Page 16 - Demo

16 Phonebox Magazine | October 2024Mercury ReportThere was a lively, upbeat atmosphere as councillors filed back into the Olney Centre chambers for September%u2019s monthly sitting. Fresh from their summer vacations and an August break with no meeting, they seemed fresh, enthusiastic and raring to go. And there was much to discuss %u2013 the Olney Town Council summit agenda had a healthy 19 items listed on it. Not all of those would take long to get through, of course, but unknown to those around the table, there were some gems coming up %u2013 missing speed signs, unbuilt community buildings and defecating cows among them. It was clearly going to be one of those evenings%u2026Public participationMayor Debbie Whitworth brought everyone to order with a cheery welcome back message before the meeting was offi cially opened.Terry Miller, a resident of the new Yardley Manor estate in Olney, had indicated that he would like to address the council this evening concerning that very housing development, in particular the social and recreational play areas which are not, he said, complete or appear near completion.Mr Miller said he believed the site%u2019s developers had %u2018consistently broken agreed timescales%u2019 for the completion of social areas. While he had only lived there for a year, he said some residents had been there for three years and he added that the diffi culty was trying to understand developers%u2019 %u2018failure to provide a reasonable timescale%u2019 and further that there were %u2018unacceptable delays%u2019.He said legal contracts should be adhered to and added that children on the estate have been unable to play in the recreational area, a scenario that he described as %u2018reprehensible%u2019. Three summers have gone by like that, he said, adding that footpaths have been left unfi nished so that people can%u2019t stroll across the estate properly and can%u2019t get to the public footpath, which leads into the countryside because it is %u2018blocked off %u2019. The builders%u2019 promises have not been kept and there has been persistent procrastination, he boomed. With mounting urgency, Mr Miller called upon councillors to make their views known to the developers and seemed to be building up to a full-on rallying cry when, unfortunately for him, his allotted three minutes to speak were up, and he was abruptly stopped in his tracks by the Mayor. Town Clerk Jane Brushwood said that the council does not normally respond directly to residents%u2019 participation points, but on this occasion, she would as she had received a response that very day from James Williamson of Milton Keynes City Council (MKCC). The email said that timescales had been given, including that for the %u2018district park%u2019, which, following remedial works, would be ready by the end of September. The play area was currently undergoing work, but it would be open during September. The playing fi elds are seeded and maturing well, but they are unlikely to be ready until Spring 2025. The Community Hall should have work starting by the end of November. It will take 30 weeks to complete, according to the city council%u2019s response.I%u2019m not going to be cynical, said the Clerk with a cynical look in her eye, but I have heard dates (like that) before, and the developers have well surpassed them, but hopefully, with MK getting involved, that will happen.They are redesigning the community centre, said Ian Stokes, and the previous design wasn%u2019t fi t for purpose. So, do we get to see this redesign, agree on it and critique it? he asked. We agreed this months and months ago, Ian, said the Clerk with a despairing sigh. What, the redesign? asked Ian. No, the re-application for the redesign, explained the Clerk, drawing bemused looks from the table. We will see it on the planning application, she added by way of explanation.Colin Rodden wanted to know why the building wasn%u2019t started when it should have been and asked what reassurances there were that work would now get underway as planned. There were none, seemingly. This really shouldn%u2019t have been a matter for discussion said the Clerk, but I read out the MK Council response because I had received it today.The Clerk then moved swiftly on to an email she had received about the recent improvements on the landscaping work being carried out at Olney Cemetery. The work, said the email sender, was %u2018nothing short of exceptional%u2019.Apologies for absence and declarations of interestChristina Diamandopolulos sent apologies, and there were no declarations of interest from anyone concerning items on the agenda. July%u2019s minutes were approved as there had not been a meeting in August.PCSO%u2019s reportThe Ward Councillor%u2019s report was next on the agenda. But, as PCSOs Connor Braddish and Arlene Ormston were both in the room and could be called out to an emergency at any time, the Mayor pushed them above Councillor Peter Geary in the pecking order.There were two crime stats to report for diff erent periods. Connor reported that the following crimes had taken place in the last few weeks: 2 x assault with injury, 2 x burglary of a business, 1 x criminal damage, 2 x drug off ence, 4 x harassment, 1 x malicious communication, 1 x public order, 4 x shoplifting, 1 x theft, 1 x theft from a vehicle. Connor added that other incidents that are not crimes included %u20182 x suspicious people%u2019 and %u20183 x suspicious vehicles%u2019. A more recent stats sheet read as follows: 1 x criminal damage, 1 x harassment, 2 x public order, 1 x shoplifting, 2 x theft, 1 x theft of a vehicle, 1 x theft of pedal cycle. How malicious does a malicious communication have to be before it comes to your attention, asked new boy David Chennells, attending OTC for the fi rst time since his July co-option. It depends on how the report was made, said Connor. The person reporting the incident gives their view, and the police react accordingly, he explained. Ian Stokes said that given the problems the town has on the recreational ground (the Rec) during the summer, have the police been involved in any issues down there lately. It%u2019s been fairly good there with no reported crimes, said the PCSO. Compared with previous summers it has been very good, confi rmed Arlene cheerfully.Colin Rodden wanted to know if the town%u2019s big supermarkets were reporting any crimes to the police. Connor said that they advise that any case of shoplifting is reported to them and added that the police had received reports from %u2018a multitude of stores%u2019.Some stores had taken action such as barriers and extra deterrents, the PCSO added and said that shops that are having problems are reporting these and the police are %u2018taking action%u2019.Ward Councillor%u2019s reportNow it was Peter Geary%u2019s turn. He had another meeting to attend that evening and hadn%u2019t reckoned with playing second billing to the local police constabulary. Rattling ahead with his trademark speed and accuracy, Peter started with the consultation of the MK 2050 plan, which is still ongoing. The development is coming %u2018just down the road from Olney%u2019 and is undoubtedly going to have an impact on the town, he said. So, we need to be aware of that and have an understanding of it, he added. There will be many opportunities to get involved and comment on the plans, and he urged local people and councillors at the meeting to do just that.Something we have all been trying to get a grip of, said Peter with a sigh, is the state of MK Connect (the local transport service). Meetings have been promised to discuss the service, but they have %u2018slipped back and back%u2019, he said ruefully. And we still don%u2019t have a meeting date. The service that MK Connect is off ering is nowhere near the standard that is required for Olney or, indeed, any of the other areas nearby, he said.Another issue to be tackled is the ward boundaries, from 2026. Milton Keynes is due to increase from 19 wards to 20 wards, and the size of those wards will increase from around 10,000 people to 11,000 per ward. This is due to the increasing resident population. It will have an impact on who represents you, said Peter. A second consultation will take place towards the end of this year.On the Yardley Manor recreation area situation, Peter said that there was an agreement that meant that no more than 50% of the houses there could be sold until the infrastructure had been delivered. The problem, as we know, he said, is that the country is desperately short of housing so therefore this agreement was in place but it%u2019s about how enforceable it is when houses are sitting empty and people need them. Olney is not the only place where there have been problems like this, he added. We should have used the law to stop the