Mrs Holsten
Local resident Mrs Holsten was the only member of the public to speak in this slot. Mrs Holsten said that she had lived in Olney for all of her 80 years and said that in years gone by there had been a public footpath to the left of ‘The Goosey’ where she had played as a child, but in recent years the sign had been taken down. Mayor Steve Clark said the current map does not show the existence of an official path. Milton Keynes Council (MKC) Ward Councillor Peter Geary said that if it was not on the current map then in is not an official path. He said he would look at the 1929 map to see if was shown on there and if it can be proved that the public have had unrestricted access for at least 20 years it can be reinstated.

The council had been asked to consider what Section 106 contributions should be requested in case this application should be approved. Planning obligations under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, commonly known as Section 106 agreements, are often referred to as ‘developer contributions’ and are a mechanism which make a development proposal acceptable in planning terms, that would not otherwise be acceptable. The contribution for this site is expected to be £467k. Olney Town Council has already formally objected to this development which is along the path of the old railway line, behind the Stilebrook Road industrial estate. Some years ago this land was designated for B1 (office) development and permission granted for the erection of 23 units. However, only six of these units have ever been built and the developer now wishes to convert it to C3 (residential) use. The council have objected on the basis that the site:

• Is a departure from the adopted plan and is outside the town development boundary
• Is incompatible with the existing land use
• Is disconnected from the rest of the residential development in the town
• Will be accessed via the existing office development
• Has poor access onto Warrington Road towards the town centre
• Was a speculative development by the developer and just because it has turned out not to be financially viable for commercial use this is not justification for a fragmented housing development
• May be required for future employment building for Olney to develop as a sustainable town

It was also noted that the site will back on to the unattended sewage works and when the sludge is collected the stench can last for several days. This will inevitably lead to complaints from the residents, thought councillors. Jeremy Rawlings will attend the next MKC Planning meeting to reiterate OTC’s objection to the plans and recommend a site visit so that officers can see how isolated it is.
Returning to the matter of the matter of the S106 contribution, Ron Bull noted that the site would be dangerous to access for pedestrians, particularly students attending the Ousedale Campus and wondered if the contribution should be used for safer access. Peter Geary said that this would be the responsibility of the developer under Section 278. It was important that the S106 contribution does not go into the MK pot but should benefit Olney, he said. He proposed that the recommendation should be for £138k to go towards education, £6k towards allotments and burials and the rest be ring-fenced for social infrastructure. A vote was taken and Steve Clark declared it unanimous, but from where Mercury was sitting some members appeared not to vote for, against or abstain. Perhaps they couldn’t make up their minds?

Councillors Peter Geary, Debbie Brock and Ben Brock left the meeting at this point. The issue of development in the large rear gardens of the houses in Moore’s Hill has been a subject of considerable debate, controversy and accusations in recent years and Mercury does not intend to go over old ground here. In March 2012 OTC were made aware of MKC’s intention to grant an easement of access over a strip of land in Dinglederry at the rear of 59 Moores Hill to facilitate development on land at the rear of number 61. OTC expressed their concerns at the time so the matter did not proceed, although it ‘remained on the table’. The applicant now wishes to proceed and OTC will once again object. Tony Evans observed that this will probably be followed by another, and then another until access is eventually available for the single house and garden which remains in the ownership of MKC.

A resident has asked, via the Olney Noticeboard Facebook page, if the minutes of NAG meetings could be made public. Mercury understands that this is in connection with the recent spate of burglaries just before Christmas, although the NAG website states that their three top priorities are 1. Traffic, 2. Parking and 3. Dog Fouling. Steve Clark said that under Thames Valley Police rules put in place when the NAGs were created, all minutes must be published.

Although the Market Place car park is owned and controlled by OTC, the old Cattle Market car park, beyond Punch Opticians, remains in the ownership of MKC. OTC has discussed applying for ownership under the Community Asset Transfer scheme in the past but it has not been progressed. Peter Geary reminded members that if they want to proceed with this they need to start things moving soon, as the window of opportunity may not be open forever. It was agreed that this should be an agenda item next month.

As reported last month, the Police are generally no longer providing assistance with closing roads for local events and two-three hour training courses were run in December, which qualified those who completed them to be able to close roads with speed limits of 30mph and below. Jeremy Rawlings reported that he had attended one and declared it ‘a complete waste of time’.

Clerk Liam Costello reported that the posts had that day been erected on Johnsons Field as part of the Rugby Football Union’s Posts in the Park initiative. The information on the OTC website states:
‘Across England the build-up to Rugby World Cup 2015 has begun with the Rugby Football Union’s Posts in the Park initiative. Under this programme up to 100 posts will be installed in the 10 English RWC 2015 host cities.
Aimed at broadening the appeal of the Game and reaching out to new audiences, Posts in the Park launched nationwide on the 18 September 2013, and has already inspired youngsters from all walks of life to get down to their local park and try their hand at rugby.
Over the coming months Milton Keynes Sports Development team will be running activities aimed at getting more people interested in the sport.’

In responses to a number of requests from residents, OTC has created a diary of local events on its webpage. Organisers of any events are asked to contact the council office on (01234) 711679 or email TownClerk@OlneyTownCouncil.gov.uk to get them published. The diary can be viewed at www.olneytowncouncil.gov.uk on the Events tab.


Next Meeting - 3rd February

The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 3rd February in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

Ian Stokes was the only member of the public to speak in this slot. He was concerned about the Pelican Crossing on the A509 near Midland Road, noting that many times he’d seen cars cross the lights at red. He felt this was due to a combination of inattention and plain not wanting to stop, and that, especially since the crossing is used by School children and elderly people, the problem needed attention. Debbie Brock said she’d highlight the issue with Milton Keynes Council (MKC).

Joe Stacey reported that the current status of MKC’s housing requirements for the borough’s rural areas is that 326 additional houses are required. While that’s considerably less than its previous figure of 1760, he noted that Woburn Sands had indicated it would like no further houses, having already taken significant numbers.

Jeremy Rawlings gave a brief update on what was a successful Dickens of a Christmas Day. The weather on the day was very good, and it was generally thought to be one of the best since the event’s inception.

Deidre Bethune explained that the Council’s accounts had been internally audited and received a glowing report. She then noted a couple more points from the Committee’s last meeting. The Committee had recommended that the Council take out its insurance with AON, which came in considerably cheaper than competing quotes, and this was agreed by full Council. The Committee had considered a three year draft budget and precept for the accounting period 2014 – 2017. It had voted to approve this budget, which will set the precept for the first year at £166,000, a 2.67% increase on the previous year. It would then rise by 1.2% for each of the following two years.
Peter Geary felt that planning a three year budget was proving a useful exercise, helping the Council take a long term view of its finances. He also asked Deidre if the budget took into account the planned reductions in Government funding over the next few years. She confirmed it did, meaning that, in spite of the rise in precept, the Council’s overall income would barely rise at all.

MKC had drawn up a detailed consultation document on its budget for 2014-2015 and sent it to its local Councils for review. Olney Town Council (OTC) discussed it at this meeting. Various Councillors felt that the document was so long and detailed that it made it hard to find the parts on which it’d be useful to comment. Peter Geary explained that the detail had been provided in order to allow Councils to see exactly the information they needed, rather than risking hiding information by, for example, gathering too many figures together under one total or summarising too heavily.
Jeremy Rawlings noted that, like many other Councils, it was likely that MKC would in the coming years stop its Youth Services budget. As Chair of Olney Youth Centre, Jeremy felt it’d be beneficial for this budget to continue. Councillors agreed that OTC’s feedback would be that Youth Services should be retained, that some of the previously cut bus services should be reinstated, and that it did not wish to see a reduction in library opening hours.

OTC had asked MKC whether it would be possible for the Cattle Market and Fountain Court car parks to be transferred to OTC under the CAT program. MKC had replied in the negative – that it would retain these car parks. From the comments of some Councillors, it wasn’t completely clear why the question had been asked in the first place.

As reported before, Olney Town Colts FC is moving towards obtaining planning permission to build changing rooms in an extension to the left of the tractor shed, approximately symmetrical with the toilet blocks to its right. Councillors were broadly in favour of this development, noting a few issues. Deidre Bethune questioned whether sufficient space would remain available for the Council’s tractors and other machinery. Tony Evans confirmed that it would. Peter Geary, aware of ongoing occasional problems with the sewage drainage from the building, asked if the existing drainage capacity was sufficient. Tony felt it probably was not, and that the Council should request plans for both surface and foul water drainage. Tony noted the need to end up with a machinery compound as safe as the current one and with suitable access, without any cost to OTC. Finally it’s likely that, once planning permission is obtained, the land will be passed to the Colts on a long term lease for a peppercorn rent, much as happens for other Clubs’ buildings.

The Council gave permission for the Newport Pagnell & Olney Lions to hold Motorama on Sunday 8th June. Permission was also given for Booze on the Ouse to be held on Saturday 28th June, this year with the marquee located between the tennis and all weather courts, close to the Colts’ planned new building.

MKC is consulting about how it should in future provide transport for those who are disabled or have difficulties using public transport, and had sent a consultation document to its local Councils to discover their views. The suggested options included on-demand shared taxis and various volunteer driver schemes. Debbie Brock noted that the existing service was creaking under the weight of demand and not able to fulfil expectations. The Council will feed back its wish that any changes should not result in Olney suffering a reduction in this service.

Two wicker pancake race runners have been ordered and will shortly be installed in one of the Market Square flower beds.


Next Meeting - 3rd March

The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 3rd March in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

At the January meeting local resident Mrs Holsten had asked about the sign identifying a footpath across the Goosey Field which had been removed at some time in the past. The path is not marked on any current maps but the council agreed to look at the 1929 map to see if it was shown on there. John Smail said he recalled that a stile used to exist over the fence on the right hand side before the bridge and the path ran across the field parallel to Weston Road, but it is now blocked and overgrown. Milton Keynes (MKC) ward councillor Peter Geary said that unless there was evidence that the path had been accessed within the last 20 years then the right of way would have lapsed and in order for it to be reinstated the council would need to make a Definitive Map Modification Order. It was agreed not to proceed with such an application.

Debbie Brock reported that she had had an email from a resident of Timpsons Row complaining of a number of ‘near miss’ traffic accidents caused by inconsiderate parking at the Coneygere junctions with Palmers Row and Church Street and also at the junction of the one-way system in East Street. The resident had requested that consideration be given to providing double yellow lines at these junctions. John Boardman thought that this was further evidence of a growing trend of inconsiderate parking in the town and Ron Bull agreed, but didn’t think that the Coneygere junctions were particularly bad. He agreed that East Street visibility could be a problem, but didn’t think it warranted double yellow lines. Deidre Bethune was of the opinion that parking in the whole Coneygere/Timpsons Row area needed addressing, saying that she had received complaints from the allotment holders. Joe Stacey observed that Church Street was effectively a single track road for much of the time, due to cars parked on both sides. Jeremy Rawlings said that double yellow lines were not always the best solution as they simply moved the problem elsewhere. Peter Geary said the council must consider if there is an issue that needs addressing and if so it should go through the correct process. Joe Stacey proposed that the council should not take any action and the proposal was passed by a majority. While sympathetic to the problem, the general feeling seemed to be that the resident could take up the issue directly with MKC if they felt so minded.

Town Clerk Liam Costello reported that he had received a complaint from the Market Traders’ Association about the recent 5% rise in charges. John Sharp said he thought that 5% was a large increase. There had been seven traders give up their pitch recently, he said, although it was pointed that some of those had been before the rise was announced. Peter Geary reminded members that the rise had been approved by the council as part of the annual budget. Deidre Bethune felt that in future the charges should go up by a small amount each year rather than have occasional, but larger, increases. Debbie Brock wondered how Olney prices compared with other local markets. An important part of being a market town was that we should have a market, she said, so it should be supported.

The Town Council will once again be running this very popular event. The date this year will be Friday 27th June and will take place in the Carlton House Club.


Next Meeting - 7th April

The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 7th April in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

A Council meeting is driven by an agenda circulated a few days before. As the allotment rent issue had only just come to the fore, it wasn’t on the agenda and, therefore, couldn’t be discussed in detail. However, it was covered very briefly. In summary, Tony Evans appeared genuinely surprised at what Mike Totton had said. He had felt unprepared to respond, and that the way in which he and the Council had handled the situation immediately after Mike’s speech had not been ideal. Peter Geary felt the allotment holders should discuss the issue with full Council.
A pole is a traditional agricultural measure of area, equivalent to around 25 square metres. There’s significant variation in the yearly pole rent charged around Milton Keynes Borough. From 2014 – 2015, Emberton Parish Council is charging £2.75, Olney £3, Campbell Park £5 and Bletchley and Fenny Stratford £10 – £12. Looking at what the increase means to allotment holders, an average sized Olney allotment is five poles in area, so the rent has increased from £10 to £15 per year. As John Boardman noted, it’s the 50%, rather than the £5 increase, which appears to be the issue.

Joe Stacey reported that land agents Bidwells are representing the owners of various fields West and North West of Aspreys. As part of the Milton Keynes Council (MKC) Local Planning process, Olney will be expected to take in the region of a 250 additional houses over the period to 2031. Through the Neighbourhood Planning process, OTC will be looking to identify where that additional housing could go. Bidwells would like the site comprising the two fields adjacent to Yardley Road, just North West of Aspreys, to be allocated for development, as it could accommodate all 250 future homes. Bidwells is looking to have the site allocated as the location for housing growth, then plan to sell the land to a developer.

The mayor said that this matter had been the subject of some considerable debate at the previous week’s annual Town Meeting. Local police officer Andy Perry had suggested that cameras could be erected and linked to the police control room at MK police station, where they would be continually monitored so officers could be dispatched to incidents. Where it was not possible to get an officer to the scene in time, the pictures would be of sufficient quality to be used as evidence, he said. The images are normally retained for a minimum of 28 days, as members of the public have the right to request any CCTV pictures that they suspect may exist of themselves in that time.
Debbie Brock recognised that some people might be uncomfortable with the idea of placing cameras but said there were “powerful factors” in favour of it. She said it was also important that the equipment should be sympathetic to the area.
Deidre Bethune said careful consideration would need to be given to the number of cameras and the area of coverage. It was important to understand the cost, she felt, as PC Perry had indicated it might be expensive. For information, he explained that the majority of cameras in other locations were linked to the central monitoring room via relatively cheap microwave links, but because of the hill between Olney and MK it would need to be connected via more expensive fibre link.
John Boardman asked what recent incident had occurred that the cameras might prevent or assist in identifying the culprits. The specific incidents that members could recall were the very recent arson attack on the wicker pancake figure, a ram-raid on McColls, burglaries to shops around the Market Place and damage to the door of the public toilets. The mayor said the council needed to decide if it wished to progress with the scheme without committing if the cost turned out to be prohibitively expensive. It would then be necessary to look at funding options, he said.
Ben Brock wondered if it would be worth approaching the businesses around the Market Place to see if they would contribute to the funding. Tony Evans said that when cameras had been installed in the East Street (rugby club) car park the effect had been immediate and dramatic. No prosecution had been necessary because the antisocial behaviour had ceased. He supported the proposal, saying that many people felt intimidated by the large groups that congregated on the Market Square, although there was no suggestion that they might be involved in any criminal activity. The council agreed to continue the investigation.

Under Section 85 of the Local Government Act, any councillor who does not attend meetings for a period of six months automatically ceases to be a member of the council unless granted a leave of absence. Colin Rodden is current working abroad and, although due to return to the UK in May, has found it necessary to delay his return until July and has thus requested a leave of absence. One of the factors to be considered when granting such a request is whether the individual is able to continue performing ward functions by phone or email, and in his letter of request Colin explained that he had been doing just that. Whist agreeing that Colin was still actively engaged in council business, Tony Evans said he was not comfortable with council business being conducted by email. Discussion should take place in open meetings, he felt. The council agreed by a majority to permit the leave of absence.

Olney has some funding available from MKC for a community parking scheme, which was intended to go towards providing a parking area at the top of the recreation ground and additional spaces in the East Street car park. Instead, the council have been considering an alternative plan to allow limited parking on Doff’s Field, owned by the rugby club. However, this would mean applying for a variation of the planning permission originally granted for use of the field. To that end, OTC had approached MKC for pre-application advice on providing access via Austen Avenue.
A response had been received from a planning officer saying that, having discussed the matter with the Senior Highways Engineer, there was not sufficient justification to apply for a variation and they would not support such an application, due to the disruption it could cause to residents of Austin Avenue and Carey Way. If OTC wished to proceed with the application it would need to submit substantial background information relating to the parking problems in the area that had led to the application.
Jeremy Rawlings said it was clear that this officer had no idea of the situation and had ignored a request from OTC, who fully understood the matter.
Tony Evans expressed his desperate disappointment that MKC had adopted such a standpoint and suggested that OTC and the rugby club now get together to submit the application.
John Sharp reminded members that it was MKC that had ordered that Crouch’s Field must not be used for organised sport until the parking situation was resolved, and now they were rejecting a parking proposal which would contribute to that resolution.
John Boardman suggested that a meeting should be held with representatives from MKC to make them fully aware of the issue before progressing with the application, which was agreed.

Deidre Bethune presented a request, on behalf of the organisers of the Big Olney Food Festival (BOFF), that the council consider indemnifying them in case of financial loss. A number of members were not happy with this.
John Sharp was of the opinion that it was a commercially run event and pointed out that OTC does not charge the organisers for use of the Market Place. It does not indemnify the market traders on the Thursday market if they have a bad day, he said.
Debbie Brock emphasised her support for the event, saying it was a very good event for the town. She recalled that the council had provided indemnity previously but with the caveat it would not be on a permanent recurring basis.
John Boardman said he could not support the request and thought that the organisers should build up their own contingency fund.
Tony Evans asked if BOFF had presented its accounts to OTC, saying he would not be comfortable granting the application until he knew how much it had made last year, which was considered a success. Ron Bull wondered in the event of a loss, who would cover it? And, if there was a profit, who would receive it?
Deidre replied that some of the profit goes to charity, some towards the cost of Dickens of a Christmas and some to building up a reserve. The council agreed that the event could now be extended to three days, but delayed a decision on the indemnity request, pending further information about finances.

As reported last month, OTC has increased the rent it charges allotment holders from £2 to £3 per pole, an increase of 50%. An average-sized Olney allotment is five poles in area, so its rent has increased from £10 to £15 per year. Last month, a small delegation of the allotment holders had attended the OTC meeting and it had also been the subject of comments at the Town Meeting. Tony Evans said that Olney had not increased its rents for several years and had now fallen behind most other councils.
Rosemary Osbourne said that one of the main concerns of the holders seemed to be that they were not consulted, but Tony Evans said the council was not obliged to consult and wouldn’t necessarily do so with other groups. He pointed out that it costs the council £5 per pole to administer the allotment so it was effectively losing £2 per pole. Only four holders out of 140 had attended last month’s meeting, he said, so there was no reason to believe that the majority were not content to accept the increase. Ben Brock said he had not appreciated that the council actually made a loss on the allotments, and proposed that they increase the rental still further to at least cover costs. The proposal was not supported by any other member. The mayor proposed that the council increase the rent, as recommended by the Recreation and Services Committee, which was carried.

Debbie Brock reported that MKC had recently appointed Carole Mills as its new Chief Executive. Carole has held a number of roles in local government, most recently as Deputy Chief Executive and Corporate Director for Resources at Nottingham City Council.
The Parish Remuneration Panel of MKC has increased the allowance payable to members of OTC from £742.23 to £750 a year. However, no member of OTC has ever claimed the allowance. Tony Evans said that he believed that councillors should give their time free of charge and would consider his position on the council if any members claimed the allowance.
Steve Clark, reporting on behalf of Emberton Park Liaison Group, said that plans to transfer the leasehold of the park to the Parks Trust were ‘bubbling along in the background’. The park had recently been the venue for a celebration of the Sikh Festival of Vaisakhi, a harvest and a New Year celebration. The authorities were not made aware of the event and it was probably advertised by social media, he said. A lot of litter had been left, and there were reports of excessive noise and speeding, although one nearby resident claimed not to have heard a thing. Emberton resident Debbie Brock said it was great to see the park being used by such a diverse group of visitors.
Steve Clark said comments had been made on the Olney Noticeboard Facebook page about the bad state of the Whirly Pit, and some residents were offering to clean it up themselves. Steve had suggested that they attend that night’s OTC meeting and present their case, but none had. The Whirly Pit is actually the responsibility of MKC, although Ron Bull said that a sign there referred to both OTC and MKC. Debbie Brock said she would refer the matter to Andy Hudson, MKC Head of Environment and Waste.
The fence and hard standing around the football pitch has now been completed, but it appears that it is not universally popular with residents. Tony Evans wondered who would be responsible if it was damaged by the fair, for example. Would it be OTC, the football club or the Fair?


Next Meeting - 2nd June

The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 2nd June in the Council Chamber at the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

As noted in earlier Mercury reports, quotes to resurface Berrell’s Court have been obtained, and the council is seeking financial contributions from interested parties. A planning application to erect a pair of two bedroom houses next to 8 Berrell’s Court has a condition attached to it. The roadway must be completed before construction of the dwellings is started.
The developer has asked for this condition to be varied to prevent damage from construction vehicles. As a result, the new road would be completed after the dwellings have been fully constructed but before they’re occupied.
The intent behind the condition was likely to ensure that the developer makes the agreed contribution and that the road will be resurfaced. When speculating on the likely reason that a condition was thought necessary, consider the background behind the delay building Driftway.
After discussion, and some disagreement on the details, Peter Geary proposed that OTC ask the developer to pass his contribution to OTC. The council banked it and sent a letter supporting the variation to MKC. This should achieve the same aim, while preserving the new road surface. It was met with a general in favour consensus

A member of the public has requested that a bus shelter be added to the existing bus stop adjacent to Brock’s Garage, on the East side of the High Street. Councillors did not generally seem convinced that this bus stop, or the one opposite, was well enough used to justify the expense. However, the issue will be added to the forthcoming review of the recently modified Yardley Road junction.

As reported before, MKC is not in favour of the proposal to add an additional car park at the West end of Doff’s Field. Liam had since asked for a meeting with MKC to discuss it, but their planning officer had rejected the request. There was some frustration, as the need for additional parking was real and clear. Peter Geary felt such reluctance to meet was normal, a meeting was required and the Ward Councillors would offer their support to help achieve it

The transfer of ownership of the Olney Centre to OTC, under the Community Asset Transfer scheme, is progressing. The Council Chamber hearing loop system, as temporarily provided by Jeremy Rawlings for last month’s meeting, proved successful, and Tony Evans thought it essential as a permanent fixture. The wicker lady from the Market Square has been sent off for repair and is expected to return in July.

As reported in the local press, the availability of pink recycling sacks continues to be patchy. The mayor explained that Olney used to have three outlets – the Co-op, the library and the OTC office, with the latter piggybacking off the library’s supplies. Now, the only outlet is the Co-op and its supply is patchy. He asked if Olney’s Ward Councillors would support getting the supplies residents need. Peter Geary felt it was wrong that the library no longer had an outlet and said he’d follow up on this. He would also ask that supplies be delivered to OTC’s office.

Ron Bull reported that progress on preparing Olney’s Emergency Plan had stalled due to most of the three person committee being abroad or unavailable, due to work commitments. He stated that he didn’t want to continue on the committee without more help. This will be an agenda item at next month’s meeting.

An outdoor table tennis table, with free bats and balls, will be placed on the Recreation Ground near the children’s play area for a six week program. If the council want, it may be kept. The issue will be passed to the Recreations and Services Committee.


Next Meeting - 7th July

The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday, July 7, in the Council Chamber at the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

As reported last month, there is a vacancy on Olney Town Council as Debbie Brock has resigned her seat. There had been no requests for an election from the public, so the post could be filled by co-option. Mayor Steve Clark said that there were five candidates for the post, anyone of which he thought would make an excellent councillor.
The candidates were Chris Shaw, Cassie Knight, Malcolm Messenger, Ben Peters and Sally Pezaro. Each of them submitted a résumé and was invited to briefly address the council as to why they wished to be co-opted, except Ben Peters who was not present. Town Clerk Liam Costello explained that the council’s Standing Orders had changed so the previous ‘first past the post’ method had been replaced by a requirement for the winning candidate to have an absolute majority. A ballot would be held and at each stage the candidate with the least votes would be struck off the list, until one candidate would be declared the winner.
In the first round, Ben Peters had the least votes so was struck off. In the second round, Malcolm Messenger and Cassie Knight tied, so it fell to the mayor to have the casting vote. Steve Clark said that as Malcolm Messenger had polled higher in the first round, it was only fair that he should progress to the next. In the next round, Chris Shaw gained an outright majority and was declared the winner and took his seat at the table. Chris has lived in or close to Olney for nearly 22 years and is currently part of the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group. He is a recently retired chartered surveyor with more than 40 years in the residential market. He is a trustee of Milton Keynes Parks Trust and Chair of Whitecap Ltd, a subsidiary of the trust, which is responsible for all leisure activities in and around Willen Lake. He is a trustee of Greensleeves Homes Trust and has been both Chair and Clerk to the Tyringham and Filgrave Parish meeting. He has played rugby for the Olney Rugby Club Vets.

At a previous meeting, the council received a request to indemnify the Big Olney Food Festival against financial loss, but had voted not to do so. This month, Steve Axtell presented the request again and answered questions on behalf of the organising committee. He explained that BOFF is organised by the Olney Chamber of Trade with the objective of promoting food retailers and producers of the town and to bring visitors to the town. Over the past five years, it has grown in size and in cost, with the majority of revenue coming from business sponsors, fees charged to stall holders and bar sales.
He stressed that it is not a commercial event in the sense that the chamber does not make a profit. All income received is used to fund the event, with any surplus going to charities, Christmas trees and other events in the town. As the event is weather dependent, and there are no ticket sales, Steve requested that the council consider providing insurance indemnity against any losses. He said that last year’s event had made a profit of £3500, but this year it would run over two days and would incur additional costs. For that reason, the organisers were requesting cover of £5000.
John Boardman asked what funds the organisers currently had in the bank and Steve said he would provide it after the meeting. Milton Keynes Council (MKC) Councillor Peter Geary wondered what impact the £5000 would have on OTC’s budget if it should be called in, and Clerk Liam Costello replied that there was currently £16000 in the reserves. Peter then proposed that the council indemnify the event, which was passed by a vote of three for and two against. This means that the majority of members declined to vote for either.

Peter Geary explained that the current plan proposes a new extraction site in Lavendon Parish, towards Cold Brayfield. It is a ‘dry site,’ so would not naturally fill with water during the extraction process. Therefore, it would need to be back-filled with inert material such as clay, soil and rubble. The rate of extraction would be 70-80 tonnes a year, which would be transported through Olney town centre and the continual backfilling process would effectively double the amount of lorries.
Peter expressed his surprise at the choice of this site, as the guidance recommends extraction south of the River Ouse. Chris Shaw said it is important to find out why this site has been selected against this guidance. MKC are expected to take the plan to public consultation for a 12-week period from July to October but there was some concern from members that over the summer holiday period when many parish councils, including Olney, would not be meeting.

On behalf of the committee, Tony Evans said that the new fence surrounding the football pitch on the Nursery Field was not universally popular, with complaints being made that it prevented the public accessing town owned land. He asked the council whether the gates around the field could be left open, but also impose a dog exclusion order.
John Sharp noted that during the recent Rugby 7s tournament, cars had parked at the bottom end of the football pitch in a similar manner that had originally been proposed as a permanent arrangement, but now abandoned, by OTC. He noted that it had passed without incident.
There were reports that Olney Town Football Club has been sub-letting pitches to the Colts in contravention of their lease. The council felt that any such income should go to OTC and not the club and will investigate.

MKC have proposed a number of changes to waiting restrictions around the town, mainly around Weston Road, The Knoll, West Street and East Street. The council agreed to support the proposals, so the next step will be advertising the necessary Traffic Regulation Order on which members of the public will be able to express an opinion.

Months ago, the council embarked on the creation of an emergency plan to be bought into operation in the event of flood, plague or pestilence etc. It set up a sub-committee under the chairmanship of Ron Bull.
He reported that it had been very difficult to engage people in the plan and felt there was very little interest in it. He said he was very disenchanted with the whole matter. Deidre Bethune proposed that the council drop the plan and this was passed by a majority.

As reported last month, the Council Chamber hearing loop system provided temporarily by Jeremy Rawlings for previous meetings had proved successful, and Tony Evans thought it should become a permanent fixture. Jeremy Rawlings noted that for the equipment to be installed, it would be necessary to drill through the wall of the council chamber. This was followed by a protracted (though not entirely serious) debate about how the hole should be drilled, by whom, at what level and which picture of past distinguished mayors would need to be moved to enable it (readers might like to Google ‘Parkinson bike shed’ for an explanation of this phenomenon).

Steve Clark announced that Town Clerk, Liam Costello, had recently been awarded a Highly Commended certificate by the Society of Local Council Clerks. Steve presented Liam with his framed certificate.

Steve Clark reported that more than 100 veterans had attended the annual Armed Forces Day held at the Carlton House Club and much appreciation had been expressed by those present. However, he was disappointed to note that only two members of OTC were present.
Joe Stacey reported that the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group were progressing with the questionnaire that would shortly be sent out.
Ron Bull noted that a number of private premises had trees and shrubs extending into footpaths, causing problems for pedestrians. He suggested that members of the public contact the highways department of MKC, where discussions with the property owners had not resolved the matter.
Tony Evans said there had been reports of loud music being played on the recreation ground late at night. The police had been called but seemed reluctant to take action. It had been repeated the next night near the old reservoir at the top of Long Lane, where the police had attended and confiscated the equipment.

No Meeting in August

Next Meeting - 1st September

There being no meeting in August, so the next one will be held at 7.30pm on Monday September 1st in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre.
Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

As usually is the case, there was no meeting in August.

There were two members of the public wishing to speak at this month’s meeting. The first was Susan Warren regarding the ongoing problems of parking in Oakdown Crescent. Susan said that her husband’s illness and subsequent death had not given her time to pursue the issue but had now ‘got her Mojo back’! She pointed out that Brian Rice had been told at the last meeting that Milton Keynes Council (MKC) Ward Councillor Peter Geary would approach MKC for an update and report back at this month’s meeting.

It was not on the agenda, she said, and was appalled that the elderly tenants had been pushed into the background. She said the situation had worsened because part of the pathway had now become broken up which could cause the tenants to fall. If it happened to her mother she would have no hesitation in taking Olney Town Council (OTC) to task by presenting them with a very large bill. In recognition of the council’s omission from the agenda Steve Clark said he would permit Peter Geary to give an update after the next item of public participation.

Elaine Herniman spoke on behalf of the Allotment Holders Association regarding the recent increase in monthly rents from £2 to £3 per pole. Elaine said that nationally there have been press reports of instances of increased rents, which range from successful high court cases where rate increases have been revoked, to rents which are only increased in line with inflation. In November 2013 the Recreations and Services committee voted to increase all other fees by 5% and the allotment rents to £3 per pole but the meeting minutes did not state the existing rate, which could have led members to believe this this would also be a 5% increase. It was, in fact, a 50% increase, she pointed out. Elaine said the Allotment Act 1950 states that rents should cover the associated overheads only and be non-profitable. Since the land for the Olney allotments was bequeathed by the Earl of Dartmouth many years ago there was no cost are associated with the purchase of this land. She asked the council to provide a breakdown of the cost to serve of the allotments, as a figure of £5k per annum had been muted but not substantiated. If the increase in the rent per pole means the allotments are actually subsidising the other amenities, this increase could be deemed to be unfair. She asked that any future rent increase is kept in line with the rate of inflation and more importantly in line with other leisure amenities in Olney.

Peter Geary said that two years ago OTC had put in a bid for funding and had been allocated £10k for traffic orders. It was accepted that this was never going to be enough and if double yellow lines were marked in Oakdown Crescent it would need to be in conjunction with additional parking elsewhere. MKC had considered a number of possibilities including a roadway round The Pyghtle, demolition of nearby garages and creating additional spaces on land known as ‘Jack’s garden’. He said there is an opportunity to apply for funding from the current round of capital schemes, which is open until the end of September and recommended that the Recs and Services Committee put forward a proposal to MKC. It would need a significant amount of money though, he warned.
Tony Evans was of the opinion that it should be discussed and agreed by the full council, not just Recs and Services and John Boardman agreed, saying that it was important for all members to be aware of and fully understand all of the options. Joe Stacey said that regardless of who was responsible for the issue OTC should drive the solution and solve the problem once and for all. Peter suggested a site meeting with all three ward councillors plus Steve Clark.

Susan Hughes from the Neighbourhood Action Group (NAG) was present to give an update on the project. She explained that the Police and Safer MK Partnership have purchased a number of cameras and were prepared to give OTC a month’s free trial in order to assess which of the two models to consider. Deputy Mayor, Jeremy Rawlings, asked if costs were available and was told that one was £4k and the other £6k. Colin Rodden thanked Susan for her work so far and asked if a cost for the full surveillance system could be obtained. Peter Geary felt that OTC was right to continue, with the proviso that funding can be made available either by cutting expenditure elsewhere or increasing the Parish Precept.

In 2011 local resident Roy Turner obtained planning permission to erect two dwellings in Berrells Court on the site of some garages. One of the conditions of the planning consent was that the applicant lays a tarmac surface along Berrells court before development commences. The court is a public right of way but is not registered as belonging to anyone, has not been adopted by MKC and the surface is currently in a very bad state. OTC has agreed to take the lead in the resurfacing and will take contributions from interested parties, including Mr Turner who will make the major contribution. Recently Mr Turner obtained a variation in the planning consent to require him to resurface the road before occupation of the properties, rather than commencement of the building. OTC have obtained an agreement from Mr Turner to pay two thirds of his contribution up front to enable OTC to commence the work, with the remaining one third to be paid upon completion. Once again the matter of long term maintenance was raised, although Deidre Bethune cut the discussion short by saying that OTC had agreed to progress with the project, subject to agreement by Mr Turner and it was not a matter for discussion now.
Town Clerk Liam Costello said that because it was not adopted the owners of the adjacent properties would be responsible for the upkeep.
Peter Geary pointed out that the surface was being laid to a high standard so there will not be a problem of pot holes appearing for many years. He added that OTC would be making up the shortfall of the funding as not all residents and businesses in Berrells Court were prepared to contribute.
John Boardman asked if OTC could apply to have it adopted once resurfaced but Peter said the drainage via soakaway would preclude this.
Ben Brock asked what would happen if Mr Turner sold the properties before completion. It was agreed that in that case the final third should be payable on point of sale and the agreement would be modified accordingly.

Concerns have been raised by residents of East Street about the impact of lorries delivering to the rear of Tesco in the Market Place. It appears that Tesco have honoured the promise made to only use small vehicles for deliveries, but other suppliers are using large lorries which are not suitable for such a narrow access. One resident had suggested placing bollards on the pavement to ease the situation. Peter Geary thought that provision of bollards could be requested as part of the current capital scheme but wondered if it was now time to revisit the original request from Tesco to have timed loading bays at the front of the store. Joe Stacey suggested that OTC contact these other suppliers directly, pointing out the problem but Peter thought it was up to Tesco to resolve the matter themselves.

As reported in July, in order to meet the required provision of aggregates the emerging MK Minerals Local Plan should identify specific sites for extraction. As part of the ‘call for sites’ process the industry has put forward a total of 14 potential sites for allocation in the plan. Peter Geary pointed out that the Manor Farm and Lavendon Mill sites could result in an extraction rate of 70 to 80 thousand tonnes per year and not the 70 to 80 Tonnes stated in the July Mercury report. He said that MKC had done a poor job in approaching landowners and also the process plants are situated in Wolverton, so it would have made more sense to consider sites closer to there. He suggested that the actual demand might be less than estimated in the plan, so it might be possible to remove one or more sites. Peter will draft a response on behalf of OTC.

The existing wi-fi system provided by MKC to the library will be extended to the rest of the Olney Centre, although OTC will have to foot the bill of £3.8k. There was some discussion of whether this ought to go out to tender but Liam Costello said that the extension of the library network from the existing provider would be considerably cheaper than a new standalone system. He pointed out that corporate bookings for the centre had been lost due to the lack of wi-fi.
The new fence round the football pitch has reduced dog fouling but Jeremy Rawlings said that it had increased on the Youth Club field.
Tony Evans said that there did not seem a great desire from the Rugby Club to support the proposal to allow limited parking on Doff’s Field on match days.
Tony Evans said that MKC were not fulfilling their obligation to maintain the public play areas. An officer from MKC had recently made an unannounced inspection and will be producing a report.


Next Meeting - 6th October

The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 6th October in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

Wayne Rabin, from Healthcare Milton Keynes, gave a presentation on the Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes Healthcare Review. The quality, consistency and effectiveness of local health services need to improve, and changes in demand, for example due to population increase, need to be catered for. Alongside these, there are financial challenges. While funding is set to increase, if Milton Keynes Clinical Commissioning Group doesn’t change the way services are commissioned, it will start running at an increasing deficit, predicted to be £25m in 2018/19. Similarly, Milton Keynes Hospital Trust, running a £13m deficit in 2013/14, would run at a deficit of £31m in 2018/19. Broadly speaking, the strategy is to provide care closer to home, work with Milton Keynes Hospital to help it become more efficient, and look at ways the General Practice (GP) services could be configured to serve patients better. In spite of being asked by various Councillors, in various ways, if there was a plan to reduce the number of employees in healthcare, Wayne insisted that there was not.

First some background. In a meeting held a couple of weeks before, Councillors had discussed various potential solutions to the parking problem, and decided to put forward the following for inclusion in MKC’s capital programme scheme:

• Additional parking to be provided on the land adjacent to 102 Weston Road, and resurfacing the parking spaces along the track from Dagnall Road.
• Demolish the garages in the Crescent and redesign the area to provide additional parking.
• Introduce a residents’ parking scheme in Oakdown Crescent, not to be implemented without both the above.

Back to this meeting, Jeremy Rawlings introduced this topic by summarising the above. Deidre felt it important to make the area safe, noting the poor condition of the pathways due to cars driving over them. Peter Geary explained that, due to what sounded to Mercury like an administrative anomaly, the Crescent and its pathways had not been invested in for some time. However, it had been adopted by MKC a year ago and, thus, defects could now be reported and repaired in the normal way.
Standing Orders were suspended in order to allow the Public to discuss the issue with Councillors. Brian Rice explained that, while he felt for those who live in the Crescent and didn’t want to park his cars there, he did need to. He was against the proposed changes because he felt the new parking areas would be a haven for thieves. Instead, he felt that an access road would be the proper solution. Peter Geary explained that a new road around the South and East boundaries of the Pyghtle had been discussed, but rejected due to the reduction in green space and its high cost: MKC wouldn’t build a new road for five or six houses. To get something done, Olney Town Council (OTC) had to be reasonable in what it asked for.
The discussion concluded with Peter saying that any scheme would be consulted on before implementation – agreement was needed from local residents. Brian said that agreement on the solution proposed would probably not be forthcoming. One Councillor was heard to mutter ‘Oh dear’ before discussion moved on.

You should all have received a Neighbourhood Plan questionnaire with the previous issue of the Phonebox. To be counted, it has to be completed and returned back to OTC’s office in the Olney Centre by the new date of Tuesday 9th December. A team will collate the returned questionnaires, plus those filled in online – surf to olneyplan.com and click consultation.

The Olney Centre now has a public access Wi-Fi system, installed on 27th October.

Steve Clark introduced this topic. Local radio station MKFM, www.mkfm.com, has been broadcasting on the internet for several years and has supported various Olney events. It has the opportunity to bid for an FM radio licence and Steve asked if OTC would like to send it a letter of support. It’s notable that, since Horizon was taken over by Heart FM and BBC 3CR has seen various cuts, there is no FM station genuinely local to Milton Keynes. Councillors voted in favour of sending the letter.

OTC’s website is olneytowncouncil.gov.uk. Jeremy Rawlings explained that there was another similarly named site, olneytowncouncil.co.uk, which, while unconnected with OTC, was presented in such a way as to make it appear to be associated with the Council. After a short discussion, Councillors decided that Jeremy should write to the site’s registered address, asking to open a dialogue.

Steve Clark reported on a recent meeting of the Emberton Park Liaison User Group. The transfer of the park leasehold from Emberton Country Park to the Parks Trust appears to be making no progress.
Emberton Park was opened on 5th June 1965, meaning that its 50th anniversary is mid next year. Built on an area which was previously a gravel works, it was the first country park to gain accreditation from the Countryside Commission.

You may remember that, earlier this year, there were a few incidents of loud music being played antisocially at various locations around Olney, including in the playing fields by the river. The person responsible pleaded guilty to causing a public nuisance and had to pay a £1,250 fine plus costs.


Next Meeting - 1st December

The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 1st December in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.

There were no updates to report but Town Clerk Liam Costello said that an officer from Milton Keynes Council (MKC) Highways Department had visited to investigate the reported poor condition of the pavement and found it to be satisfactory so no action would be taken.

This year’s event was a financial success, so there will be no need to call in the much discussed indemnity provided by OTC. Sam McCallum was present at the meeting to present the accounts and request permission to hold the event on 11th to 13th September 2015. Although this meant that the event would not coincide with the Farmers’ Market the Chamber of Trade believed a two day event would still be viable. She said that if next year’s event was financially successful they would look to invest in more Christmas lights to run the entire length of the High Street. In the light of the successful collaboration with other voluntary organisation in the town, Sam said she was looking to create an ‘Olney Events’ sub-committee of the chamber which would act as an umbrella organisation to share resources and the first meeting would be held in January.

Present were Ian Stokes, representing the colts and Malcolm Thomas, representing Olney Town Football Club (OTFC). Ian explained that planning permission had already been granted to build changing rooms adjacent to the existing council building on the recreation ground, using part of the council compound. However, he had recently been in consultation with OTFC and Olney Rugby Club (ORFC) about building a combined facility which would allow the RFC under 18 ladies use of the changing rooms. (A number of councillors expressed surprise and delight at this news and Mercury wondered if Satan had also been seen ice skating down the High Street!). The plan is to build an extension on the southern end of the football club so that it forms an ‘L’ shape. In order to benefit from the various grants that had already been obtained it would be necessary to have clear construction timescales in place by March 2015, so the intention was to apply for planning permission before Christmas.
Because of this the RFC had reluctantly decided to step away, given that the RFU grant process would almost certainly extend beyond this deadline. Colin Rodden wondered if the combined facility would be likely to exacerbate the already difficult parking situation but Peter Geary was of the opinion that the combined facilities may help with the previously discussed parking problem in Timpsons Row. He was concerned that the MKC planning process might cause delays, though. The discussion then deviated to cover the various proposed parking schemes for the sports facilities, until Steve Clark brought the discussion to a close by proposing that OTC support the revised planning application. The motion was passed unanimously.

A complaint had been received about traffic exceeding the speed limit on Drift way, between Wellingborough and Yardley Road, and the correspondent asked if it would be possible to provide 30 MPH repeater signs as a reminder. Jeremy Rawlings said that distance between the lamp posts meant that repeater signs could not be provided. Peter Geary suggested that a Speed Indicator Device (SID) could be installed for a short while. This would have the effect of slowing vehicles down and also recording speeds to prove that a problem does exist. Ben Brock wondered if it would be possible to provide school signs. Liam Costello will investigate both options.

Joe Stacey reported that to date 601 responses had been received and the two drop in sessions had been reasonably well attended. He said that a £5k grant is available to cover the cost of a Housing Needs Analysis and suggested that the results of the housing location survey be sent to MKC, but Chris Shaw was concerned that OTC should not commit to a policy based on the results of a small survey return.

The council gave permission for The Pancake Race to be held on February 17th 2015 and the Duck and Raft Race on 5th July. Tony Evans reported that the gate at the entrance to the recreation ground was frequently being left open. He also pointed out that vehicular access was strictly for loading and unloading and not for parking. The Tennis Club were particularly poor at observing this rule, he said. Steve Clark reported that he had recently attended the Ousedale Awards for Achievement, along with various other civic dignitaries, and the standards get higher every year. He said he had sent pictures of the event to the MK Citizen and was disappointed that they only appeared to be interested in printing stories about badly performing schools.
Rosemary Osbourne reported that residents of Chantry Rise were not receiving the MK Citizen. She had contacted their office and been told that a conscious decision had been made not to deliver to the area, although it may be reinstated next year. Peter Geary said that MKC’s forthcoming budget for the next financial year would be the toughest ever and there would be cuts in the provision of waste bags, library services and public transport, amongst other services.
The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 5th January 2015 in the Council Chamber in the Olney Centre. Members of the public are always welcome to attend and, if they wish, speak at the start of the meeting, or at any point that the mayor decides is appropriate.