Page 23 - Phonebox Magazine February 2008

Councillor Corner
A contribution from Councillor Steve Clark
Driftway open at long last!
The long-awaited extension to connect Aspreys with the A509 finally opened on Friday 11 January and a steady stream of traffic was already benefiting from the new piece of highway as the evening traffic peak occurred. This road should prove to be of immense benefit to the town, relieving traffic congestion at the bottom of Yardley Road and making access to the industrial estate much easier. Construction of the new road began in August 2006, with completion expected within 16 weeks. In reality, Taylor Wimpey have actually taken 72 weeks to get this short piece of highway open to traffic! Having fought so hard to get this road paid for and built by the developer, I am angry that they have shown utter contempt to Milton Keynes Council and the residents of Olney. They have failed to explain why they have dragged this project out for over a year longer than expected, or why they were not prepared to explain their abysmal performance to the people of the town.
Approaching Wellingborough Road from Yardley Road – photo by Chris Digby
Petsoe wind farm decision challenged
The decision of the Council’s Development Control Committee to grant planning permission for a wind farm at Petsoe End was greeted with dismay by the local campaigners who had fought a sustained campaign against it. Within 24 hours of the meeting, the process was put on hold after it was discovered that there was a rarely-used rule in the Council’s constitution that allowed decisions of the Development Control Committee to be referred back to the full council if it could be shown that the decision-making process was flawed. To this end, a group of councillors representing the rural areas of the borough signed a motion to request that the council rescind the decision of 17th December and refer the matter back to the committee for further consideration. Concerns had been expressed about the impartiality of the Council’s consultants, White Young Green, and also about the validity of the evidence. Also, because of the quirks of planning law, the Development Control Committee had not been able to take into account the potential efficiency of the wind turbines. I was particularly concerned that the applicants seemed to be basing the eventual choice of turbine on what might be available at the time of installation, rather than what would be the most appropriate for this situation. Additionally, there had been concerns expressed about the fact that some important material had not been released to committee members and that some of the photo montages issued by the developer were being
used to play down the prominence of the turbines, which at 125 m high would totally dominate the surrounding countryside.
The rescinding motion was considered at the full council meeting held on Tuesday 8th January 2008. The motion was moved and seconded by the two ward members for Olney. When put to the vote, the council rejected the motion by 25 votes to 22 and so the planning permission granted on 17th December stands and will now proceed to a stage where a Decision Notice is issued to the developer. It seems inevitable now that those who fought so hard against the wind farm application will launch a judicial review into the way that the Council handled the planning process.
Olney Town Dinner a great success
The Annual Town Dinner really is one of the social highlights in the town and this year’s event, which took place on Friday 4th January, was no exception. The guests, including a number of representatives from various voluntary organisations, enjoyed a thoroughly pleasant evening despite the rather grim weather that evening. Town Mayor John Smail gave the customary speech during the proceedings, at which point the guests were advised that a transcript would be provided for those who couldn’t understand John’s accent! The catering this year was provided by Much Ado Catering, based in Stanley Court, and there was unanimous agreement that Matthew and his team had done an absolutely superb job. Full marks must also go to that fine body of people who put all of the hard work into organising the event such that everything went off without a hitch.
Steve with fellow diners Tamsin Rawlings and Peter Evans – photo by Jeremy Rawlings
Amersham rescue operation
Many people in the Olney area are aware of my role as Chairman of Redwings Horse Sanctuary, the largest equine charity in the UK, so it came as no surprise that I received a vast number of enquiries and messages of support following press reports of a very large scale rescue operation mounted by the charity in association with the I.L.P.H., Blue Cross and others. Following a complaint from a member of the public, RSPCA officers and colleagues from Thames Valley Police attended a Farm in Hyde Heath near Amersham on Friday 4th January. The scene they discovered was one of utter neglect, with numerous emaciated horses evident, along with the bodies of others that had apparently been left where they fell. 32 equines had already died and a further 3 had to be put to sleep as
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Phonebox Magazine 23