- January 2024 Issue (December 2023 meeting)
‘Please shut the gate’ is a sign we have all seen, and most of us will abide by that request. It’s part of the Countryside Code after all, and anyway, it’s good manners – if you use a gate, you shut it after you. So when representatives of an Olney street, which has been enjoying its own access gate, attended the regular Olney Town Council meeting to secure the opening’s existence, they probably weren’t expecting it to be shut up for good…
June Keating from Mobbs Close in Olney stood to give her case for the access gate. She was there on behalf of her entire street although, to be fair it was only her and her daughter present so, compared with some resident rebellions seen at the Olney Centre in 2023, this one wasn’t so much ‘mob-handed’ as ‘Mobbs-handed’. She said that an access gate between Mobbs Close and the recreation ground (the Rec), which has been there for five years, had recently been ‘rather crudely blocked off ’ so that residents could no longer use it.
The gate had been damaged too, and we have since found out that it was the Town Council which did this, said a forlorn Mrs Keating. She said the gate was the property of the residents of Mobbs Close – 23 people have a key to it which is used on a regular basis for people to get to the Rec, the bowls club, the tennis club and other facilities there. She said that by having the gate operated by residents, it would only enhance security down at the Rec by ‘sort of keeping an eye on things’.
There had been a matter raised, she added, concerning the privacy of the Rugby Club’s changing rooms near to the gateway and if this was the case, surely a screen could be erected on the railings there to solve that problem. Mrs Keating said that this was a ‘trivial’ issue that ‘concerns very few people’ and wondered why OTC’s time and resources were being used here when they were ‘surely needed elsewhere’.
Councillors Colin Rodden, David Tyler and Deirdre Bethune were unavailable. Deirdre was at another meeting – Town Clerk Jane Brushwood said Deirdre indicated that she would attend if that one finished in time. Ian Stokes declared an interest in a later item on the agenda concerning the town’s former football club building as he is chairman of Olney Town Colts, and Chris Tennant had a similar interest to declare concerning that building as he was a member of an organisation that uses it.
Just before the last meeting’s (November) minutes were approved, Ian Stokes had a question. Was it not agreed that the current tenant of the ex-football club (Caveman Conditioning) pay council legal fees? he asked. That was met with stunned silence around the table. Can you say that again, please, said Mayor Debbie Whitworth. Well, I know this was discussed because I raised it, said Ian. We were talking about incremental legal fees and whether they should be covered because they seem to be escalating, he added. The Clerk confirmed that the matter had been discussed but it wasn’t included in the resolution.
Councillor Keith McLean was in town to deliver the Milton Keynes ward report. He had a number of items to go through. We still have problems with MK Connect (the local transport service). The issues continue, and I’m not quite sure what the remedy is, he said. The number 21 bus service was another ‘problem’ item on Keith’s agenda. People have come to me on this, he said, and last week I had two reports: one where the bus driver decided that Emberton didn’t exist anymore and went straight up the bypass and on another occasion, apparently, people were invisible at the bus stop by The Forge. For the first one, Keith continued, the bus company said, ‘Ah that’s a new driver’. I went back and said – excuse the pun – do you not ‘on-board’ your drivers and familiarise them with the technology and routes? Keith said he was aware of an App that contains this information, but he didn’t have any more details.
The ward councillor continued with his next item: the roadworks at the bottom of the A509 from Chichelely Hill. If you go past the road that you can’t go down, you will notice that there is something missing there. It’s a white elephant known as a bridge. I can’t believe they went to the trouble of putting the bridge up to save closing the road and then finding that they didn’t need it and took it down, said Keith. I hate to think how much it cost.
Next on the list was the 20mph speed limits. Following a meeting back in September there has been gathering of speed data in a number of areas, he said. There were a couple of places that he was disappointed did not get checked, for example the stretch of Weston Road between the A509 and Lime Street, even though Keith asked twice for that. But the outcome is that they are going to go ahead with 20mph speed limits on Aspreys and on Yardley Road and the residential roads going off them. There is not the budget to do any more speed restricting, said Keith, this is just Phase 1 and will be starting early 2024 and finished by the middle of the year. Part of the speed limits will involve engineering works, putting in humps on both Yardley Road and Aspreys. Keith finished with one other subject that he had discussed at ‘a number of these meetings’. The question of safety of the crossing at the One Stop shop has been raised again, he said. He explained how he had been told recently by a Highways officer that there had been agreement to put in a ‘covert surveillance device’ at the crossing to record traffic movements over a week in that area. It had to go through procurement, but it had been agreed in principle.
Debbie Hall asked Keith about the 20mph limit, which seemed to be happening only on the west side of the town. What about East Street? She asked. Keith said he did ask for the whole of Olney to be included in the research, but it was felt that there was not enough budget to do everything. He added that he thought people would be surprised at the speed of cars along East Street – it’s self-policing, he said, and in a lot of places where it’s narrow cars don’t get over 30mph. It’s done using a matrix scoring system and unless a lot of cars exceed the limit no action is taken, he explained. It also needs a pavement down there, said Debbie H, not letting the subject go.
Keith said that’s an engineering issue. Ian Stokes asked if the High Street was part of the data gathering. The Mayor said that data gathering strips had been put along the High Street and that the information has to be sent to Thames Valley Police.
Chris Tennant said he thought there was still an issue with speeding from the industrial estate at the north end of the town coming down to the roundabout at the top of Drift Way. Keith noted that there were actually no houses alongside that stretch.
Olney still does not have a PCSO, but some crime figures had been sent to the Clerk by Arlene Ormston, who is being ‘run ragged’ as she tries to cover Olney as well as her own villages. The Clerk had figures that covered 6th November to 4th December and included 1 x Action Fraud (of a banking protocol), 3 x public disorder and 1 x antisocial behaviour between neighbours. Other incidents that are not crime-related include some road-related issues and a suspicious person on the Market Place.
The Mayor added that she had been told there will be two new PCSOs coming to Olney: one on board in December and one coming in early January. Both new officers will have several weeks of training.
Councillors had been sent a copy of the latest expenditure report by the Clerk. Did anyone have anything to say about it, asked the Mayor. The resounding silence meant there was no comment on what was a straightforward document this month.
There was also little to report from councillors who had represented OTC at external meetings. Debbie Hall said she had attended a meeting of the Olney Newton Link, where they are starting a project to build a new community centre rather like the one in Olney. The Clerk said that she and the Mayor had met with Barclays Bank to discuss the provision of a new financial facility in the town. It’s not a hub, said the Mayor. No, they don’t like that word, agreed the Clerk, because it suggests lots of different banks. They are putting a Barclays van on to the Market Place twice a month on the Thursday market. There won’t be cash banking there, but there will be other things – we’ll find out soon enough. It will be starting in January, she added.
We also have social prescribers coming in. Social prescribing is sort of like a citizens’ advice, explained the Clerk, which will include advice on things like physical and mental well-being, housing, finance and heating. The council will set up a ‘coffee morning type of thing’, she added, so that people from Olney and surrounding villages in a wider area can access the service. The Council is hoping to create some advertising material about both the Barclays banking service and the social prescribers scheme.
The cemetery path said the Clerk, from the road up to the lych gate, has been surfaced and from there the existing path is going to be resin bonded again. Surfacers will be coming back to do the edges and finish the job, she added. And the top surface will not be able to be done until the weather changes in the Spring next year, she said, but it is quite safe until then. Of course that’s all being done under Section 106 funding, the Clerk confirmed.
Dan Rowland told everyone that an action plan had been put forward to monitor water quality. However, he wasn’t sure what the timescale was for this research. The Mayor said that Mark Butterfield (from Olney’s fishing association) was carrying out research on behalf of OTC and had been working with Bedford Council and their scientists there. We have also asked the Clerk to reach out and work with Newport Pagnell Council, so it is like two councils working together, said the Mayor. Testing will also continue to be carried out at the bathing steps area. We will collect as much data as we can before we take the whole situation to the Environment Agency, the Mayor added. We’ll get as much groundwork in as we can. Then we will be in a better position to request full data on the river pollution and, if necessary, we can ask for an FOI (Freedom of Information) to find out exactly what the EA are testing.
Ian Stokes said this must remain an agenda item for the future and one to keep an eye on, especially with the heavy use of the Rec in the summer. This report can ‘dovetail’ into that, he added. The Council can get test kits for water quality monitoring, said the Mayor. What will they be testing for? asked Debbie Hall. E.coli, said Dan. OK, so what’s the action taken from that information we receive, returned Debbie H. We can share it with other fishing clubs in the area, answered the Mayor, to understand what they are doing too.
The Clerk said the present tenant’s solicitors have agreed on a lease which she has ‘yet to see signed’. It has not been signed as far as I’m aware, she added. That’s the only update I’ve had. I’ve had other small bits and pieces, and plans are being put in place for a meeting in January. We’ll have the results of the questionnaire on Neighbourhood Planning (which includes a specific question about the building), as you know, she said. The Olney questionnaire is still live, said Chris Tennant. Yes, but only until the 15th of this month (December), said the Clerk. We’ll get that all put together and the results of that will form part of the plan, she added.
This had already been brought up by a resident earlier, and now the issue was to be discussed as an agenda item. OK, well, you all know about this because it has been going round and round, said the Mayor. And we need to make a final decision this evening. Well, just like we’ve got the problem with the football club said the Clerk, this is a problem I feel that we are going to pass on to people in the future. And it’s not these residents, it’s not necessarily us councillors, the fact of the matter is that by allowing it (the gate), we are putting ourselves at risk of being sued when the path is slippery, when the gate doesn’t work or whatever. The gate should not have been there. It should be put back as a metal fence, and there’s hedging in there – that’s what should go back in. It should have been reinstated when the builders left, but they didn’t do that. We have had a letter from the managing agent of that estate, said the Mayor. In it, she said, the agent had offered to erect some signage saying that using the gate is done at ‘one’s own risk’. I’m sorry, added the Mayor, but that means absolutely zilch. The Clerk agreed.
We all know that if someone was to slip there and crack their head open, it would be the council’s fault as it’s on council land, she said. That’s the top and bottom of it. Whether it’s in my lifetime or your lifetime or sometime in the future, it‘s a responsibility that we need to remove. Ian Stokes said he thought the council could mitigate the problem by having an agreement that people use the gate at their own risk. We have passageways throughout Olney that are exactly like that, he said, alongside Costa, alongside Allens, up to the Co-op. But they don’t belong to us, said the Clerk. The onus is on mitigating the risk; that’s my point, said Ian. I take your point about liability, but I’m talking about if the residents are signing up to use the gate at their own risk, and there’s no cost to the council for producing the signage. The point about the changing rooms is a red herring because no architect would design changing rooms that you can look into, he added. I’m with Ian on this, said Naomi Brock.
People walk in a lot of places that are OTC land and that we wouldn’t take liability for, but we have allowed people to use this, so why has the risk changed? Because we didn’t know about it before, said the Clerk. But why did we allow people to use it then, asked Naomi. Because it was put there to allow builders who were parking in our car park to gain access to the building site and were allowed to put the gate in for that, and when they finished they should have taken the gate out. Chris Tennant wanted something cleared up. So the planning permission allowed for some new fencing there, he asked. Yes, but not for a gate, said the Clerk. OK, so the council allowed temporary access for the builders and temporary use. So now we are asking, do we as a council allow unfettered access to our land? Obviously, time has gone by – I worked on the town council five years ago, and I didn’t know about it then.
One option, said Debbie Hall, is to make good the passageway and get the planning permission. Well, to do that we have to make sure it is constructed to highway standards and properly done, said Chris. It would then have to be policed, properly lit, it would need correct surfacing, and made a size and shape for all residents’ use: residents of the town and not just residents of the estate. Jim Cooper couldn’t believe that the constructors had given people a key to the gate when they finally left the site. Why did they think it was in their power to give a key when it wasn’t theirs to give, he boomed. The gate should have been done away with, and the fence should have been reinstalled. It’s not a great deal of difference walking down Mobbs Close and back onto the Rec than using the gate, said the Clerk. I don’t see why we should put ourselves up for possible trouble in the future. It doesn’t benefit the town, said Chris. If it was a big open access gate for the whole town to use, would the residents of Mobbs Close still want it? The Mayor agreed. It’s got to be for the whole town, and it’s not. As it stands now it’s on our land and if anything happens we will be liable, in spite of any signage going up about risk, so sadly, on this occasion, I propose that we remove the gate. Hold on, said Debbie H. It’s a locked gate – that’s the issue here. Does Olney Town Council hold the keys to the gate, asked Dan Rowland. No, was the answer. Chris thought that allowing the gate to remain would set a precedent for the future. The Mayor said they could not defer any longer. Will the builders have to make this good, asked Debbie Hall. No, we would just go in and reinstate the fence, said the Clerk. The proposal was made by Chris Tennant and seconded by Jim Cooper to close the gate permanently and reinstate the council’s fence and hedge to secure its boundary. It was carried by a majority. Case closed – or should that be gate closed?
The next meeting will be held on Monday, 8th January at 7pm in the Olney Centre. If you would like to contribute to the Public Participation at the start of the meeting or at any time the Mayor deems appropriate please contact the Town Clerk, townclerk@ olneytowncouncil.gov.uk.
- February 2024 Issue (January 2024 meeting)
Trevor Aldred spoke on behalf of the trustees of the East Street Community Centre (previously the Youth Club). Trevor explained that the building is well utilised by about 50 groups each week, including karate, music, Zumba, drama, and others. It is run by a team of three unpaid volunteers and a modest rent is paid to Milton Keynes City Council (MKCC) as the landlords. Trevor said the heating in the building was installed in around 1966 and is now completely rugged (Mercury may have misheard this bit) and will cost around £30,000 to replace. MKCC will only assist with funding for a heat pump solution but the poor insulation and general state of the building makes this unsuitable. Trevor said he recognised that Olney Town Council (OTC) have no responsibility for the building, but MKCC had been inert, lazy, unresponsive, impolite, and unprofessional in their dealings with the trustees. The trustees have some money available, but Trevor said he thought it unfair that they should have to pay for repairs when all around were saying it was not their responsibility. As this was an item on the meeting agenda Trevor asked that the council bear this in mind in their discussion.
Mayor Debbie Whitworth said the council had received a letter from a young person who lives in the High Street supporting the introduction of a 20 mph speed limit and warning signs. It would make Olney a safer place, she thought.
Apologies were received from Ron Hall, Debbie Hall, Naomi Brock and Chris Tennant. Ian Stokes declared an interest in the item regarding the former football club building as Chairman of Olney Town Colts FC.
Keith Mclean gave the ward councillors report. MKCC had prepared their draft budget for the next Financial Year and Council Tax is likely to rise by 4.99%, 2.00% of which is for social care. Bids are now being invited from parish councils for their own projects, he said. Mercury assumes that this for the parish precept, the amount collected with the MKCC Council Tax which is then returned to parishes. Keith said he was shocked to receive an email stating that Willen Road will be closed for over a year from next month between Marsh End and Tongwell Roundabouts. He then went on to say that it won’t actually be closed but extensive roadworks to widen but not dual the road will be taking place which will lead to long delays, particularly as most people are using it as the unofficial diversion route to get to Junction 14 while the A509 is closed. There had been no holistic view of how to manage traffic over the next few years, he thought, particularly as the ‘white elephant’ bridge had been built over the A509 and then pulled down. There had been mixed reactions to proposals to introduce a 20 mph speed limit in the town, particularly as there was no evidence that the accidents that do occur are due to speeding, but the consultation would continue. Keith said that it was important that OTC are represented at a forthcoming meeting with MKCC planners to provide input to the impending Milton Keynes Local Plan. Over the past 4–5 months there had been a call for landowners to put forward sites to be considered for development. Although there had been changes to the National Planning Policy Framework in December Keith said he had been assured that the changes would not ‘trump’ any Neighbourhood Plans produced by the parishes.
Colin Rodden asked when MKCC would be installing the posts for the Speed Indicating Devices (SIDs) that had cost OTC £10,000 and were currently sitting in boxes. Jane Brushwood interjected to say that it was in hand, leading Colin to ask when? Debbie Whitworth replied that OTC was going through the stages and Colin, clearly exasperated asked what was the problem? Jane Brushwood, equally exasperated said the problem was that OTC does not own the land that the poles will be installed on. Who does, asked Colin? MKCC replied Jane. Why don’t we put them on the lampposts like we used to asked Colin? Because we’re not allowed to and never were replied Jane. Debbie closed down the conversation saying she wanted to move on but Colin, eager to have the last word, said it would be useful to get a date.
Debbie informed Keith that the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) restricting parking in Osier Way would go ahead, but the similar order for Oakdown Crescent had been delayed due to complaints from some residents of Weston Road who use Oakdown Crescent to park. Mercury was not remotely surprised to hear this as this very issue was the subject of many heated discussions at OTC meetings some years ago when a residents only parking scheme was being sought by a relative of an elderly Oakdown Crescent resident. MKCC are suggesting that the provision of dedicated disabled parking spaces goes ahead without delay, she said. There was a problem with the proposal to introduce a 20 mph limit at Yardley Manor, said Debbie, because the roads were not yet adopted by MKCC. The solution was for residents to lobby the developers to request a ‘Section 38 agreement’ whereby the developers can ask MKCC for their own 20 mph orders. If that is agreed it can be ready and in place for when the adoption takes place,
she said.
Jane Brushwood said PCSO Arlene Ormstom had managed to get the monthly crime stats produced on her first day back after Christmas. One point of interest was the theft of a sheep from The Goosey. Other crimes included 2 x assault without injury, 1 x attempted burglary, 2 x criminal damage to cars, 2 x drink/drug driving, 1 x shoplifting from the Co-op, 1 x theft of handbag from shop, 1 x theft from vehicle.
Debbie Whitworth said she and Jane Brushwood had attended the Amazing Grace 250 service at St Peter and St Paul which had been very well attended. The event had included the showing of the video ‘Amazing Grace: Legacies at 250’ detailing the highlights of the year, which can be viewed via the museum website. They had both also attended a meeting of the Social Prescribers, Debbie said. There will be a drop in coffee morning on the third Tuesday of each month to link residents of Olney and surrounding villages to local services and activities to improve health and wellbeing. Debbie said she had also attended a meeting with a group that are keen to set up a ‘new vision for a youth club and crisis drop-in centre’ for teenagers with mental health issues. Since emerging from Covid Debbie said she had heard from schools and parents that many young people are having problems with their mental health, so she had reached out to Mind BLMK who have agreed to run sessions at the Olney Centre with a qualified outreach worker funded by MKCC. Jane Brushwood reported that she had attended the Christmas lunch at the Olney Centre to assist organiser Naomi Brock which had been attended by around 30 people. Lunches had also been delivered to those who could not attend. Deirdre Bethune said that she had recently joined the Cobbs Garden Surgery Patient Participation Group and reported that a new GP would be joining the surgery in January and a new partner in March. As a result, the patient list had been reopened from the beginning of January.
Jane Brushwood said a questionnaire regarding the future of the building had been included in the recent Neighbourhood Plan survey and the results had been collated and it was clear that the majority of residents want it as a community building for all to use. She presented a draft plan detailing the various stages of the project. Colin Rodden noted that the plan seemed to assume that the existing building would be demolished and replaced, but Jane said that was still to be decided by ‘the experts,’ although it might turn out to be the cheapest option. Ian Stokes agreed that the feedback showed that there was a desire for mixed community use and suggested that some preliminary work could start now, such as high level concept design and grant application. He wondered why the project currently sat with the Development Control Committee rather than the Recs and Services Committee, since it would be necessary to consult with the Joint User Group and other experts. David Tyler wondered if the Recs and Services had the capacity to take it on. Jane said that now that committee was smaller and had a chairman it took less time to make decisions, so she believed that had sufficient capacity. Deirdre Bethune said historically such projects did not sit within Recs and Services because several past councillors had also been associated with the sports clubs, implying that there could be a conflict of interests. Ian Stokes proposed that the progression of the project moved to the Recs and Services which was
agreed unanimously.
Some years ago the council produced policies for communications, complaints, and Co-option which are reviewed each year at the annual meeting. An additional policy had recently been produced for biodiversity. Jane Brushwood said that the size and number of the policies meant that it was too onerous for one person to review effectively so Jim Cooper and Dan Rowland had spent some time reviewing them and proposing the necessary changes. Colin Rodden was of the opinion that the Biodiversity policy was too general and did not go far enough in stating what OTC specifically was doing. Jane said that she had suggested engaging the services of an advisor to do just that, but the members had decided that the quote was too expensive and rejected the idea. Colin reminded members that there used to be a team of volunteers who worked on biodiversity projects, but the council had dispensed with them as they were not insured. Dan Rowland noted that the face to face communication section was very prescriptive in identifying negative body language (specifically, eye rolling, tutting, sighing, glaring, finger tapping, finger pointing, aggressive gesturing, and excessive sarcasm). Deirdre Bethune said it had been necessary because such behaviour had been evident from some members of the previous council. Additionally, it was agreed to change the references to ‘he/she’ to the now more commonly accepted single
pronoun ‘they’.
Background: Some years ago OTC applied to purchase the building and land from MKCC for the princely sum of £1 under the Community Asset Transfer (CAT) Scheme. The site had been registered as an ‘Asset of Community Value’ (ACV) meaning that MKCC could not sell the site to anyone else without giving OTC the option to buy it first. Since the necessary building repairs at that time would have cost in excess of £150,000 MKCC were happy to oblige, and negotiations commenced. Before the process could complete OTC allocated the site for the new health hub in the Neighbourhood Plan (NP) and intended to gift the land to the surgery. A condition of CAT is the asset must remain in its original use, so MKCC withdrew from the process. The ACV registration ran from 2017 to 2022 and has now expired. MKCC have stated that reregistering the ACV might conflict with OTC’s desire for MKCC to sell (note sell!) the site to Cobbs Garden for the health hub, because it cannot be a designated development site and an active ACV site, since it would render the site undevelopable in something of a Catch 22 situation. In 2022 MKCC valued the site at a minimum of £250,000 but stated that it could be higher if there is an uplift in the market.
Jane Brushwood said that the current committee of volunteers running the building had asked if OTC could help with the required repairs to the building (as mentioned by Trevor Aldred in the public participation section) but she felt that OTC could not be seen to be spending time and money on a building which they didn’t own. However, she said she recognised that it was an important asset to the town and wanted to prevent MKCC from selling the site for any purpose other than the health hub. She said she didn’t think that MKCC had any plans or desire to sell it for any other reason than for the health hub but that could not be guaranteed. Jim Cooper said if a developer came along with a big offer, then MKCC would have to accept it. Colin Rodden wondered whether it would be possible for MKCC to transfer the building to OTC and retain ownership of the land, enabling OTC to assist with the necessary repairs? It was agreed that Jane would reopen negotiations for CAT with MKCC and look at the various possibilities, depending on the outcome of those negotiations.
As discussed previously, David Coles Associates architects have submitted plans to build 11 new homes on the site of the now disused convent under Application no: 23/02713/FUL. Debbie Whitworth explained that this would normally be dealt with by OTC’s Development Control Committee but they are not due to meet until 29th January and the deadline for comments to MKCC is the 27th, although under certain circumstances comments may be accepted after the cut-off date. It was agreed that Jane would speak to Chris Tennant, chair of the DCC and then respond on behalf of the council. She asked if anyone had particularly strong views on the matter and the general consensus was that no one was in favour of the development. Deirdre Bethune thought it a great pity that it couldn’t be used as the site for the new Health Hub. Debbie said that many residents had been in contact with her expressing their opposition to the development.
Debbie Whitworth explained that currently applications for double yellow lines have to be submitted to MKCC as highways authority via the Ward Councillors. MKCC are now placing the onus on parishes, meaning that parish councils will provide a sanity check to requests from residents and apply to MKCC direct if they support the request. She said an enquiry had been received from residents of Johnsons Field, which is currently on hold until MKCC publish details of the revised process. OTC will then request a formal application from the residents and discuss and progress accordingly. Colin Rodden noted that if MKCC is going to invest in the proposed development of the play areas on Johnsons Field and then prevent visitors from parking nearby they are going to look ‘a bit silly’ and Jane Brushwood agreed, saying that it might lead to parking elsewhere, possibly across residents’ driveways during the school run. Jim Cooper thought that perhaps the residents were requesting the double yellow lines now in anticipation of parking problems once the development had taken place. Deirdre Bethune suggested that it might be something for the council to consider once the development had taken place and if it became an issue.
Colin Rodden noted that the monthly expenses sheet included £2600 to a firm of tree specialists and asked why the council’s own grounds staff couldn’t do the work, since they presumably had chainsaw experience? The quote was for six or seven items of work which the ground staff are not qualified or equipped to carry out, replied Jane Brushwood.
The next meeting will be held on Monday 5th February at 7pm in the Olney Centre. If you would like to contribute to the Public Participation section at the start of the meeting, or any time the mayor deems appropriate, please contact the Town Clerk, townclerk@olneytowncouncil.gov.uk.
- March 2024 Issue (February 2024 meeting)
Thank heavens for Peter Geary. And it’s not often you’ll see those words written in the esteemed columns of the Mercury Report.
But, credit where it’s due, if it wasn’t for the hard-working Ward Councillor, February’s Olney Town Council get-together would probably have been the shortest in its history.
Or in the history of any other town council in Britain, for that matter.
Even with Councillor Geary’s report included, the entire meeting lasted just 17 minutes. If he hadn’t been there to deliver his statement, the gathering would have been over like a shot.
Blink and you’d have missed it. Hmmm, now there’s a thought…
The meeting started with a tribute to the widely respected local writer and historian Elizabeth Knight who died recently. Mayor Debbie Whitworth addressed the hushed chamber with this opening announcement:
“I’m sure you are aware of the sad passing of Mrs Elizabeth Knight on 17th January.
Councillors will know we wouldn’t normally mention every passing in the town, however I feel we have to acknowledge the passing of this great lady. Mrs Knight was a brilliant historian who, back in the day, ran the Cowper & Newton Museum. She had such a fascinating in-depth knowledge of our town. Liz was most helpful and supportive of the council; her suggestions for street names and the reasons why, have been invaluable. So on behalf of the council I’d like to express our sincere condolences to the family. Elizabeth was a much loved and well respected lady.”
Deirdre Bethune noted light-heartedly that Elizabeth ‘considered herself a foreigner’ because she was not born in Olney.
There were no requests from members of the public to speak so the Mayor moved swiftly to the agenda. ‘Swiftly’ was clearly going to be the theme of the evening.
Apologies for absence was the first item on the agenda. Chris Tennant, Colin Rodden, Debbie Hall and Ian Stokes were all unavailable. There were no declarations of interest on this occasion so the Mayor asked for approval of the OTC Meeting of 8th January (proposed and seconded by Deirdre Bethune and Mary Prosser) and an EGM (Extraordinary General Meeting) on 22nd January (Mary Prosser and Jim Cooper). Dan Rowland noted that the minutes for the EGM showed the meeting ‘ending before it had begun’. A simple typing error showed a 7.30pm start with a 6.50pm finish, when it should, of course, have been a 6.30pm start. But it brought much laughter around the table. Well spotted, quipped Town Clerk Jane Brushwood.
I see we have Councillor Geary here this evening, said the Mayor. Yes that’s right, Madam Mayor, came the reply and with the niceties out of the way Peter got down to the business of delivering the longest item on the evening’s agenda by a country mile.
Some of you will probably know most of what I’m going to talk about, said Peter. That opener didn’t exactly ignite the flames of fervent anticipation, but councillors settled down to listen anyway. He previewed a planning meeting due later in the month (February). This is probably one of the most crucial meetings coming up, said Peter. This is the first time that Milton Keynes will grow significantly outside of its bounds since the city was first formed, so what’s coming up is pretty crucial.
He went on to explain that the MK Council budget is ‘ongoing’ and there are budget consultation papers in circulation which OTC members would probably have seen, but he added that the consultation is now over. The headline fact from it is that Council Tax will rise by 4.99%, the maximum that it can go up by. When the budget went through and was put out to consultation there was £2 million of contingency left in there. In other words unallocated money, explained Peter. The money will be allocated quickly, he added, and we will see where it is going.
Moving on Peter said that within the next week or so there will be a decision made about the future of MK Connect (the transport service for residents who don’t have access to a bus). There has been talk about that service for the last couple of months, said Peter, and there was supposed to have been a decision made on its future already but that was deferred for more debate with the operator. But hopefully we will find out just what is happening with MK Connect because obviously it is quite crucial for us here and in the rural areas, he said.
There was a new set of parking charges in MK that came into effect as of 1st February, and the minimum time you can stay has been changed, he explained. So where you could have stayed for 15 minutes and paid for that in the past, said Peter, the minimum is now an hour and you pay the minimum charge for that.
Thank goodness this OTC meeting wasn’t being held in MK then, or councillors would not have got their money’s worth from one hour’s parking charge.
The 20mph speed zone consultation was due to start that week, said Peter, because they have to get it ‘over and done with’ before purdah (the period of time when restrictions on local councillor communications are imposed) at the start of the election period. That will run until Friday 22nd March, he added.
Peter then moved onto Oakdown Crescent in Olney where, he said, there are some issues going on there and these are being looked at by Ward Councillors, who are well aware of the situation.
Peter opened the floor up for questions or concerns from councillors. Is there any update on the One-Stop crossing, asked Dan Rowland. I have received no further update on that, said Peter, other than the fact that there was a meeting held six months ago, which the Mayor was at, and at which they basically said ‘this crossing is safe’ and since that point I have heard very little more. There was certainly a push-back from Graham Cox (MKCC Highways chief) saying he could do nothing for it. I have to say it is a very complicated issue as I am sure you are aware, added Peter. Especially in terms of if you moved the crossing what would happen then. Peter added that he would ‘wait and see’ if anything changes and if it does he was sure that OTC would receive an update. It was clearly a case of ‘cross that bridge (or road) when we come to it’.
PCSO Arlene Ormston was not present at the meeting but she had sent councillors a crime statistics report for January. The list of shame included one anti-social behaviour of driving on a grass play area and doing ‘doughnuts’, one further anti-social behaviour, one assault with injury, one attempted house burglary, eight cases of shoplifting from the Co-op, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s, and three reports of suspicious vehicles or persons.
Has everybody gone through the documents, asked the Mayor. General nodding around the table confirmed that everyone had. Are there any views on the expenditure report, asked the Mayor. General shaking of heads confirmed that there weren’t. And the budget figures, does anyone wish to say anything or comment, asked the Mayor. Further silence around the table confirmed a similar response.
Mary Prosser said she had attended an Anne Hopkins Almshouses meeting where the maintenance programme was discussed and reported to be going well. They are awaiting quotes for some quite big jobs that they are hoping to address, she added. In some rooms the plug sockets have been moved higher up the wall to a more comfortable level so residents don’t have to bend, she said. A coffee morning has been planned for the residents, giving them the opportunity to open up and chat about anything they want to talk about, said Mary.
The Clerk said that work at the Olney Centre had now finished. It has been suggested, she added, that we apply for a defibrillator and a throwline in a lockable accessible cabinet for the riverbank, under ‘emergency services’ S106 funding. Deirdre Bethune added that she had sought advice from Cobbs Garden Surgery who said there could be scope for another throwline at a different part of the river. Public sessions on how to work defibrillators were also suggested, she said.
The Clerk added that talks to open a lido in the town, previously a popular idea, had ‘unfortunately come to a standstill’.
As you know we have monthly meetings on this, said the Mayor. And since the last meeting it was agreed that we should reach out to the city council, who are very supportive. A cabinet member there said they are currently requesting discharge and water quality readings but she didn’t know how long it would take. She said she would have more updates later.
There was an agenda item on updates for the ex-football club building, but there was nothing to add there, so the agenda moved to a plan to consider adopting the Biodiversity Policy recommended by Recs and Services Committee. It was recently recommended at an R&S meeting when it was noted that an additional 18 trees have been planted in the town this season, said the Mayor. MKCC had also agreed that Olney was to mow less and cut back hedges less frequently in a bid to encourage wildlife.
Christina Diamandopoulos said she would like to know how ‘we were going to bring the town with us’ when they start to tell people what’s happening and what has worked, to enthuse people about biodiversity.
This is a policy that has been put out, said Deirdre Bethune and we are just adopting it. So is the council agreement that we should adopt the policy, asked the Mayor. The general consensus was that they should. Deirdre proposed that it be adopted and Christina seconded that thought and the council voted in favour.
And that, as they say, was that. Councillors gathered their still-warm coats to leave as Peter Geary gave a cheery wave goodbye, happy that he had brought something to the (brief) party.
The next meeting will be held on Monday 4th March at 7pm in the Olney Centre. If you would like to contribute to the Public Participation section at the start of the meeting, or any time the Mayor deems appropriate, please contact the Town Clerk, townclerk@olneytowncouncil.gov.uk.
- April 2024 Issue (March 2024 meeting)
Unusually, there was a full complement of councillors present for this month’s meeting. David Tyler declared an interest in the agenda item regarding the tennis club as a family member plays there. Chris Tennant declared an interest in the item concerning the 20mph speed restrictions as a resident of one of the roads impacted. Ian Stokes declared an interest in the item about the ex-football club as the chairman of Olney Town Colts, whose clubhouse is adjacent to the building, and also in the item about the tennis club as the Colt’s training area butts onto the proposed new fence.
Kevin Viney spoke regarding plans for additional housing in Olney. He said that when he had previously mentioned plans for a further 300 houses, he had been accused of scaremongering, but it appeared that Milton Keynes City Council (MKCC) is now ‘with shameless face’ pushing for up to 1100 homes. He noted that MKCC had yet to provide details of additional infrastructure such as a bigger surgery, school or even a by-pass to support such growth at the recent presentation to parish councils. Last year, the ‘shadowy’ Integrated Care Board announced that there was now insufficient money to fund the earlier-proposed health hub. Kevin thought Pete Townsend’s song ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’ seemed appropriate. He believed a ‘united front’ was necessary to truly represent the views of concerned residents who were fed up with stretched school, health and transport problems groaning under the weight of existing building in Olney. He said Olney could count on MKCC, with their ‘cosy developer relationship’ to push Parish Clerks and councillors to sell the proposals to residents. Kevin thought the goal of MKCC was clear: to expand the town by one-third with large houses but reduce the number of affordable homes, and with land prices going for £1 million per acre, it would be a tempting offer for landowners.
PC Daniel Allen and PCSO Duncan Peerless were present to give the report. PC Allen explained that from May there would be four PCs and four PCSOs looking after Newport Pagnell, Olney, and the rural areas, which he said was the highest for some time. The crime figures for February were: 1 x burglary business, 2 x criminal damage, 2 x harassment, 1 x malicious communication, 2 x public order, 8 x shoplifting, 1 x theft. He said these figures were quite low compared with Newport Pagnell, which shows that Olney is a relatively quiet and safe area, based on reported crime. Mayor Debbie Whitworth said that PCSO Arlene Ormston once again had reiterated the importance of residents reporting crime rather than just being vocal on social media since the actual number of incidents occurring was much higher. Deirdre Bethune questioned figures for shoplifting, saying that shop owners had told her that incidents of shoplifting were ‘incredibly high’. PC Allen said that it was very difficult for the police to investigate shoplifting reports without evidence, particularly CCTV. Very often, businesses would report occurrences but would not provide the CCTV files for several weeks. Colin Rodden asked if the larger supermarkets that were more likely to have enhanced security arrangements were reporting incidents since they should be leading the way for the smaller shops, he thought. PC Allen said that in his experience they were not. Colin also asked about the policing of antisocial behaviour by the river during the summer months, and PC Allen said that it would be the primary focus of one of the new PCs.
This month it was a double act with Keith McLean giving the first part. He welcomed the news that the police numbers were effectively doubling and said that the Police and Crime Commissioner are very focused on the issue of shoplifting. The public consultation by MKCC on the 20mph speed restriction was due to close on 22nd March, and although he did not know how many residents had responded, he had been asked by a resident why it did not include Weston Road. Later in the meeting, Colin Rodden asked why other areas had not been included, and Town Clerk Jane Brushwood replied that she had asked the same question and been told that it was because Aspreys, Yardley Road and all roads leading off from those had been chosen because two of the schools are on Aspreys and Yardley Road. They had been chosen for the trial, which might then be expanded to other areas of the town. This was just the first stage, said Debbie Whitworth. What about the High Street? asked Colin. There is not a school on the High Street, Jane replied. Colin said he thought it was fair to ask why other roads had been excluded. I’ve just given you the answer, responded Jane, bringing the somewhat circular discussion firmly to a close.
Keith said there were some forthcoming changes to the MK Connect transport service. Some MKCC decisions are taken by the full council, some by cabinet (sub-committees), some by delegating decisions to cabinet members, and some by delegating to council officers. This matter was supposed to be decided by a cabinet member, but Keith said he had recently been informed that a decision had been made that from 11th March, a change to operate the service on a zonal basis would be implemented. For example, a resident wishing to travel between Astwood and Olney could do it in one journey as it would be within the northern zone. However, if they wished to travel from Olney to the hospital, they would be taken to the bus stop at Market Hill Newport Pagnell, where they would have to catch a bus. Naomi Brock asked if this would result in a separate charge for each leg of the journey, effectively doubling the cost. It was a further example of the rural population being treated as second-class travellers, thought Keith, particularly as Olney Ward, together with Newport Pagnell North and South combined, makeup 70% of the land area of Milton Keynes. He said he and Peter Geary had met with the Director to express their deep concerns, and it was likely that the implantation date would move to the end of March to early April.
Peter Geary then took over to provide an update on the New City Plan for MK. He said that Kevin Viney was 95% correct in what he had said during public participation but emphasised that the plan was not the finished article and there are numerous stages yet to go through. It would be vital to listen to residents’ and professional views on what infrastructure needed to be included, he said. Olney currently has up to 1100 additional houses proposed, but some sites have already been rejected. MK, as a whole, has 300 sites proposed, but only 100 have made it to the next stage. However, the situation is evolving as landowners provide additional information, so some more will drop in, and others will drop out. The northern rural parishes will be working together to share information, he said. Deirdre Bethune said that Cobbs Garden Surgery is looking at obtaining planning permission for the new health hub, even though they still needed to get the funding to build it. Those plans would need revisiting to allow for 1100 new homes, so what should they be doing, she asked? Peter replied that he had been working with the surgery for a number of years to bring forth their plans, but a rough calculation of the potential Sect 106 income from 1100 new houses had indicated that it would not even be sufficient for what was needed already for the current population. The early planning application was important in order to get a principle in place for the site, he said. Colin Rodden asked if Olney would be expected to take additional housing before 2030, which was the expiration date of the current Neighbourhood Plan (NP). Peter said it depends on what happens in June 2025 when MKCC wants to present the plan to the Planning Inspector and at which stage it becomes an ‘emerging policy’. Nothing will happen until the final plan comes back from the Inspector, probably 12 months later. The plan may then require amendments before it is adopted, but from that stage onwards, planning applications could then come forward.
2025 will mark the 700th anniversary of the founding of the church, and David Philipson was present to explain plans for the celebration and request the support of the town council. He said he’d been fortunate enough to obtain some archive material from local historian Liz Knight before she sadly passed away, and one particular item of interest was a program for the sexcentenary in 1925. Although there was no ‘smoking gun’ of definitive evidence that the building started in 1325, there was more evidence supporting it than there is of the pancake race starting in 1445, he said. The current proposal is for a week of celebrations commencing with a service on 29th June 2025, followed by the Cherry Fair, running through to 6th July, with a possible re-enactment of the Battle of Olney Bridge, which took place in 1643.
Chris Tennant reported on the recent presentation by MKCC policy officers to the parish councils regarding the New City Plan. It pretty much echoed what Peter Geary had said, but Chris said that the additional 1100 houses for Olney was by no means a done deal, as may have been reported elsewhere. There were still a number of stages to go through, he said. Again, Colin Rodden expressed his concern that the existing NP was supposed to be valid until 2030, but the New City Plan could create more houses from 2026. Chris said that whatever was contained in the plan would not be adopted until 2026. The current NP was adopted in 2017, and the additional 300 houses had still not been completed six years later, he said. Naomi Brock asked how could the NP that had been voted on by residents and adopted now be overruled. What was the point of it, she asked? Chris said the original NP had served its purpose and was in the process of being modified to align with the current Plan MK policy. A new version would eventually be required to align with the New City Plan. Deirdre Bethune noted that a NP actually ‘has some bite’ whereas previous plans produced by residents and councils could be and were totally ignored.
Debbie Whitworth explained that a group of councillors had been working closely with two members of the Olney and Clifton Fishing Association as a result of concerns about phosphate run-off and algae in the river. A meeting was held last month, and another is due soon. MKCC are now on board, she said, and Nick Hannon, Assistant Director - Environment, Waste and Commissioning, is keen to bring in an ecology and water health perspective and has agreed to arrange representation from the Environmental Agency (EA). Debbie said this would be essential in order to compare the EA data with that measured by the Fishing association because they just do not match up. When the flooding subsides, the working party intends to investigate the E.coli levels, and she said there is video footage of raw sewage in the river north of Olney from surface water discharge. The council is actively trying to stop people entering the river in the summer due to dangerously high levels of pollution but has also given permission for Riverfest to take place, she said. Debbie Hall thought that the council would stop Riverfest ‘at their peril’, but Debbie said she was just referring to the raft race element.
The Clerk said the council have now taken possession of the building and has engaged surveyors and builders to investigate the drains, roof, and asbestos situation. During a recent visit, rainwater was observed dripping onto the electricity supply, which had now been switched off, she said. The rear wall is dangerously bowed and cracked, so Heras fencing will be erected at the rear of the building to prevent access. Renovation rather than demolition and rebuild might be possible, she thought. She hoped that some plans would be available for the next Recs and Services meeting on 18th March. Naomi Brock asked about security as the building was bound to suffer vandalism, she thought. Deputy Clerk Rob Mungham said the existing CCTV would be a good preventative measure. Ian Stokes said metal bars would be installed across the doors to prevent them being jemmied open.
As reported previously, responsibility for collating initial requests for additional yellow lines will now rest with parish councils. Requests from residents will come into OTC, who will then consult with impacted residents and businesses. If over 50% are in favour, then OTC will forward the request to MKCC. MKCC will review and then instigate full statutory consultation. Because of the volume of requests that MKCC currently receive, they have asked for them to be submitted en-bloc rather than in dribs and drabs. It was agreed that OTC would submit all requests annually in October, depending on volumes. Dan Rowland asked if the new process would come with enforcement. Debbie Whitworth said she had been assured that MKCC would enforce three times a week.
A vote was taken as to whether the council should support the proposed 20mph zones and associated traffic calming, which was passed unanimously.
Ward Councillor Keith McLean has given OTC £150 from his ward budget to replace the trees on the Dinglederry mound. It appears that the mound is not a natural geological feature, nor was it created for any aesthetic reasons, rather the builders just dumped a huge pile of rubble which eventually grassed over.
The Quaker Garden pergola has rotted and will be replaced at a cost of £2,850.
The Tennis Club have requested permission to move their fence to enclose the club house. They have also made tentative enquiries about building a Padel court adjacent to the existing tennis courts.
Naomi Brock reported that Olney is Kind (OIK) runs a community foodbank which gives out 20-30 food parcels a week. It is currently run from a private house, and they have asked for some storage space at the Olney Centre and permission to run it alongside the community fridge.
As previously reported, the town clock, which was purchased by public subscription for the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, needs refacing. As repairs have not been forthcoming, the current owner of the building to which it is attached, DCa Architects, has asked for it to be removed within 25 days as per the agreement. The Clerk asked if anyone had any thoughts about where it could be relocated to. Debbie Hall suggested, somewhat mischievously, that perhaps it could be situated next to the Millennium Floral Clock. This was met with much hilarity from Mercury, Councillor Ron Hall and David Pibworth (public attendee), who all recalled that the mechanism of said timepiece had disappeared in mysterious circumstances some 24 years ago before it was ever installed and was never seen again.
The next meeting will be held on Monday, April 8th, at 7pm in the Olney Centre. If you would like to contribute to the Public Participation section at the start of the meeting or at any time the mayor deems appropriate, please contact the Town Clerk at townclerk@olneytowncouncil.gov.uk.
- May 2024 Issue (April 2024 meeting)
Wheelie bins rolled into the conversation again at Olney Town Council’s monthly meeting. But this time it wasn’t the new red and blue bins that were the cause of some heated exchanges, but the good old-fashioned black and green ones.
There were no requests from members of the pubic to speak so Mayor Debbie Whitworth moved immediately to apologies for absence on the agenda. Councillors Ian Stokes and Naomi Brock were unable to attend and had sent their apologies. Councillor David Tyler was also absent – but Clerk Jane Brushwood had not heard from him by the start of the meeting.
There were no declarations of interest from anyone so the Mayor asked for approval of the minutes from the last meeting, held on 4th March. Everyone seemed happy with what they had read and Mary Prosser was pleased to propose the approval while James Cooper seconded.
Councillor Keith McLean was in attendance to deliver the news from MK Council as his colleague Peter Geary was tied up with other council business elsewhere. Indeed, Keith’s night wasn’t going to be over after the OTC meeting – he had another gathering to go to following it.
Since the last meeting, a few major items have come up, said Keith. The new City Plan discussions have been ‘active’ he added. But no decisions have been made yet, he added, to no surprise to anyone around the table. There’s still a consultation going on, and certain landowners have put their areas forward, he added. It should have been wrapped up in March, said Keith, but unfortunately we won’t see anything until June as (at the time of the meeting) we are in ‘purdah’ when sensitive political items can not be discussed with the local elections looming.
A new MK Connect ‘zoning system’ scheme had just started, continued Keith. It’s a plan that means the MK Connect buses run in zones rather than across the whole MK area. He said he had ‘popped over’ to Newport Pagnell that day at about 11am, and someone there told him that there had been no incoming MK Connect buses at all. Keith said he had also heard that there were problems with the service’s booking system.
I’m not surprised it hasn’t gone smoothly, he said with a shrug of the shoulders and the look of a seasoned pro who has seen all manner of delays, debacles and disappointments throughout his illustrious council career.
He said he had asked for statistics to ‘see what has happened’, adding that local people had told him they use MK Connect to get to work and that they were very worried. The ward councillor added that he would be waiting to see what the bus company’s reaction was.
He said people have to consider not only getting to their destinations but getting back again too and they would have to consider ‘when the last bus runs’.
With buses done, it was time for the subject of black bins to come up, particularly about them being collected fortnightly. There has been ‘activity’ on social media about the bins, said Keith, adding that the matter ‘was discussed’ at Milton Keynes Council level.
What was? The Mayor jumped in suddenly. The possibility of the collection of black and green bins going to fortnightly, replied Keith. They were talking about going fortnightly, and those proposals are something that they would consider. So, it’s not pie in the sky, he reiterated, it was discussed at a formal MK council committee.
I have also been asked about what’s called street cleansing or roadside cleansing, of the A509, the A422 and the B-roads, said Keith. I keep being told that it’s coming, and some of the verges have been cut from Olney up to Emberton. The challenge that I have is that those roads have 40 and 50 mph speed limits, and they are declared to be safe, whereas you can’t cut verges that are 60 mph routes unless you have traffic management which means you have to close the road.
He added that he was disappointed that the work had not started. I’m confident those roads will be treated but I don’t know when, he said.
The Mayor picked him up on the bins report. I hear what you’re saying about the bin collections and that report was a council officer’s report at full council in Milton Keynes, she conceded. There was a ‘but’ coming.
But it’s not actually policy, there’s obviously speculation and lots of residents are getting concerned about it.
About what? It was Keith’s turn to jump in.
About the bins, said the Mayor, going fortnightly. It is a report by a council officer, but it’s not been taken forward, so I think it’s best to leave it there.
Keith smiled wryly and did what the Mayor suggested: he left it there. And so did everyone else – there followed a long and awkward silence as everyone was again left to consider the thorny subject of bin collection.
James Cooper thought MK Connect is an example of how something has been ‘thought about’ but ‘not thought about’. People aren’t sure what to expect, he said. It seems a bit strange to change something that’s working into something that’s not working.
The Mayor reiterated that residents who do have any issues with the service should tell ward councillors who have been instructed to report directly back to MK Council who will look into them. We have been told today that they could look to pull the trial, she added ominously.
Is this new MK Connect scheme a trial period? asked Chris Tennant. Yes it is, said the Mayor but I myself, I have to get an MK Connect to Newport Pagnell and then get another bus (to Milton Keynes). We have lots of residents who have hospital appointments, for example.
And on the bins, said Chris, checking his notes. Everyone looked round at him in horror – oh, not the dreaded bins again? Obviously, there is a lot of consultation over the changes from the old system to the new system. You would hope there would be a lot more consultation on the fortnightly plan rather than just an officer’s report. So, we should take that with a pinch of salt.
What’s the time frame for MK Connect? asked Dan Rowland. It hasn’t been published, but it’s a six-month trial, Keith replied. And the data from that will help to form the tender document for the new service that will start in 2025. That will be very tight for time though, he warned, but I’m sure officers are considering their options.
And residents are urged to contact any of the ward councillors or customer services if they are having any issues, reiterated the Mayor.
Local historian Rachel Lewis was present to give an account of her work at the ancient Roman find alongside the construction site for the new Aldi store. More details are given on her private study on page 34 of this issue of Phonebox, but Rachel explained to interested councillors that she had been given access to the site and had also received artefacts from MK Museum, which she was able to split between Olney’s schools.
There’s a lot of data here that will come out in the future, and because I went to school here, I thought it was right that the schools got something back. In return, she had made 1800 replica Roman dinaris, which were being made available to school children in the town. She thanked the council for their support.
Rachel was thanked by the council for her work and research of Roman history in the town and received a warm round of applause for her efforts.
Colin Rodden once again stated that he was sorry that developers had buried the Roman mosaic – he has long been a critic of that decision – but he added that he had reassurances from English Heritage that there will be representations about the ancient findings once the supermarket has been built and finished.
New PCSO Connor Braddish had sent the report, and Clerk Jane Brushwood read out the list. It appeared to be a little ‘assault’ heavy this month – there had been 21 of them, seven with injury and 14 without. The Clerk added that there were also five burglaries (two business and three residential), three cases of criminal damage, four of harassment, two malicious communications, six shopliftings, four thefts and two car or motorbike thefts. Among non-crime-related items were two suspicious persons.
Deirdre Bethune asked why the crime report was not given to councillors before the meeting started. The Mayor explained that they like to read out the figures during the meeting so that the public (and therefore Mercury) gets to hear what’s been going on in Olney’s shady underworld of crime.
All of you had those, said the Mayor, looking down at her report. Let’s take expenses first, she said, without a hint of irony. Everyone looked at the expenses sheet without much conversation. It looks as if the council is running up a significant operating loss, said Chris Tennant, because of the works we are doing at the Olney Centre. And we continue to report that we are, he added.
The Clerk allayed everyone’s fears. In the next couple of weeks, we will have about £250,000 coming through the door, she said. But unfortunately, it will be after the year end so it will look disastrous. But, she added, year by year we are very similar. If you took out S106 income and expenditure, let alone what’s due to come in and what has been spent in advance, we are only £2000 different from last year.
James Cooper asked about the Yardley Manor building plans. They are due to start in May and are finishing by the first quarter of 2025, replied the Clerk. Someone had also asked me about the play area there, she added. That has been commissioned and will be finished by May.
And Johnson’s Field? James pressed. I had a meeting with Laura Clancy, MK Council’s project development manager, and she is gathering all the information together for all the different areas, said the Clerk. She has to justify how she spends the money.
The Mayor said she and the working group were due to have a meeting with MK Council about the state of the local river. The big shock, she said, was that it’s the worst it has ever been for E.coli and the Ouse was now considered among the top five worst rivers in the country for being polluted. It’s considered very serious and unsafe to go in certain parts of the water, she added. Testing has been delayed in our area, said the Mayor, due to the flooding, but it will be restarted soon. Milton Keynes Council officials will be meeting with Environmental Services and the Environment Agency to discuss next steps.
A clearly shocked Chris Tennant wanted clarification. You say that the river is among the top five worst in the country? he asked incredulously. Yes, said the Mayor, adopting the tone of a High Court judge passing a death sentence. Well, that’s awful replied Chris, getting the vote for understatement of the night. According to the river report the Ouse is as bad as the Thames now, James Cooper dropped in cheerfully.
Chris was still reeling. Are we mindful of future river-based activities he said, presumably thinking of this year’s annual Raft Race. Yes, came the Mayor’s reply.
It’s all going to plan said the Clerk. We are where we need to be (on plans), but we need to know the funding. It’s a little bit chasing our tails at the moment. The planned toilets at the end of the building are going to cost more than £100,000 she said. I am really keen to pursue that because the current toilet block down at the Rec is not fit for purpose now, especially with Olney’s growing community.
We had a JUG (Joint User Group) meeting and reached out to all the clubs down there and none had any objections to having a new toilet block there, she said. It was agreed that the toilets should be incorporated into the current building plans and the application process for the new sports building, she added. In terms of cost, the council have to look at what they actually need and what they don’t need.
James Cooper started to explain the technical details of the building’s walls and cladding and how it’s all put together, but the Clerk was having none of that. Well, that’s for the experts she interjected, we are meeting with them next week.
Councillor Cooper hadn’t finished. Well, I probably know more about building design and what goes into it than most people around this table, he said proudly. But that didn’t impress the Clerk. I’m not professing to know anything about it, she replied. I’m asking the experts. Well, be aware of experts, that’s all I would say, James added, somewhat cryptically.
Would it be worth having Jim in the meeting? asked Chris Tennant, thinking he was being helpful. The Clerk shot Chris a withering glare. To be honest, it is an initial meeting, she said. It’s about discussing the different options there, so I don’t think there’s any point at this stage. We’ll look into it in more detail later.
The storage space there – is that for various clubs to use the facilities, asked Ron Hall. Yes, said the Mayor. The fishing club said they have 650 members and were saying they were desperate for storage, said Debbie Hall. Well, I’ve already spoken to them about it, said the Clerk. The existing toilet block will become partly a Men’s Sheds Association charity space and partly for use by the fishing club. If they want to have a meeting space, they can use the new building like any other club or party or individual. No one person is going to have exclusive right to it, she added.
More sport followed and it was the turn of the local tennis courts and a potential padel court. The tennis club want to change their fencing, which is going to improve their clubhouse, but they need to be more definitive regarding the fencing, said the Clerk. They also mentioned a padel court, which has gone to Recs and Services and the JUG. Nothing is set in stone, again it’s just a wish list.
The Clerk explained what a padel court is. It’s a cross between a tennis and a squash court. The ball goes off the wall and you can carry on playing without having to go and get the ball, so it’s more encouraging for children. If you look at a map of where padel courts are, it’s north of London, and then it’s Derby, and there’s nothing in between.
So, this is why it was brought to me, added the Clerk. Are we keen to carry on doing it? Any sports we can get in Olney is probably good for the town. So where do we put it? The plan was to have it near the tennis courts and the MUGA (Multi Use Games Area). It doesn’t interfere with anybody, so how do we feel about it?
Deirdre Bethune said that the one important thing was that it was see-through. There were objections to a cricket pavilion scheme there previously because it would change the look down towards the river, she said. Even though it’s glass you won’t be able to see as easily, she added.
I think it’s a good idea, said Mary Prosser, with children getting their eye in with all sports, it would bring creation. Yes, it’s a good idea – just where to put it? added James Cooper.
If the club can’t get the money together for it, said the Clerk, is this something that we would be prepared to try to invest in for the tennis club and for the town? Have we got a problem with putting one there? And if the club are not prepared to put one there would we be prepared to? The proposal that the padel court be put in the tennis court vicinity was approved in principle. The revised layout of the tennis court’s fencing was also approved.
And with that, it was game, set and match for the meeting.
The next meeting will be held on Monday 13th May, at 7pm in the Olney Centre. If you would like to contribute to the Public Participation section at the start of the meeting or at any time the Mayor deems appropriate, please contact the Town Clerk: townclerk@olneytowncouncil.gov.uk.
- June 2024 (May 2024 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 (Public) Meeting, and is largely given over to administrative functions, such as electing a new Mayor and Deputy Mayor, reviewing the membership of sub-committees and reviewing standing orders and procedural and financial regulations.
A standard council term is four years, although the current council had served three years, owing to the previous council having run for five years due to the Covid pandemic, and an election was therefore due to be held in May of this year.
Councillors Ron Hall, Debbie Hall, and Naomi Brock had all stood down. No one else had put themselves forward for election, which meant that all existing members who wished to remain on the council continued to do so, and no election was necessary.
This was in marked contrast to the events of 2021 when there were a large number of candidates and most of the existing councillors had either stood down or lost their seats, although few of the new councillors remained for very long and their resignations were either filled by co-option, by-election or remained vacant.
The council now consists of Chris Tennant, Christina Diamandopoulos, Colin Rodden, Dan Rowland, David Tyler, Debbie Whitworth, Deirdre Bethune, Ian Stokes, Jim Cooper, and Mary Prosser (and later Chris Shaw).
There was no one wishing to speak at this month’s meeting. Perhaps everyone was storing up issues to take to the Annual Town (Public) Meeting the following Friday, mused Mercury somewhat optimistically.
Deirdre Bethune proposed Debbie Whitworth for Mayor, and Mary Prosser seconded. Is there anyone else wishing to stand asked Debbie? Silence. Is there anyone there asked Deirdre? Still silence, so in the absence of any other candidate, Debbie was elected without a vote, and she accepted.
For the role of Deputy Mayor, Debbie proposed Mary Prosser, and Deirdre seconded. Jim Cooper suggested the absent Chris Tennant. Has he shown an interest? asked Town Clerk Jane Brushwood. No, admitted Jim. In that case we can’t accept the nomination responded Jane, although she said she recognised that Chris is a very valued councillor.
Mary was therefore also elected unopposed.
Colin Rodden and Chris Tennant had sent apologies. Dan Rowland was not present and had not sent his apologies, although he arrived later, having been unavoidably delayed. Nobody declared an interest.
Chris Shaw had previously been a co-opted member of OTC from July 2014 to the election in May 2016, when he had stood down. Chris said he moved to Olney in 1992 and had lived in the town or surrounding villages since then. He has had 40 years of professional experience in the property market and social housing, and since Olney is expanding, whether it wants to or not, he said the council needed expertise in that area. He has also had experience in the charity sector as a trustee of the MK Parks Trust and chair of a care home charity with local and national care homes and is currently a trustee of the MK Community Foundation. Chris was unanimously elected and took his seat at the table.
Note: This still leaves four vacancies on the council during a time of rapid expansion for Milton Keynes so if any resident would like to offer themselves for co-option please contact the Town Clerk at townclerk@olneytowncouncil.gov.uk or visit the council office in The Olney Centre.
This consisted of a review of the following items:
a. To review the Scheme of Delegation and Terms of Reference
b. Appointment of Members to Committees
c. To review and adopt the Standing Orders
d. To review and adopt the Financial Regulations
e. Review the inventory of land and other assets including buildings and office equipment.
f. Confirmation of arrangements for insurance cover in respect to all insurable risks.
g. Review of the Council’s and/or staff subscriptions to other bodies.
h. Review of the Council’s complaints procedures.
i. Review of the Council’s policies, procedures and practices in respect to its obligations under freedom of information and data protection legislation.
j. Review the Council’s policy for dealing with the press/media
k. Review the Council’s employment policies and procedures.
l. Determining the time and place of ordinary meetings of the Council up to and including the next annual meeting of the Council.
The makeup of the various committees will remain the same, minus the members who have stood down, meaning that some will struggle to be quorate. Deirdre Bethune noted that there was no mention of the Annual Town Meeting in the Standing Orders, although it is a statuary obligation to hold one between 1st March and 1st June. Deirdre proposed that the Standing Orders be amended to state that it will normally be held each May, except in an election year when it will be held in April, i.e. before the election, so that the council can present reports for the previous year. She noted that this hadn’t happened this year, and as a result the council no longer had a Chair of Finance to report at the forthcoming Town Meeting. The proposal was agreed.
AGAR stands for Annual Governance and Accountability Return. The AGAR is a set of documents and financial statements that local councils are required to prepare and submit each year. It is an essential part of the external audit process. The Clerk explained that this is then subject to an internal order before being reviewed by the Finance Committee and then full council before submission to the external auditor. All this must be done before 1st July, but the internal auditor has been unable to complete the task due to a family bereavement, but it was now underway.
The meeting closed 19 minutes after it started, which is incredibly brief in Mercury’s experience.
Although the meeting was now closed the Clerk reminded councillors that the beacon on Barnfield would be lit at 9.15pm on the evening of 6th June to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings.
Ian Stokes noted that the problems of antisocial behaviour on the Rec had started with the recent hot weather. There had been comments on social media asking what OTC was going to do about it, he said, but last year when the council had asked for volunteers to act as marshals residents had not supported them. This will be an agenda item at next month’s meeting.
The next meeting will be held on Monday 3rd June at 7pm in the Olney Centre. If you would like to contribute to the Public Participation section at the start of the meeting, or any time the mayor deems appropriate, please contact the Town Clerk, townclerk@olneytowncouncil.gov.uk.
The Annual Town Meeting will be held on Friday 17th May. Read all about it below.
- June - Olney Town Meeting
When there are any contentious matters to be aired by the town then we can expect a packed hall so with all things relatively calm in Olney in recent times there was a small but friendly crowd of mainly stalwarts of the town to hear the great and good of Olney have their twopenny worth.
First to speak was David Chennells representing the Ann Hopkins Trust (or more commonly known as) who run the Alms Houses Weston Road Olney. I certainly didn’t know that it was nonprofit making in that no actual rent is charged to tenants except funds to cover costs of maintaining the buildings. Unsurprisingly there is a waiting list of 17. David gave particular thanks to Betsy Williams, a trustee who is always on hand to keep an eye on the tenants and their needs.
Dr Chris Herman from Cobbs Garden Surgery spoke about where the surgery was at now in terms of staffing with at present 4 doctors and various ancillary staff. Chris acknowledged the help from the Patient Participation Group and Olney is Kind. Both of which are making a tremendous difference to Olney.
The story of when and where they will ever get planning permission for a new surgery off East Street rumbles on with various roadblocks in the way. Chris lamented the fact that with new housing and the new care home the need for a new surgery was critical. It seems the mantra infrastructure before (homes) has been cast aside.
Debbie Whitworth, Mayor of Olney at various points in the evening referred to the achievements of the town. Debbie mentioned the Community Fridge which has saved 7 tons of food going to landfill.
The allotments where bulk containers and rainwater harvesters have been provided.
The community orchard has seen the mass planting of trees and crocuses.
The recreation ground is always a concern due to concerns re the quality of the river water and the OTC is working with the Fishing Association to tackle and reduce sewage in the water.
The ex-football club is is to be a community building and is undergoing extensive works, particularly the planning of new toilets.
The Olney centre has had many improvements in the past year and more space has been made available to Olney Pre School.
Finance - Although there appears to be an overspend it is because of the delay in waiting for 106 monies. In general income is up and expenditure is down.
Future works: the play areas in Olney which are in bad shape- there is work starting soon and hopefully will mostly be completed by the school summer holidays.
The Olney centre in conjunction with MIND are hopefully starting a youth club for after school. Volunteers needed who are DBS checked.
Aldi is due to open in August.
There are CPR and DeFib training sessions coming up soon.
Deirdre Bethune talked about the Olney centre improvements, Dickens of a Christmas (footfall down a little due to the weather but steady trade). HR- there was a good team of staff headed up by the Town Clerk Jane Brushwood.
Report from the Development Group referred to the neighbourhood plan and how it affects Olney with the various suggested sites for building new houses or facilities.
Naomi Brock from Olney is Kind talked about their work with the Patient Participation Group and the new initiatives to help fund services at Cobbs Garden Surgery that would not be funded by the NHS. These include funding for a nurse for the elderly as well as ante natal classes in Olney.
Naomi made a plea for foster carers as there are 400 children in the MK area who need care and only 70 foster carers. Could you help?
Tom Jones from the Cowper & Newton Museum outlined the work of the museum which has international recognition with visitor numbers growing all the time. This has led to the need for new toilet facilities which are now in the planning stage.
Trevor Aldred from Newport & Olney Lions gave a summary of the events and fundraising the Lions have been involved in. These include marshalling events such as the Fireworks to organising events such as Motorama (this year is 9.5.24)
David Phillipson talked about the 700-year anniversary of the church SS Peter & Paul, Olney which will be next year (28th June 2025 to 6th July 2025, See separate info in other articles in the Phonebox as and when.
Keith McLean Ward Councillor outlined the fact that MK Council is consulting on the NEW City Plan with a report due out soon.
David Phillipson talked about the 700-year anniversary of the church SS Peter & Paul, Olney which will be next year (28th June 2025 to 6th July 2025, See separate info in other articles in the Phonebox as and when.
Keith McLean Ward Councillor outlined the fact that MK Council is consulting on the NEW City Plan with a report due out soon.
- July 2024 Edition (June 2024 meeting)
Councillor Jim Cooper was so engrossed in conversation that he hadn’t realised the monthly Olney Town Council (OTC) meeting had started, and it took three ‘thank you Jim’ calls from Mayor Debbie Whitworth – the last one a veritable bellow – to get his attention.
Could you quieten the rabble down at the end there please, said Clerk Jane Brushwood to chuckles from around the council chamber. It was a good-humoured start to what would turn out to be a convivial and useful meeting. What a shame the River Great Ouse, coming up later on the agenda, was going to muddy the waters…
Resident Kevin Viney said he wanted to speak to the council and it was the MK Connect bus service that was the subject of his wrath.
Once, MK Connect stood as a beacon of hope and accessibility, he said. An affordable ride-share taxi service that bridged the gaps left by our regular bus routes. Today, it’s more like a symbol of unfulfilled promises and growing frustration. Since the introduction of the zonal pilot scheme in April 2024, reliability has plummeted and coverage for Olney residents has shrunk.
The promise was simple: reduced waiting times. This was a bold claim and demanded backing up with data and evidence. After an extensive analysis, the reality tells a different story. The likelihood of securing a taxi within the touted 15-minute window is a mere 1 in 12 occasions. And a fifth of all requests are outright rejected with the infuriating message, ‘We are experiencing high demand; please try later’.
Where once we could rely on this scheme to keep appointments and reach crucial destinations like a hospital or college, we now face a bleak reality.
This once fairly dependable scheme has deteriorated significantly and I no longer consider it fit for purpose. The pilot phase is clearly not meeting claims or expectations. We must hold MK Connect, and its partner MK City Council, accountable. We surely deserve a service that delivers on its promise and one that meets the needs of locals and visitors, not just those in Milton Keynes Central areas.
There was just one apology from Christina Diamandopoulos, and there were no declarations of interest. The minutes from the last meeting in May were approved.
There were apologies from Ward Councillors Keith McLean and Peter Geary so the Mayor said she would read their report for them. On the New City Plan there was a planning cabinet advisory board meeting at Milton Keynes City Council, she read, where they will be discussing the strategic site allocations for the MK City Plan for 2050 with current sites likely to be included for housing allocation.
The Ward Councillors were confident that the land west of Olney would not be in that list of allocated sites as it does not meet the infrastructure tests set out by the administration as the key criteria for the sites.
On Olney’s GP surgery, the Mayor read out that the city council has around £700,000 in Section 106 (developer funding to help make a building project possible) money that has been offered to improve GP services. The government, she continued, has not given the ICB (Integrated Care Board) any capital funding for the project so they don’t have the cash to fund the rest of the scheme.
The current operating model at the surgery and the ownership of the existing facilities is complicated when it comes to finalising plans for an NHS property investment, she said. MK Council does not believe that using the Section 106 money to submit a time-limited planning application would be value for money and that a better use of the cash would be to fund more preparation work so that if funding is secured, there is still money to get planning permission.
Another item concerned potholes in Lavendon, especially on Olney Road. Recently, traffic lights had been installed to repair holes in the road, but one of the sites was on a 60 mph stretch and with a blind bend. While cars might make the distance, cyclists and walkers would not. MKCC has been asked for details of when the work will be completed there. My advice to the public is to report any potholes, said the Mayor. They are slowly going around and repairing them; I know it doesn’t seem like it, but they are.
PCSO Connor Braddish was not available to attend the council meeting, but he did send a crime statistics report for May. Well, a bit of May, anyway. I know it looks like there’s been nothing happening, said the Clerk as if disappointed that Olney hadn’t been infiltrated by crime lords recently, but these figures are only for half the month.
The list made for quick reading then: one assault with injury, three cases of harassment and two thefts from vehicles. In other incidents, three suspicious people and one suspicious car had been reported by residents. There were also reports of theft from vehicles in surrounding villages. And that’s it, confirmed the Clerk, almost sadly. Somebody laughed.
You’ve all had copies of those, said the Mayor. Is everyone OK with the expenditure report? Councillors nodded that they were and the same went for the council’s expenses report, although Colin Rodden asked about the Olney Centre’s door to the High Street, querying a £2,000 bill for its repair. Two grand for a single door? You could see his point. That is correct, said the Clerk, it is an old system and they don’t make them that like that anymore, she explained.
Deputy Mayor Mary Prosser used a brilliant and oft-forgotten word as she described a recent event that she’d helped to organise for the Almshouses, a charity for elderly single women. We put on a soiree two weeks ago for residents, she said, and they thoroughly enjoyed it. You could see everyone around the table enjoying the word ‘soiree’. Indeed, Mary’s soft and dulcet tones really brought that beautiful and gentle word to life as councillors drifted briefly to an Agatha Christie-style evening of elegance, wishing they had been at that Almshouses cocktail night too.
The residents were in fine form, Mary continued, and everyone enjoyed the bubbly. It was a good evening, especially as it got the residents to talk to us, she added.
It was probably the ‘bubbly’ doing that, thought Mercury…
OK, said the Mayor hesitantly and, with a deep and troubling sigh, she consulted her notes. There was bad news on the horizon. Retesting of water quality in the River Great Ouse had been carried out recently, and the Mayor had the damning results in front of her. A river pollution working group has been set up specially for this issue and the Mayor gave thanks to the Olney and Clifton fishing club, as they have also joined in to work out ways of alleviating the pollution. Presumably, their fish aren’t enjoying the filthy water either.
There are certain standards to reach in terms of E.coli, the Mayor explained. Get 500 cfu/100 ml (colony forming units per 100 ml of water) and it means the river is in good shape, over 500 cfu is ‘sufficient’ but over 900 cfu is considered a ‘fail’. The results for the Olney stretch of the river, said the Mayor, were 800 (E.coli) and 1000 (enterococci) so we are, dare I say it, in the poo. There was a faint chuckle to be heard, but councillors weren’t in the mood for laughter at this foul news.
With recent reports showing readings of more than two times over the acceptable level at the weir and double the safe limit at the Rec river steps, things were not looking rosy.
It’s not good news that we are now at dangerously high levels, and if we take Bedford as a benchmark – because we have been working with experts there too – this is only going to rise in the coming months, added the Mayor grimly. Councillors sat in stunned silence as Debbie described some of the nasty bugs that had been found in our local waters. There are bacteria, viruses and pathogens, she said, which can cause sickness for swimmers and can lead to incidents of meningitis and septicaemia in the young and the elderly.
A meeting has been called of the river working group to set out the next steps, which will involve another meeting with the EA (Environment Agency), added the Mayor. She said that the Olney stretch of the Ouse is not designated a ‘bathing place’ for swimmers, so the local council cannot prohibit swimming there or ‘enforce anything’.
But what we can do, said Debbie, is put up better, bolder signage, showing these results, to make it clear that we as a council are informing the public. We can’t stop people going in the water at this stage, she added, but what we can do is advise on the information we have received as a council.
Deirdre Bethune said the first thing that came to her mind was the town’s annual and very popular raft race. Are competitors fully aware of the dangers, she wondered. Yes, said the Mayor, Roger Mann (one of the raft race’s organisers) has now joined the council’s river working group. He will be doing the same as the council and making people aware of everything. The risk is with the individuals, she added.
So can we put notices up when we start the raft race, pressed Deirdre. Absolutely, replied the Mayor, that’s what we intend to do. Could we also put a notice out through social media, said Ian Stokes, adding that it would be beneficial for people outside of town as well as residents. Deputy Clerk Rob Mungham suggested having a sign made up in the form of a graph showing how bad the water quality is. Ian Stokes said when they put signage up, should it say, ‘this is not a designated swimming area’.
It’s a grey area there because they are renowned as ’swimming steps’ said the Clerk, referring to the bathing area on the recreation ground. Well, either it’s a designated swimming area or it’s not, said Chris Shaw. It’s not, countered the Clerk. Well, should we not say that, replied Chris.
Can we make the signs pictorial, asked Ian. People do not read signs, he warned, we have numerous signs on the Rec and people just don’t read them. It needs a picture – a swimmer with a big red cross, somebody throwing up, something like that. Whatever you want to put on there – that’s what it needs. David Tyler suggested a QR code that links back to the council’s website. Yes and we could put the stats on the site, agreed Ian. Colin Rodden said that would also be an opportunity to tell people how the council is working to get water quality improved and keep everyone updated.
Extra visits have been registered in the enforcement log on MK Council for patrolling the Rec in the coming weeks all the way up until September, said the Mayor. She added that she had requested a meeting with the head of parking for the town to find out what cover it will receive when things get busy. Local people tell her they rarely see any parking enforcement officers these days. It’s good news though, for litter picking, Debbie added. We have had confirmation on the litter wardens from city council, and they will be on site now and being seen. They are litter picking themselves, but they also aim to issue fines to the public on-the-spot, she said.
The Clerk had made contact with a security firm, Spartan, and asked when councillors wanted them to start. Ian Stokes asked whether the council could book them from mid-June to the end of August but have them on a short-notice clause in case they’re not needed. The Clerk thought it would be unfair to have people ready to go and then to suddenly stand them down. Ian said that in the past, if there had been wet weekends, the security had been cancelled at short notice. The Clerk confirmed the security company would be patrolling on Fridays and Saturdays.
Ian said that Olney has more PCSOs now with better training and that the groundsman had put new Biffa bins out on the Rec. They were chained together so people couldn’t push them in the river, Ian added. And the marshalling we have down there works so I think we have done all we can. Councillors were happy to agree.
There are plans afoot to make massive improvements to the building that used to act as the town’s football club. The Clerk said she would like some feedback on the designer’s drawings because there were some things on there that she didn’t like, although she didn’t specify what.
Can we please stop calling it the ‘ex-football club’, said Ian Stokes slightly irritably, suggesting instead the ‘Recreation Community Hub’ or something equally as catchy.
The drains have been CCTV surveyed, said Ian, to find out where any faults were. He said that Anglian Water can direct water from East Street across to the ex-football club – sorry, the Recreation Community Hub – which is ‘good news because it’s quite a long draw’. He also had updated costings with three scenarios – pessimistic, realistic, optimistic – and they gave two costings, one for a refit as the building stands now and one as a new plan to refurbish, rebuild and add on an extension with toilets.
Costings start at £450,000 to £550,000 for a basic refurbishment, while an extended building with the toilets would cost from £600,000 to £750,000. They are considerable sums, said Ian, but the good thing is that now we have accurate costings, we have floor plans which we can tweak, and we can put up plans for people to see what the space can be used for. There’s no exclusive use, he added; the building would be fully flexible for all sorts of uses. Then we can apply for planning permission and work then for grants to help put the plans into action.
Ian’s suggestions to 1) brief Anglian Water on the works they need to do; 2) put plans on public display in the Olney Centre; 3) apply for planning permission; and 4) apply for grants were all approved by the council.
The Clerk asked whether they should put out a call for name suggestions for the building from the public. Chris Tennant agreed, saying there should be a suggestion box for people to put forward ideas.
The Mayor proposed that the council adopted the biodiversity policy immediately, which nobody disagreed with. She then asked if the council would consider applying for a CIF (Community Initiative Fund) grant to help pay for the resurfacing of the Olney Centre car park. Yes, it’s a Catch-22 situation this, said the Clerk, because we need to do it, but we haven’t got the funds. I can apply for this now, but I won’t know until next year if I can spend it.
I can’t find the funds to do it but it is desperate out there, she said, referring to the shoddy state of the Centre’s parking area. The quote received so far was about £15,000. It’s a lot of money for a relatively small area, but there is a lot of work to be done, the Clerk added. The application for the grant was approved by all.
The cemetery was a mess for various reasons, but I’m not going to be pointing fingers, said the Clerk; at the end of the day, the buck stops here. Three well-known sayings within a single sentence confirmed beyond doubt her love of the idiom.
I should have got on top of it sooner (was that another one?), she said, but there were all sorts of problems with staffing, machinery breaking down, one thing and another and it was… terrible. I hold my hand up (ahem), I know it was bad but we have worked jolly hard in our own time and dragged people from all sorts of areas to help us and I tell you what, it’s looking better there than it has for a long time.
She said that a lot of people were getting upset when things were ‘going wrong’ but added that because it’s looking so good now, she was beginning to receive compliments and thanks. The Mayor agreed that since the council had ‘got to grips with it’, it had been noted what an improvement had been made. Deirdre asked that a note of thanks be made in the minutes.
Colin Rodden said that he thought the council needs to be sympathetic where people’s loved ones are resting. He added that there was ‘always a debate’ about what people can have on graves and what they can’t. The Clerk added that everything was noted in the rules and regulations of the cemetery. We must be sympathetic, Colin repeated. The cemetery has to be kept to a certain standard, said the Deputy Clerk and people have to be aware that they can’t decorate graves how they like, and that’s all stated in the regulations.
The internal auditor has come back to the Clerk about the AGAR (Annual Accountability and Governance Return) and said ‘in our opinion the council is keeping its books and records and is following internal procedures that have been established’. There was a big pat on collective backs and the AGAR was approved.
The internal auditor has come back to the Clerk about the AGAR (Annual Accountability and Governance Return) and said ‘in our opinion the council is keeping its books and records and is following internal procedures that have been established’. There was a big pat on collective backs and the AGAR was approved.
- August 2024 Issue (July 2024 meeting)
Two members of the public requested to speak at this month’s meeting, but only one was present when the meeting commenced. Allotment holder Joanne Eley spoke about an email she had received telling her she was in breach of the Terms and Conditions of her tenancy agreement by having what she said was an environmentally friendly and permeable narrow pathway consisting of artificial grass, which had been saved from landfill. The pathway had been present for at least four and a half years, she said. It is attractive, in keeping with the area, and as she and her husband are ‘seniors,’ it forms a comfortable kneeling surface. The current T&Cs on the council website prohibit the use of carpet, but the artificial grass does not constitute a carpet by any dictionary definition of a carpet, said Joanne, as the properties and uses are incomparable. The email received from the council inaccurately referred to its own T&Cs with the words ‘artificial grass’ having been added. This is a spurious misquote, she said, as the wording on the website makes no reference to artificial grass. She noted that the Allotment Association managed community allotment also has a narrow strip of artificial grass. If the council approves the enforcement of the request, which is clearly not a breach, where do we go from here, she asked? She urged the council to reconsider the request, which clearly is not a breach of hers or any other plot holder’s tenancy agreement. Joanne finished by saying she hoped common sense would prevail and the absurdity of the position they all found themselves in would be resolved.
Chris Shaw and Mary Prosser had sent apologies. David Tyler and Chris Tennant declared an interest in a later item as parents of children attending Olney Infant Academy.
Keith McLean was present to give this month’s report. Keith said there wasn’t much going on council-wise at the time because of ‘something happening the following Thursday’ (the General Election). The Milton Keynes New City Plan Regulation 18 Consultation period runs from 5th July to 27th September. Keith explained that the parishes will be making their own representations but it is open to any individuals to comment as well. Although it runs to 458 pages, there are parts of it that are important to Olney and surrounding villages, said Keith, so he recommended skim reading at the very least. Chris Tennant asked if the MKCC council officers would be holding any public consultation sessions in Olney, and Keith replied that he didn’t believe any were planned. He suggested that Chris contact the MKCC Programme Manager – Parish & Town Councils to find out.
Keith thanked Kevin Viney for providing data about the (in)efficiency of the MK Connect North Area service, which is at odds with the figures that MKCC are claiming. He had personally tried to use it after the recent Rugby 7s and was given a waiting time of 49 minutes. The current trial runs to September and will form the basis of a tender to run the service from April 2025.
Keith said he had undertaken visits around the Olney ward with the new Police Area Commander and Neighbourhood Chief Inspector, who both declared themselves ‘very impressed’ with what they saw. By August the North Area will have four PCs and five PCSOs he said.
David Chennells had applied to be co-opted onto the council. He explained that he had previously served on the council between 1995 and 1998, which he really enjoyed, but had stood down due to work commitments. He had seen the appeal for new members in the May Mercury report and thought that, in his own words, ‘they must be pretty desperate!’ so he had decided to apply. David explained that he had lived in Olney nearly all of his life and was an ‘almost retired’ vet and a ‘sort of’ part-time farmer, although his farm is towards Yardley Hastings and outside the ‘red line’ for development, so he does not have a vested interest in development in Olney, apart from what he sees. He said he has known Olney since it had a population of two and half thousand and has considerable business experience, which he thought might come in handy. He then stepped out of the room, and an open vote elected him unanimously. David returned to the room to a round of applause to take his place at the table, so he was obviously a popular addition to the council.
Note: This still leaves three vacancies on the council during a time of rapid expansion for Milton Keynes, with the potential for major implications for Olney. If any residents would like to offer themselves for co-option, please contact the Town Clerk at townclerk@olneytowncouncil.gov.uk or visit the council office in The Olney Centre.
There was no PCSO present, so Mayor Debbie Whitworth submitted for 30th May to 27th June as follows: Assault with injury 1; Assault without injury 2; Burglary Business 1; Drug Offences 1; Harassment 1; Malicious Communications 1; Public Order 1; Shoplifting 1; Theft 2; Theft from Vehicle 1; Theft of Motor Vehicle 1.
The expenditure report and budget sheet were presented. Colin Rodden questioned the expenditure of £1,617.67 on vehicle service and repair. Town Clerk Jane Brushwood explained that this was mainly the tractors that get a lot of use at this time of year. He also asked about the £1,745.75 expenditure on the electric doors, and Jane explained that it was for a replacement motor on the main door to the Olney Centre and service of all others. Ian Stokes questioned the expenditure on MKCC rates for the now disused Football Club building, and Jane explained that a lower value was due now that it was unoccupied and that a refund would be forthcoming.
Debbie Whitworth reported that Jim Cooper had represented OTC at the recent Armed Forces day event. Letters had been received from Lt. Col. John Curtin and another attendee thanking the council for organising the event. Debbie said she had attended the Cherry Fair where attendance had been good despite the weather. Deirdre Bethune said she had received several complaints about traffic delays coming into town on the day due to cars parking on double yellow lines on Bridge Street.
Debbie said a meeting had recently been held between working group members, reps from MKCC Environmental Commission, Olney and Clifton Fishing Association and The Olney Group (TOG) to give a presentation to the Environment Agency. However, because of the purdah rules approaching the General Election, Debbie said she had to make it clear that she was attending in her OTC Mayor role rather than MKCC Ward Councillor since it is a highly emotive subject for both major political parties. It was only allowed to go ahead on the understanding that nothing could be released until after the election. She could, however, say that it was a most informative, highly productive and positive meeting and actions will be taken. Chris Tennant asked if the forthcoming raft race would still take place, and Debbie confirmed that it would, but all competitors would be required to sign a disclaimer. (Mercury – In the event it was cancelled, on safety grounds, due to the high water level caused by storms on the Friday night).
Jane Brushwood said she had not had anything reported, apart from a little bit of extra litter, since the weather had not been ‘fabulous’, which was keeping the hordes away. Ian Stokes said the sports clubs had not reported any issues either.
Jane Brushwood said the final plans were not available because the original plans did not include a baby-changing area. Once the updated plans were available, they would be posted on the OTC website and displayed in the atrium in the Olney Centre. At that stage, residents would be invited to suggest a name for the building.
Debbie Whitworth reported that data is available for the SIDs on Aspreys (Hollow Wood end northbound), showing an average speed of 30.3 mph; Aspreys (Foxhill end southbound), showing an average speed of 29 mph; and Driftway (northbound), showing an average speed of 33.1 mph for the period 01/05/24 to 07/06/24. She said the SIDs had now been turned around and would provide data for traffic travelling in the opposite direction for a month. After that, they would be relocated to the other major hot spots that had been flagged by residents.
Jane Brushwood said OTC had been considering providing a club for 13 – 19-year-olds for some time, with support from the mental health charity MIND, and she was in the process of applying for grants to cover the cost of support workers. She was hopeful that it could start running at the Olney Centre from September and then relocate to the ex-Football Club building when completed. Debbie Whitworth said Ousedale school students had been invited to complete a survey to determine what they would like to see provided and on what days and times. Suggestions included a tuck shop, table tennis and a swimming pool!
Olney Infant Academy has raised £2,300 to renovate its nature area and has asked OTC for a grant to match-fund it. There was some discussion about why renovation was required and why it had not been maintained. Was this a good use of funds? Wondered Jane Brushwood and Debbie Whitworth. Also, could there be a risk that it would fall into a state of disrepair again. Deirdre Bethune expressed the opinion that it was something that OTC should contribute to for the benefit of the school children and other groups that use the school. Ian Stokes suggested the grant should be approved with a clause obliging the school to have a maintenance schedule. Colin Rodden belatedly declaring an interest as his wife is Chair of Governors, supported the application and pointed out that the last time the pond liner needed replacing, the school had paid for it themselves. A vote was taken and passed unanimously.
Debbie Whitworth reported that the Brownies had conducted a survey on what is good about living in Olney, with a number of observations on how it could be made better, including improved access for disabled residents.
Christina Diamandopoulos had put together a document concerning OTC community engagement. Residents have misconceptions about who the council are and what they can do, she said. The information is available on OTC’s social media and website if people care to look for it, but she felt that the council could benefit from improved two-way communication with residents and suggested forming a group with the aim of thinking up ideas and putting them into practice. She suggested a regular stall on the market, and others agreed, saying it would be good to be able to explain the different responsibilities of OTC and MKCC. David Chennells observed that some people thought that OTC councillors were one step away from Downing Street and could do anything, while others thought that councillors just met up for a chat at meetings and nothing happened. Public engagement might also encourage people to join the council, he said. There are a lot of new residents coming into Olney, and some will get involved because of the schools, and others will treat it as a dormitory town, but if it could be demonstrated that things actually happen in Olney and they got more involved, they would get more out of living here. He was very disappointed to see virtually no members of the public at the recent town meeting, he said. Deirdre Bethune said that was usually an indication that the council was doing OK, and people tended to only come out of the woodwork when they were unhappy. Chris Tennant reminded members that the council had produced a Community Engagement Strategy in 2020 to promote the Neighbourhood Plan. Colin Rodden thought that it would be good to get engagement from younger residents. David Chennells suggested more use of Facebook, but David Tyler (a young person!) said his generation was more likely to use TikTok and Snapchat.
Chris Shaw was elected to represent OTC on the Petsoe End Wind Farm Fund. Jane Brushwood said the council had not been represented on the fund committee for several years.
There will be no meeting in August unless there is an urgent need to do so. The next meeting will be held on Monday, 2nd September, at 7 p.m. in the Olney Centre. If you would like to contribute to the Public Participation section at the start of the meeting or any time the Mayor deems appropriate, please contact the Town Clerk at townclerk@olneytowncouncil.gov.uk.
- October 2024 Edition (September 2024 meeting)
There was a lively, upbeat atmosphere as councillors filed back into the Olney Centre chambers for September’s monthly sitting. Fresh from their summer vacations and an August break with no meeting, they seemed fresh, enthusiastic and raring to go.
And there was much to discuss – the Olney Town Council summit agenda had a healthy 19 items listed on it. Not all of those would take long to get through, of course, but unknown to those around the table, there were some gems coming up – missing speed signs, unbuilt community buildings and defecating cows among them. It was clearly going to be one of those evenings…
Mayor Debbie Whitworth brought everyone to order with a cheery welcome back message before the meeting was officially opened.
Terry Miller, a resident of the new Yardley Manor estate in Olney, had indicated that he would like to address the council this evening concerning that very housing development, in particular the social and recreational play areas which are not, he said, complete or appear near completion.
Mr Miller said he believed the site’s developers had ‘consistently broken agreed timescales’ for the completion of social areas. While he had only lived there for a year, he said some residents had been there for three years and he added that the difficulty was trying to understand developers’ ‘failure to provide a reasonable timescale’ and further that there were ‘unacceptable delays’.
He said legal contracts should be adhered to and added that children on the estate have been unable to play in the recreational area, a scenario that he described as ‘reprehensible’. Three summers have gone by like that, he said, adding that footpaths have been left unfinished so that people can’t stroll across the estate properly and can’t get to the public footpath, which leads into the countryside because it is ‘blocked off’. The builders’ promises have not been kept and there has been persistent procrastination, he boomed. With mounting urgency, Mr Miller called upon councillors to make their views known to the developers and seemed to be building up to a full-on rallying cry when, unfortunately for him, his allotted three minutes to speak were up, and he was abruptly stopped in his tracks by the Mayor.
Town Clerk Jane Brushwood said that the council does not normally respond directly to residents’ participation points, but on this occasion, she would as she had received a response that very day from James Williamson of Milton Keynes City Council (MKCC).
The email said that timescales had been given, including that for the ‘district park’, which, following remedial works, would be ready by the end of September. The play area was currently undergoing work, but it would be open during September. The playing fields are seeded and maturing well, but they are unlikely to be ready until Spring 2025. The Community Hall should have work starting by the end of November. It will take 30 weeks to complete, according to the city council’s response.
I’m not going to be cynical, said the Clerk with a cynical look in her eye, but I have heard dates (like that) before, and the developers have well surpassed them, but hopefully, with MK getting involved, that will happen.
They are redesigning the community centre, said Ian Stokes, and the previous design wasn’t fit for purpose. So, do we get to see this redesign, agree on it and critique it? he asked. We agreed this months and months ago, Ian, said the Clerk with a despairing sigh. What, the redesign? asked Ian. No, the re-application for the redesign, explained the Clerk, drawing bemused looks from the table. We will see it on the planning application, she added by way of explanation.
Colin Rodden wanted to know why the building wasn’t started when it should have been and asked what reassurances there were that work would now get underway as planned. There were none, seemingly. This really shouldn’t have been a matter for discussion said the Clerk, but I read out the MK Council response because I had received it today.
The Clerk then moved swiftly on to an email she had received about the recent improvements on the landscaping work being carried out at Olney Cemetery. The work, said the email sender, was ‘nothing short of exceptional’.
Christina Diamandopolulos sent apologies, and there were no declarations of interest from anyone concerning items on the agenda. July’s minutes were approved as there had not been a meeting in August.
The Ward Councillor’s report was next on the agenda. But, as PCSOs Connor Braddish and Arlene Ormston were both in the room and could be called out to an emergency at any time, the Mayor pushed them above Councillor Peter Geary in the pecking order.
There were two crime stats to report for different periods. Connor reported that the following crimes had taken place in the last few weeks: 2 x assault with injury, 2 x burglary of a business, 1 x criminal damage, 2 x drug offence, 4 x harassment, 1 x malicious communication, 1 x public order, 4 x shoplifting, 1 x theft, 1 x theft from a vehicle. Connor added that other incidents that are not crimes included ‘2 x suspicious people’ and ‘3 x suspicious vehicles’.
A more recent stats sheet read as follows: 1 x criminal damage, 1 x harassment, 2 x public order, 1 x shoplifting, 2 x theft, 1 x theft of a vehicle, 1 x theft of pedal cycle.
How malicious does a malicious communication have to be before it comes to your attention, asked new boy David Chennells, attending OTC for the first time since his July co-option. It depends on how the report was made, said Connor. The person reporting the incident gives their view, and the police react accordingly, he explained.
Ian Stokes said that given the problems the town has on the recreational ground (the Rec) during the summer, have the police been involved in any issues down there lately. It’s been fairly good there with no reported crimes, said the PCSO. Compared with previous summers it has been very good, confirmed Arlene cheerfully.
Colin Rodden wanted to know if the town’s big supermarkets were reporting any crimes to the police. Connor said that they advise that any case of shoplifting is reported to them and added that the police had received reports from ‘a multitude of stores’.
Some stores had taken action such as barriers and extra deterrents, the PCSO added and said that shops that are having problems are reporting these and the police are ‘taking action’.
Now it was Peter Geary’s turn. He had another meeting to attend that evening and hadn’t reckoned with playing second billing to the local police constabulary. Rattling ahead with his trademark speed and accuracy, Peter started with the consultation of the MK 2050 plan, which is still ongoing. The development is coming ‘just down the road from Olney’ and is undoubtedly going to have an impact on the town, he said. So, we need to be aware of that and have an understanding of it, he added. There will be many opportunities to get involved and comment on the plans, and he urged local people and councillors at the meeting to do just that.
Something we have all been trying to get a grip of, said Peter with a sigh, is the state of MK Connect (the local transport service). Meetings have been promised to discuss the service, but they have ‘slipped back and back’, he said ruefully. And we still don’t have a meeting date. The service that MK Connect is offering is nowhere near the standard that is required for Olney or, indeed, any of the other areas nearby, he said.
Another issue to be tackled is the ward boundaries, from 2026. Milton Keynes is due to increase from 19 wards to 20 wards, and the size of those wards will increase from around 10,000 people to 11,000 per ward. This is due to the increasing resident population. It will have an impact on who represents you, said Peter. A second consultation will take place towards the end of this year.
On the Yardley Manor recreation area situation, Peter said that there was an agreement that meant that no more than 50% of the houses there could be sold until the infrastructure had been delivered. The problem, as we know, he said, is that the country is desperately short of housing so therefore this agreement was in place but it’s about how enforceable it is when houses are sitting empty and people need them. Olney is not the only place where there have been problems like this, he added.
We should have used the law to stop the developer from selling any more houses until they have delivered their legal requirement and done what they should, said Jim Cooper. In theory you could have done that, said Peter, but you try and find any court in the land to uphold it – they would say, ‘Yes you should have done it, but we are not going to stop anyone walking into their new house because of this technicality’. Developers know that, and they push back.
We should not allow developers to ride coach and horses through legislation, Colin Rodden waded in. Sure, said Peter, but someone needs to enforce that agreement. Can they be fined if they do not do what they should, asked Dan Rowland. That is not a system that is currently in place, returned Peter.
The Mayor brought up the matter of road safety as part of her Ward Councillor’s report. There has been increased parking officer presence in Olney recently. Calming measures had been installed on Yardley Road near the Middle School, and 20mph zones had been introduced on Yardley Road and Foxhill. Weston Road, the next thoroughfare is coming up for similar consideration ‘subject to community support’. Parking is also a problem near the school, and a plan to increase double yellow lines there is being considered.
A new sensor has been installed at the so-called One Stop crossing, which will collect data for the next two months. If it shows any near-misses, we will be on track to get the ‘Stop Means Stop traffic lights’ said the Mayor.
David Chennells has a startling piece of information up his sleeve and chose now to reveal it: the 20mph speed signs near the school were only showing in one direction. Cue stunned silence around the table. One direction? Where do you mean, asked an incredulous Mayor. Moore’s Hill said David. It’s 20mph going towards Yardley Hastings, but it’s 30mph coming the other way. There are no signs on the approach to the roundabout coming down from the industrial site. The first three times I went along the road I thought I had gone blind, he joked, but I realised they had forgotten to put the signs up. The Mayor was clearly shocked by that revelation and agreed to point out the oversight to the local roads inspector.
Has anyone been to any meetings? asked the Mayor and sat waiting for a response. Well, you have, said the Clerk to guffaws of laughter. The Mayor had forgotten that she and the Clerk had been to the Kitchener Centre to see its refreshed garden and interiors. Chris Tennant and Jim Cooper represented the council at MK Council’s ‘Plan MK 2050’ presentation. And Chris Shaw was in attendance when MKCC came to the Olney Centre to speak to residents about the plans, said the Clerk. I was at that meeting too, said Jim Cooper, despondent at being forgotten. Oh, I didn’t see you, sorry Jim, said the Clerk.
Deirdre Bethune attended a user group meeting at Emberton Park while Mary Prosser and the Clerk went to the final Amazing Grace AG250 anniversary concert at St Peter and St Paul Church.
The Mayor said that, sadly, water levels had been dropping, which means there is less dilution in the river, so there is a rise in pollution in the water. Levels are growing because of the runoff or leakage from fertilised soil, she added. Excess weed growth and algae contribute to the problem, she said. But due to the fantastic work that has been carried out by the Olney and Clifton Fishing Association, she said, for the first time in many years the riverbanks at the Goosey Bridge had been cleared of weed. It’s nice to walk around and see that, and it means there is half a mile of bank cleared for the anglers, she explained. She confirmed that MKCC and the Environment Agency will continue to help with funding for ongoing research and monitoring of water quality.
David Tyler said that cows that live in fields close to the river are allowed to go into the water where they defecate. We should contact farmers to remind them of their legal obligations to keep the animals a certain distance away, he added. The Mayor agreed that they should do that. I’m not sure that’s our responsibility, interjected the Clerk, but we can report that to the Environment Agency, she added.
I don’t really have an update on the Rec, said the Clerk. We’ve had a couple of bad days with parking problems and litter problems but really there is not a great deal more that we can do, and the security patrols are still in place. We have this on the agenda as a monthly item, she added with a shrug of the shoulders, but to be honest I don’t think we have anything to say. Shall we take it off?
That suggestion was agreed by everyone and it was also agreed that residents should continue to report any issues down at the Rec through the correct channels.
The community building there (also known as the ex-football club) now has a planning application for proposed extension work. We just need to wait for that, and then we can get on with it, said the Clerk. Well, we can do once we’ve got some… she seemed to hesitate as if trying to find the right word. Money? chipped in Ian Stokes helpfully. Yes, money, said the Clerk, but we have to get some quotes in first.
Deputy Clerk Rob Mungham had the data from the town’s SIDS (speed indicator devices) and was pleased to report that June’s average speed along Aspreys was 25mph and on Driftway it was 22mph. In July average speeds along the High Street were between 21mph and 24mph depending which end you were at, and on Yardley Road the average was 21mph. The two SID detectors would now be moved to Weston Road for two months, he reported.
A new Walk and Talk initiative has been launched from the Olney Centre, the council has agreed to support the VE 80th Anniversary celebration, and the Clerk reported that the Town Clock has now been refaced and would be reinstalled in its former glory at the new Cobbs Garden Dental Practice, which had previously been the NatWest Bank and DCa Architects building. The council thanked Garrard and Allen Solicitors for paying for the clock work. The OTC website has a new directory on it showing local services and businesses as well as volunteering and social groups.
Is there anything else? Asked the Mayor, or will I close the meeting. “What about AOB (any other business)?” asked fresher Chennells with the charming naivety of a first-year student trying to make friends at uni. “No, we don’t do AOB,” said everyone, in unison, around the table.
Oh, sorry, said the crestfallen rookie.
The next meeting will be held on Monday 7th October at 7pm in the Olney Centre. If you would like to contribute to the Public Participation section at the start of the meeting, or any time the Mayor deems appropriate, please contact the Town Clerk, townclerk@olneytowncouncil.gov.uk. - November 2024 Edition (October 2024 meeting)
The majority of the public seats were occupied at this month’s Olney Town Council (OTC) meeting. Mayor Debbie Whitworth asked if there were any members of the public present who wished to talk or letters received to be read out. Town Clerk Jane Brushwood said she was ‘afraid’ that there were three letters and four people wishing to speak. The first letter was very critical of the recent Big Olney Food Festival (BOFF), saying the event should aspire to increase trade for local businesses, but many lost trade because of the loss of parking on the Market Place. Relocation of the event should be considered and there were numerous instances of nuisance behaviour from individuals who had consumed excess alcohol, and there should be tighter control by those serving alcohol or OTC should object to the serving of alcohol if the event continues to be held on the Market Place. There are plenty of other outlets where it could be supplied more responsibly, the writer thought. The second letter was from a member of the original BOFF organising committee who expressed concern that there is once again a move to bring an end to BOFF as we know it on the Market Place. It has become an important part of the Olney calendar due to the hard work and dedication of a small number of volunteers. It is enjoyed by Olney residents, brings in visitors to the town, and raises money for local charities. The Market Place is an ideal location for a community event of this sort and any move to relocate it would be a disaster. The correspondent urged councillors to give permission for the event to be held for many years to come.
Speaking in favour of BOFF, Stefan Botfield took to the floor, explaining that his interest was threefold: As a local independent business, as a member of the Olney Shopkeepers Association, and thirdly as a member of the BOFF committee. He said, first and foremost, his decision to take premises in Olney had been influenced by the events calendar and the extraordinary vibrancy of the community, which is great for trade thought. He said he has adapted his business so that he does ‘financially very well’ out of BOFF weekend. The Shopkeepers Association was formed about a year ago, and members had worked with the BOFF Committee offering advice, and the committee had gone to extraordinary lengths to take on board the concerns of the traders, details of which were contained in the report that the committee had prepared for the council. As a member of the BOFF committee, Stefan said he’d been ‘bowled over’ by the positivity and sheer hard work of the committee in organising an extraordinary and free event and the amount of good that they do for the community and the amount of money raised (for charity) which was in the region of £60,000 in recent years. It was important to understand that any attempt to move the event would, in all likelihood, ‘can it’ since it is not suitable for soft ground, and with the massive investment upfront, it could not be cancelled at short notice.
Next to speak was the owner of a local restaurant who said that when BOFF takes place, they lose business, and this year had resulted in a loss of around £3000 over the course of the weekend, which had actually extended from Thursday to Monday. Lots of other businesses, not just food outlets had similarly suffered, they said. They said they were speaking on behalf of the owners of two other restaurants who would like to have attended in person but, because of the nature of their business, were unable to do so.
Richard Hillier spoke to point out that several dropped kerbs had been blocked by stalls, causing difficulty to users of mobility scooters, particularly the one outside of Morrisons.
Finally Jane Brushwood read out a letter from a resident complimenting the council ground staff on the beautifully maintained grass verges from Yardley Road up to the industrial estate, creating a lovely entrance to the town.
At this point a member of the public present spoke up to ask why another member of the BOFF committee had not been permitted to speak but the mayor said that she felt there had been sufficient balance with one speaker from each perspective.
Deirdre Bethune and David Chennells had sent apologies. There were no declarations of interest.
To receive feedback from BOFF and discuss the future of BOFF on the Market Place.
This item was brought forward on the agenda as many BOFF committee members were present. In preparation for the discussion, councillors were in possession of two documents. The first was a detailed post event report from the organisers stating how they felt they had met the objectives of the event in terms of providing a community event, promoting the town, raising money for charity and engaging with local businesses and included an action plan for moving forward. It also contained a considerable amount of feedback, mostly positive. The second was a report compiled by the clerk containing four lengthy and detailed complaints that had been received by email. There was also a list of Jane’s own observations and issues that had been verbally raised with her. So diverse were the views expressed in the two documents that one could be forgiven for wondering if they were referring to the same event. Both of these reports can be obtained from the clerk if residents wish to understand both sides of the argument. Debbie Whitworth opened the debate by saying that she thought BOFF was a wonderful event that had started some years ago to support local food retailers and to raise money for charity. It has always been supported by OTC, despite some local retailers objecting to the use of the Market Place even for markets, she said, but this year’s three day event and the volume of people coming into the town had had a negative effect on many retailers. The extended duration had been agreed by full council, but that didn’t mean it was set in stone for the future. OTC must represent residents and retailers as a whole and cannot be seen to be supporting one singular event. Jim Cooper said that the event was originally for Olney food suppliers but was now attracting traders from outside, some of whom had no respect for the town. Free music, beer and food is attracting ‘all and sundry’, he said. The organisers should be ensuring the stalls do not block drop kerbs and the public do not sit on the war memorial, which he said was a great sin. He thought the idea of the event was brilliant and the Market Place was possibly the right venue but was it placing a burden on OTC? Who pays for the rubbish removal, he asked. BOFF, Jane replied. Who pays to unblock the drains when hot fat is poured down by the stall holders? Milton Keynes Council replied Jane. The sum of £60k raised for charity over seven years was not a ‘busting amount of money’, he thought, considering the number of people who attend. Dan Rowland asked how many years had the event run for three days? Debbie said this was the first year that a comedy night had been held on the Friday night, which the council had agreed to on a trial basis. The night itself had been a huge success, she said. Christina Diamondopoulos wondered if next year it could be held in The Carlton House Club. She noted from the organisers’ report that they had plans to address most but not all of the issues raised. Colin Rodden was full of praise for the organisers of the event and noted that they had engaged with the businesses this year and had a plan in place for further engagement next year if the event was allowed to go ahead. He hoped the businesses would engage more with the committee so they could find a way forward. He said he had attended on the Sunday with his family and was impressed with the organisation. The volunteers should be supported, he said. Chris Shaw wondered if it had become too big over too long a time. Perhaps it had expanded beyond the organisers’ ability to control and manage it, he wondered. He applauded them for acknowledging the problems and setting out steps to address them. He said he would hate to see it end but would like to see it shorter and more concentrated on local businesses. Debbie Whitworth did not think that the council were in possession of all the facts and was therefore not in a position to give the go-ahead for next year as things stand, particularly with Health and Safety issues that had not been touched upon and suggested that the committee properly engage with all the retailers and return to the council with a more detailed plan. Colin Rodden thought the council were being too negative and suggested a subcommittee to work with the BOFF committee, rather than leaving it all to the clerk. Jane responded saying that nobody from BOFF had asked the clerk or anyone from the council to work with them. She said they hadn’t even considered the implications of Martyn’s Law (Terrorism, Protection of Premises), and if Colin had read his notes, he would know that. Chris Tennant said he had attended BOFF with his family and it was a good value event which they had all enjoyed. He said the report from the committee was ‘interesting’, but it was important that the vacant roles were filled well in advance of next year’s event, particularly site safety and security and bar manager. OTC should do their own Risk Assessment for all events on their land, he thought. He acknowledged that Councillor Deirdre Bethune was Deputy Chair of the BOFF committee but suggested that OTC have a much larger representation. Jane Brushwood noted that the request before the council was to approve the request for BOFF 2025 to be held on the Market Place, but she (very stridently) said that, in all honesty, she could not say that it was a good idea. It was absolutely outrageous the way it was run, and it frightened the life out of her, even though she was there as a volunteer as she had been for many years, but she had seen it gradually deteriorating. There were drunken parents with kids running around the High Street, and she’d lost count of the number of times she’d told people not to sit on the war memorial. Debbie Whitworth agreed, saying she knew the traders had lost thousands upon thousands, as good as it is for charity. At this point, one of the BOFF committee members interjected to say that there had been no mention of the people of Olney who came to the event, but Jane firmly shut him down, saying that this was a council meeting held in public and NOT a public meeting! Chris Tennant proposed that no decision was made that night but to wait until the committee returned to council having completed the various actions. This was passed with a vote of five in favour, one against, and one abstention.
Keith McLean was present to give this month’s report. On the subject of BOFF security, Keith said he hadn’t spent much time at the event, but while he was there he noted that the security guard present was probably older than him, his weight, six inches shorter and smoking, which was not what he’d expect from a paid security guard. MKConnect is now once again Borough-wide as the trial has ended. Tenders will now be invited to run the service from April 2025 for three years. MKCC officers are claiming the trial was a success, which Keith said was not his experience or that of users he had spoken to. Thames Valley Police had recently held Operation Drover in the Rural North area, where extra police presence was drafted in from surrounding forces for a few days. Keith said the crime levels had been ‘quiet’ during the operation, which will be repeated next spring. One point to note was that there appears to be very little hare coursing compared with surrounding counties. Keith said that he and his fellow ward councillors were saddened to hear of the death of Robin Bradburn, leader of the Lib-Dem group on MKCC, at the party’s Annual Conference. There is a new MKCC planning portal which residents can use to view planning applications, replacing the previous system that had been in place for some 25 years. It has some useful new search features, Keith said. Dan Rowland asked if MKCC could have given more notice when roads were due to be closed during the recent flooding to enable residents to better plan their journeys. Keith started to say that during that weekend the emergency contact centre had been ‘flooded with enquiries’ and then checked himself and said ‘inundated’. The road closure team is very small, and in some cases, it took them five hours to get out to assess the situation and close the road, if necessary. Regarding local crime, Keith said
Olney had been something of a ‘hot-spot’ with the Co-op and Emberton Park café having been recently broken into. Colin Rodden observed that those incidents did not appear to be on the crime stats provided to the meeting, even though they were dated up to 6th October.
There was no PCSO present but Jane Brushwood read out the submitted report for 30/08/2024 – 06/10/2024 as follows: Assault With Injury x1; Burglary – 3x Business, 1x Residential; Criminal Damage x2; Harassment x1; Public Order x2; Shoplifting x2; Theft – 1x Theft of Handbag, 1x Theft of Mobility Scooter, 2x Theft from Vehicle; Theft or Unauthorised taking of motor vehicle – x1, Theft of Pedal Cycle. Three of the incidents were BOFF related, said Jane. Debbie Whitworth said lots of residents are ‘seeing things’ but are not reporting them via 111, online or phone. Keith McLean agreed, saying there was no point in just posting things on social media.
Debbie Whitworth had visited Broomfield Nursing Home to see the newly refurbished lounge and dementia wing. They would welcome adult or student volunteers from the community to visit, she said. Jane Brushwood had hosted a visitor from Olney, Illinois over BOFF weekend, who had been impressed with what he saw of the town. Jim Cooper had attended the Allotment Association open day, which had been very successful, particularly for the mayor, who had won four raffle prizes, he said. An amazing amount of £600 had been raised over the four hours, he said.
Deputy Clerk Rob Mungham reported that SIDs were installed on Weston Road in September monitoring traffic in both directions. The average speed measured for both was 28.9 mph. The third SID will be placed on Yardley Road but needs to be reconfigured to the new 20 mph limit, he said. Colin Rodden thanked Rob for the figures and noted that around 3,000 vehicles in each direction were travelling at over 30 mph, which he described as ‘antisocial’.
The refurbished clock has now been restored to its original location on the ‘Old Nat West’ building, previously occupied by David Coles Associates. The new occupants, Olney Dental Practice, are having work done which results in regular interruptions to the power supply, said Jane Brushwood. She then casually mentioned that she was looking for a location for the floral clock, which after having gone missing in very mysterious circumstances 25 years ago, had recently been found.
This process is now devolved to parish councils. Residents can submit requests to their local council who will then decide whether to publish them for public consultation and then submit to MKCC. Five requests had been received: Johnsons Field – rejected; Fairfield Close corners – approved; Yardley Road East Side up to Olney Middle School – approved; Austen Avenue opposite The Task and Gilpin Way – rejected; East Street adjacent to electricity substation - approved.
OTC will be setting up a Flood Action Group in conjunction with the wider community and a meeting is planned with MKCC officers. Debbie Whitworth said much of the flooding in Olney was caused by surface water not draining away and Keith McLean said all 1000 plus gulleys in town were planned to be cleared by the end of November.
Following the recent successful open day, the Allotment Association have requested permission to hold future events since it is council land and needs to be approved by them. Colin Rodden, somewhat tongue in cheek Mercury suspected, asked if they would be subject to the same checks and balances as BOFF as there were still terrorist possibilities. Debbie Whitworth confirmed that they would. Jane Brushwood said there would be about 20 people in an open field.
A grant of £35k has been received from MKCC towards a minibus for the town. Discussions as to what sort of vehicle to purchase and how it would be run are ongoing.
Age UK has withdrawn from the Thursday lunch club but OTC are determined that it should continue and are seeking volunteer cooks.
Temporary structures have been erected on Goosey Island, and MKCC enforcement officers will be asked to investigate.
The next meeting will be held on Monday 4th November at 7pm in the Olney Centre. If you would like to contribute to the Public Participation section at the start of the meeting or any time the mayor deems appropriate, please contact the Town Clerk, townclerk@olneytowncouncil.gov.uk - December 2024 Edition (November 2024 meeting)
How to get rid of unwanted pests. That became the theme for last month’s Olney Town Council meeting. Some pests will leave of their own accord while others need a helping hand on their way. Olney’s Allotment Association had turned up to make representations about potential changes to the town’s vegetable patch terms and conditions, which would include banning the use of weed killers. And that became the crux of November’s somewhat turbulent gathering. Just like weed killer itself, the atmosphere in the council chambers was to turn poisonous.
Councillor Jim Cooper did not sit in his usual chair at the table, choosing instead to place himself in one of the public seats. The reason soon became clear: he had more than just a declaration of interest over a forthcoming agenda item. As an Allotment Association committee member, he actually wanted to speak as a private individual.
There was something about his demeanour which hinted that he was in a fighting mood. He was going to talk about the town’s allotments and you could tell that he had been cultivating more than just his vegetables when he turned up at the monthly gathering. Something was bothering him.
My point of view is about the banning of weed killers, which I do not think is a sensible way to go, said Jim, citing the National Allotment Society, of which his club is a member. Jim was holding a NAS leaflet describing the clearing of an overgrown plot. In this it’s all about weed killers, he said. Specifically weeds that the NAS say need to be dealt with. And we have two in abundance down at the allotment: vine weed and couch grass, which are both hard to get rid of. Proudly holding aloft the NAS leaflets he declared triumphantly: ‘I can give you these to have a look at’.
Nobody moved or said a thing.
Undeterred by the resounding silence, Jim carried on. It describes the types of weed killers that can be used, he said. Stuff you can buy from garden centres which are quite within the law and not harmful to animals, pets, wildlife or whatever.
He had got a head of steam up now. Some of the allotments are covered in weeds when they are handed over by the council to new allotment holders, he boomed. And us being mere human beings, we do need some help getting rid of weeds. Councillors started looking anxiously at their watches. Members of the public are only allowed three minutes to talk.
We want to plant flowers we can look at, Jim continued. Vegetables we can harvest to take home, and we do need a little bit of help getting rid of these very invasive types of weed which can cause crops to be damaged very easily.
Thirty seconds left, Jim, said Mayor Debbie Whitworth, to everyone’s delight. Jim had barely paused for breath.
And so I put forward that instead of having a total ban on weed killers, we use the NAS rules on them and put this (leaflet) in a pack that we give to allotment owners, which explains what they can and can’t use. He stopped. Councillors palpably started to breathe again.
Another member of the public who wanted to speak, Frances Gander, was also from the Allotment Association committee but she had a different issue to raise: artificial grass and the proposals to ban it from the allotments. She is against fake grass and wanted it banned from use at the allotments in the forthcoming new T&Cs.
Over recent years, there have been an increasing number of health issues relating to artificial grass, she said, mostly linked to crumb rubber infill, which comes from ground-up tyres used on the base of the grass. Tyres contain carcinogens, and crumb rubber infill is also known to be one of the largest causes of micro plastics in the environment. The plastic blades of grass can also break down and release toxic particles into the environment, she added. The Mayor thanked Frances and said her comments had been noted.
There were no apologies. With a slightly depleted complement of 11 councillors (there is provision for 15), everyone was there. As for declarations of interest, Jim Cooper reminded everyone that he was with the allotments group (as if they needed reminding), while David Tyler declared that an item about speed cameras concerned him as one was placed near where he lived. The minutes were approved from the previous meeting.
Peter Geary was present to deliver his report. He started with an item about a flood working group that appeared later on in the agenda. There was significant rainfall over September, said Peter, which caused a lot of issues across the ward. Lavendon was badly hit, he said, and added that it was good to see that flood measures put in place at Yardley Manor did generally work. He said he would support the council in setting up a flood resilience group; there are other parishes that already do that and it’s useful to have.
Moving into winter time, when it’s getting dark earlier, Peter said, I have received reports of a number of street lights out. He said ward councillors were asking people to report any broken lights themselves because they know exactly where they are. If any are not repaired, he added, get in touch with us, and we will chase them (MKCC) up. Likewise with potholes, he said. The roads are not in a great state as we get into winter, he added. If people see potholes that they think need reporting, please do report them, and if they are not getting the response they expect, email the ward councillors and tell them where the problems are.
There were no more updates on the new city plan but they are expecting a second consultation to come out soon, said Peter. He was hopeful of a positive outcome from a meeting about the MK Connect transport initiative and mentioned the nationwide ‘new town’ commission where residents can send in evidence of areas where new towns could and should be built. Milton Keynes was one of the areas that has been discussed. That closes on 13th December, he said.
Colin Rodden asked if there was a plan to get empty homes better filled. Peter said that MK was significantly below the national average when it comes to empty dwellings. The city council used to have an empty homes officer, he said, which was successful and he hoped that post was still active.
Deputy Clerk Rob Mungham said they had not received a PCSO’s report from the local police this month. Then Deputy Mayor Mary Prosser said she had attended the Ann Hopkins Almshouse meeting last month, where one of the residents had gone into full-time care, so they had been getting the house ready for its new resident, painting, carpeting and checking the electrics. A coffee morning has been planned where they can meet up with as many residents as possible and have a chat and a laugh and it’s a fun morning, she said. Maintenance work is always going on, she concluded.
The Mayor said she had been to the Emberton Park meeting with ward councillor Keith McLean. Park rangers have been told they can issue fixed penalty notices to people who drop litter or leave dog waste, but they can only do that if they witness it ‘there and then’.
There wasn’t much to report as work has been delayed due to the recent poor weather, meaning everything is ‘underwater’, said the Mayor. The Deputy Clerk said that MKCC were sending £500 funding for the Olney & Clifton Fishing Association, who have been helping the council, so that cleaning and testing can continue.
The Deputy Clerk said that for the period 2nd October to 4th November there were three sites to report on. Yardley Road, opposite Yardley Manor entrance, which is a 20mph area, the average speed was 21mph, Weston Road top (a 30mph zone) was 27.2mph, and Weston Road bottom (30mph) was 25.9mph. The SIDS were due to be relocated soon.
A potential new councillor, Richard Hillier, was already in the room in a public chair waiting for his big moment. We have already received all the paperwork and the application, and I can confirm that it is all correct, said the Mayor. There is quite a lot of criteria needed to be co-opted, she added. Richard was asked to leave the room while councillors decided on whether he could be welcomed into the fold or not. We won’t leave you out in the cold for long, said the Mayor.
Right, she continued, shall we vote on his co-option? Has anyone got any comments? Deirdre Bethune said that previously, voting was done on scraps of paper rather than a show of hands. We don’t have to do it, she added, but it’s an option. OK, well are you happy to do it by a show of hands, asked the Mayor. Who wants to do it that way? Can we have a show of hands for a show of hands, quipped the Deputy Clerk. The Mayor proposed the co-option and the show of hands was unanimous. Richard was on board. It was good to see a new member shoring up the council’s depleted numbers. They were now up to 12.
The Deputy Clerk said that the Mayor and Clerk Jane Brushwood had been invited to meet the developer company Sutton Land along with representation from MKCC. Among the results of the meeting were several important dates that residents have been pushing for. The play area will be complete by the end of November, said the Deputy Clerk. The football/sports field will remain cordoned off until next Spring. The community building – a particularly hot potato – won’t be ready until next October. I hope that happens, said Rob, because obviously dates have been mooted before and not adhered to. He said that MKCC were quite forceful at the meeting about the dates being followed and further site visits will be done in the next 12 months. The meeting was a constructive one, he added. The Mayor said that MKCC are in constant contact with Olney Town Council on this development. She also said that once the play park was opened, the drainage there will be sorted out.
Colin Rodden said that the community building was about two years late already. He thought a project plan with some dates in it would be ‘really helpful’. We could hold the developer to account with it, he said. I don’t think that’s unreasonable, he added; we just want our building.
We can certainly request a more formal project plan, said the Deputy Clerk, but whether it will be forthcoming or not is in their gift, not ours.
There’s also a big piece of public art to go up, said Chris Tennant, referring to a sculpture which is waiting to be installed.
This might be a pie in the sky thing, said David Chennells, not very optimistically, but it wouldn’t be a bad thing if they put up a dirty great big sign with the project progress dates on it, and then people could see when they’re running behind. Every time people go to work, walk or drive past it, there would be this big sign there.
That would be a bloody good reason why not to put it up, said Deirdre Bethune to guffaws from the table.
Do we know if the developers have put these dates in writing to MKCC, asked Jim Cooper. Because if they haven’t they will wriggle out of them again, I can guarantee it. So I would like to see written confirmation.
Chris Tennant explained that any money that hasn’t yet been spent under S106, such as funds for the community building, is index linked so that when it does finally come through it will be higher than first agreed. In that respect, he said, it’s ‘swings and roundabouts’. Shame he wasn’t talking about the play area because that would have been quite witty.
The new PSPO (Public Spaces Protection Order) has been extended for three more years to 21st October 2027. It also now includes Great Linford so there are now 15 parishes covered. Notable dates for 2025 include: Motorama on 8th June, 14-15th June is Olney Open Gardens, 28th June to 6th July is the 700th anniversary of St Peter & St Paul Church, 28th June is Rugby Sevens Day, and 29th June is the Cherry Fair.
And this is the part where it all kicked off. There are three parts of the allotments’ terms and conditions that we need to discuss, said the Mayor. It will be easier to take it line by line, said the Deputy Clerk. The first one changed: ‘(allotments holders) shall not place any carpet on it’ to: ‘shall not place any carpet, fake grass or similar on any allotments’. Deirdre asked if ‘an allotment’ included any path around it. No, said the Deputy Clerk, it doesn’t include anything outside of their allotted allotment. He was quite pleased with that little wordplay.
David Tyler wanted to see some different wording to really nail down this particular T&C. How about ‘users are prohibited from placing carpet, artificial grass or comparable materials on any allotment areas’, he offered. Does that include tyres, asked Dan Rowland. Well, it’s artificial grass, said David. Car tyres, emphasised Jim Cooper. You shouldn’t use car tyres to plant things in, rather than using containers, he said.
That’s a separate thing, said the Deputy Clerk. I think you should take that to Recs and Services. Could we add that now, asked Deirdre. No, it’s not on the agenda, said the Mayor. Well, if you’re adding things, said David Chennells, why don’t you put in chunks of rubber, which is used for a lot of equine establishments and show jumping arenas? That isn’t included, and considering the concern about the backing of artificial grass, what about chopped-up rubber tyres?
David Tyler asked if they could include the words ‘synthetic materials’ in there then. The Deputy Clerk had been writing and re-writing the terms and conditions as each councillor came up with their amendment and he was running out of paper. So it’s ‘any carpet, artificial grass or any comparable synthetic materials on their allotment’, he proffered. David Tyler came up with even more wording for the beleaguered Deputy Clerk to scribble down.
OK, said Rob, ‘any carpet, artificial grass or any other types of covering, synthetic materials or ground covering on any allotment areas’.
Does that mean that they can’t put down any form of plastic covering, asked Mary Prosser. They do it to suppress the weeds, and that has to go ahead, so actually, the wording is incorrect, I think. Maybe we put in ‘except sheeting to suppress weeds’ said David Chennells. Rob got ready to start writing again. So it’s ‘shall not place any carpet, artificial grass or any synthetic materials, with the exception of plastic sheeting for the suppression of weeds’.
Jim Cooper looked angry. I would like to say something, he said. I know I shouldn’t, but the Allotments Association are part of the National Allotments Society. Councillors had heard all this half an hour ago and were wondering what was coming next. They have printed loads of books on what to do with allotments, and they are the experts; we aren’t. And this, he added, holding aloft the same leaflet he had shown the room earlier, is one that puts down what can and cannot be used for clearing weeds and what can be put on allotments to suppress weeds and everything else with it. I suggest that we work with this because you don’t join a club and then not play by their rules. It’s a silly way to do it. We pay for this membership, and then we get their expertise from it. This is still a current rule book for the suppression of weeds. Surely we should abide by their rules on ways of treating these things. I would like, before councillors make a decision on this, to read this, take it on board, understand what the NAS are saying and then decide.
I appreciate that they are quite knowledgeable, said David Tyler, but they don’t take into account this council’s policies.
That was it for Jim Cooper. Bringing new meaning to the word ‘petulant’, he turned his back on the table and raised an arm as if to say ‘talk to the hand ‘cos the face ain’t listening’. Absolute bull, he muttered.
Behaviour like that is not what the council and especially the Mayor expect to see and hear. Jim, that’s rude, said Debbie.
No, I’ve had enough, said Jim, rising from his chair and pushing it roughly back under the table. If you’re not prepared to work by the National Allotment Society, you can take it I quit. And with that he grabbed his coat and noisily left the room.
There was a brief moment of silence, but it didn’t last long. Most people around the table and, indeed, in the room felt that Jim’s theatrical exit was already on the cards.
It didn’t seem to knock David Tyler off his stride. He just carried on. They don’t take into account our policies and our desires for this community, he said. And they might even be out of date.
Jim’s exit was unfortunate because no sooner had the council been boosted by a new member, Richard Hillier than they were back down to 11 again. Such is council life. New wording was agreed for that part of the T&Cs.
We’ve got two more of those to get through yet, said the Mayor ominously.
Have we run a copy of this document past the Allotment Association for their view? asked Colin Rodden. Colin, this council makes its own decisions. We can’t run everything by everyone, countered the Mayor.
With part one done, council moved on to part two. It relates to environmental, sustainable practices to be employed on allotment plots, including no use of weed killers, read out Rob Mungham.
I thought it was pesticides, said Christina Diamandopoulos. No, it’s herbicides, corrected David Tyler; pesticides kill insects. The T&Cs say weed killer – can we change that to herbicides, as that’s more correct?
Can we reference about how some weed killers are not harmful to animals, said Colin. I don’t know how this works. Some further dialogue might be needed there.
Deirdre said what everyone was thinking – the council don’t know enough about this subject to make a judgement. Can we stop the meeting, she said, and ask the advice of people here present (the Allotment Association members) because I don’t know enough about weed killers.
Andrew Albrecht of the Association explained that couch grass ‘and other items that Jim (Cooper) mentioned’ are perennial weeds, and if you are not allowed to use weed killer on them, you can only dig them out. And if you dig them out, all you do is multiply them because they spread. They only way to control perennial weeds is by weed killer. It’s responsible targeting, he added.
There was lots more from Andrew in this impromptu episode of Gardeners’ Question Time, and most of it was a revelation to the councillors.
Ward Councillor Peter Geary was still there. He often disappears after his ward report to go to other meetings, but not tonight, and he asked if he could chuck in his two bob’s worth. It would turn out to be a valuable couple of shillings, actually – Peter’s got a degree in agriculture, so he knows what he’s talking about.
Pesticides can be generally broken down into three categories, he said, Herbicides that kill weeds, insecticides that kill bugs and fungicides which deal with plant diseases. Peter said herbicides will do very little damage to soil compared with the other two, and you haven’t discussed anything about insecticides and fungicides tonight. I would urge you to go away and research the subject a bit more and come back when you have a better understanding of it.
It’s a mighty, mighty, complicated area, agreed David Chennells, who’s a farmer and also knows his onions. There are so many different chemicals that work in so many different ways. If you are going to allow some things and not others your allotment agreement is going to be about 40 pages long because there are so many different variants. There are literally hundreds of licenced products, so if you are not careful you are just going to dig yourself into a big hole here and make life very complicated.
It’s a shame Jim decided to make his dramatic exit, added David, because I was about to suggest that one of the rules should be that allotment holders are expected to follow what is the code of practice produced by the Allotment Holders Association. Because that way gives us a lot more leeway in controlling what’s being done because that would be their guidelines. At the next meeting we should consider whether following those guidelines should be a requirement.
I’m always very nervous when we start making policy on the hoof, said Chris Shaw, and I would strongly propose that this goes back to Recs and Services to give it full consideration of all the points that have been raised. We need to go back and consider it and then come back here.
This is very in-depth, and we need to take it to Recs and Services, agreed the Mayor.
Can I propose that we do just that, said Mary Prosser, because this is just going nowhere. That proposal was unanimously agreed by council members.
The third change of the T&Cs was that the council ‘reserves the right to make any alterations from time to time to the rules and regulations and the scale of fees’. That was approved.
The Deputy Clerk said councillors would be ‘pleased to know’ that there was only one proposal concerning Olney Cemetery, and that was that it’s reserved solely for the residents of Olney unless there are extenuating circumstances. He said that Olney has had an increasing number of applications from non-residents.
A lot of cemeteries are getting full, said Deirdre, and people are trying to get into our nice cemetery. That proposal was carried.
And finally, the Mayor said that the council should consider forming a community-led flood resilience working group in light of the recent floods the town and local areas have seen over the summer months. We will reach out to the community and get them involved in helping to reduce the impact of future floods. Three council members volunteered to help with the flood group: Dan Rowland, David Tyler and Christina Diamandoploulos. It was a fitting end to a stormy night.
The next meeting will be held on Monday 2nd January at 7pm in the Olney Centre. If you would like to contribute to the Public Participation section at the start of the meeting or any time the Mayor deems it appropriate, contact the Town Clerk at townclerk@olneytowncouncil.gov.uk. 
