Olney Town Council Reports

There was one member of the public who spoke this month. Martin Wilkinson started by saying that everyone knew why he was there and jokingly admitted to being ‘a pain’ but said he was speaking on behalf of the many residents who want to see a 20mph limit imposed on all side roads in Olney. Many are not fit for purpose for 30mph due to the volume of traffic and number of potholes, he said. He noted that the council had voted against a blanket 20mph restriction at the December meeting, instead opting for a targeted approach. A blanket restriction would be much simpler to implement, less confusing, and would cost a lot less than the suggested targeted zones, he thought. He referred to a petition raised a couple of years ago that had been signed by ‘a fair few hundred’ people. East Street is particularly dangerous, he said, suggesting that it would be too dangerous to install speed awareness cameras in some locations. He also noted that many road markings in the town, particularly at the bottom of Weston Road, are in urgent need of repainting. He finished by saying that it would be his last time of asking, as he felt like a lost profit in the wilderness.
A letter had been received from Naomi Brock on behalf of Olney Is Kind, thanking the council and staff for hosting the Christmas Day lunch at the Olney Centre. Mayor Debbie Whitworth said the event had been a huge success.

David Tyler, Dan Rowland and Alan Stone had sent apologies. There were no declarations of interest.

Milton Keynes City Council (MKCC) Ward Councillor Keith McLean was present to give the report on behalf of the Conservative group. Noting that there had been no OTC meeting in January, he wished everyone a Happy New Year. He said he had been notified of a few changes to the MKCC budget, one of them being that the Highways Department would be seeking a headcount reduction of eight people. However, seven of those were posts that had been vacant for some time, so there would only be one person affected. It was a tight but balanced budget, he said. As previously reported, the Petsoe End Windfarm Fund exists to make donations to community groups. It receives an annual grant of £7k and currently has around £35k in the pot. As a result of the acquisition of the windfarm by OnPath in January 2025, the administration of the fund has now been transferred from the committee made up of Parish Council nominees to the Milton Keynes Community Foundation. Keith said he was confident that the governance structure and transparency of the process for assessing applications would now be much better once it was fully up and running in six to eight weeks. The Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner had that day announced that £200k would be available for suitable schemes and Keith had passed details to all parish clerks in the ward. The MKCC Customer Services email facility has recently been withdrawn and all contact should now be made via the online form. There had been grumbles on social media for the first couple of days but the system now appeared to be working well. The consultation period for the New City Plan had been extended from late December to 16th February due to a flaw in the process of notifying consultees of the previous stage about the Regulation 19 consultation. At a previous meeting it had been reported that the Newport Pagnell recycling centre would be closing at the end of the current financial year, even though the replacement Wolverton ‘Super-Site’ would not be up and running by then. Keith reported that the closure date was now autumn 2026, but an undertaking had been given that it would not close until the new site was open. The rather vague nature of MKCC’s advance road closure signs was a cause for concern for Keith. There did not appear to be standard times for one-day road closures, he said. Usually it was 09.30 to 16.30, but occasionally it was 08.00 to 18.00, which made it very difficult for people to plan their journeys. He noted that the recent closure at Petsoe End had been signposted on the A509, but there were no signs coming from Turvey until the point of closure. Regarding the council decision not to implement a 20mph blanket speed restriction, Keith said he had also spoken to residents who found the decision ‘strange’ but said he looked forward to a report on the council’s further research on the matter. Finally, Keith said that he and fellow ward councillor Peter Geary fully understood why Debbie Whitworth would not be standing in the forthcoming MKCC elections and thanked her, but it wasn’t clear whether they were thanking her for standing down or for her service over the past two years! David Chennells agreed with Keith about the lack of information on the road closure signs and thought the signs should give more information about the actual location. Keith responded that he was more interested in the timings as location data, and more is available on the one.network website. As a supporter of the blanket 20mph restriction, Colin Rodden thought that the council should inform residents about how to go about requesting a restriction in their area and appeared to want to continue the discussion further, but both Mayor Debbie Whitworth and Town Clerk Jane Brushwood indicated a strong desire to move on with the agenda.
In her role as Labour Ward Councillor, Debbie Whitworth gave a brief update on the takeover of the 41 bus service and said she was hopeful of a smooth transition to Palmer Grant, the new operator. The parents of students using the current service had paid large sums upfront for season tickets and were worried that they would not get reimbursed, she said, but she had been assured that would not be the case and all advances would be refunded. The fare cap of £3 would also remain, said Debbie. Parents of Children using the Whirly Pit roundabout crossing had expressed concerns about safety and as a result MKCC would be sending a Traffic and Transport team, including the new Road Safety Officer to investigate and report back. Potholes continue to be a problem, she said and MKCC had investigated and many marked in white for repair. If residents noted a deterioration in potholes that had already been reported the MKCC advice is to report them again, she said. Finally she reported that Aspreys is due for resurfacing in the next financial year.
Keith said as a member of MKCC Planning Committee he had seen an application for the East Street Community Centre (ex-Youth Club) to locate 10 solar panels on the roof of the building, but with no battery storage. He said he had 14 on his own house, along with a 13kW battery so this appeared to be a very cheap solution.

No PCSO was present, so Debbie Whitworth read out the report for the period 01/12/2025 – 02/02/2026:

Additionally, there have been incidents of hare coursing in rural villages.

As there was no meeting in January, two sets of results were available. Deputy Clerk Rob Mungham first provided the stats for the period 7/11/25 to 05/12/2025:

Results for 6/12/25 to 14/01/2026

All locations recorded a decrease in average speed from previous measurements. Colin Rodden expressed the opinion that SID data alone was unreliable because evidence suggests that drivers speed up once they have passed a SID and had some data to prove it. David Chennells said that in his view the only reliable measurements came from average speed cameras. Colin Rodden wanted to continue the discussion, but was asked by the mayor to provide the data so that it could be an agenda item for a future meeting.

Many councillors represent OTC at external groups and forums. Mary Prosser and David Chennells had attended the quarterly meeting of the Ann Hopkins Smith Alms Houses. Mary reported that future maintenance work on the fabric of the buildings would be required, and she had applied to the Emberton Windfarm Fund, but due to the transition to the MKCC Community Foundation, she would need to apply again in March. There was currently one vacancy which would be filled from the waiting list.

Jane Brushwood said that all Building Control requirements for renovation of the ex-football club had been met and work would start the following Monday. No progress on the Padel court.

A lengthy and detailed report had been provided by David Tyler on behalf of the working group proposing to apply to MKCC for a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) on trees and hedgerows on the site known locally as ‘The Orchard’ off East Street. This is the site behind the new wooden fencing by the Tennis Club. Jane Brushwood thought it ‘a little bit bonkers’ to apply for a TPO on land where the owner had done nothing but plant trees. Sarah Lowe said as a nearby resident she had read the report with some astonishment. The report stated that there was a clear and persistent development intent on the site which poses a direct and foreseeable threat to an irreplaceable green asset, but the planning applications referred to were not relevant as two shown as pending had since been refused and a subsequent application had been approved on appeal.
A further application was the Arboricultural Method Statement which had been approved. The Landscaping Plan made clear that all existing trees would remain and there would be additional planting. Several trees in a poor state had been removed by the previous owner but the new owner was replanting the orchard as part of the application, including 30 mature trees and 400m of hedgerow at huge expense before they even knew that the appeal against refusal had been granted.
The proposed TPO included trees that the new owner had planted, she said incredulously. A dilapidated hedgerow from the end of her own garden had been removed, replanted in a better location and watered all through the summer and was now thriving, Sarah said. The trees were not at threat, she said, and did not understand the report. The owner obviously loves trees, she believed, and the report, as worded, was unfair on that individual. Agreeing with Sarah’s viewpoint, Deirdre Bethune was concerned that a subsequent owner of the site might not be so benevolent so it might be prudent to apply for a TPO now. It was agreed to hold fire on the TPO request and ask David Tyler to revise the report.

Finance matters are discussed and decisions made at the Finance Subcommittee. The accounts are then sent to all councillors before the full council meeting. Any issues are now dealt with before the meeting rather than discussed at the meeting, where they are effectively ‘rubber-stamped’. This year the Draft Budget and Draft Schedule of Charges for 2026/2027 has been agreed in the same way.
All charges for services and charges will rise by 3.6% in line with inflation. Chair of Finance Chris Shaw noted that there was no charge shown for a plaque to be fixed to a bench or post in the cemetery where ashes had been scattered so a fee of £50 was discussed and agreed.
From the ensuing discussion it appeared that this is to cater for the situation where ashes have been scattered elsewhere, but a memorial is wanted in the cemetery. Deirdre Bethune asked if this same cost would apply if ashes were scattered in the cemetery, but no plaque was required. An awkward silence ensued as it appears that this isn’t a service that is officially offered by the council. Jane Brushwood thought it unlikely that anyone would ask permission to do this, but she said the groundsmen had evidence that it is happening because ‘the lawnmower makes a different sound’!
The recent internal audit gave the council’s accounts a clean bill of health, and thanks and congratulations were offered to Clerk Jane Brushwood and Deputy Rob Mungham. Colin Rodden noted that OTC had used the same company to audit the accounts for several years and suggested that it might be good governance to change. Rob said that there was a regular rotation within the company and as a result there is a different auditor every two years or so. Besides that, there are very few companies offering that service, he said.

Riverfest will take place on Sunday, 5th July and Motorama will take place on Sunday, 14th June.

The next meeting will be held on Monday 2nd March at 7pm in the Olney Centre. If you would like to contribute to the Public Participation section at the start of the meeting, or any time the mayor deems appropriate, please contact the Town Clerk, townclerk@olneytowncouncil.gov.uk.

Three members of the public spoke this month. Andrew Smith spoke on behalf of the Big Olney Food Festival (BOFF) Committee. Olney Town Council (OTC) had previously granted conditional permission for this year’s event to proceed, subject to the provision of a detailed Event Management Plan. Andrew said this had now been produced, and he was there to provide more detail. The format of the event would be the same as in previous years, with set-up on the Friday morning, comedy night on Friday evening and food stalls on Saturday and Sunday, with closure at 6pm on Sunday. Successful improvements had been made last year, but there were problems with accessibility as the company providing the electrical cable cover ramps had let them down at the last minute. This meant an alternative supplier had to be found, and the ramps provided could not be negotiated by wheelchair or mobility scooter users. Flatter ramps would be provided this year, said Andrew. Engagement with the Milton Keynes City Council (MKCC) Safety Advisory Group would happen much earlier this year, he said. The final decision on whether to allow the event to go ahead was a later agenda item.
Next to speak was Jim Cooper, who asked if the council had any information regarding the old St John ambulance hall, as he had heard it was being turned into some kind of temple. Did the owners need any sort of approval to be there, he asked? It seems strange that it has just happened with nobody knowing about it, which he thought was wrong. Town Clerk Jane Brushwood responded that the council were unable to respond to questions asked in the open forum, and Mayor Debbie Whitworth said that if any further information became available, it would be passed on.
Another resident spoke about the proposed redevelopment of Johnson’s Field by MKCC. A survey was currently underway, asking about the choice between a skate park and a pump track, and the problem with the latter was that it could not be used by skateboarders, but a skate park could be used by other wheeled sports, he said. If a skate park is built, it is imperative that it is a good one, as it would then be used extensively by skateboarders of all ages and would be ‘self-policed’ by users, discouraging the anti-social behaviour that some residents might fear. The existing skate ramp is totally unsuitable, he said, and as an experienced skateboarder and ex-professional snowboarder, he would be happy to provide his expertise in the new design. Skateboarding is an inclusive sport which encourages creativity, individuality and expression, and a good skate park would have longevity as opposed to what he thought would be the short-lived novelty value of a pump track.

David Tyler and Christina Diamandopoulos had sent apologies. Colin Rodden declared an interest in the agenda item regarding results from the Speed Indicating Devices (SIDs) as a resident of Weston Road. As this is a standing agenda item, it was obviously an indication that he had something to discuss.

Milton Keynes City Council (MKCC) Ward Councillor Keith McLean was present to give the report on behalf of himself and Ward Councillor Peter Geary. Keith reported that a local parking audit had recently taken place, and as a result, fellow Ward Councillor Debbie Whitworth had asked the MKCC Parking Officer to visit the schools. Keith had written to the officer asking him to attend and also to take PCSO Connor Braddish. The MKCC budget for the next financial year had been approved with an ‘overarching increase’ of  4.99%. Keith said he and Peter had voted against it due to the ‘ridiculously higher than inflation’ increase in councillors’ allowances. Keith said he had received a number of complaints about litter on the grid roads, A roads and rural roads, so he had asked the team responsible to provide him with a schedule. There had been an incident locally where a landowner had flailed the hedge and grass verge, but had not cleared the litter first, so there was more litter afterwards. He noted that white lines had been painted around some potholes and hoped that the paint wouldn’t wear out before they were repaired. The local elections will take place on the 7th June, and Keith encouraged all residents who wish to make a postal vote, and are not yet registered, to do so as soon as possible. It will be a very long ballot paper, he said, and with potentially three candidates from each party for each post, there could be 12 to 18 names. Lawyers for OnPath had now looked at the legal agreement for the transfer of the Petsoe End Windfarm Fund to the Milton Keynes Community Foundation, with the expectation that it would be open for applications by the end of March or early April.
Ward Councillor Debbie Whitworth reported that there would be a greater police presence in Central Milton Keynes for the foreseeable future. Thames Valley Police were working closely with The Centre MK as a result of the recent tragic incident where a security guard who was performing his role protecting others was stabbed and subsequently died. He was a well-loved and highly respected individual who cared deeply for the community he worked in, and many local residents knew him. Thoughts go out to his family, friends and colleagues at this most upsetting time, she said.
Colin Rodden thanked Keith for the potholes update and said Weston Road was ‘diabolical’, and although the subject of potholes is something people laugh about, it is a serious matter with motorists being forced to pay huge repair bills and motorcyclists dying. Debbie replied that Weston Road had been reported, nobody was laughing, and if any reported potholes had got worse, then they should be reported again.

No PCSO was present, so Jane Brushwood read out the report for the 02/02/2026 – 02/03/2026

Incidents in surrounding villages: Theft of Anglian Water equipment in Emberton; Hare coursing in Hardmead; Rogue traders in Stoke Goldington.
Colin Rodden said it would be great if there were only one incident of shoplifting, but he suspected it was only the tip of the iceberg.

The current completion date for the new Yardley Manor Community Centre on Winterbottom Way is 20th March. Deirdre Bethune asked if the apparent poor drainage around the building had been addressed, and Jane Brushwood replied that it had, but not very well, and felt that it might need to be revisited. As a farmer of nearby land, David Chennells said he knew it to be a ‘dodgy’ area to drain as it is all limestone and claypits, but it could be solved if the developer is prepared to properly fund it. Jane said the council would not adopt the building until the drainage issue was solved. Chris Tennant noted that the developers had applied for planning permission for solar panels on the building, but it did not include battery storage, which he thought was missing a trick.

Many councillors represent OTC at external groups and forums. Sarah Lowe had attended the Rural Crime Forum, where she had presented the shoplifting survey that she had presented to OTC last month. This had identified a chronic level of underreporting of shoplifting incidents. Prior to the meeting, she had visited some of the worst-impacted businesses, one of whom had said the situation is as bad as ever, with nine incidents on a single Saturday, but the management had decided against reporting them to the police. The shop staff would prefer to report the incidents, she said, and this situation is replicated across several other businesses and organisations, where the head office would decide which, if any, incidents to progress. She had sounded out the possibility of holding a forum with shopkeepers, but only one had expressed an interest, with others saying they did not have the time. Sarah said that the police officers present expressed the opinion that, because the Disc App* had been such a success in Central MK, offenders were now moving out to the rural communities.
* Disc is a crime information-sharing system that allows for businesses and others to be aware of criminal activity in their communities, view galleries of offenders, submit reports of incidents and act as an alternative to 101 for reporting non-emergency crimes. It also enables communities to manage their business crime reduction schemes efficiently and effectively.
David Chennells wondered if one of the reasons that the worst-affected businesses were not reporting incidents was that it would attract attention to their own lax security. Sarah agreed and said that a number of businesses had noted that there is a prolific repeat offender in the town who appears to be getting away with a lot, and if he is not being prosecuted, then what is the point? Colin Rodden said this is evidence of the 80/20 rule, where 80% of crime is committed by 20% of individual so could the police be asked to prosecute known individuals?
Chris Tennant had attended the launch of the MKCC Sustainability Strategy, which runs to 2050. The aims of the strategy are to support the economy, focus on energy, reduce emissions, help the environment through the implementation of the local nature recovery strategy, and engage better with the community. There was also some research presented on making existing homes more energy efficient. Sarah Lowe asked whether this would apply to homes currently under construction, such as MK East? Chris said he’d asked the same question but didn’t really get a suitable reply. A Green Business Fund was also being launched to enable businesses to apply for a £25,000 grant to make their business more sustainable.

Results for 15/01/2026 – 09/02/2026

Colin Rodden had obviously been looking into the details behind these headline figures and noted that on Weston Road going up the hill, there had been 27,000 vehicles, of which 145 had been travelling at 45mph and 20 at 50mph. He believed that around 25% of vehicles were travelling at over 30mph. Travelling down the hill, there were 18,000 vehicles, of which 2,500 were travelling at 35mph, 320 were travelling at 40mph, and 32 were travelling at 45mph. This meant there was still a speeding problem, he thought, despite the council deciding at the December meeting that there wasn’t a problem and a 20mph limit was not necessary. Jane Brushwood interjected to say that council Standing Orders dictated that the council could not discuss the same issue within six months of a vote, but Colin insisted he was just discussing the figures as presented to the meeting. Debbie said she and Keith McLean had been in communication with MKCC regarding the issues raised by a resident of Weston Road, but had been told that it is not possible to have a single road with a limit of 20mph; it has to be part of a scheme, which she had explained to Colin many times already. Why then is Yardley Road by OMS and Foxhill compulsory 20mph and not Olney Infants, asked Colin? Debbie replied that different rules apply to schools and attempted to close the discussion down, but Colin refused to be silenced, and a very heated argument took place with lots of strong opinions being expressed loudly by each side. Eventually it was agreed that Colin would bring it to the meeting as an agenda item.

Jane Brushwood reported that much progress had been made since the work started three weeks ago, with the inside being gutted and the foundations for the extension now dug to the required depth, and the expectation is that it will be completed within six months. Regarding a name for the building, the Recs and Services committee had investigated the names of the old fields on which the recreation ground had been created and found that most of the names had been used elsewhere in town, but there was a Scorers Meadow, presumably once farmed by a Mr Scorer. Deirdre Bethune proposed that the name Scorers Community Centre be adopted, but David Chennells wondered if this might erroneously imply a sporting connotation and suggested the name should include the word ‘meadow’. After a discussion, Deirdre’s suggestion (without Meadow) was put to the vote and passed by a majority.

Debbie Whitworth reported that the survey on MKCC’s plans to improve the play area by the provision of a skatepark/pump track would be open until 20th March. The existing play area in the corner (known locally as ‘the wooden park’) is already planned to be updated in the summer. Colin Rodden asked if OTC would be exhibiting any proposed plans, and Jane Brushwood replied that this was actually a survey of potential users rather than a consultation, since the original public consultation had taken place in 2023. Deputy Clerk Rob Mungham said that the informal nature of the survey accessed via a scannable QR code would make it accessible to the type of people who would be likely to use the facility. Chris Tennant observed that this could be a good way for OTC to perform surveys in the future. The next stage would be to submit a planning application, at which time members of the public could comment on the proposals.

Colin Rodden wondered if the risk of terrorism at the event had been sufficiently covered in the Event Management Plan. He was pleased that the issue of insufficient toilets had been addressed. Richard Hillier noted that the plan said that no alcohol purchased off-site would be permitted, and wondered how that would be policed. Debbie Whitworth proposed that the application be accepted, which was passed unanimously.

David Chennells noted that, regarding the expenditure and income report, there was a lot of variation in the budget and actuals for individual items, but remarkably, the overall budget to actual was fairly close. Variation obviously works in the council’s favour, he said, but hoped that one day there wouldn’t be a situation where it didn’t! Jane Brushwood said it was never going to be exact as unexpected expenditures always occur, but so long as the bottom line isn’t too far out, she was happy.

The next meeting will be held on Monday, 13th April at 7pm in the Olney Centre. If you would like to contribute to the Open Forum section at the start of the meeting, or any time the mayor deems appropriate, please contact the Town Clerk, townclerk@olneytowncouncil.gov.uk.