Page 36 - Phonebox Magazine August 2016

From the Mayor’s Chair
ACouncillor Derek Eastman
in partnership with Milton Keynes Council in
the editor’s award from the Planning Journal for the best project out of 40 categories of Planning and Placemaking Awards. We are now considering where best to exhibit the awards.
reviewing the play areas throughout the town. The aim is to improve play provision to the benefit of users and families. For example, complaints were received about the out-dated and dangerous play area on Annesley Road and the associated anti-social behaviour. This play area has been removed and the local play area on Whitethorns will be improved in the near future with new equipment, subject to our grant application to WREN being approved. One question that I do get asked is what is happening to the historic buildings on the old Aston Martin site that is being developed by Redrow Homes. All I can say is the Aston Martin Owners Club is keen to have a presence on the site, and meetings have been held with the Aston Martin Heritage Association. Discussions are still on-going but it might be some time before we know exactly what is planned.
June and July also saw a lot of activity in respect of Newport Pagnell’s annual events. I was privileged to take part in the carnival
Newport Pagnell Town Council
ewport Pagnell Town Council held its Clean for the Queen Volunteer’s Day on 6th July 2016 and is delighted to announce that, of all the parishes in Milton Keynes, Newport Pagnell fielded the largest
number of volunteers.
Eighty-nine people took part during the morning litter picking session. These included volunteers from the following companies: Allianz, BI, Ringway, Santander and Serco as well as 28 students from Ousedale School and a number of teachers as well. In additional to the 89 morning volunteers, there were further volunteers from both Greenpark and Cedars School, who collected litter on the playing fields near their school in the afternoon after schools closed. A total of 94 bags of litter were collected on the day. A few weeks before this the Newport Pagnell Scouts also undertook a volunteer litter collection service. Milton Keynes Council helped in providing litter picking sticks, bags and a litter collection service.
Research has shown that litter has increased ten-fold over the last three decades. This is a problem that affects all of society. So a really big thank you goes to all these people willing to give up their time to make this wonderful contribution. Their effort puts to shame those folk who believe it’s perfectly OK to fling cigarette butts into the street, leave their coffee cups and crisp packets on the pavement or in the fields and not collect up their doggy friend’s offerings.
ugust is fast approaching as Following the huge vote in favour at I write this but there appears the referendum for Newport Pagnell to be no show of summer, Neighbourhood Plan it was nominated for although we have experienced a national award. Councillor Phil Winsor
unseasonal weather with some flooding in attended the National Placemaking and
Newport Pagnell. Let us hope that by the time this is published, things will have changed. Fortunately work still continues.
Planning Awards ceremony and received the award for the best Neighbourhood Plan. It did not end there. Newport Pagnell also received
Newport Pagnell Town Council is also working
The awards were presented by Julia Harley-Brewer, journalist, political commentator and media presenter.
Clean For The Queen
36 Phonebox Magazine | August 2016