Page 23 - Phonebox Magazine December 2007

Councillor Corner
A contribution from Councillor Steve Clark
Steve at Delabole Wind Farm – photo by Chris Digby.
Guests and governors, including Steve, look on as John Smail prepares to cut the tape – photo by Jeff Bowden.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Cllr Stephen Clark, 32 Dagnall Road, Olney, Bucks MK46 5BJ
Telephone, SMS text or fax: 01234 711743 Email: stephen.clark@milton-keynes.gov.uk
Wind Farm update
The long-running saga of the proposed wind farm at Petsoe looks set to be resolved when the application is determined by the Development Control Committee of Milton Keynes Council on Monday 17th December. Members of the committee, including me, will have to take into account the vast amount of information that has been collated into the Planning Officer’s report. At this stage, I am not aware of what the likely recommendation of the officers will be. No doubt it will be quite a lively meeting, and I am sure we all await the outcome with considerable interest!
landscaping would be expedited. The Council was advised in mid November that Kaybridge, a Civil Engineering sub-contractor, would be on site from Monday 19th November to carry out the work to enable Central Networks to start the process of connecting the lighting columns from Monday 26th November. It was further advised that landscaping contractors would also be on site from 19th November and that outstanding issues with the signage would also be resolved. Wimpey has also confirmed to the Council that they will cover the cost of any necessary gritting operations on the new piece of road prior to its formal adoption by the Council. Prior to their decision to specialise in housing development, Wimpey’s were responsible for some major civil engineering projects. These included the White City complex in London (1908), Heathrow Airport (1946), Centre Point (1966), the HSBC Tower in Hong Kong (1985) and the Channel Tunnel in 1994. Given a portfolio like this, it seems quite astounding that they have managed to make such a pig’s ear of delivering a short stretch of road in Olney!
School Improvements
The new computer suite at Olney Infant School, described in my November ‘Councillor Corner’ article, was officially opened by the Mayor of Olney, Cllr. John Smail, on Thursday 15th November. The event coincided with an Open Day for existing
upgrade project with great enthusiasm.
Fireworks and TOG
Unseasonably mild weather greeted the crowds who turned out for the annual Olney fireworks extravaganza on Saturday 3rd November. The event was organised by The Olney Group, a new organisation fronted by former Town Mayor Dave Price. The Olney Group rose phoenix-like from the ashes of the former Floral Fiesta and has vowed to continue to promote a number of events which have become part of the town’s annual calendar. Congratulations to Dave and his colleagues for staging a really marvellous event. In a change from previous years, the responsibility for providing the background music for the display was given to Ricky Mason, who is well known to regular readers of this missive. Ricky’s choice of music was well received, and particularly so by the younger members of the audience.
We Will Remember Them ...
The mild weather held out long enough for the annual Remembrance Sunday ceremony, which happened to fall on the 11th November this year. As in previous years, there was a marvellous turn out on the Market Place on Sunday morning. It is really encouraging to see how many of the young people of the town attend this event. In future years the support of this generation will be so vital in carrying on the work of the Royal British Legion in the town.
Why are they selling poppies, mummy? Selling poppies in town today?
The poppies, child, are flowers of love for the men who marched away.
But why have they chosen a poppy mummy? Why not a beautiful rose?
Because, my child, men fought and died in the fields where the poppies grow.
But why are the poppies red mummy? Why are the poppies so red?
Red is the colour of blood my child. The blood our soldiers shed.
The heart of the poppy is black, mummy. Why does it have to be black?
Black, my child, is the symbol of grief for the men who never came back.
But why, mummy, are you crying so? Your tears are giving you pain.
My tears are fears for you my child, for the
I recently visited the site of the first commercial wind farm in the UK. This came into operation in 1991 and is at Delabole, the third highest village in Cornwall. Although the wind farm has been operational for only 16 years, the operators have recently announced plans to ‘repower’ the site by removing the current 10 turbines and replacing them with larger turbines, albeit a lower number. This proposal seems to be causing some consternation amongst local residents. Cornwall has seven operational wind farms, including Cold Northcott which opened in April 1993. The Cold Northcott wind farm straddles the A395 as it crosses Napps Moor. Strangely enough when I visited Cold Northcott in April this year, and then again in October, all 22 turbines were stationary.
Drift Way update
Another long-running saga is that of the completion of the Drift Way link road in Olney. The road appears to have been almost complete and ready to open for many months, indeed there were hopes that it might open in time for Christmas last year. Serious concerns about the delay in opening the road were raised with the main contractor, Wimpey, in the autumn, after which assurances were given that the outstanding issues of highway lighting, signage and
and prospective parents of children at the school. The new facilities were made possible
by the allocation of a grant from Milton Keynes Council under the Primary Investment Programme. The contract to update the school’s IT equipment was put out to tender and was won by Mouchel (formerly HBS), who work in partnership with Milton Keynes Council. Jeff Bowden, a teaching assistant at the school, also became involved with the IT
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