Page 61 - Phonebox Magazine June 2007

Out and About with Mark Lancaster
Our local MP
Mark in a Harrier – off to bomb Wales!
THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN IN THEIR...
I start with an apology, for all those who were disturbed by a RAF Harrier flying at 500ft one fine morning last month I confess it was me. I’ve enjoyed a bit of a love hate relationship with the Royal Air Force since coming back from Afghanistan last year, but this month took up a long standing offer of a flight in a Harrier from RAF Cottesmore. A slight detour after takeoff and within six minutes we were flying over Newport Pagnell and Olney on the way to bomb Cardiff, (I missed, got Barry Island instead). As much fun as it was, especially when I got to fly the thing (though not when we were anywhere near Olney you’ll be pleased to hear), there was a serious point to the trip and certainly the next time I hear glib comments critising the RAF’s performance in Afghanistan I will be the first to defend them, especially having experienced first hand the stresses and strains of trying to fly a fast jet. (Not very well in my case despite having once held a pilots licence.)
CEDARS SCHOOL, NEWPORT PAGNELL
Back on the ground in the constituency one of the highlights this month was being invited to open the new Turner IT suite at Cedars School in Newport Pagnell. It really is a marvellous facility and enormous credit should go to Headmistress Sue Cox and her team for persevering with the project, I have no doubt that it will prove to be an invaluable facility for this excellent school. The highlight of the morning was seeing Jenny Turners face when she discovered that the suite was being named after her, a fitting tribute after nearly 20 years service at the school.
LIFEPATH OLNEY
It was also a pleasure to visit the first ‘Lifepath’ event to be held at Olney organised by the Scripture Union and other local charities. The two day event brought together school children from Northants, Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes and through a series of stands and activities centred around the historical association of John Newton with the town of Olney, informed children as part of their religious education about the history of the slave trade. It really was enormous fun and I have little doubt that judging by the success of this year Lifepath looks set to become an annual event in the town. Great credit must go to Simon Barker and his team for organising this very successful event and especially the trustees of The Cowper and Newton museum and Revd Philip Davies for allowing the use of the parish church.
GULLIVERS ECO PARK AND SAFETY CENTRE
With education in mind, other visits this month included a trip to Gullivers New Eco Park that has just opened in the city. An excellent day out for all the family it is highly educational and a must during the summer
holidays, small children need not be afraid, the dinosaurs do not bite.
Equally informative was a trip to the Safety Centre at Kiln Farm. I confess I had never come across the charity before but it is a first rate facility purpose built in an industrial unit with replica scenarios of real life where young children can learn how to react to dangerous situations such as what to do when the smoke alarm goes off, or the dangers of playing on the railway complete with a full size train and tunnel. I would encourage all of our local schools to book their slot.
PLANNING ISSUES
I’ve highlighted before my concerns over what I believe to be the excessive powers of the unelected, unaccountable quangos that seem to dominate so much in Milton Keynes, but if a Government White Paper published this month becomes law, I’m things are about to get worse. Government propose yet another planning quango, (complete with security of tenure for its
members of eight years so they need not be concerned about the backlash of local residents) that will decide on major infrastructure projects. The potential impact locally? Well depending when this latest attack on local democracy is implemented, wind farm applications could be decided by this quango and not the democratically elected local authority. I wish to be clear that yet another quango is not what Milton Keynes needs and I will oppose any plans that further distances the planning process from local people. K
Mark and Revd Philip Davies at the Lifepath event at Olney Parish church
Mark opening Turner IT suite at Cedars School
To contact Mark please call or write to: Mark Lancaster TD MP 13a High Street, Newport Pagnell, Bucks MK16 8AR
Tel: 01908 615757 Fax: 01908 618433
Phonebox Magazine 61