Page 18 - Phonebox Magazine September 2015

Olney Ward Councillors Corner
Cllr Keith McLean
Cllr Peter Geary
Cllr David Hosking
MKC officers visit the Olney Ward
In August we were pleased to welcome Duncan Sharkey, Corporate Director of Place, along with David Hall, Head of Highways and Transportation, to the Olney Ward. We managed to visit 14 of the 18 towns and villages that make up the Ward and we were able to highlight many of the challenges associated with providing services to rural communities. We have already begun to see some of issues, which have previously been reported by residents, being resolved and we will continue to monitor the others which we highlighted during the visit.
River Palooza, cancelled
At the end of July, an event known as the Olney River Palooza, was due to take place on the River Ouse between Emberton Country Park and the bathing steps in Olney. Those with inflatables, homemade rafts and “just about anything you can float on” were encouraged to attend! Working with officers at MKC, as well as the local police and representatives from Olney Town Council and Emberton Parish Council, we were pleased to see action taken to prevent the event from going ahead. Thank you to all those who expressed their concerns and helped to ensure this gathering was cancelled.
Holiday Bible Club 2015
Peter and Keith attended the Holiday Bible Club during its annual event run by the four churches in Olney. With over 200 children and 100 helpers taking part it is a truly extensive and inclusive event. We were very impressed with the breadth of activities on offer to children from 3 to 18. We would like to thank the helpers for all their efforts and hope that all the children enjoyed themselves – given the smiling faces we saw this will most likely happen!
Solar farm in Olney, Public Meeting set for September 22nd
A couple of months ago, we attended an exhibition of plans for a solar farm in Olney, on land off the Yardley Road. At the time, we reported that the developer was likely to be submitting a planning application. This has now been received by MKC. This is a major application for the town and we have therefore organised a Public Meeting to take place at the Olney Centre on Tuesday 22nd September, 7:00pm. The developer has been invited and this is an opportunity for residents to learn more about what’s planned and how they will impacted, should the application be granted. Subject to questions and public involvement, the meeting should last around an hour.
Ward surgeries every month in Olney
Finally, a reminder that our ward surgeries take place at 7:30pm on the first Friday of every month in the Olney Centre. If you have any concerns or questions about the services provided by MKC, which you would like to discuss with us in person, then please come along. Alternatively, feel free to contact us by using our details provided below:
Keith McLean - 07983 456081 - keith.mclean@milton-keynes.gov.uk Peter Geary - 01234 714260 - peter.geary@milton-keynes.gov.uk David Hosking - 01234 241010 - david.hosking@milton-keynes.gov.uk
Sainsbury’s in Olney, decision expected in October
The Sainsbury’s application for a new food store and petrol station was submitted nearly a year ago on 29th September. Since then, a lot of work has been undertaken by the applicant and Milton Keynes Council’s (MKC) officers to ensure that when the application is brought to Development Control Committee (DCC) it can be determined. MKC’s Planning Portal contains approximately 200 documents including the applicant’s plans and supporting information, the response from the statutory consultees such as the Environment Agency, the Council’s archaeology, arboriculture, ecology officers and many representations from members of the public, as well as some businesses in the town. We are approaching the end of the process and it is expected that this will occur at the DCC meeting on Thursday 1st October. If this occurs the papers, including the officer’s report, will be available on Monday 20th September by following the link: http://milton-keynes. cmis.uk.com/milton-keynes/Calendar/tabid/70/ctl/ViewMeetingPublic/ mid/397/Meeting/4984/Committee/1015/Default.aspx
Westlands being used as a HiMO
In June we reported that plans had been submitted to convert Westlands in Olney into ten residential apartments. A number of concerns were raised about the proposals and last month the application was withdrawn. Since then, however, the property has been used as a House in Multiple Occupation (HiMO). This represents an unauthorised use of the premises, under current planning permission, and we have been pressing MKC to begin enforcement against the owner. At the time of writing, MKC are compiling a report which will outline the timescales of any action. We will provide a further update on the situation at Westlands in next month’s article.
Holiday Bible Club taking place in August
18 Phonebox Magazine