Mercury Report
---- Public Participation --
Lesley Viney was first to speak in this slot looking at the recent bus service change~ from the perspective of Olney youngsters travelling to and from Milton Keynes. Residents under 19 in the MK Borough can apply for an All In One card, which allows them to travel on pretty much any MKbus for 45p. Some of the service changes have resulted in two separate journeys being required when previously only one was needed - this doubles the price. A example is the journey between Olney and Bletchley. Debbie Brock said she'd be happy to follow this up.
Mike Tatton of the Olney Allotment Holders Association (OAHA) was last to speak. Starting by criticising communication with Olney Town Council (OTC) as 'ineffectual and inefficient', Mike then reached the nub of the matter - that the Council has raised allotment rents from £2 to £3 per pole, an increase of 50%. He felt this was unfair and also, having taken legal advice, illegal. He felt the decision had been taken without discussion with the OAHA Committee, representing a break in the agreement with the Chair of the Recreations and Services Committee. He asked that the Council reconsider its decision and concluded by saying that, if it did not, the OAHA Committee would recommend its members not pay the increase.
Tony Evans replied briefly, stating that OTC had done its homework and Olney allotment rents were at the bottom of the scale compared to other local councils in the area. For example, Bletchley and Fenny Stratford Parish Council charged £1O per pole. Far from satisfied with this response, Mike and his supporters left the Council Chamber.
Allotment Rents
A Council meeting is driven by an agenda circulated a few days before. As the allotment rent issue had only just come to the fore, it wasn't on the agenda and, therefore, couldn't be discussed in detail. However, it was covered very briefly. In summary, Tony Evans appeared genuinely surprised at what Mike Tatton had said. He had felt unprepared to respond, and that the way in which he and the Council had handled the situation immediately after Mike's speech had not been ideal. Peter Geary felt the
allotment holders should discuss the issue with full Council.
A pole is a traditional agricultural measure of area, equivalent to around 25 square metres. There's significant variation in the yearly pole rent charged around Milton Keynes Borough. From 2014 - 2015, Emberton Parish Council is charging £2.75, Olney £3, Campbell Park £5 and Bletchley and Fenny Stratford £10 - £12. Looking at what the increase means to allotment holders, an average sized Olney allotment is five poles in area, so the rent has increased from £1o to £15 per year. As John Boardman noted it's the 50%, rather than the £5 increase: which appears to be the issue.
High Street Parking --
Deidre Bethune raised the issue of poor parking on the High Street. In essence, she felt OTC should consider marking out parking bays in order to make drivers park more uniformly, thus making better use of the space available. Debbie Brock (noting that it seemed like Groundhog Day) said that this issue had been included in the traffic review, but the Council had done nothing about it. She also explained that painting lines may introduce a legal hurdle, by giving tacit approval to drivers reversing out into the road.
That this issue keeps arising, but has not been addressed, implies that High Street parking is a real problem, but it's hard to solve. Joe Stacey said the issue was noted in the Neighbourhood Plan, to be surveyed in the summer. No obvious conclusion was reached in this meeting.
- High Street Traffic Speed
Recently, the Council received an email expressing concern that a high proportion of the vehicles travelling along the High Street appeared to be exceeding the 30mph speed limit. It cited a clear link between Santa Pod events and speeding vehicles, noting that, while speed checks were often performed on the A509 outside Olney, they were not performed on the stretch in the town.
Deidre Bethune was not convinced there was a problem to solve. Speed checks have been performed and, in general, speeding on the High Street was not an issue. Councillors briefly discussed havinga 20mph limit but, as Peter Geary noted, the A509 is a trunk road. Various groups, such as the Highways Agency and the Freight Transport Association, would likely oppose it. He suggested installing speed detector tubes or a Speed Indicator Device (SID) on the High Street to gather evidence.
- Olney Rugby Club Extension -
The rugby club has submitted plans, priorto formally applying for permission, for a small extension to its entrance area.
Defibrillator
A defibrillator has been installed at the recreation ground, and operation trainingwill be given on Tuesday 13th May. To ensure it's only used in emergencies, a potential
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Neighbourhood Planning
Joe Stacey reported that land agents Bidwells are representing the owners of various fields West and North West of Aspreys. As part of the Milton Keynes Council (MKC) Local Planning process, Olney will be expected to take in the region of a 250 additional houses over the period to 2031. Through the Neighbourhood Planning process, OTC will be looking to identify where that additional housing could go. Bidwells would like the site comprising the two fields adjacent to Yardley Road, just North West of Aspreys, to be allocated for development, as it could accommodate all 250 future homes. Bidwells is looking to have the site allocated as the location for housing growth, then plan to sell the land to a developer.
--- Community Asset --- Transfer (CAT)
Back in June 2013, and after various debates about the current ownership of the Olney Centre, OTC voted for the building's ownership to be transferred from MKC to OTC (under the CAT programme). Alan Richardson reported that this transfer had moved significantly closer to fruition. After the transfer, the library would become a tenant of OTC. Following negotiations, OTC had agreed a rental figure with the library and, at a later meeting, expected it to be finalised. Alan hoped, at the next full Council meeting, to be able to report that (subject to legal agreement) OTC would be the new owner of the Olney Centre. Tony Evans and other councillors thanked Alan for his hard work on this task.