Page 35 - Phonebox Magazine October 2012

Mercury Report – Olney
Council Meeting of Monday 3rd September 2012
Mercury report for the Council Meeting of Monday 3rd September 2012
Debbie Brock responded briefly to Sue, noting that there was a draft plan containing several options but that it had not yet been approved. She explained that all aspects of any scheme had to be considered – Oakdown Crescent did not exist in isolation – and that, while matters were progressing, a scheme had not yet been confirmed. She also noted that, should Jackʼs land be sold, the Council would retain part of its garden.
Tony Evans reported that, having had to postpone their residentsʼ Jubilee Lunch in June, the Ann Hopkins Smith trustees held the lunch late in August and it was a great success.
Public participation
Jeremy Rawlings reported that the new Youth Leader is Terry Isles, filling the post vacated by Darren Smith.
Ron Bull raised the issue that parking in Spring Lane was sometimes preventing buses from travelling along it as, in one section, parking on both sides of the road caused chicanes which buses could struggle to negotiate. He suggested that yellow lines on Spring Laneʼs North side, from close to its junction with West Street along to the High Street, would help as this would enforce parking in that section to be on the South side only, thus preventing the chicanes.
First up was Simon Barker of Olney Baptist Church, speaking on behalf of all the Churches of Olney. He thanked Olney Town Council (OTC) for its support for the recent Olympics event in the town – the Council had agreed to underwrite the £2,700 cost of the marquee and toilets. He stated that the event had been by the people and for the people of the town, and also thanked the Sports Clubs, The Olney Group, Best Seat In The House, Mike Hughes and others for their contributions towards the day. The event had enjoyed good weather and was well attended, with perhaps 2-3,000 attending through the day. Although its accounts are still provisional, the organisers expect to be able to pay around £1,200 back to OTC, meaning the Council will effectively pay only around £1,500 of the underwriting costs. Next to speak was Leonard Lean, complete with his own stopwatch to time the three minutes for which participants in this slot are allowed to speak. As interim coordinator of the Bedford-Olney-Northampton Rail Link Forum, he spoke about its aim to get the track bed of this long closed route restored to full commercial use for both passengers and freight. The Forum has been performing a survey of the track bed and believes restoration would be possible. The passenger service would essentially contribute towards a link between Birmingham, Coventry, Luton and Gatwick airports and he envisaged two trains per hour for daytime services.
High Street Bench
Last up was Sue Warren, on the familiar topic of parking in Oakdown Crescent. A few weeks before, sheʼd been advised by Richard Duffill, Milton Keynes Council (MKC) Traffic and Parking Team Leader, that heʼd appointed a person to carry out a feasibility study on two sites which had the potential to help with the parking issue: 102 Weston Road and the unused garages at the bottom of the Crescent. She felt this represented progress, a feeling reinforced by her receiving an email saying that a parking scheme had been agreed, but then couldnʼt understand why an auction sign had been erected on the Weston Road site. She concluded by thanking Deirdre Bethune for her previous comments on the issue.
Rights of Way
As background, note that last monthʼs Mercury reported that 102 Weston Road was due to be sold, and that one of the by- products of the sale might be a partial solution to the parking problems in Oakdown Crescent since the property has a large front garden, some of which could be retained and used for parking.
The whole matter seems to have progressed slowly, with OTC having just received an email indicating that MKC would shortly be considering the application, and asking OTC to confirm whether it did indeed wish to remove the diagonal path. After a brief discussion, Councillors agreed that this path should be removed, leaving just that round the two edges.
Following on from a topic aired in last monthʼs Public Participation, the Recreations and Services Committee has recommended that a two-seat bench be placed on the pavement outside the United Reform Church, mainly for the benefit of the elderly. Councillors discussed this, and decided by a majority that the bench would be installed on a trial basis, with reviews after six and 12 months, to which its two main opponents – the United Reform Church and the Carlton House Club – would be invited to contribute their views.
The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 1st October in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre.
Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.
East Street Car Park
As reported before, OTC has applied for funding to improve the East Street car park. The applications for both phases of this 50% match funding – £32,500 and £25,000 – have been successful.
There was some discussion over whether the dimensions of the proposed additional parking area were adequate, and a small group of Councillors took an action to confirm this. OTC will arrange and advertise a public meeting, likely in October, to explain the proposals.
Back in 2004, OTC submitted an application to MKC to add a footpath around the Northern and Eastern edges of Doffʼs Field, plus one from around the centre of its Northern edge running diagonally to its South Eastern corner. Much later, OTC advised MKC that it wished to remove the diagonal path from the application.
Bits ʻnʼ bobs
As discussed in Juneʼs meeting, funds arising from the Petsoe End Wind Farm would soon become available. Olney now has £7,000 which will be used to install low energy lighting in the Olney Centre and the Market Place toilets.
Phonebox Magazine 35
WAREHOUSE APPEAL
Operation Christmas Child is a
charity involved in sending out
shoeboxes filled with small gifts to children in countries
affected by war, poverty, disease, natural disaster or famine.
Many schools, churches and organisations throughout North Beds and North Bucks have been supporting this charity for several years. This year we are hoping to collect, check, seal and pack the shoeboxes in or close to Olney. We are therefore looking for a Temporary Warehouse where we can carry out this task during November and early December.
Whilst the charity is unable to offer rent, there are advantages to the company providing the building.
If you think you may have suitable premises that are likely to be unoccupied at this time and would be willing to allow the charity to use them for this worthy activity please contact us for further details.
Margot Jordan 01234 712742, 07769 585 403, margot.jordan@btinternet.com Lynne Davies 01234 712715, 07837 128 509, lynnedavies8@hotmail.co.uk