Page 16 - Phonebox Magazine September 2014

Olney Councillor Corner
Cllr David Hosking
Minerals Extraction
In July’s article, we reported that Milton Keynes Council was planning to consult on a new Minerals Local Plan. This Draft Plan shows a number of
controversial proposals across the Borough, including sites in the parishes of Lavendon and Lathbury.
The council have now agreed to extend the consultation period from eight to twelve weeks. This started on 13th August and will end on 5th November. During this time, those affected by the plans can express their views by writing to the council or by commenting online at: miltonkeynes-consult.objective.co.uk/portal. Separately, we will be organising public meetings in Lavendon, Lathbury, Sherington and Olney. Residents in these areas will be receiving a letter from the council with further details of the meetings, which will take place during September.
The Draft Plan consultation time is important as residents can have their say and we would encourage everyone to do so either by contacting the council directly or by attending one of the public meetings.
At each one there will be all three ward councillors, plus officers from the council’s planning team.
Holiday Bible Club
In August, we were invited along to the Holiday Bible Club in Olney. This annual event, which is organised by the town’s four churches, is hugely popular and well regarded with almost 200 children attending this year. We would like to thank Hilary Terry and all of the hard working organisers for their efforts. They put on a week of wonderful activities and games for the children. For those who plan ahead, next year’s event runs from August 3-7th.
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Sainsbury’s Proposals
Sainsburys have spent the past few weeks consulting with residents on their proposal for a supermarket and petrol station on the junction of Lavendon Road and Warrington Road in Olney. We attended the public exhibition in early July and have listened to the views, both for and against the proposals. Like everyone else, we now await a decision from Sainsburys on whether they will submit a planning application to Milton Keynes Council.
PC Kevin Leaney
Finally, many residents will be aware of the sad death of PC Kevin Leaney in July following an accident on the A509 between Olney and Sherington. PC Leaney worked as part of Newport Pagnell’s Neighbourhood Team and we send our sympathies to his family, friends and colleagues. Investigations into the accident continue by the police, and we will report back on any significant developments in future articles.
Monthly Surgeries
If you have any issues that you would like to discuss with us, please come along to our monthly surgeries. These are held in the Olney Centre on the first Friday of each month between 7.30pm and 8.30pm. Alternatively, we can be contacted at other times by phone or email, details below: David Hosking – 01234 241010 david.hosking@milton-keynes.gov.uk Keith McLean – 07983 45608 keith.mclean@milton-keynes.gov.uk
Peter Geary – 01234 714260
peter.geary@milton-keynes.gov.uk
Cllr Keith McLean
Cllr Peter Geary
Parish Councils’ Update
One of our roles as ward councillors is to work with local organisations, such as the parish councils and Olney Town Council. Attending their meetings regularly allows us to keep in touch with local issues and gives us the opportunity to represent the local area in the best way possible. In the near future, three of the parish clerks from the ward will be retiring from their posts.
Gillian Nicol from Weston Underwood (pictured below), Peter Bloomfield from Moulsoe and Wendy Austyn from Sherington all stand down from their roles after many years of service. We would like to thank them for their dedicated work and we wish them well for the future.