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22 Phonebox Magazine | March 2025Newport Pagnell Mayor%u2019s UpdateNewport Pagnell Councillor CornerYou can contact the Focus team by emailing newportsouthlibdems@gmail.com or phoning 01908 216366. Follow us on Facebook %u2013 Newport Pagnell South Ward Newport Pagnell South FOCUS Team, Cllrs Jane & Andy Carr, Tony OyakhireFurther Funding for Flood Support in Newport PagnellJane has joined two important committees that deal with regional fl ood and water. The Internal Drainage Board (IDC) is a public body that manages water levels in an area where there is a special need for drainage. Whilst the Regional Flood and Coastal Committee (RFC) identifi es and manages fl ood risks, targets risk-based investments and provides a link between the Environment Agency and other relevant bodies to build an understanding of fl ood risks. These committees collectively share information and measure the impact of fl ooding to inform investment. At the most recent meeting of the RFC, Jane was able to vote for %u00a3220,000 of funding for three Milton Keynes projects, including one each for Newport Pagnell and a larger scheme for Lavendon. %u201cIt%u2019s important we infl uence decisions, as problems upstream aff ect those of us downstream. We will keep the pressure on.%u201dNew Yellow LinesAndy has been working with local residents who have requested new yellow lines. The process has six stages and requires residents living around the proposed site to sign a petition. The petition can either be prepared by residents themselves, by the ward councillor or via the Town Council. If more than 50% of residents agree, the request then moves to the next stage of consultation. We are trialling the process for an area at the entrance to The Cannons and will update you on how it goes. Sad LossFinally, we wish to send our sincere condolences to Mrs Alexander following the loss of Cllr Paul Alexander, who, whilst a serving Town Councillor, was also a member of the Lib Dem Focus Team for many years, as well as previously serving as a City Councillor. Paul was instrumental in getting more money for dropped kerbs to help those with mobility issues. He was dedicated to helping the community radio and could often be found hosting a quiz night to raise funds for local causes such as the Christmas Lights. We will miss him greatly. RoadworksRoadworks outside of our town continue to be a huge issue, but rather than repeat previous columns, I will just say that I continue to do what I can to represent the concerns of local people to those in positions of responsibility on these matters.Social MediaI think it%u2019s important for elected representatives to be available to the public they serve through methods that people use, including social media. I did have a popular Facebook page until last month when, for reasons known only to Mark Zuckerberg, it was deleted. I%u2019m trying to get back on, but meantime I am not on that platform.Tickford FieldsI was pleased to be one of many people who attended the public session held by Vistry, the company who will be developing the Tickford Fields area on North Crawley Road over the coming years. This will be the largest development within Newport Pagnell for some time. Though the overall (outline) plan is already approved they still want to hear views on details before that is fi nalised. So please respond to their consultation if you have an opinion.Welcome to Newport PagnellWhile representing the town at a recent event in Northants, I met a lady who told me how she and her husband recently visited our town to buy more football programmes from Ken%u2019s. However, as she discovered, sadly that shop had closed, but she went on to say that they nevertheless had a lovely afternoon in our town centre.As a local council, we remain very keen to promote Newport Pagnell as a place to come for a browse, a swim, a walk, hospitality, a meal, to learn, worship or any other reason. I%u2019d be very interested to hear from Phonebox readers what it is that brings you to our town. Please let me know.What%u2019s onPlease note these upcoming dates for your diary:Annual Town Meeting, at United Reformed Church on Thursday, 10th April, at 7pm.Police Station Consultations at Green Park Community Centre on Tuesday, 27th May, from 4-6pm and at Portfi elds Community Centre on Thursday, 29th May, from 2-4 pm.Annual Vintage Event, Town Centre and Bury Common on Saturday, 7th June, from 11am-5pm.As always, Phonebox readers with any comments about Newport Pagnell, can contact me at pauldayMK@outlook.comLitter Pick DatesThe dates for this year%u2019s community litter picks are all at 1pm on the following dates: 26th April, meet at Station Road Car Park.28th June, meet at Poets Estate shops.30th August, meet at the entrance at Portfi elds Avenue shops.25th October, meet at Station Road Car Park.Our next councillor%u2019s surgery will be on 22nd March from 10am to 11.30am, at the Swan Revived Hotel, Newport Pagnell. We will be explaining how your Council Tax is spent. 200 Club Winners, January: 1st prize Ms Ford, 2nd prize Ms Nudd. Cllr Paul Alexander