreed but thought that clear limits need to be set in order to avoid the usual flood of swimming pool requests. A working party will be set up to progress. An additional sum of £20k is being proposed to provide real-time bus information displays at bus stops, which Deirdre Bethune thought a waste of money bearing in mind the poor bus service that Olney receives and also the fact that not all operators provide the necessary data. However, other members thought that it would be a useful facility.

Wind and Solar Farms
MKC is inviting comments on its draft Landscape Character and Landscape Sensitivity to Wind and Solar PV Developments document. The objective, it says, is to evaluate the Landscape Character Types and Landscape Character Areas of MK and identify particular areas which may have a greater or less capacity to accommodate such development, i.e. where to put them! The consultation period runs till 4th November but there will presumably be a delay before it becomes a policy. In June this year the government announced that onshore wind and solar farms would be excluded from the subsidy scheme from 1 April 2016, a year earlier than planned. Peter Geary said he believed that this would lead to no more planning applications being made from next April so members decided not to take part in the project.

Odds and sods
OTC’s proposal to provide match-day parking on the recreation ground between East Street and the football pitch has received a setback because the MKC planner has asked for a hedge to limit the visual impact from East Street. This would severely reduce the amount of parking spaces, making the scheme unworkable. The scheme to put CCTV cameras on the Market Place has stalled due to the retirement of PC Andy Perry. Susan Hughes from the Neighbourhood Action Group has not been able to get any interest in progressing it from anyone else at Thames Valley Police. The owner of the former Westlands care home has said that the current occupiers will be leaving by Christmas so MKC will not be taking action to stop it being used illegally as a House In Multiple Occupation (HIMO). OTC has agreed with this course of action so long as the owner complies. It was pointed out that the present occupiers had not caused any problems and were spending money in the town. Planning permission has been granted for Olney Town Colts FC to build their new club house and groundworks will soon commence. Colin Rodden reported that the illumined central reservation bollard by the Church Hall had been damaged for some time and wondered when MKC would get round to replacing it. Steve Clark said that all such bollards in MK are being replaced by the reflective knock down and spring up type so it would probably be replaced as part of that project. Next Meeting - 2nd November The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 2nd November in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

November 2015

Olney Council report for November 2015

Public Participation
Susan Hughes There was only one resident wishing to speak at this month’s meeting. Susan Hughes reported, on behalf of the Neighbourhood Action Group (NAG), that she now had a contact within Thames Valley Police who will support the provision of CCTV in the Market Place and the scheme would now progress.

Oakdown Crescent
No progress has been made on solutions to alleviate the parking problems since the site visit in July by officers of Milton Keynes Council (MKC) but Rob Ward, Highways and Planning and Transport Business and Liaison Manager at MKC had suggested that Olney Town Council (OTC) put in a bid to the Community Parking Scheme when funding opens next year. A number of councillors expressed their frustration at this, with John Sharp asking how long it was going to take. Mayor Steve Clark replied that it had been 35 years already! Ward Councillor Peter Geary expressed the view that although Rob Ward’s approach was unacceptable, berating MKC officers would not help as OTC would need to work closely with them. That particular department is understaffed as many experienced people have left and OTC already has a number of ongoing issues, some of which could be considered ‘failures of service’. He said that the ward councillors would be meeting with the newly appointed Head of Department and suggested that other members of OTC should attend.

School minibus parking
Following recent OTC discussions about the parking problems at the Olney Middle School, Headteacher Glenn Young was present to introduce himself to the council and to give an update. He explained that his role does not end at the gate and is all about working with the community of which the school is part. The school is popular and oversubscribed and the parking problem is a consequence of this, since many parents need to drive their children to school from out of the town. He emphasised, however, that safety is his number one priority and he wanted to work with OTC to resolve the problem. Glenn agreed that there needed to be a dedicated area for school bus parking but did not see his staff becoming parking enforcers, rather they should be concentrating on teaching. He said there were currently no parking restrictions on the prow of the hill, but expressed concern that doing so might move the problem elsewhere. Deirdre Bethune reminded members that when Driftway had been opened there was a proposal to close off the top end of Yardley Road by the school. Could that be resurrected, she asked? Jeremy Rawlings said he had been against the original closure plan but was now reconsidering. He was concerned that it might make the parking problem worse and vehicles would then need to turn in the road to exit. In conclusion Glenn said he would try to find the percentage of children who currently walk to school and suggested a joint school and OTC letter to parents to impress the need for sensible parking.

Cherry Fair
Tim Haskell, Senior Warden at St Peter and St Paul’s church, was present to request that OTC grant permission for the Cherry fair to be held on The Glebe on 18th June 2016. Tim explained that traditionally the Cherry Fair had been held on the last weekend in June. In recent years attendances had been falling, partly due to clashes with other events in the town. These clashes, particularly BOTO, also had the effect of reducing the pool of volunteers who were able to help with the setting up and running of the event. Last year it had been necessary to move the date due to a longstanding wedding booking in the church. Even though the weather had been inclement the result had been that more helpers had been available and more people attended on the day. The council agreed to the request to hold the Cherry Fair on June 18th 2016.

East Street Nursery pitch parking
This is the proposal to provide additional match-day parking spaces behind the goal posts at the East Street end of the football pitch. As reported last month the scheme has received a setback because the MKC planning department has asked for a hedge to limit the visual impact from East Street. This would limit the parking spaces to a single row. They have now carried out a tree survey and identified a ‘no dig’ area to prevent root damage which would reduce the length of the bays to 4.4m from the standard size of 4.8m. It was pointed out that the particular trees do not have a Tree Preservation Order so OTC would be within their rights to simply remove the trees to solve the problem. Tony Evans was disappointed that MKC are not being supportive of OTC’s attempts to provide additional parking spaces and seemed to be putting obstacles in the way. Steve Clark pointed out that since the land belongs to OTC they could just lay some plastic paving grid and open the gate, if they were so minded, but they were being penalised for trying to do it properly. Peter Geary was of the opinion that the planning officers were just following policy by commenting on the proposals, which is what they are paid to do. He suggested continuing with the existing planning process as money had already been spent on drawing up the plans. It would not commit OTC to implementing them, he said.

Plan MK: Vision for the future growth of Milton Keynes
For details of the four options put forward in the plan see pages 26 and 27 of the November edition of The Phonebox. The option which would have a major impact on Olney is Option 3: One or more Satellite Settlements in the rural areas. Also impacted would be Sherington, North Crawley, Moulsoe, Hanslope and Castlethorpe. Some or all of these sites could be developed with between 5,000 and 10,000 new homes. Peter Geary opened the discussion by saying that he had been accused of being both pro and anti the plan, which was the most serious issue impacting the area for a generation. He said that the proposals had come out of a series of workshops held earlier in the year and very little feasibility had been carried out into any of them. Any such development would require a number of new bridges over the M1 and River Ouse, for which there was no government funding. He thought the proposals ‘do not stack up’ and wondered why the ‘impossible’ options had even been put forward instead of being dismissed. An additional 10,000 house for Olney was ‘crazy’. He suggested working with the other impacted villages to gain a collective view and provide a unified response. Steve Clark said that Olney has grown organically for 30 – 40 years so that newcomers had integrated into and felt part of the community. Jeremy Rawlings pointed out that there are times when it is almost impossible to get to Central MK and without major infrastructure improvement things could only get worse. Tony Evans asked where this left the emerging Olney Neighbourhood Plan? The three month consultation period was due to commence on 9th November when the Planning Cabinet was expected to approve the publication of the options document. Mercury has since learnt that the cabinet did, indeed, approve the publication but that decision was subsequently ‘called in’ so will now be considered by the Executive Scrutiny Committee meaning a delay to the start of the consultation.

Odds and sods
As reported last month, planning permission has been granted for Olney Town Colts FC to build their new club house. OTC has posted notice of their intention to dispose of the land by way of a long term lease and the notice period has now expired with no comments being received. Next Meeting - 7th December The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 7th December in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

December 2015

Olney Council report for December 2015

Public Participation
Francis Smith Francis Smith spoke on the subject of providing a Skate/BMX Park in Olney. This issue was discussed later in the meeting and is covered below.

Oakdown Crescent
Councillors had met with the Milton Keynes Council’s (MKC) Corporate Director for Place to discuss the lack of progress on the issue of parking in Oakdown Crescent. He’d promised an update on the situation but, the meeting having taken place only recently, this has not yet been forthcoming.

Skate/BMX Park
Colin Rodden, who along with Carl Clennett had been assisting Francis and friends with the proposal, introduced this topic. Four possible sites for the Park had been investigated – Barn Field, Johnson’s Field, the Recreation Ground and the Youth Club – and graded in terms of distance from where people live, distance from existing sports facilities, and ease and suitability for installation. Based on these criteria, the Recreation Ground had come out on top with around 50% more points than Johnson’s Field, its nearest competitor. Thus, the Recreation Ground is the only location being pursued for this proposal, the currently chosen position there being immediately South of the All Weather Surface – covering around half the often muddy area where BOTO places its marquee and Fireworks Night its fair and stalls. Resurfacing the existing All Weather Surface may also be included alongside the proposal. The cost of a new tarmac surface had been estimated at £18,000, allowing the usual mix of sports, for example football and basketball, to still be played there. Alternatively, Olney Football Club had expressed an interest in laying an artificial grass surface and feels it could likely raise the significant funding required to do so. However, if that option was chosen, use of the area would be for football only and it would likely be kept locked when not in use in order to protect the surface. The Sports Clubs have been asked for their views and, based on the subset of responses received so far, the results are positive with some questions about noise levels. Also, the topic has been posted on the Olney Noticeboard Facebook page and received positive responses. Not all parties contacted have yet responded, and further views will be sought. Peter Geary was very positive about the proposal, his only concern being that Council Planning guidelines for the minimum allowed distance from the nearest residential property be followed. Tony Evans felt that any All Weather Surface resurfacing work should be separated from the Skate Park and, that being said, noted he’d prefer to continue with a tarmac surface as that was the most likely to keep the area well used. Steve Clark was also keen to split the projects, noting that he didn’t want to see both put at risk due to the larger amount of money that would have to be raised to complete them as a pair. Ron Bull noted that the Skate Park proposal would stand and fall by how much money the proposers could raise themselves – for example, from local businesses and individuals – which would need to be significant else the project would be a non starter. In summary, Councillors were broadly in favour of the proposal.

Market Place CCTV
After a delay caused primarily by personnel changes at Thames Valley Police, Olney Town Council (OTC) approved the purchase of the CCTV camera system for £5,500, with an annual running cost of £590, subject to confirmation that the system has the best available specification for the price.

Tourism signage
Summarising what was quite a long discussion, Councillors voted by majority to support having two signs, likely coloured brown as per regular Tourist Information signs, one at each entrance to Olney on the A509, carrying the wording ‘Welcome to Olney Home of Amazing Grace’. The notable abstention was from Peter Geary, who, while agreeing with the need for the signs and their wording, felt strongly that brown was an inappropriate colour.

Plan:MK
Plan:MK, one of whose options involves very significant housing development in Olney, is due to be consulted on shortly. As the plan has been reported extensively in the local press, it’s not covered in detail here. OTC, along with various other Parish Councils and individuals, had called in the decision to consult on the development options document. The reasons for this were that: • The consultation document was flawed because there was no check on the feasibility of the development options before it was proposed to go out for public consultation, a feasibility check being an essential part of the consultation process; • The process to produce the document was flawed in various ways, including that the workshops were poorly run and that the views of developers attending were over represented; • While the Local Plan, Plan:MK, follows a process for estimating housing demand over the next 10-15 years which is both rigorous and evidence based, the MK Futures 2050 Commission’s forecasts are neither, yet will, over time, override those in Plan:MK. Combining Plan:MK with the MK Futures 2050 Commission is a flawed use of the Local Plan process. The call-in was debated by the Executive Scrutiny Committee on 2nd December which, voting along party lines, decided to proceed with the consultation but with some changes. Principally, they will remove all references to specific rural areas and instead have a general option along the lines of ‘development in the rural area’. They also agreed that certain aspects of the initial consultation were flawed, specifically the communication of the process and the lack of representation at the vision workshops. Finally, they agreed there would be more engagement with rural Parishes and neighbouring Planning Authorities (e.g. Central Bedfordshire Council). But, the consultation will proceed. OTC and other nearby Parish Councils are considering clubbing together to take legal action as a group against MKC. Colin Rodden felt it was a sad day to see two public bodies suing each other, but that it was justified since MKC had not properly consulted with the Parish Councils. Chris Shaw asked what OTC’s mandate was to reject the plan – for example, should the Council poll local residents for their opinions? The resulting view, with which there was broad agreement, was that the option to add 10,000 houses to each of Olney, Sherington and Castlethorpe by 2050 was too obviously ludicrous to justify the expense of a public consultation. Overall, Councillors’ views were broadly summed up by Peter Geary, who noted that the Parish Councils had to let MKC know they were watching it on this issue, and that it should not be over-influenced by the developers. He felt this issue would take a lot of people’s time over the next few years. The Council voted unanimously to authorise £3K expenditure for legal services against MKC, and to hold funds and provide administrative support for these services on behalf of Olney and other smaller nearby Parish Councils, for example Castlethorpe and Sherington.

Water bill
The Council has received a water bill for £5,500, substantially more than the usual £500 per year. This appears to be caused by a substantial leak which occurred during the Summer in the pipe supplying the Tennis Club where it passes under one of the tennis courts. The leak has been addressed by running an alternative pipe from the tractor shed around the tennis courts to the Club house and, unlike the previous supply, this one is metered albeit at the Club house end. Councillors will meet with the Tennis Club to decide how to meet the cost of the additional bill.

(Not) giving blood
The regular sessions run by the National Blood Service at the Youth Club for people to give blood have been stopped, apparently due to the team which organised them losing a member. Councillors decided to write to the Service asking it to reconsider, and to ask if Mark Lancaster, our local MP, would table a written question on the topic in Parliament.

Events in 2016
The Pancake race will take place on Tuesday 9th February, the Barn Field beacon will be lit for the Queen’s 90th birthday on Thursday 21st April, John Scarrott’s Fair will be in Olney from Wednesday 15th to Saturday 18th June, TOG has asked to hold Raft Race on Sunday 3rd July, BOTO will be held from Friday 8th to Sunday 10th July, and there’ll be a Retro Car Tour visiting the town on Wednesday 7th September. That lot should keep you busy.

Bits ‘n’ bobs
Dickens of a Christmas was thought to have been a very successful event. The Council may publish an article explaining who runs which parts of this pretty substantial undertaking and how it’s paid for. Ron Bull noted that, while the letter from Richard Pill in last month’s Phonebox Magazine implied that the Sainsbury’s planning application had been delayed indefinitely, this was not in fact the case and it was simply waiting on additional information being provided. He asked if OTC could refute the view, as some people had taken it seriously. Next Meeting - 4th January The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 4th January in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the Mayor decides is appropriate.
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Mercury's reports for 2016

January 2016

Olney Council report for January 2016

Introduction
There was a full house of members of the public at this month’s meeting, eager to have their say on the proposals by Milton Keynes Council (MKC) to close the Kitchener Day Centre for older people as part of its financial challenge.

Public participation
Four people spoke about the closure of the Kitchener Centre: Kathleen Wilson Kathleen Wilson said that Olney Town Council (OTC) had been involved in the building of the centre with money donated by Harry Kitchener. She said it enables service users to maintain their independence and that her husband attends two days a week. The proposal to relocate the service to a single centre in Milton Keynes was ill thought out and the centre is as essential a service to the town as the schools, baby clinics and doctor surgeries. We might all need it one day, she said. Keith Gould Keith Gould is a volunteer mini bus driver for the centre and said on a good day it takes him over two hours to collect and deliver clients to the centre. Sometimes it can take longer if carers have not got them ready. If the collection for the new centre started at the same time as now then the clients would spend so long getting to and from Milton Keynes that they would not have time for any activities once they got there. In an emotional plea he explained that his wife uses the centre, which provides respite for himself and he did not think he would be able to cope without it. Kevin Viney Kevin Viney said that the centre had proved to be a vital and local link for a very vulnerable group of people who often have no voice. They and their families value both the core and extra voluntary services such as outings and Christmas treats. To bus them through the rush hour into Milton Keynes would be both cruel and wrong, he said, particularly given that the centre had shown flexibility to live within its means following successive tight budgets. Tom Horne Tom Horne said his mother has been using the centre for the last four years and gives him and other carers the opportunity to get work done during this time. He would not like to see his mother spending two to three hours each way travelling on a bus as this would cause her even more confusion and probably shorten her life. The issue of the Kitchener Centre was discussed as an agenda item later in the meeting.

Oakdown Crescent
There has been no update from MKC on the matter of parking or poor state of the pavements. Sue Warren observing from the public area made it clear that she was very angry at the lack of progress and asked where the money had gone that MKC had allocated to a solution. The pavements are in a very dangerous state for the elderly residents, she said. Joe Stacey declared the situation to be ‘ludicrous’ and thought it was now time to start ‘throwing bricks’ (figuratively, no doubt) in order to get things moving. Ward Councillor Peter Geary said that the MKC Chief Executive was aware of the situation and that there were reasons why it had not been progressed, which he was not prepared to discuss in the meeting, although constant staff changes was a contributory factor. He admitted that mistakes had been made which had slowed the process down but throwing bricks would not help. It was now time for OTC to work with MKC to ensure that the same mistakes were not made again.

Youth Centre Community Asset Transfer
OTC has applied to take ownership of the Youth Centre under the C.A.T. programme. The stage 1 process has completed and confirmation that OTC has met the eligibility criteria received. It will now move to Stage 2 and can hopefully be fast-tracked.

MKC Budget Consultation
As has been widely reported MKC need to make budget cuts of £21.7m in 2016/17 due to a combination of increasing demand for services and reduction in funding from Central Government. Council Tax will increase by the maximum permitted figure of 3.95%, meaning that the average band D property will pay £1206.06. A document listing 130 proposals, together with the likely impact and cost saving has been produced and comments are being invited from councils and members of the public. This document can be downloaded from the OTC website www.olneytowncouncil.gov.uk by clicking on the link in the rolling Latest News menu. Peter Geary gave a brief outline of some of the proposals, including: Removing the warden from sheltered housing at Clifton Court; Closing the Kitchener Centre; Reduction of Bus subsidies, resulting in even fewer busses; Closure of some children’s play area; Replacing pink recycling sacks with reusable hessian sacks. It was agreed that councillors needed more time to look at the various proposals in detail before compiling a formal response.

Plan:MK
OTC are acting as the principle body in formulating a response to the proposals to build an additional 10,000 homes each in Olney, Sherington and Castlethorpe and Jeremy Rawlings reported that the group have appointed Shoosmiths as solicitors to represent them. The consultation will start on 13th January.

Development adjacent to sewage works
Last year MKC granted planning permission for a developer to build 30 new homes on land adjacent to the sewage works that previously only had permission for business (employment use). OTC objected on a number of grounds and Anglian Water commented that any development close to the pumping station would be subject to some noise and odour, suggesting a condition that development does not take place within 15 metres. However, this comment was not included in the MKC document recommending that permission be granted. OTC raised a complaint that the decision was based on flawed and incomplete information and should be overturned. A letter has been received from the MKC Head of Spatial Planning and Implementation partially upholding the complaint and apologising for the omission, but not agreeing to review the decision since he did not believe that a different conclusion would have been reached, even if the comment had been included. Members decided it would not be a good use of their funds to take this to the next level so reluctantly agreed to accept the partial victory.

Kitchener Centre
There are currently three centres in Milton Keynes providing day services for older people, all of which are working below capacity. Redwood in Bletchley is in a poor state of repair, Manor Road in Netherfield is reportedly ‘falling down’, while the Olney Kitchener Centre is around 10 years old and well maintained. The original proposal was to close all centres and relocate the service in a new centre to be built in Simpson. This was expected to achieve a saving of £200k but unsurprisingly caused a public outcry. MKC then put forward a second option of creating two geographical hubs by closing Redwood and Manor Road and relocating to the new Simpson Centre (the Southern hub) and retaining the Kitchener Centre and extending its catchment area (the Northern hub). This second option would also achieve a saving of £200k. A number of members of OTC had attended the MKC meeting where this proposal had been put forward and Ron Bull said he got the feeling that the MKC officers present knew they had made a mistake. Chris Shaw observed that it was a bad day if Olney could not look after its elderly residents. Peter Geary advised caution saying that although the second option had been put forward and was cost neutral, the budget consultation was still going ahead so it was not a done deal. Sally Pezaro asked if there were any plans to increase the capacity of the Kitchener Centre. Mayor Steve Clark explained that in February 2013 the centre was working at its full capacity of 15 people and had a waiting list. Dr Brian Partridge from Cobbs Garden Surgery had expressed concern at this situation and had suggested that consideration should be given to an extension of the building. Since then, Steve explained, there had been a ‘raising of the bar’ to qualify for its services and it was now operating below capacity.

Town Meeting
This year’s Town Meeting will take place on 12th May, after the OTC elections. It was agreed that this should be widely advertised in an attempt to persuade residents to attend and have their say.

Next Meeting - 1st February The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 1st February in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the Mayor decides is appropriate.

February 2016

Olney Council report for February 2020

Public Participation
Sue Warren Sue Warren spoke again on the subject of parking in Oakdown Crescent. She’d been speaking with Milton Keynes Council (MKC) about the possibility of introducing a permit parking scheme there. In order to be considered by MKC this would, amongst other criteria, require the support of over 70% of the properties in the Crescent. Sue felt this level of support would be achievable and said she would canvas opinions. Susan Hughes Susan Hughes spoke to report that, after nine years, the Olney Neighbourhood Action Group had ceased in its current form due to the withdrawal of support from MKC and, because of restructuring, Thames Valley Police. She explained that she was sad to see it go, but felt it had helped the town a great deal. She also thanked John Boardman for chairing its meetings, Liam Costello and Sandra Grummit (the Town and Deputy Town Clerks), and said she could not have wished for a better representative from Olney Town Council (OTC) than Rosemary Osborne. Steve Clark, on behalf of the Council, thanked Sue for the Group’s work.

Oakdown Crescent
Liam reported that he’d attended a site meeting in the Crescent, along with a new person at MKC who’d be in the job for only the next six months. While that doesn’t sound like a great start – the Mercury report from July 2015 noting stalled progress due to the person looking at the issue being reassigned without MKC telling OTC who, if anyone, was continuing with it – it is a step in the right direction and at least the length of his ‘stay’ is known. Peter Geary explained that a plan had been proposed: To make interim repairs addressing the worst of the uneven surface, to produce an options paper on which OTC would consult with residents, then to show the results to MKC who would decide what action to take.

Circular Walk
As reported before, a Circular Walk is being planned, and MKC has proposed that the section which runs parallel to and south of Weston Road alongside one of the streams be diverted to instead run in the same direction along the northern bank of the River Great Ouse. Tony Evans preferred this route as, with it being fenced, there was a degree of separation between walkers (and their dogs) and the nearby sheep. Peter Geary felt OTC should ask for it to be a permissive right of way, this being different from a public right of way in that, although anyone could use it, the Council could ban particular people from doing so if the need arose. As noted by Jeremy Rawlings, permissive rights of way are not shown on Ordnance Survey maps although, as Liam explained, good signage could partially negate this concern.

Citizens Advice Bureau
For the past few years, the Council has made a yearly payment to Citizens Advice Milton Keynes in order to provide an outreach service in Olney, amounting to four 45 minute appointments every fortnight. Citizens Advice has proposed leaving the amount unchanged this year, at £5,198. Councillors discussed this, the key points being that the sessions were, on the whole, fully booked but that less statistical information, for example the number of people helped, was available than in previous years. Councillors voted all in favour, bar two abstentions including one due to this lack of information, of making the payment to retain the service for another year.

Budget 2016-2017
Based on a recommendation from the Finance Committee, Councillors voted unanimously to accept the proposed budget. Looking at the income side, the Council Tax Base – the equivalent number of Band D properties in the Parish paying Council Tax – has increased by 0.8%. But, the Council Tax Base Reduction Grant for Olney – a government grant given to Parish Councils to compensate them for the reduction in Council Tax Base due to various welfare changes – has been reducing every year and will eventually disappear. Looking at those issues, plus the predicted spend, OTC has increased its precept to £177,000, a 4.1% increase, resulting in it taking £68.54 per year from the illustrative Band D Council Tax, a 3.28% increase.

Lavendon Road Section 106 requirements consultation
Having previously declared an interest, Peter Geary and Ben Brock left the meeting for the duration of this item. This refers to a Planning Application to build 50 houses on the triangular parcel of land South of Lavendon Road and immediately South East of the Whirly Pit roundabout, stretching around half way to the river. Section 106 refers to a legal agreement between a Local Authority and a Developer, linked to planning permission and also known as a planning obligation. A new development can place extra pressure on local infrastructure, for example healthcare, and the agreement aims to balance that pressure with improvements to the surrounding area such that, where possible, the development will make a positive contribution to the local area and community. Liam started the discussion, noting that this was prior to planning permission being decided and that the estimated amount payable under Section 106 would be £985,220, equating to £19,704 per house. MKC had calculated this estimate in accordance with its Supplementary Planning Guidance, and were asking for comments on it, along with whether any additional projects or requirements were needed in order to make the development agreeable in planning terms. While this sounded a large figure, Deidre Bethune and Joe Stacey each noted that the money would go to MKC and that Olney wouldn’t get to see a lot of it, perhaps 25%, OTC effectively having to bid for local projects. A lengthy discussion followed, much of which centred on what OTC could, in principle and reality – which, the feeling appeared to be, may differ significantly – actually affect. Councillors agreed to respond noting the amount, showing a few illustrations of local projects and offering further information in due course. While not discussed during this meeting, on the same night, the Sainsbury’s Planning Application was rejected by MKC. This was for a number of reasons, but it’s worth noting that they included the supermarket site being outside the existing settlement boundary and in open countryside. This 50 house Application is outside but almost adjacent to that boundary and just over the road from the proposed Sainsbury’s site. If this Application is agreed, would the ‘open countryside’ reason for rejecting the Sainsbury’s one carry less weight?

Plan:MK
As reported before, Olney and other Parish Councils had won various concessions from MKC in terms of the content of the Plan, for example that the map showing satellite settlement ‘bubbles’ surrounding Olney and certain other nearby villages would be removed. MKC had released draft one of the document without making this change, then draft two with the ‘bubbles’ removed but the associated text continuing to state the names of these towns and villages, then finally draft three with those also removed. It was believed that one Council had already provided its response to the plan based on draft one. Olney and associated Parish Councils are arguing via Solicitors that the process has therefore been tainted, is flawed and should be withdrawn. A Solicitor’s letter has been written and, come the Public Examination some time 2016 – 2018, this will be mentioned. Peter Geary and other Councillors felt that option three, ‘one or more satellite settlements in the rural area’, would be a disaster wherever they were located, as it would separate people from their work and cause more travel, for example in and out of Milton Keynes via the already congested M1 crossings. He also noted that option four, ‘intensification and redevelopment of the urban area’, which had seemed attractive, meant building on various parcels of employment land within Milton Keynes, and that alternative land for employment must then be provided elsewhere, for example to the East of the M1. Councillors are keen to get the Plan:MK information out to the Public, and you’re much encouraged to read and respond to it. Please surf to this link www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/PlanMK.

Purchase of new mower
Councillors voted unanimously to spend £15,000 to purchase a new Kubota mower. This was interesting mainly because it highlighted a case where the usual recommendation that all purchases must go out to three tenders was, with reason, not followed. In summary, this was because all Kubota agents tend to charge remarkably similar prices, and it’s hard to compare one dealer with another like-for-like when you consider location, standard of service, trust, etc.

Town Meeting
This year’s Town Meeting will be held on 12th May in the Olney Centre. Noting with irony that last year’s meeting was ‘our usual show of dynamic excitement’, Steve Clark asked for ideas to make it more interesting and worthwhile for people to attend. Councillors agreed with this sentiment and, in practice, these meetings tend to attract a tiny attendance unless a particular controversy is in progress at the time. For example, a few years back, issues surrounding Doff’s Field led to a good attendance. In order to attract more people, Councillors decided to provide drinks, including wine, to advertise the meeting more widely and to look into the possibility of providing some entertainment.

Bits ‘n’ bobs
A permanent CCTV camera has been installed covering the Market Place. The Recreation Ground play area improvements should be well underway or complete by the time this is published. The Council is getting a full condition report for the Youth Centre, as part of the process to decide whether it wishes to apply for the Centre under the Community Asset Transfer scheme. MKC is starting formal action against the owner of Westlands due to their use of the building outside planning consent, and the owner has submitted plans to convert it into flats. Next Meeting 7th March The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 7th March in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

March 2016

Olney Council report for March 2016

Introduction
Mayor Steve Clark welcomed the newly appointed Deputy Clerk Debbie Eason to her first full council meeting.

Public participation
Sue Warren and Brian Rice were the two members of the public who wished to speak at this month’s meeting, both on the same subject of parking in Oakdown Crescent, but with widely opposing views. As this was a formal agenda item it will be covered under that item.

Oakdown Crescent
As reported last month, Sue Warren had consulted Milton Keynes Council (MKC) about the possibility of introducing a permit parking scheme there. In order to be considered by MKC this would, amongst other criteria, require the support of over 70% of the properties in the crescent. Sue said of the 16 properties, one was currently empty but the remaining 15 occupants were in favour of the scheme. Once the three ward councillors had expressed support for the scheme then MKC would write to the residents to fill out a survey. Sue said that some of them were worried about filling out the necessary forms but she would provide assistance. On other matters, she said that the pot holes still hadn’t been filled in but the seat had been painted, which was a waste of time and money as no one used it so it might as well have been removed. Brian Rice then spoke against the suggestion in what became a very heated exchange. Brian lives in a house near to Oakdown Crescent and has no parking outside his house so parks in the crescent. He said that if the scheme went ahead he would not only mount a legal objection but would also drive a JCB through ‘that wall’ (which presumably blocks vehicular access to his own property). He thought the scheme was a waste of time for just 16 people and Sue was ‘lucky’ that two residents had died over Christmas as he knew they were against it. He said he was sick and tired of being made out to be the bad guy and was disgusted by what was happening. Colin Rodden attempted to calm the situation but was shouted down by Brian. At this point Steve Clark ordered Brian to stop speaking and sit down as he was not prepared to have councillors spoken to in that way. Brian then left the meeting. Sue said she felt personally threatened by what had happened. Once the atmosphere had returned to normal Colin Rodden said that if the scheme went ahead the council needed to recognise that it would move the parking problem elsewhere. Deirdre Bethune agreed but said it was important to do one thing at a time. John Boardman said that there needs to be a second stage and consideration needs to be given to demolishing the nearby garages. Peter Geary said that MKC must recognise that the parking permit scheme would only be stage one and the overall issue must not be allowed to disappear from their agenda. Deirdre agreed that the poor state of the pavements and pot holes pose a danger to young people, let alone the elderly.

Leave of Absence
Under the council’s Standing Orders if a member has not attended a meeting for six months they cease to be a councillor, unless they are granted a Leave of Absence. Councillor John Smail has not attended a meeting since 15th September due to illness and has requested Leave of Absence up to the forthcoming elections in May. This was agreed.

Plan:MK
For detailed information on the proposals read Jeremy Rawlings’ article on page 16 of the March Phonebox. OTC, along with a number of other Parish Councils, has issued a formal legal challenge to the consultation document which was issued by MKC in January. The basis of this objection was, amongst other things, that there was no evidence of the population growth claims and there had been no consultation with neighbouring authorities. MKC have now responded rejecting the claim. Jeremy said that the parishes will not raise any more legal objections at this stage but pointed out that the leaflet delivered to all houses in the borough contains a number of errors. This will doubtless be a subject for discussion at this year’s town meeting on April 14th.

The Olney Centre
Deirdre Bethune said that three quotes had been obtained for installing UPVC or Aluminium double glazed windows in the Olney Centre. She said she was not happy with the quality of what was being offered for such and old building and had already contacted another company which specialised in heritage type glazing. Advice as to what might be required as part of the planning process will be sought from MKC planners before any decision is taken. Following the recent spate of break-ins quotes are being obtained for an upgrade of the Centre intruder alarm.

Neighbourhood Plan
Joe Stacey presented the consultation version of the plan to the council and it was agreed that it could now move on to the pre-submission stage. The plan will shortly be available on line and sets out a vision for development in Olney up until 2031 and will eventually be the subject of a local referendum. Joe thanked the many volunteers who had spent a great deal of time in preparing the plan.

Circular Walk
At last month’s meeting it was decided to create a permissive right of way for the section that currently runs parallel to and South of Weston Road alongside one of the streams but would be diverted to instead run in the same direction along the Northern bank of the River Great Ouse. Advice had been obtained from Rosie Armstrong, MKC Assistant Rights of Way Officer. Rosie said that a permissive path is one which the landowner permits the public to use, with the intention that it should not become a public right of way. The permission can be granted for a stated period and Rosie said that MKC would expect this to be in excess of 10 years since they would be investing time, effort and expense into it. She suggested that a public right of way would be the better option and this was passed on a vote by the council.

Riverside right of way
OTC is claiming a right of way along the top of Doff’s Field from Austen Avenue to Clifton Bridge and a Public Enquiry will be held on May 19th. MKC have asked OTC for suitable residents to give evidence at the enquiry. John Boardman expressed his surprise at this as considerable evidence had been collected and documented on a previous occasion, although it had not all been made public. MKC should have access to this documentation, he said.

Youth Centre Community Asset Transfer
The council is considering taking ownership of the Youth Centre as part of a C.A.T. as happened last year with the Olney Centre. An inspection of the state of the building had been carried out by a firm of chartered surveyors which reported that the building is in a generally poor state, having been maintained to minimum standards. The estimate for the repairs was in the region of £150k, although the report carried a number of caveats. Tony Evans thought the estimate unreliable and Joe Stacey suggested it might need a full structural survey. The main issue seemed to be with the flat roofs which require complete stripping and re-covering, but there are a number of other problems which need to be fixed. John Boardman said OTC needed to form a medium to long term business plan to decide how the building would be used and how it could be made to pay its way. Steve Clark was of the opinion that MKC should be asked how much they are prepared to contribute to the repairs, presumably because the poor state of the building is due to their neglect. Colin Rodden reminded the council that the Youth Centre was not just the building but also the considerably sized plot of land which might be of interest to a developer. Peter Geary said that if OTC did go ahead with the purchase it would have to continue to be used for its original purpose, otherwise MKC could buy it back for £1. The only exception could be if it was sold and the resulting funds used to directly finance a replacement.

Odds and Sods
OTC has been approached by local companies Profit Rocket and SSHY Creative Ltd with a view to producing an updated town map to be displayed in the Market Place bus stop and also leaflets. Joe Stacey agreed that the current map is out of date but said he would like to know what the council would be getting for their money with examples of previous work. The former Westlands is no longer being used as a House In Multiple Occupation and planning permission has been submitted for conversion to flats. Rosemary Osbourne reported that funding had now been obtain for heritage signs announcing Olney as the home of Amazing Grace to be placed at the entrances to the town. Colin Rodden expressed his frustration that MKC Development Control Committee had refused planning permission for the new Sainsbury’s, against advice from its own officers. For information, the committee had been tied on the vote so retiring chairman Brian White had used his casting vote to vote against, based on the environmental impacts to the surrounding countryside and also the impact on local shops. Peter Geary said his feeling was that Sainsbury’s would appeal at a cost of about £200k to the council tax payers

Town Meeting
This year’s Town Meeting will now be held on 14th April in the Olney Centre, not 12th May, as previously advertised. Cheese and wine will be available afterwards. Next Meeting - 4th April The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 4th April in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

April 2016

Olney Council report for April 2016

Public Participation
The Public area was packed for this meeting, with the vast majority wishing to speak about Oakdown Crescent. This took a while so it’s covered first, followed by the issues raised by the few who spoke about anything else. Sue Warren Sue Warren, first to speak, noted that there were continuing parking problems in the Crescent and that the potholes remained, still to be filled in. She asked Councillors to ‘carry on the fight’ after the local elections. Elizabeth White spoke next. She’s lived for 25 years in one of the ‘landlocked’ houses just behind Oakdown Crescent, her mother lived in the Crescent until her death last year, and her husband is registered disabled. Noting the ‘knock on’ effect on nearby parking if a Residents’ Parking Scheme was introduced in the Crescent, she questioned how those with disabled family were meant to get to the ‘landlocked’ houses. Nick Taylor Nearby resident of 15 years Nick Taylor spoke next, explaining that he’d only rarely experienced parking problems and that, if there was really a problem to solve, part of the solution could be to improve the surface in Oakdown Crescent and mark out parking bays there. Noting that Sue Warren’s offer to help residents fill in forms (those for the forthcoming consultation Milton Keynes Council (MKC) had planned regarding the proposed Residents’ Parking Scheme) was ‘not entirely appropriate’, he said he generally had a good relationship with residents of the Crescent and that people needed not to get carried away or emotional. Ian Scott Ian Scott, a Weston Road resident, spoke next, wholeheartedly agreeing with Nick’s views, and noting that the proposed Residents’ Parking Scheme would simply move the parking problem elsewhere. Julia Scott Last on this topic, Julia Scott spoke briefly, saying that she was aware it was unfair for her and others to clog up parking spaces in Oakdown Crescent, but they had no choice. Carl Clennet Carl Clennet spoke about the proposal for a Skateboard Park. The first preferred location, between the All Weather Surface and the Tennis Courts, had seen objections from the Tennis Club and The Olney Group (TOG). With the Recreation Ground seeming comfortably the best choice, the current preferred location is to site the Park in place of the zip wire, moving the wire elsewhere, hopefully not far away. He concluded by thanking the Recreation and Services Committee for its help, and noting that the Park would be a benefit to the community as a whole. Andrew Leicester Andrew Leicester spoke last. He lives in Near Town Gardens, and a lorry associated with the electrical works being performed near the allotments had damaged his wall and nearby protection post. While noting that discussions with the company involved were amicable, he explained that this was at least the fifth time where damage had occurred due to lorry traffic in the road, and asked if a sign could be erected to warn large vehicle drivers of the issue.

Oakdown Crescent
Now on to the main meeting, Brian Rice intervened before the Oakdown Crescent item began, handing a petition, presumably against the proposed Residents’ Parking Scheme, to Councillors. He went on to say that he had been upset by Sue Warren’s ‘hurtful defamatory remarks’ at the previous meeting, for example her saying that he was threatening her. He had contacted the Phonebox Magazine to express his views about the way the meeting had been reported, and stated that he’d never physically or verbally accost anyone in Olney. Elizabeth White also spoke, stressing that this issue was not personal. For a minority of the Public present, this was an emotional and spirited part of the meeting. It was not easy to watch and required Steve Clark, for the second meeting in a row, to intervene strongly as Chair to silence them, restore order and allow calm, logical discussion. Deidre Bethune, noting that this issue will (and surely by now has) ‘run and run’, asked if MKC could at least fix the potholes in the Crescent as it had said it would, as they made it a ‘dangerous place to live’. Peter Geary explained the story. In 1968, the houses in Oakdown Crescent and those ‘landlocked’ houses behind, were owned by Newport Pagnell Rural District Council. It sent a letter to its Weston Road tenants saying that, if they parked in the Crescent, they’d lose their tenancy. However, nowadays no Court would enforce such a rule so it’s become irrelevant. He thanked the members of the Public present for their proposed solutions to the problem. For the last few years, Olney Town Council (OTC) had accepted that there was a parking problem in the Crescent, but realised it could only be addressed in parallel with the provision of more parking in the area – perhaps on the site of the existing garages, on land near 102 Weston Road or by allowing more on-street parking nearby. He stressed that the proposed Residents’ Parking Scheme would not happen on its own, MKC having ‘put a brake on it’, and that the Councils would work to understand the problem and try, together with affected residents, to solve it in a ‘holistic’ way. This last sentence much reduced the tension in the room, as most of those in the Public area relaxed visibly, with various saying ‘thank you’. If only, Mercury reflected, the format of the meeting had allowed this point to be made at its start.

Skateboard Park
The Recreation and Services committee had, at its last meeting, unanimously agreed to recommend to full Council that ‘subject to a suitable new site for the zip wire being identified on the Recreation Ground and approved, the committee agreed to the current zip wire site as the best one for a Skateboard Park’. There ensued a brief discussion, with Peter Geary suggesting that OTC have a pre-planning talk with the Planning Officer to discuss the most likely sites, thus uncovering any potential problems early on. Colin Rodden noted that the Cricket Club wasn’t keen on the zip wire site, preferring instead that between the All Weather Surface and Tennis Courts. John Boardman felt that, based on the Committee’s recommendation, those working towards the Skateboard Park should start raising funds towards seeing it realised, while Sally Pezaro was concerned about the ethics of raising money before the site was certain. Councillors voted unanimously to accept the Committee’s recommendation.

Plan:MK
The Council had been preparing its response to the Plan:MK Strategic Development Directions Consultation form, essentially 20 questions designed to gauge its views. The response was tweaked a little during this meeting, before Councillors agreed it was good to send.

Youth Centre Community Asset Transfer (CAT)
In the previous meeting, it was explained that an inspection of the building had found it in a generally poor state, having been maintained by MKC to minimum standards. It estimated repairs in the region of £150k. Much of the discussion was similar to last month’s, so just the new points are covered here. Jeremy Rawlings noted that the Youth Centre has around £30k in its coffers, and John Boardman that the building had outlived the era of its current use so a new approach was needed. The possibility, as contained in the draft Olney Neighbourhood Plan, of some of the Centre’s land being used for a larger Doctors Surgery was also mentioned. In summary, while many Councillors are clearly worried about taking on the building, the Council is continuing with the CAT process on the bases that it can pull out at any time and that, in terms of who pays for the building to be repaired, the Council’s leverage with MKC can only increase as the process continues.

Swimming Steps
As reported before, the Council had paid for a professional specification to be drawn up for the work required to make good the wide crack near the bottom of the Swimming Steps. Three quotations had been received to do the work and, following a short debate, the lowest was chosen. The work should be completed before Riverfest, where the raft racers exit the river up these steps, on Sunday 3rd July.

Bits ’n’ bobs
The brown information signs discussed in previous meetings are now up. It was noted that their wording, ‘Welcome to Olney, Home of Amazing Grace’, had attracted a Photoshopped alternative, posted in the Olney Noticeboard Facebook group and worded ‘Welcome to Olney, Home of Sainsbury’s and Moaning’. Ron Bull explained that preparations for this year’s hanging baskets had started, with them now being available to sponsor. Peter Geary noted that Thames Valley Police had offered to spend a day in Olney to advise people on how to security-harden their houses. He suggested it would be good to have them in the Olney Centre on the same day as the local elections. Next Meeting - 9th May The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 9th May in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

Annual Town Meeting April 2016

Olney Annual Town Meeting

Introduction
Olney Town Council (OTC) hosts a yearly town meeting which provides an opportunity for members of the Public to come along to find out what the Council, and other local groups, have been doing. Attendance at these meetings has been sporadic, ranging from very high in years when controversial items were forward in people’s minds to near zero in others. This year, with a second Sainsbury’s Planning Application ongoing and Plan:MK progressing, there are at least two controversial items and, whether due to them, the usual interesting reports or, just perhaps, the recently introduced free cheese and wine, it was pretty busy with around 40 people all told. This small article gives you a taste of what went on.

Mayor
Steve Clark is not standing for Mayor of OTC this year, leaving the way open for a new Mayor to be elected at the next full Council meeting on Monday 9th May.

Sainsbury’s Planning Application
This was discussed during Steve Clark’s Planning Committee presentation. In summary, the first Sainsbury’s Application was not opposed by OTC, which had the right to recommend refusal but instead was in favour, was recommended for acceptance by Milton Keynes Council (MKC) Officers but refused by their Development Control Committee. Sainsbury’s has since submitted a revised Application with additional parking spaces, a limit of 15% on the sales area which can be used for non food items, and an agreement that the store would not include any non-retail concession space. If this second Application is refused, Sainsbury’s would likely appeal, putting MKC’s Officers, who had previously recommended acceptance, in the unenviable position of having to stand up in Court explaining why the Council had been right to refuse it. An appeal seems non ideal because, if Sainsbury’s was to win it, MKC would have to pay the court costs, and the Planning Gain associated with the Application may be reduced.

Bits ’n’ bobs
The Plan:MK Action Group is a set of Parish Councils including Olney which has banded together to fight the option within Plan:MK to build satellite towns around certain towns and villages, Olney included, in northern rural Milton Keynes Borough. A representative attended this meeting and gave a good summary of the current position. This is quite a tale and has all been covered before by the Phonebox, both in OTC and Mercury articles, so is not covered further here. If you’re concerned about large scale local development and want to know more, Google for “Plan:MK”. Andy Hipkin of Thames Valley Police reported that, this year, there’d been 45 (19 last year) burglaries in Olney, around half domestic, 14 (29) thefts of or from motor vehicles, 16 (20) assaults including those without injury but none classed as grievous bodily harm or worse, 18 (31) counts of shoplifting and 3 (4) sexual offences. The Police, currently low on Officers in this area, are recruiting to replace this shortfall. The Cowper and Newton Museum had a good year, and is aiming to make itself more self sufficient in order to ensure its long term viability. The Newport Pagnell and Olney Lions Club has around 18 members, is doing well but would welcome more – Google for “Olney Lions” if you can help. The Olney Group is also doing well, planning to significantly increase the range and size of entertainments and attractions at this year’s Riverfest, the new name for Raft Race.

May 2016

Olney Council report for May 2016

The First Meeting
The first meeting of the Council Year is known as The Annual Meeting of Olney Town Council (OTC), not to be confused with the Annual Town Meeting, and is largely given over to administrative functions, such as electing a new Mayor and Deputy Mayor, reviewing membership of sub-committees and reviewing standing orders and financial regulations. Before the start of the formal proceedings Mayor Steve Clark welcomed Councillor John Smail back to the chamber after his recent illness. John thanked Steve and said he’d be passing the hat round later!

Public Participation
As is usual recently, this section was entirely devoted to the issue of parking in Oakdown Crescent and Sue Warren was the only person wishing to speak. Sue Warren Sue pointed out that the minutes of last month’s meeting were incorrect as they stated that Elizabeth White’s mother currently lives in the crescent when she in fact died last year. She pointed out that, contrary to the belief of Milton Keynes Council’s (MKC) Highways Department, the footpaths still have not been repaired and if any resident has a fall, there will be a huge compensation claim. She then asked Ward Councillor Peter Geary why the money that had been ring-fenced for a solution last year was no longer available and why, despite a request under the Freedom of Information Act, he had not told her the reason for the delay. Although the matter was an agenda item later in the meeting Peter chose to answer the question at this stage. He said that the money is still available but the reason that things had not progressed was because the ‘water was getting murkier and murkier’ and events at last month’s OTC meeting had set things back considerably. MKC officers would be looking for a consensus in order to progress any scheme and it was obvious in this case that there is not one. It will be necessary to work together as a community to find a solution, he said. Sue said that MKC had suggested a residents parking scheme which had been supported by the residents and was progressing but when it was discussed at the March OTC meeting other people had come out of the woodwork and stopped it. Clearly frustrated, Peter said that was not the case. The other parties had contacted officers at MKC six to nine months ago, when the resident’s scheme was first suggested, and as a result the officers had stopped it as there was obviously no consensus. Sue said she thought Peter was being unsympathetic but he responded that he was not anti the scheme and was on record as having successfully supported similar schemes elsewhere, where there had been a consensus.

Election of Mayor
Steve Clark, having been mayor for the past five years, had previously announced his intention not to seek re-election. He thanked everybody for their support during his time in office, particularly Deputy Mayor Jeremy Rawlings and his daughter Tamsin for their assistance. He then invited nominations for the new mayor and Jeremy, being the only nomination, was elected unopposed. Steve handed over the chain of office and Jeremy took his seat at head of the table. Ron Bull was the only nomination for Deputy Mayor and was also elected unopposed.

Co-option to fill vacancies
There were insufficient numbers of people wishing to stand for election to OTC this time so no election was necessary. All those who registered were elected unopposed but three existing members John Sharp, Ben Brock and Chris Shaw had stood down. Under these circumstances the council can co-opt eligible residents to fill the remaining spaces. Deirdre Bethune was concerned that the vacancies had not been widely advertised and said that the normal course of events would be to hold a full council meeting prior to advertising the vacancies. Town Clerk Liam Costello said that there was a statutory duty to fill the posts within 35 days of the election and there had been advertisements on the MKC website, the OTC website and posted up on the Town Council noticeboard. Ron Bull shared Deirdre’s concern that there were only three applicants for three posts. Rosemary Osbourne said that normally all applicants would be required to give a presentation to the council in order that members could judge their suitability. Tony Evans was of the opinion that it would be ridiculous to delay as everybody in the town was aware that the entire council was up for re-election, having been notified of the forthcoming election which was subsequently not required. Deirdre proposed that the co-options be delayed till the next meeting but this was narrowly defeated in a vote, so all applicants were co-opted on to the council. Although not strictly necessary, each co-optee was invited to give a brief statement about themselves. Desmond Eley said he was a Chartered Quantity Surveyor and had been a resident of Olney for over 40 years. His Father, the late Bert Eley was a past Mayor of Milton Keynes and had been an Honorary Alderman. Heléna Newbold, a nurse by profession, explained she had been an Olney resident for 17 years, had served as a Middle School governor and is the manager at the Kitchener Centre. Martine Stoffels is a Consultant Psychiatrist and has been a resident for three years. All three then took their places at the council table.

Oakdown Crescent
Liam Costello said he had been working on a consultation document which would shortly be sent out to impacted residents in Weston Road, The Pyghtle Weston Road, and Oakdown Crescent. It would include a questionnaire to identify where the residents currently park and how many cars there are in each household. Colin Rodden said any scheme would have a knock-on effect to other areas, such as Chantry Rise, and thought it should be more widely circulated as part of the consultation. Peter Geary repeated his oft expressed opinion that any solution will move the problem on elsewhere unless additional parking spaces are provided. He said he was being publicly criticised for being negative and as a ward councillor had a choice on what he wants to be involved with. He could decide to withdraw and have nothing more to do with Oakdown Crescent, he said. Ron Bull said he thought that Peter had been very balanced in a climate that hasn’t been balanced. Jeremy Rawlings and Colin Rodden expressed similar support.

Neighbourhood Plan
Joe Stacey reported that there had been very few comments on the draft plan and the drop-in session had had a low attendance. He said things really needed to get moving and progress made between meetings. One of the barriers, he said was that the Highways Department of MKC still seemed to be in disarray and he was not getting the required level of support. Peter Geary said that a new Service Director had been appointed, who came with a very good track record, so things should improve. The draft plan is available at olneyplan.com

Sainsbury’s withdrawal of planning application
As everybody knows by now, Sainsbury’s have withdrawn their application for a supermarket in Olney, citing the refusal of planning permission and the uncertain outcome of an appeal as the main reasons. Ron Bull suggested that perhaps there was an anti-Olney feeling in MKC, quoting a number of instances where MKC planners had gone against the advice of OTC. OTC, MKC planning officers and 84% of respondents to a survey had supported the application yet it had been turned down on the vote of one MKC Councillor, Brian White, who had since retired, he said. He felt that Brian should be held to account for his decision. Colin Rodden agreed, saying there had not been much evidence of partnership with MK, where the MK Partnership was concerned. Jeremy Rawlings said he hadn’t bothered to attend the meeting as a member of the public as he thought it was a foregone conclusion that the application would be passed. Steve Clark said that whatever exceptionally good grounds for the appeal may have existed, Sainsbury’s had decided to withdraw and that was the end of the matter. Deirdre Bethune said it was quite possible that the building might not have gone ahead even if the application was approved, owing to Sainsbury’s current financial situation. There then followed a discussion around the need for OTC to work much more closely with MKC in order for them to understand the requirements of local communities. For information, the application was refused by a majority vote of the MKC Development Control Committee, not just the chairman’s casting vote. The reasons for refusal were proposed by Brian White and passed by his chairman’s casting vote. The reasons were: 1. There is a parking shortfall, which will be displaced outside the boundary, 2. There is an impact on the Surrounding Countryside, Contrary to Policy S10, and, 3. That there is an impact on the non-retail part of Olney Town Centre as a consequence of the 30% reduction to trade in the food-stores.

Disturbance at the Bull
This item had originally been placed on the agenda to discuss the recent disturbance which had resulted in a large-scale fight spilling out on to the High Street and Market Place. However, since then the building had been badly damaged by fire and was now closed. Steve Clark proposed that discussion be widened to cover the current state of the building. He said the feeling was that what on earth have Charles Wells, the owners, done to allow the building to get into such a decrepit state. It was not that long ago that the Bull and its managers played a very active role in the community and it should be a flagship of the Charles Well’s empire. The decisions that have been made and the clientele attracted had now driven the whole establishment downhill. He said he would like a meeting with Charles Wells at a reasonably high level to find out what their plans are. They have promised major refurbishment in 2017, but have been saying that for years, he said. Deirdre Bethune was concerned that the resolution could drag on some time, as the Saracen’s Head next door had also been extensively damaged. What Risk Assessment had been done into allowing a wood burning pizza van into the courtyard, she wondered. Peter Geary said OTC should offer to work with the brewery in order to assist them with whatever plans they have.

Odds and Sods
Progress on the circular footpath continues and discussions are underway with the land owner about a right of way to run along the north bank of the river opposite Goosey Island. The landowner has expressed a preference to sell a small piece of land and a discussion took place as to whether the purchase price plus legal feels would be value for money, as it is mostly under water. Work on repairing the bathing steps at the bottom of the recreation ground has now commenced. The hearing loop is now installed and working in the council chamber. Colin Rodden asked if the latest data from the environmental monitoring station outside the Church Hall could be obtained. Next Meeting - 6th June The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 6th June in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

June 2016

Olney Council report for June 2016

Public Participation
Sue Warren As has become the norm, Sue Warren spoke on the subject of parking in Oakdown Crescent. She noted with some regret that Peter Geary had decided to ‘distance himself’ from this issue and that her emails to the other Ward Councillors had, thus far, gone unanswered.

Multi Academy Trust
Olney Infant Academy and Olney Middle School have proposed to convert to a Multi Academy Trust with Two Mile Ash and various other Schools. Jeremy Rawlings, previously Chairman of Governors at the Infant Academy, noted that the Multi Academy Trust is the Government’s preferred way of sharing expertise and that, over time, Schools may be forced to join such Trusts. Given that, he felt it was better for the Olney Schools to build this relationship now with Schools they know and like, rather than being forced later to link with other Schools. Councillors agreed to write a letter supporting this change.

Oakdown Crescent
A consultation document issued by Olney Town Council (OTC) had been sent to residents of the Crescent and nearby roads and, thus far, attracted 34 responses, around a third of the 101 properties to which it was delivered. The aims are to assess the parking issues and to seek residents’ views on possible improvements. The document outlined a possible phased approach to address the problems: In Phase one, parking in the Crescent would be reconfigured with bays marked out either around three edges of the main square (Option A) or in a single block in its middle (Option B). Some of these bays could be dedicated to carers and emergency vehicles, and some to a residents parking scheme for the properties in the Crescent. Phase two would involve demolishing the rented garages and redeveloping the area to provide parking for up to 16 vehicles. Phase three would be to resurface the track off Dagnall Road to provide better use of the available parking space, including the area adjacent to 102 Weston Road. Finally, Phase four would review nearby parking restrictions in an attempt to provide additional parking on Weston Road. Analysing the responses and giving approximate numbers, 50% felt there was sufficient parking available for their needs, 60% felt the document had identified all the issues, yet only 40% felt it identified all the solutions, 60% preferred Option B and, finally, around 80% would support the suggested phased approach. After a brief discussion, Councillors decided to ask Milton Keynes Council (MKC) to begin implementing Phase one Option B, and to send it a summary of the consultation responses.

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Parking in Oakdown Crescent

Lavendon Road Section 106 Requirements Consultation
Section 106 is a planning obligation under which developers pay money to Councils in order to mitigate the negative impacts of their development work. While there’s much variation in how locally and on what the money must be spent, typical examples include children’s play parks and increasing the capacity of local Doctors’ Surgeries. It was being discussed today because the recently refused application to develop 50 homes to the South of Lavendon Road has been resubmitted, leading MKC to ask OTC for its views on how, if this application was successful, the resulting money should be spent. It’s worth noting that OTC’s influence here will be somewhat limited. Joe Stacey, the Councillor who’s primarily been driving the Neighbourhood plan, was clearly frustrated as, when he’d previously sent a questionnaire to all Councillors asking for their views on how the Plan should drive the Council’s response to consultations just like this, he’d received just two responses. The questionnaire will be re-sent and, very likely, a good number of responses received this time round. David Hosking, one of Olney’s Ward Councillors, felt that Parishes and small towns tended to get a raw deal from Section 106, and that Councillors should go through the consultation, item by item, challenging each one. He stated that it was a negotiation and OTC needed to negotiate harder.

Dickens of a Christmas
Following an earlier suggestion, the Dickens of a Christmas Committee has been looking into closing the A509 for the event. This is clearly not a trivial task and the quote from Ringway, MKC’s approved contractor, to implement the diversion was £800. The idea continues to be discussed.

Council audit
The Council has just comfortably passed its latest internal audit. Deidre Bethune congratulated Liam Costello and Debbie Eason, the Town Clerk and his deputy. The accounts will be available for public inspection from 13th June to 22nd July.

Markets
The pizza outlet at the Thursday Market has decided to take up a pitch in London instead, so will no longer be attending Olney’s Market. Councillors voted by a majority to have a Belgian Fries van occupy the vacant pitch. Perhaps already missing the pizza, Councillors approved the Italian Market to return on Sunday 16th October.

One Stop deliveries
As discussed before, and as covered extensively in various posts on the Olney Noticeboard Facebook page, there is ongoing concern about lorries delivering to One Stop on the High Street parking on the zig-zag lines near the crossing. It was noted that, while PCSOs can issue a fine of only up to £30 for this offence, Police Officers can issue a fine of up to £1,000 plus driving licence points. This safety concern will be discussed at the next Council meeting.

St Peter & St Paul churchyard wall
The old stone wall of St Peter and St Paul’s churchyard is deteriorating and in need of repair. The wall is MKC’s responsibility, but OTC has received a letter asking it to contribute towards the repair. Tony Evans, noting that MKC has been looking after the churchyard since 1994, felt the wall was unsafe and carried the danger of a rock falling on a vehicle or, worse, a person. He asked if a site visit could be arranged to show MKC the problem. Peter Geary felt that this letter broke protocol in that individual MKC officers shouldn’t write directly to Parish Councils and that, as a result, OTC should reply to a person higher in the MKC management structure in order to progress the matter.

WEEE and textiles bank
MKC has asked if it can place a Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and textiles bank in the car park to the rear of the Library on West Street. Councillors were concerned about the location, and a small group will visit various possible sites in the town to see if a more suitable one can be suggested for a three month trial of the bank.

Swimming Steps
As reported before, the Swimming Steps are in the process of being repaired. Due to some recent spells of heavy rain, the works are taking longer than expected, but should still be completed before Riverfest, due to take place on Sunday 3rd July. Next Meeting - 4th July The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 4th July in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

July 2016

Olney Council report for July 2016

Public Participation
No members of the public wished to speak in the public participation slot this month.

Oakdown Crescent
Following the recent public consultation on the thorny issue of parking, Deirdre Bethune and Town Clerk Liam Costello had presented Olney Town Council’s (OTC) report to Milton Keynes Council (MKC). There being no OTC meeting in August, an update will be given at the September meeting.

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Oakdown Crescent, Olney

Refusal of permission for 50 Houses on Lavendon Road
MKC planners have refused permission for 50 houses to be built on land opposite the ‘Sainsbury’s site’ based on a number of points: ● The proposed access of a mini roundabout close to the bend in the road was not considered safe ● There was no sustainable drainage scheme included ● The applicant had failed to demonstrate that the scheme would not place a burden on or have an adverse impact on infrastructure, education and leisure facilities. The applicant has lodged an appeal against the decision which will now be dealt with by the Secretary of State. The council decided to concur with the reasons given by MKC for refusal but Steve Clark noted that the applicant had probably assumed that the Sainsbury’s development would go ahead and an extra spur could be built from their access roundabout.

Community Skate Park Update
Tony Summerscales attended with Committee members Francis and Tom to present a report on the current state of the project. Tony circulated a plan which showed the location of the proposed ramp in the position currently occupied by the Zip Wire. He said that the proposed structure would be lower than the existing ramp on Johnsons Field and would blend in well with the surrounding landscape. He explained that the project was still in the early stages but the committee were looking at three possibilities for a build partner, emphasising that the tender process will go through due diligence. The first fundraising event had taken place at the recent Riverfest where £178 had been raised. The next steps would be to produce a confident business plan to take to potential sponsors in the town and to seek a firm financial commitment from OTC. There then followed a discussion about how OTC might be able to assist with the funding. Mayor Jeremy Rawlings suggested Section 106 commonly known as Planning Gain which developers pay to secure planning permission. Peter Geary observed that funding could come from the Parish Partnership or Community Foundation, but would need to be applied for. If necessary it could be ‘forward funded’ from OTC reserves, he said. Helena Newbold said that some banks were prepared to match fund local projects so long as they are a charitable trust (which the skateboard committee currently isn’t). Tony said he didn’t want to lose the local interest and momentum gained from Riverfest and was concerned that the OTC Finance Committee was not due to meet again until October. It was agreed that an extra meeting of the Finance Committee would take place in order to discuss possible assistance with funding for the project.

Riverbank footpath Carey Way to Clifton ‘Planks’
There has long been doubt about the official status of the footpath that runs from Carey Way and along the riverbank to the bridge known as ‘The Planks’ at Clifton Reynes. The section that has been the main cause of discussion runs from Carey Way around Doff’s Field, which is now owned by the Rugby Club. In an attempt to clarify the situation MKC submitted an order to modify the definitive map by adding the footpath, thereby making it an official right of way. A local public enquiry was held in May, led by an inspector appointed by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The report has now been published refusing to grant MKC the order. An order can be made if there is reasonable evidence that a right of way exists but a higher standard of proof is required to confirm it, based on the balance of probability that it has been used by the public on foot for a period of 20 years. In this case it is presumed to have been dedicated as a public footpath unless there is sufficient evidence that there was no intention on the part of the landowner to permit public use. The supposed path has been diverted over the years and ownership of Doff’s Field has changed hands a number of times since Dorothy ‘Doff’ Kitchener passed away. The inspector decided that status of the route was brought into question in 2002 with the first change of ownership so decided to examine the claimed public use for the 20 year period from 1982 to 2002. MKC produced written evidence from 59 Olney residents supporting the claim that they had enjoyed uninterrupted access along the route, some from as far back as 1938. However, none of them were called to give evidence in person to the enquiry. Olney Rugby Football Club were the objectors to the order and their Counsel called nine witnesses to appear in person to support the assertion that a post and wire fence and a five-bar gate with barbed wire along the top were in place during that period which would have required forcible entry to the field. As none of the supporters were present to answer questions under cross examination the inspector concluded that their evidence was outweighed by that delivered verbally at the enquiry and concluded that the order should not be confirmed. This was obviously a great disappointment to OTC and Ward Councillor Peter Geary said they needed to learn from the mistakes that had been made but there was no appeal against the decision. Steve Clark suggested that representatives of the Rugby Club be asked to state the clubs reason for the objection at the next Joint User Group meeting.

Merchant Navy Day
The council have received a letter from Seafarers UK informing them that September 3rd is Merchant Navy Day in recognition of the sacrifices made during the two World Wars, but also the vital part that the Merchant Navy plays in modern day commerce. OTC has agreed to purchase two Red Ensign flags to be flown in the Market Place and Olney Centre on September 3rd.

Odds and Sods
Due to the recent heavy rain, work has had to stop on repair of the bathing steps, but a temporary platform was put in place for the Riverfest raft race. Work will recommence soon. Councillors had been invited to a presentation by Charles Wells to show off their plans for the revamped Bull, following the recent fire. All were very impressed and a public exhibition is due to be held at the end of July. Peter Geary noted that the work would probably not start until the New Year, due to the complex planning requirements of a listed building. The street lamps in the High Street have reached the end of their life and need replacing. It is likely that they will be replaced with standard galvanised columns. Colin Rodden noted that the previous days Riverfest had been a huge success and thanked those involved in the organisation. Martine Stoffels suggested the use of digital signs at the entrance of the town to prevent some of the fly posting which currently takes place for local events. The Recs and Services committee will consider. Assistant Town Clerk Debbie Eason will henceforth be known as the Deputy Town Clerk Next Meeting - 5th September The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 5th September in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

August 2016

Olney Council report for August 2016

There was no meeting in August 2016 of the Council

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Olney

September 2016

Olney Council report for September 2016

Public Participation
Richard Hillier Richard Hillier spoke first, noting that the steps near the Co-op were dangerous due to a broken paving slab. Jeremy Rawlings and Steve Clark gave some background, noting that the ownership of the steps was unknown, although they appeared to belong to Milton Keynes Council or the Co-op. Councillors appeared sympathetic with this issue, and Jeremy noted that he’d reply later to Richard with further information. Sue Warren Sue Warren spoke on the long-running topic of parking in Oakdown Crescent, this time a parked car needing to be moved in order to allow an ambulance to drive out of the Crescent. She also stated that various carers visiting people in the Crescent have formally complained to their managers about the parking situation. Martin Allen Martin Allen spoke about the litter problem on the Recreation Ground, suggesting the Council create a litter picking unit. This idea will be put to the Recreations and Services Committee. John Perkins Finally in this section, John Perkins spoke about the ongoing problem of delivery vehicles stopping on the High Street and thus slowing or blocking traffic. He felt that the A509 causes difficulty for Olney citing excessive speed, weight of traffic and injuries. He asked if Olney Town Council (OTC) had prepared an action plan to improve the situation. Covered by various Councillors, and in previous Mercury articles, the idea of de-priming the A509 was discussed briefly but is not easy, as the Highways Agency controls priming and such a change would have effects for miles around. Also, the lack of a bypass, a subject omitted from the Neighbourhood Plan because it may otherwise have dominated it, was noted as a related issue. The topic was discussed later in the meeting.

Parking in Oakdown Crescent
Councillors will shortly be meeting with MKC to get feedback on this issue and push again for action. Peter Geary suggested that OTC follow up with the Ambulance Service because, if a report had been filed on the incident, it would be useful to inform MKC of the fact.

A509 congestion caused by lorry deliveries
Various ways to improve the situation were discussed, including the provision of loading bays (though many would be required) and asking shops to cone off an area when deliveries were expected. Joe Stacey felt that increasing the width of the road by realigning the kerbs at certain key points, such as that near One Stop, would help greatly. Peter Geary noted that the problem was almost insoluble and that the kerb realignment idea had been presented around eight years ago but, admittedly as part of a set of traffic ideas, met with huge opposition and so was not progressed. Councillors decided first to approach certain key shops and, out of goodwill, ask for their help (e.g. using smaller delivery vehicles) and, if that didn’t work, to look again at the kerb realignment idea.

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A lorry

Barnfield
Barnfield has been surveyed and is believed worthy of Local Wildlife Site status. Buckinghamshire County Council has contacted OTC to ask its permission for the field to be presented to a selection panel and thus have the chance of gaining this status. Councillors were broadly in favour of giving this permission, but wanted to understand all the implications first. A quick review of the paperwork suggests that the aims of this status are to encourage continued good land management and provide advice. OTC will invite a representative to the next Recreations and Services Committee in order to learn more.

Skateboard Park and zip wire
As reported before, the zip wire will need to be relocated if the proposed Skateboard Park goes ahead. Although measurements first need to be taken and approval sought from MKC, it’s likely the wire’s new site would be between the children’s play area and Doff’s Field.

Recreation Ground toilets
The sewerage system which serves the Tennis, Bowls and Football Clubs, public toilets and Council workshop runs under the roadway from the Bowls Club to the Football Club dugout, then through the adjacent private land to connect to the main Anglian Water system. For a good while now it’s been prone to blocking, and the Recreations and Services Committee voted to appoint a drainage consultant to perform a CCTV survey of the system and recommend solutions to this problem.

Future direction of Local Services
Ron Bull, along with Councillors from other local Parishes, attended a MKC meeting covering this topic. The basic premise was the increasing social care MKC needs to provide is much reducing its ability to spend on non-statutory local services such as grass cutting. For example, it was stated as near certain that MKC would not pay for this in three years’ time. It was also stated that a similar principle would apply to other services including play areas, dog bins, etc. The suggested solution was for OTC to increase its precept and take on the work itself. Based on the example of how Swindon is handling a similar scenario, it might lead to a Council Tax increase of £75 per year for a Band D property. Peter Geary, who is a Ward Councillor, explained that the underlying funding problem was real, but felt that the presenter of the meeting had overplayed the issue slightly. For example, MKC had just extended its grass cutting contract until 2023, so was unlikely to stop cutting grass any time soon. He felt OTC should push for a Service Level Agreement with MKC so both sides knew where they stood.

Street lights
The street lights along the High Street are standard columns, each fitted with an embellishment kit and a different top. Periodically, MKC perform ‘topple tests’ on them to ensure safety. The current embellishment kits were gifted to the town and, if any lamppost needs replacing, MKC would pay for the column but it’s likely that OTC would have to pay for the new embellishment kits and, if they can’t be reused, tops.

Next Meeting - 3rd October The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 3rd October in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the Mayor decides is appropriate.

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A lorry

October 2016

Olney Council report for October 2016

Oakdown Crescent
A small group from Olney Town Council (OTC) met with their colleagues from Milton Keynes to discuss the ongoing problem with parking in Oakdown Crescent. A two tier approach is to be taken: First, there will be a residents’ consultation to gauge views on a permit parking scheme for the Crescent. Second, Milton Keynes Council (MKC) will try to allocate enough money to create an organised parking layout, likely with cars in the middle of the Crescent. Peter Geary questioned whether, while the improvement in parking layout would help, the permit parking scheme would make much difference. This was because, once you’d allocated one permit per Oakdown Crescent and landlocked Weston Road households, plus one each for visitors, you’d overwhelm the parking capacity in the Crescent. Steve Clark suggested allocating Oakdown Crescent households two permits (fixed plus visitor) and landlocked Weston Road residents one fixed permit. Councillors decided to endorse the consultation. Is this, finally, a move towards at least a partial solution?

Street lights
As reported before, the condition of the street lights on the High Street is deteriorating. A structural survey has been conducted and, due to a combination of age, rot caused by dogs peeing near the base of the posts and the increased wind resistance caused by excessive ‘extras’ attached to the posts, all approx. 78 of them will be replaced between January and March next year. The replacements will be LED lit, appropriate for the area, for example black, and similar but not identical to the current posts. They’ll allow the Christmas lights and hanging baskets to be mounted, but the other signage that is kept will be moved to new posts sited nearby.

Steps near Co-op and Oxfam
Following on from Richard Hillier’s question last month, OTC is working towards fixing the steps leading down from the Co-op car park to Oxfam. In spite of looking back over old maps, OTC is little nearer discovering who owns them. In a pragmatic move, the Council will seek advice and approximate cost for a bricklayer to fix the problem. However, there was a concern that, should it have the work carried out, it may lead to the Council then assuming responsibility for the steps. It was also noted that it would be hard to get anyone to admit to owning them, due to the ongoing maintenance work that would entail. The Council will write to the Co-op, the company felt most likely to be the owner, asking for a donation towards the work.

A509 congestion caused by lorry deliveries
This topic was raised at last month’s meeting, and Liam Costello had arranged a meeting with One Stop in order to see if, for example, they could arrange deliveries by smaller vehicles. Councillors discussed the issue for a while, Martine Stoffels being keen to have representatives from MKC come to see the problem first hand and for Olney Councillors to try thrashing out a solution with them while there. The Council will ask MKC if their representatives can attend.

Barnfield
Barnfield has been surveyed and is believed worthy of Local Wildlife Site status. Councillors have decided to give permission for the field to be presented to the selection panel and thus have the chance of gaining this status.

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The Barnfield

Johnson’s Field zip wire
The zip wire on Johnson’s Field, currently partially dismantled, is in need of significant work to restore it to working order. It’s unclear whether MKC will decide to perform this work or to remove the zip wire completely, regarding it as having reached end of life.

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Johnson's Field Zip Wire

Neighbourhood Planning
Joe Stacey reported that Historical England, a consultee on the process of deciding residential and commercial development sites, has requested that an Environmental Assessment be performed. MKC is thus considering reversing its previous tack that one would not be required. Councillors were against this request, Helena Newbold noting that only three or four Neighbourhood Plans in the area had conducted this Assessment, with Newport Pagnell having won an award for their Plan without doing so. The Council will write to MKC asking them to override this Historical England request. As background, a Strategic Environmental Assessment is required where a development plan, such as a Neighbourhood Plan, is being prepared which is likely to have significant environmental effects. Environmental effects include those on heritage, habitat and the environment. Its purposes are to identify these possible effects and use them to inform the choices made in plan preparation. To perform an Assessment, a detailed statutory process would have to be followed.

Changes to MKC planning delegation
MKC is attempting to reduce the number of Planning Applications placed before its Development Control Committee (DCC) and Development Control Panel (DCP) by deciding more strictly which should instead have been determined by its officers under delegated powers. Their analysis shows that the highest single trigger for applications to be considered by committee was from Town and Parish Councils yet, in most such cases, those Councils did not send a representative to the subsequent meeting to argue their case. The next most significant trigger was the number of representations from members of the Public and, with this being based purely on a threshold and with no triaging of the acceptability or policy compliance of the applications, often resulted in perfectly acceptable applications being agreed anyway after needless additional consideration by committee. The proposed changes are that speakers’ rights at both the DCC and the DCP be amended to: • Allow the Ward Councillor to speak without having to declare ‘Objection’ or ‘Support’; • Remove the ‘Right to Reply’ requirement and simply allow the Applicant or Agent to speak in support of their application, irrespective of the recommendation or objections received, for three minutes. • Reduce the numbers of speakers objecting to a scheme to one, three-minute slot per application; • Allow members of the public to speak in support of an application on the same basis as those objecting to an application with one, three-minute slot per application. These proposals are open to informal consultation and, as such, OTC is invited to respond with its view. After some discussion, Peter Geary suggested the Council write to MKC to suggest a longer speaking time for more members of the Public to object, and similar for the Town and Parish Councils though, having objected, they must then speak at the resulting meeting. Peter will work with Liam to compose a suitably worded letter. Thank you to Liam Costello for providing the above list of changes. This is quite a detailed issue and, for further information, of which there is much, surf to http://bit.ly/2e4YsFe where you can view all the information from the meeting in which it was discussed. OTC will not be the only Councillor or Council to object, as viewing the Collated Late Papers link on that page shows clearly.

Hanging Baskets
After a good display this year, the Hanging Baskets are now past their best and should have been taken down by the time you read this article. Next Meeting - 7th November The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 7th November in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

November 2016

Olney Council report for November 2016

Public Participation
Sue Warren First to speak in this section was Sue Warren on behalf of the Oakdown Crescent residents. She thanked the council for their efforts in the recent meeting with Milton Keynes Council (MKC) but expressed concern that the funding for the proposed residents’ parking scheme and changes to the parking layout was not currently available, since she was under the impression that it had been ring-fenced. This matter was an agenda item later on in the meeting. Gill Behari Next to speak was Gill Behari, owner of Leo Antiques in the Market Place who presented a petition requesting that the Big Olney Food Festival (BOFF) be relocated from the Market Place to the recreation ground, signed by 75% of businesses in the centre of the town. Gill said that the event had grown from the original one day event featuring Olney food providers and there were now food stalls occupying the roads and pavements around the Market Place. The roads and car park were now closed for almost three days, disrupting normal business practices resulting in loss of earnings for many retailers. Residents and visitors, particularly the disabled, have great difficulty in parking she said. Many of the shops have to close their doors due to food smells and deafening music and shop keepers had complained of finding people sleeping in their doorways, as well as vomit and general drinking detritus. The council had been due to discuss the request for next year’s event to be held, but decided to defer the decision pending further discussions.

Oakdown Crescent
Town Clerk Liam Costello reported that there was actually nothing to report at present, as MKC is yet to complete the consultation with the residents regarding the parking scheme.

Community Skate Park
This section was introduced by Councillor Colin Rodden who requested a commitment for financial support from OTC towards the total cost, expected to be in the region of £75k, so that the fundraising committee could approach local businesses for funding. Tony Summerscales was present with three young members of the committee. Tony explained that £145 had been raised from a stall at Riverfest but a firm commitment was required from Olney Town Council (OTC) in order to start the planning process, engage suppliers, and seek additional funding. Mayor Jeremy Rawlings reminded members that they had previously discussed using money obtained by Section 106 ‘planning gain’ for the project which was not currently available but could be ‘forward funded’. Liam Costello said that the proposed housing development in East Street would generate £33k and the Lavendon Road development £111k. However, the next Finance Committee meeting was not due till January. Tony was keen to move things forward, explaining that they wanted to start building in March 2017 so that the project was completed before the summer and not to disrupt the normal use of the play area and even a month’s delay would jeopardise that. Ron Bull suggested that if OTC was genuinely committed to supporting the skate park then it should provide the funding regardless, but Ward Councillor Peter Geary was adamant that the money must come from Section 106, otherwise it would have to come from the precept (the amount of Council Tax that MKC gives back to OTC to run services). He was 98% certain that the money would be made available, he said. Joe Stacey proposed that the anticipated £33k from the East Street development be earmarked to support the scheme and a vote taken which was passed unanimously. After the vote Tony Evans reminded members that the Recs and Services Committee had agreed to the location of the skate park, subject to relocation of the existing zip wire. It was possible that moving the zip wire might cause or identify damage which would need additional funding, he said. Also the play equipment on Johnsons field was due to be revamped and that would take a significant chunk of future Section 106 funds.

High Street streetlights
As reported previously, the existing lamp standards have reached the end of their life and are due to be replaced by MKC. There was concern that the replacements would be basic and functional, rather than aesthetically pleasing, but two designs have been submitted which are similar to the existing ones. OTC decided to opt for the designs produced by Holophane. It is expected that the full cost will be met by MKC with no contribution necessary from OTC

Olney Wine Bar – license application
Olney Wine Bar and Brasserie Ltd are owners of the Wine Bar and the next door premises, Cross Keys House, and have recently obtained planning permission to knock through the existing internal walls on the ground and first floors in order to link the two. The existing Wine Bar license covers opening hours, sale of alcohol, and music and dance all with slightly different timings. A new application has been made for the combined buildings which attempts to standardise the hours for the permitted activities although the finishing hours for the music is later than currently permitted. The nearby residents have expressed concern about the extended hours and OTC has formally raised an objection. A member of the council will attend the meeting of the MKC Licensing Committee on November 22nd to present their case.

Changes to MKC planning delegation
As reported extensively last month MKC is attempting to reduce the number of Planning Applications placed before its Development Control Committee (DCC) and Development Control Panel (DCP) by deciding more strictly which should instead have been determined by its officers under delegated powers. A survey has been sent to all parish and town councils for them to express their opinion of the proposed changes and identify what aspects of the planning process they consider most important. There was some concern at the ‘tick in box’ nature of the survey, since the importance of the various aspects and elements would vary from case to case and simple ranking was not appropriate.

Devolved Landscape Maintenance
Three years ago OTC agreed to take on responsibility for landscape maintenance from MKC, which covers litter picking, grass cutting and play area maintenance. In order to fund this additional work OTC received a grant from MKC. Due to the financial crisis MKC has had to cut £111m from its current budget, needs to find £20m next year and a further £60m by 2020. In view of this it proposes to cut the previously agreed grant for Devolved Landscape Service for the next financial year by a third. Peter Geary questioned what incentive is there for local councils to accept devolved services if this is the way they are treated. Liam Costello said that some council were proposing to raise the precept to cover the funding gap but Peter said The Council Taxpayer was already paying for the service and should not have to pay again through the precept. What would MKC do if a parish refused to fund the work, he wondered. Would it just not get done?

BT removal of public payphones
BT has informed MKC of its intention to remove 65 public payphones including all three in Olney, none of which are contained in the traditional red ‘heritage’ kiosks. The letter states that payphone use has declined by over 90% in the last decade and with 98% of the UK having either 3G or 4G coverage the use will continue to diminish. The phones in Olney which will be removed are:
• Market Place – 101 calls in the year to 19/09/2016 • Outside Amaya Dartmouth Road – 58 calls in the year to 19/09/2016 • Junction of Dagnall/Weston Road – 0 calls in the year to 19/09/2016
The council decided to raise no objections to the proposal, but Peter Geary said there should be a proviso that all the kiosks must be removed and the area made good, rather than just leaving them without being maintained.

Barnfield
As reported last month Barnfield is being considered for Local Wildlife Site status. Tony Evans reported that in order to promote the growth of wild flowers the long grass had been cut and removed and thanked groundsman John Nichols for his hard work.

Olney IndieGo Collective Festival
Local musician Ian Roberts has contacted the council seeking support for the IndieGo Collective, which is a charity set up to help fund children’s music and drama lessons in Olney and the surrounding area. The plan is to have a weekend of fundraising, starting on Friday 21st July with art exhibitions, poetry reading and artistic workshops in the town, with comedy and acoustic music in many of the bars and restaurants. On Saturday 22nd July there would be a concert on a field of the recreation ground with a main outside stage and an acoustic stage inside a marquee featuring some ‘household names’. The event would relocate to the Market Place on Sunday 23rd for similar entertainment. There was some concern that the event might be over ambitious and the recreation ground would not be suitable for such an event, particular as there is an existing parking problem in the area and it would probably bring in people from outside town. Steve Clark wondered if it might be more suited to Emberton Park where parking and camping is available.

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The IndieGo Collective

Steps near Co-op and Oxfam
MKC have investigated the somewhat vague ownership of the steps, which are in a bad condition, and concluded that they belong to the Co-op. They have written to the Co-op informing them of this decision and instructing them to carry out the necessary repairs.

Public Art in Olney
Members of OTC have had a meeting with the Public Art Officer for MKC, who was described as ‘very enthusiastic’. Steve Clark pointed out that every Section 106 ‘planning gain’ grant contains an element of funding intended for public art, none of which had ever been spent in Olney. Tony Evans noted that the state of wicker pancake figures continues to decline and reminded members that they had discussed having them remade in metal.

Odds and Sods
OTC has agreed to fund the provision of one member of staff for the library for a further year at eight hours per week. The five gang grass mower has reached its end of life and will be used for spares for the three gang mower. A new Trimax mower will be purchased for £15.5k which will be cheaper to service. A chain of beacons is to be lit across the country on 11th November 2018 to mark the end of the First World War. OTC plan to light the beacon on Barnfield as part of this act of remembrance. Des Eley passed on his thanks to TOG who organised the recent fireworks display, saying that he thought it was the best yet. Sally Pezaro, who is also a member of TOG reported that once again the recreation ground toilets backed up and became blocked and the gentlemen’s toilet light was not working. Tony Evans admitted that the toilets are ‘an embarrassment’. Steve Clark noted that the recently published Olney guide contained many errors and requested that assistance be given with the proof reading when the next edition is submitted for approval. The guide is published by a private company called Local Authority publishing and not OTC. Next Meeting - 5th December The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 5th December in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

December 2016

Olney Council report for December 2016

Public Participation
There was a full house of nearly 30 members of the public present for this month’s meeting. Most of these were there to support the application to hold the Big Olney Food Festival next year and as this was an item on the formal agenda will be covered there. Kevin Viney First to speak was Kevin Viney on the subject of the proposal to replace the existing street lights in the High Street which have come to the end of their life. He was concerned that Milton Keynes Council (MKC) prefers to use LED bulbs in replacement schemes but the proposed supplier, Holophane, do not provide this option on the ‘Woburn’ lamp post style. If the next most energy efficient option of fluorescent lamps was used this would produce a ‘morgue’ like white light as opposed to the warm yellow sodium lights which are used at present, he said. There is growing evidence that white light can disturb circadian brain rhythms and inhibit normal sleep patterns and many of the street lights are close to first floor windows in a residential area. He requested that Olney Town Council (OTC) write to MKC and asks for the traditional Metal Halide or Sodium lamps to be used instead. Mayor Jeremy Rawlings agreed to make representations to MKC.

Oakdown Crescent
Representing the residents, Christine Platt reported that someone had been ‘seen with a tape measure’ in the crescent recently, indicating that there may be some progress on the residents’ parking scheme. Town Clerk Liam Costello said that consultation with residents on the parking scheme was due to start that week. The recent budget announcement from MKC meant there would be a charge of £50 per annum for each vehicle registered with residents’ parking schemes across the borough, he said.

Big Olney Food Festival (BOFF)
At last month’s meeting Gill Behari, owner of Leo Antiques in the Market Place, presented a petition requesting that the Big Olney Food Festival (BOFF) be relocated from the Market Place to the recreation ground. Prior to this month’s meeting Sam McCallum, chair of voluntary group Olney Events who run BOFF, submitted a letter of response to the council. In the letter Sam explained the context of BOFF saying that originally it had been a one day event run by the chamber of Trade to showcases local food and drink retailers and entertainers. The aim was to cover the cost of the event and support the Chamber of Trade, which for many years it did. In 2014 the running of the event transferred to the newly created organisation, Olney Events, who since then had donated over £16,000 to local good causes and purchased the 150 artificial Christmas trees which decorate the High Street. It has now grown to a two day event of family fun to incorporate music, dance, entertainment and the Farmers’ Market and has become a fixed item in the town’s social calendar. The focus is still on local producers but in order to provide as wide a variety as possible selected retailers from outside of the town are allowed to trade. An estimated 3000-5000 people attend the event, a substantial number of whom are from out of town, to see what we have to offer and will visit on repeat occasions. Speaking in support of her letter Sam said that a number of the petition signatories had since retracted as it had not been clear at the time what they were signing. It appears that the covering letter that Gill Behari read out at last month’s meeting had been added after they had signed. It just would not be practical to run the event on the recreation ground, she said. John Leeks said he had spoken to the traders who had signed the petition to understand their concerns and see if they could be addressed. Matt Philcox, owner of Wildleaf Cookshop, Deli and Café said he had noticed a slight drop in sales over the BOFF weekend but attended the event handing out leaflets offering a discount which had resulted in lots of new business. Councillor Deirdre Bethune, who had already declared an interest as a member of Olney Events, spoke about the allegations of disorderly behaviour and food and vomit in shop doorways overnight. There was no evidence that this had actually happened, she said, and the organisers always had a thorough clean-up of the entire area at the end of the day. Mayor Jeremy Rawlings observed that BOFF is only one of four events per year which necessitated closure of the Market Place and is the only multi-day event. Steve Clark said that use of the Market Place had been discussed by the council many times and it was important to remember that it is a public space first and a car park second. The organisers and objectors should sit around a table and proactively resolve the issues, he said. Tony Evans, who had also declared an interest, agreed that BOFF would not work anywhere else but was concerned that it should not become a victim of its own success. It started as a food festival and is in danger of becoming a rock concert, he said. A proposal to hold the event on the 8th to 10th September 2017 was voted on and passed unanimously.

Olney Youth Centre
OTC have applied to take control of the building and associated land from MKC under the Community Asset Transfer (CAT) scheme. As part of the transfer process OTC commissioned a full survey of the building that identified faults which will cost £150k to correct. Although the faults are mainly due to MKC neglect it appears that OTC will need to provide funding for this and prove to MKC that it has the funds available. The process has now stalled because the emerging Neighbourhood Plan has earmarked the associated land for development of a new GP surgery. The general principles of CAT state that any transferred asset must only be used for the pre-transfer purpose and MKC is concerned that OTC could gain financially from the sale of the land for the development. For that reason they have proposed that the building only would be transferred. Peter Geary said it appeared that MKC had “seen the pound signs” but saw no reason for the building and land to be split, since the CAT rules allowed MKC to claw back any profit that OTC might make from sale of the land. Tony Evans was of the view that the two must not be split. If MKC want OTC to pay for their years of neglect of the building then the land must be included as well. Later in the meeting Desmond Eley said that a number of people had complained to him that they could never get hold of anyone to book the building, as the phone wasn’t answered or messages returned. Jeremy Rawlings said that there was an ongoing ‘admin problem’ and in the interim members of the public should contact him to make bookings.

Recreation Ground Sewer
There has long been a problem of the sewer backing up when events are held in any of the sports clubs or extensive use is made of the public toilets. This is due to a collapsed sewer where it diverts under the fence alongside the football pitch and under a private property before joining the main sewer in East Street. OTC commissioned David Smith Associates to conduct a survey which identified the location of the problem and proposed rerouting of the sewer to bypass it. It is likely to cost several thousand pounds to complete, but OTC is hopeful it would be paid for by Anglian Water. The regulations state that if the service is routed from one private property via another before joining with the mains then it is the responsibility of the utility company from that point and this sewer serves the tennis, bowling and football clubs.

Olney Wine Bar and Brasserie – license application
The November meeting of the MKC Licensing Committee considered an application by John Shayler on behalf of the Olney Wine Bar and Brasserie for a license amendment to align the hours permitted for sale of alcohol, performance of music and performance of dance. The requested hours were 10:00- 00:30 Sunday to Thursday and 10:00-01:30 Friday and Saturday. OTC had objected to the extended hours and had proposed 10:00-11:00 Sunday to Thursday and 10:00-00:00 Friday and Saturday. The objection was upheld and it appears that the request for extended hours during the week has been withdrawn. For information, Mr Shayler is involved in the running of lap dancing clubs in Ampthill and Dunstable and the application included a request for ‘Dance performers for the entertainment of customers’ but listed Adult Entertainment as ‘None’.

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The Olney Wine Bar

Devolved Landscape Maintenance
As reported last month MKC has had to cut £111m from its current budget and needs to find £20m next year plus a further £60m by 2020. In order to do this it is proposing to devolve some local services to the parish councils. A letter has been received from Carole Mills, Chief Executive of MKC, attempting to provide an update on progress, although it seemed to cause more confusion than it did provide information. The services involved include weed killing and filling of grit bins. Peter Geary pointed out that MKC is currently able to benefit from bulk discounts of materials which would not be available to the individual parishes if they had to purchase individually. Tony Evans reminded councillors that when OTC took over the maintenance of open spaces from MKC it did not include responsibility for large trees. MKC has not carried out any maintenance for many years resulting in a potentially liability for OTC if it was forced to take over the responsibility. Bucks Association of Local Councils (BALC) will be holding a conference in March next year to hopefully gain consensus on a way forward but there was concern that this might be too late.

Traffic on Aspreys
In August OTC placed a Speed Indicating Device (SID) on Aspreys and the results are now available:
10 MPH - 25 vehicles 20 MPH - 403 vehicles 30 MPH - 5970 vehicles 40 MPH - 6852 vehicles 50 MPH - 565 vehicles 60+ MPH - 36 vehicles
Colin Rodden was concerned about the excessive speed outside of the Ousedale campus (although this survey was carried out during the school holidays) and thought perhaps the current advisory 20 MPH limit should be mandatory.

Odds and Sods
The steps leading up to the Co-op from the High Street will be repaired but there has been no response yet from the Co-op regarding responsibility of the surrounding land in general. Peter Geary summarised the MKC budget proposals explaining that the bus operators grant had been reduced. Street cleaning frequency will be reduced, the rapid reaction street cleaning will be reduced from two teams to one, and the Noise Complaints team will only operate from 09:00-17:00 Monday to Friday. Rosemary Osbourne reported that dumping of waste on ‘Pebody Island’ had continued. Jeremy Rawlings said it had been reported to the Environment Agency but the matter would be reported again. OTC has completed the purchase of a small piece of land at The Goosey which was required to complete the Olney Circular Walk. Next Meeting - 9th January The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 9th January in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

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Mercury's reports for 2017

January 2017

Public Participation:

Sue Warren Sue Warren spoke on the subject of parking in Oakdown Crescent. While householders had now received the residents parking scheme consultation, some were struggling to understand it and, in particular, the annual £50 permit charge. This topic is dealt with in the main body of the meeting below. Rod Parker Rod Parker also spoke about parking, this time in Orchard Rise. This has worsened over the last ten years. The main problems are safety (there’s no pavement), reduced road width (due to the line of parked cars) requiring larger vehicles to mount the grass verge, and lack of access to driveways (due to poor parking). Residents formed a small committee around a year ago and, keeping the residents informed throughout, it’s looked into various solutions and discussed the issue with both Olney and Milton Keynes Councils. Yellow lines were suggested and rejected due to them being too expensive and restrictive. A residents parking scheme was then suggested. The Committee liked the idea so a petition was sent to Milton Keynes Council (MKC). Again, this topic is dealt with in the main body of the meeting below.

Election of Deputy Mayor
With Ron Bull having left the Council, a vacancy has arisen for the post of Deputy Mayor. There were two candidates: Sally Pezaro (in her absence) and Desmond Eley. Votes were taken and Sally was elected Deputy Mayor with six votes, with Desmond having four.

Parking in Oakdown Crescent
The consultation document has now been sent to those living in the Crescent plus the houses in the immediate vicinity, first online (not ideal for the elderly residents) then printed. If 70% or more respondents are in favour, the scheme will be in place within six months. While parking permit schemes within Milton Keynes Borough are free in the current financial year, there is a proposal for an annual £50 permit charge starting April 2017 – hence it being raised as a concern in the Public participation part of this meeting. Deidre Bethune felt it was not ideal that pensioners would have to pay for parking permits. Peter Geary replied that this point had been raised for a number of schemes and that there was a proposal for them to be free for pensioners, although it was uncertain if or when this would be agreed. He also noted that the advantage of residents paying was that the schemes would likely be better enforced. Martine Stoffels asked if Olney Town Council (OTC) should be trying to help the residents understand the scheme, though Jeremy Rawlings noted that it had no jurisdiction in the matter – it could only comment and suggest. Joe Stacey said that the issue was a ‘bit of a mess’, ‘disgraceful’ and had ‘gone on and on’. He suggested that OTC write a strong letter to MKC’s Chief Executive to get this remarkably long running is