Page 18 - Phonebox Magazine December 2009

Mercury Report
Olney Town Council Meeting of Monday 2 November 2009
The public proceedings of this month’s meeting were completed in almost record time. Mercury wondered if there was, perhaps, something good on television that night...
Public participation
All quiet again this month – no member of the public wished to speak although, excluding ward councillor Peter Geary, there were double the usual numbers of public spectators this month, i.e. two.
Planning Liaison
Steve Clark reported that it had been rather quiet on the planning front recently with few new applications. Although not specifically discussed at the meeting, Mercury noted from the circulated list of planning applications permitted or refused by the Milton Keynes Council planning authority that the proposal submitted by Hilary Brock Limited for ‘Erection of a new garage including workshop, car showroom, petrol filling station, shop and residential flat on land at the corner of Lavendon Road and Wellingborough Road’ had been granted, albeit with a number of conditions.
Recreation and Services
The problem of dog fouling in public areas continues to be a problem, particularly on the sport fields where the clubs are now finding it necessary to remove large quantities of excrement before they are able use them. The Recs and Services committee had recommended that the council investigate employing a Dog Warden who would be able to patrol the public areas and issue fines. A second proposal seeks to make it obligatory to keep dogs on a lead in all public places. Dave Price was concerned that the council would receive complaints from responsible residents who like to let their dogs run free (and presumably clear up after them). Mayor Mike Hughes said that he felt that dog owners should, to some extent, police other dog owners although Dave reminded him that one resident had narrowly escaped being
physically attacked when remonstrating with an irresponsible owner. Debbie Brock said there had been reports of fouling in the children’s play area of the recreation ground although it was possibly due to foxes. A vote was taken to investigate the employment of a Dog Warden and this was passed unanimously. A second vote to make it obligatory to keep dogs on a lead in all public places was passed with just one abstention.
Neighbourhood Action Group
David Rumens stated that during the first week in December there will be a targeting of antisocial behaviour. Debbie Brock said that students from the Olney Ousedale Campus had produced an excellent map detailing the incidence of litter around the town as part of their geography studies.
Emberton Country Park – Park Liaison User Group
Steve Clark reported on the recent meeting of the PLUG. Emberton Park is currently managed by MKC but is due to be handed over to The Parks Trust, which is an independent charity that cares for many of the city’s parks and green spaces.
The park has secured a grant of £107,000 from the Aggregates
Levy Sustainability
Fund, which aims to
support projects that reduce the effects of aggregate extraction in local communities and the natural environment. The grant will be used to re-roof the building which houses the cafeteria and to upgrade the toilets. However, it cannot be used to improve the cafeteria itself as this is a commercial operation.
Driftway
For once in this long running saga Tony Evans was able to report some positive news. There had been some top soil applied to the narrow verge by contactors working for MKC which was now starting to look quite respectable. He suspected that the banks had again been sown with wild flower seeds and with the warm damp weather there could be no suggestion from MKC that the conditions were not right for them to germinate and grow. He suggested that the council should look on the bright side and hope that the seeds take.
It was noted that some residents with gardens backing on to the Driftway appeared to be tipping garden refuse over their fences. Tony said that he hoped that this would cease and any existing rubbish removed otherwise action might be taken to prosecute the offenders for fly tipping, as it was obvious where the refuse had come from.
The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 7th December in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.
18 Phonebox Magazine
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