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Ron Hall Editor of Phonebox Magazine

Phonebox Magazine send a reporter to the Olney Town Council Meetings on the first Monday to each month. We have our report of the meetings here. Earlier ones are available.

Mercury's reports for 2011

  • January 2011

    Olney Council report for January 2011

    Public participation

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

    Drlftway

    It is possible that an end to the long running saga of the Drittway landscaping may be in sight. Attending the meeting was John Price Millon Keynes Council (MKC) Neighbourhood Manager for Environmental Services for Rural Areas and his assistant, Rob Ward. John said that there were a number of options available to resolve the problem:
    1. Do nothing and continue with efforts to establish wild flowers on the existing banks. Cost to be met by developer.
    2. Keep the exlstlng profile, remove the wild flowers, and establish topsoil and amenity grass. Cost approx £10,000 to be met by MKC.
    3. Reshape the Mound and establish amenity grass. Full cost in region of £120,000 to be met by MKC.

    John explained that the original problem with option 2 had been that the banks were too steep to be maintained by traditional mowing equipment, but as a result of an accident elsewhere MKC had been obliged to purchase equipment which could mow the banks. He said some preliminary investigations had been done into option 3 and presented the plans to the council. The reshaping would have the effect of reducing the overall height of the bank by 1.5m and the soil removed would be used to fill the existing gap. The downside was that some residents would now have a view across to the industrial estate opposite, which the mound currently blocks. Dave Price was concerned that OTC should consult the affected residents, but Steve Clark said any reshaping would require planning permission which would necessitate notification to the residents who could then express their opinion. Tony Evans said that the options presented were no different to those offered by MKC six months ago. The situation had now changed in that it would be possible to leave the profile of the banks as they are and sow with grass which could now be mown, although he thought that £10,000 to 'sow grass on a heap of soil was very expensive!'. He thought it a waste of lime to even consider the more expensive plan which had no chance of getllng approved. If a decent sward could be grown on the existing banks without invasion by weeds and thistles then that was the obvious choice, he said. Jeremy Rawlings felt that to spend £120,000 of MKC's ratepayers' money on what was essentially cosmetic work was "obscene" in the present financial climate. At this stage Mayor Mike Hughes reminded the meeting that it was not OTC that had bought the proposals to the table, but MKC. Rob Ward said that the costs quoted were worst case scenarios and agreed tha1 they appeared very expensive but warnted to ensure that all options were put before OTC so that they could make an informed decision. Dave Price once again suggested that local residents should be consulted but Mike Hughes believed that this would not be necessary for the preferred option 2, since there was now no intention to reshape the mound which had been constructed in line with the original planning permission. Steve Clark proposed that the council progress with option 2 and the vote was passed unanimously.

    Planning Items

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

    Councillors' email addresses

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

    Bits 'n' Bobs

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


    Next Meeting - Monday 7th February

    The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 7th February in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

  • February 2011

    Olney Council report for February 2011

    A Full but Brief Meeting

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

    Public Participation

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

    Future of Healthcare in Milton Keynes

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

    Driftway

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

    Infants School

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

    Olney Brass Band

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

    Cobbs Garden Surgery - Specialist Nurse for the Elderly

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

    Bits n Bobs

    The Parish Precept {the amount of Olney residents' Council Tax which goes directly to OTC) will once again be retained at the existing rate.
    The council agreed to purchase laptop for the Town Clerk and Deputy at a cost of £498+VAT to include relevant Microsoft software.
    A vacancy exists for the Chair of the Personnel Committee. New member Colin Rodden was nominated and selected but then deselected on a pint of order, possibly the shortest tenure of any committee chairman on the council!


    Next Meeting - Monday 7th March

    The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 7th March in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members ol the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

    *It had sold out by the lime Mercury arrived.

  • March 2011

    Olney Council report for March 2012

    Public Participation

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

    Census for England and Wales

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

    Olney Rugby Club

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

    Environmental Services

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

    Driftway

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

    Market costs

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

    More doggy do

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

    Personnel Committee Chair

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

    Blooming competitions

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

    Conygere tree

    As reported in last month's Mercury, 6 Conygere was built close to a large tree which is now threatening to undermine the building's foundations. The tree is on OTC's land and, as the Council has now received a solicitor's letter on the subject, it passed the issue to its own solicitors.


    Next Meeting - Monday 4th April

    The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 4th April in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

  • April 2011

    Olney Council report for April 2012

    Public Participation

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

    Land Purchase

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

    Conygere tree

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

    Fly the flag

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

    Planning Applications

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

    Driftway

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

    Market costs (continued)

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

    Market Place parking

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

    Dave Price

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

    Next Meeting - Monday 9th May

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

  • April 28th 2011 - Olney Town Meeting

    Olney Town Meeting report for May 2012

    The Meeting

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

    Chairman's report

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

    Environmental Services

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

    Police report

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

    Recreations and Services Committee

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

    Planning Liaison Committee

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

    Finance Committee

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

    Olney Centre Management Committee

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

    Local Groups

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

  • May 2011

    Olney Council report for July 2012

    More Public than Members

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

    Public Participation

    Jim Middleton
    Five members of the public spoke at this month's meeting. First to speak was Jim Middleton on the subject or the Olney bypass. Jim read from a statement he had submitted to the Milton Keynes Core Strategy examination hearing. Jim said as a resident of Olney he attended the MK South Midlands Panel but was not allowed to say anything at the examination. The point he had made in the written submission was that all the development of urban areas north, south, east and west of Olney was having a hugely detrimental effect on Olney with traffic getting ever worse. Jim said he was ignored, and the panel in fact allowed no transport schemes, other than those in the then government's short term plans. This was a pathetic response from so called professionals to a long term planning exercise, he said, and in his opinion there can be no stronger case for a bypass anywhere in the country than Olney. Jim's full submission can be downloaded from http://www.milton­
    keynes.gov.uk/planning-policy/documents/REP-269971-
    3_MiddletonMKlnqdoc1 OlneyBP.pdf

    Karen Gilbert
    Next to speak was Karen Gilbert, owner of Beans Cate in the Market Place, on a subject that was obviously of concern to a number of members of the public present, namely the application by Real Estate Advisors Savills, on behalf of Calle Nero, to open a branch in the building previously occupied by Derby House Saddtery. Karen said hers is a small, independent business which would struggle to compete against a large, national chain. The rates in Olney were the highest of the lour locations where she had branches and while Caffe Nero could absorb high business rates, she could not.

    Elaine Baxendale
    Elaine Baxendale also spoke against the application. She has been an Olney resident for nine years, she said, and one of the attractions of the town is Its small 'quirky' establishments. Local businesses would be certain to suffer, she feat. and questioned whether Olney needed another big concern. There was a need to consider the environment, she said. The planning application was discussed as an agenda item later in the meeting.

    Brian Rice
    Next to speak was Bryan Rice on the continued problems of parking In Oakdown Crescent.

    Richard Stone
    Richard Stone, Bar Manager of The Carlton House Club (formerly Olney Working Men's Club) spoke about the proposal to position a bench outside of the club. For Information, this has been the subject of discussions by the council for many years. Many elderly people have complained that there is no where to sit and rest whist making the long walk along the High Street and the council have been looking to find a suitable location for a bench. Richard said that one of the license conditions of the club was that members should leave the club in a quiet and orderly manner. Although the club has a smoking area within the grounds he was concerned that a bench at the front would encourage members who wished to smoke to sit on the bench and also take drinks with them, which would be against the terms of the license. As a previous licensee of The Bull he knew what problems a bench outside would attract, he said. Added to that he and his family lived above the club with bedrooms facing out on to the High Street and they would be bound to suffer disturbed nights, he said.

    George Horncasltle
    George Horncastle, Secretary of the club spoke next and said whist he accepted that the bench was for the benefit of elderly members of the community it would be bound to attract other people and the club would be blamed for disorderly behaviour of customers leaving adjacent licensed premises.

  • June 2011

    Olney Council report for August 2011

    Public participation

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

    Co-option of members

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

    Flood Risk Management

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

    Localism Bill

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

    Recreation ground sewage pipe (continued)

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

    Big Olney Food Festival (BOFF)

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

    Stoke Goldington wind turbines application

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

    Odds and sods

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


    Next Meeting - Monday 5th September

    The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 5th September in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

  • July 2011

    Olney Council report for August 2011

    Public participation

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

    Co-option of members

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

    Flood Risk Management

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

    Localism Bill

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

    Recreation ground sewage pipe (continued)

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

    Big Olney Food Festival (BOFF)

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

    Stoke Goldington wind turbines application

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

    Odds and sods

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


    Next Meeting - Monday 5th September

    The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 5th September in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

  • August 2011

    Olney Council report for August.... 2011

    Public participation

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

    Co-option of members

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

    Flood Risk Management

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

    Localism Bill

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

    Recreation ground sewage pipe (continued)

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

    Big Olney Food Festival (BOFF)

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

    Stoke Goldington wind turbines application

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

    Odds and sods

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


    Next Meeting - Monday 5th September

    The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 5th September in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

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