Page 63 - Phonebox Magazine January 2013

COUNCILLOR CORNER
A contribution from Cllr Debbie Brock and Cllr Peter Geary
Happy New Year
replaced and the area resurfaced. The new culvert will be more than twice the size of the existing one.
The road closure will affect bus and many other services and Milton Keynes Council is putting in place plans to help those affected. A way of getting between the areas on foot will be created to reduce the impact as much as possible. When the works are close to starting we will let people know through this column.
This is the first edition of Councillors Corner in 2013 and we would both like to wish all readers a very Happy New Year. As always there will be much to accomplish in 2013 including getting the flood alleviation works started in Lavendon and replacing the Culvert that crosses the Olney Road, something that was discussed at a meeting we organised in Lavendon in December which is reported on later. Milton Keynes Council also has to set a budget which is challenging in the current climate and that is being consulted upon now. We are also reporting on changes to broadband in Milton Keynes and how Milton Keynes Council are trying to get better broadband speeds for the rural areas. LAVENDON FLOOD MEETING
On the 13th of December we held a meeting in Lavendon Village Hall for all the residents of Lavendon to discuss the ongoing compilation of the flood report which was commissioned after the floods last summer, as well as future mitigation measures and the reconstruction of the culvert at Olney Road.
The Floods in July were the first for many years in Lavendon although the village has flooded in living memory and much work was done in the 1950s after the previous incident. The Milton Keynes Council team have done a lot of work to bring together
BUDGET CONSULTATION
the detail of what happened in July. This has led to a very detailed computer model being developed which will determine where water flows when large rainfall incidents occur. This will, when finished, be able to help develop a scheme of measures that if the village was faced with the same circumstances again would not see properties so prone to flooding. These could range from working with landowners to increase the size of waterways and most importantly keep them maintained but will most likely involve measures to collect water for a short period of time before it enters the village to reduce the peak flows. These plans and proposals will become clear during the coming year and we will keep people in touch with proposals as they develop.
The meeting also gave residents the opportunity to learn about the developments and proposals to replace the culvert on the Olney Road. This will be major works for Lavendon which will see the Olney Road closed for around 10 weeks. The culvert was found to be in a serious condition after an inspection in the summer following the floods. This was partly due to the flood water; however, some was also due to poor construction when the road was widened and poor work by different companies over the years. The culvert therefore needs replacing and will involve the road and the area being excavated and large precast concrete sections being buried under the road before the road is
Every year Milton Keynes Council has to produce a budget highlighting what it is proposing to spend and the income that will pay for that. Over the past few years the cuts in government spending have seen a tough time for local councils who at a time of increasing pressures have seen their incomes decline and further demands for services which they must meet.
For Milton Keynes this creates a gap in funding of over £20m in the coming financial year. The council have tried to bridge this gap by finding efficiencies in all areas, these include procuring goods and services better and also reducing senior and middle management and property costs. Such measures have moved a long way to meeting the gap but some tough choices will also have to be made on services before the budget is agreed in February. The council wants your views on this and the website allows you to see the proposals and comment upon them before a decision is taken in February. Please look at www.milton- keynes.gov.uk and search for Budget Consultation. BROADBAND
Milton Keynes Council has formed an alliance with Bedford Borough & Central Bedfordshire Councils, a partnership that will work together to improve access to broadband for residents and businesses. This collaboration is known as Central Superfast. Many BT cabinets in urban areas in the Milton Keynes Borough are currently being upgraded to fibre optic cable as part of a wider UK roll out. As this roll out is based on commercial viability there will be cabinets that are not upgraded, predominantly in rural or industrial areas.
As the council has set its own local target to provide 95% of premises in Milton Keynes with access to superfast broadband, it has set aside £2.4m to fund the upgrade of the remaining cabinets. In addition to this funding, the council has also won a government grant of £140k in order to appoint a contractor to undertake the work. It is hoped that the major investment of public funds for this important network upgrade will also attract private investment which in itself will yield economic returns for the future.
The procurement process to select the right supplier will begin at the end of January 2013 when we will find out which areas of the Borough will make up the 95% target and will be able to benefit from this investment. It is hoped to let the contract for the installation of broadband infrastructure during August or September 2013.
If you are a rural business or indeed you have difficulty with broadband speeds then contact mylocalbroadband@milton-keynes.gov.uk with the details, this will all help with the mapping process.
Our first Surgery of the New Year will take place on Friday 4th January at the Olney Centre from 7.30pm – 8.30pm, please feel free to come along if we can help on a Council matter or contact us at any time on the details given.
Phonebox Magazine 63