Page 41 - Phonebox Magazine April 2008

Councillor Corner
A contribution from Councillor Debbie Brock
MIDDLE SCHOOL CROSSING
It has been reported that a controlled crossing will be installed at Olney Middle School in the next financial year. At the time of writing, written confirmation of this announcement has been requested from the Cabinet member responsible on behalf of; the parents involved in bringing the matter to the fore, the Middle School itself, the Town Council, MP Mark Lancaster and myself. Verbal confirmation was given in the answer to a question asked at the March council meeting however the written confirmation has not been forthcoming and I will keep readers updated on events in future columns.
CLIFTON COURT
The dire state of the access road to Clifton Court and the Kitchener Centre has been addressed. The road surface and parking areas have been dug up and a new surface is being laid. Patching the road was not considered to be an option and it was rapidly decided to resurface, unfortunately it was not possible to contact all those affected as would normally have been the procedure. Clifton Court is a warden controlled home for the elderly and a quick response was necessary in this case as a resident had been hospitalised due to tripping over a pothole.
been proposed for the area partly due to the obligation to promote such schemes and partly because the suitability of the area for such a scheme. Apparently the ‘poorer’ the soil preparation the more likely the scheme will be to flourish – the feeling was that this should not encompass the rubbish and rubble there at present and that the developer should be obliged to tidy up and kill off existing weeds etc
first. Evidently in the Autumn a preparation containing 80% grass and 20% wild flower seed would be spread and it would be hoped that in due course the desired effect would be gained – see picture above. I will continue to push for a positive outcome to see this area look a lot better than it currently does.
NEIGHBOURHOOD ACTION GROUPS
By now villages in the Olney ward will have become involved in preliminary meetings of Neighbourhood Action Groups or NAG. The ward is divided between three such groups and having been active with the Olney NAG which was a national pilot scheme, I can strongly recommend getting involved. The purpose of this forum is to enable the meeting of members of the local community with representatives of the Police, Councils, Schools, youth workers and others to discuss matters causing concern. Once an issue is identified a problem solving solution is worked out, each member of the group thereby involved in the resolution. If you would like more information about your local NAG, please do get in touch and I will put you in contact.
LOCAL ELECTIONS
The Olney Ward will be having elections on May 1 this year; these will be for parish councils and Olney Town Council. All terms of office are for four years and as the Olney Ward has two local councillors one is up for election this year. I was elected two years ago and so have two years left to complete my term, however the other seat is up for election.
As always I will be holding my regular monthly surgeries in The Olney Centre on the first Friday of every month between 7:30 and 8.30pm. If there is anything that I can help you with then please feel free to come along or contact me by e-mail or phone.
Clifton Court resident showing Cllr Debbie Brock the road outside Clifton Court. Photo: Peter Geary
POTHOLES
On the subject of potholes, many of the complaints I have been lodging at the Council have been addressed recently including the prominent ones on Spinney Hill Road outside the Infant School entrance. I see many things that need reporting but cannot see them all – if you spot a pothole or any other concerning matter, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me and I will happily refer these on.
DRIFTWAY
Local residents have recently expressed their concerns about the state of the Driftway – uprooted trees and bushes abandoned on the side of the road, the unprepared appearance of the ground, the severity of the banking and the absence of signage. On a recent site meeting it was explained by officers that a wildflower scheme had
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CONTACT INFORMATION Cllr Debbie Brock
c/o Civic Offices, 1 Saxon Gate East, CMK MK9 3HG • Tel: 07884 397253 • Email: debbie.brock@milton-keynes.gov.uk