Page 19 - Phonebox Magazine June 2009

changed from one ward to either two or four wards. This would mean that each councillor would represent only people resident in their ward and that there would be a certain number of councillors elected from each ward. Olney councillors remain against this proposal.
David Rumens said that the proposals were now in the consultation stage and members of the public and councils had until the end of July to notify and identify issues. Nigel Birrell said that he had conducted a small door to door survey and 80% of those asked were unaware of the proposals or the impact that it would have on the composition of OTC. Debbie Brock said that she and fellow ward councillor Peter Geary were considering a survey to each household in the town explaining the proposals in order to gauge if the electorate agreed with the principle of warding and if so, did they agree with the proposed boundaries. Tony Evans said that he was not against the proposals just to be difficult and it was not about members of OTC wanting
to protect their precious seats. The feeling expressed by other councillors was that MKC simply do not understand the non- political nature of local councils. Nigel Birrell noted that MKC had previously agreed to place a notice in The Phonebox explaining the warding options but this had so far not happened.
Driftway
As perennial an issue as the weeds currently springing up on the banks of said thoroughfare! Tony Evans said that a site meeting had been held with officers from MKC. The verges had now been flattened and seeded with grass that could be mown but the seeding of the steep bank had been a failure. None of the seeds sown last autumn had taken and it could only be reseeded again in autumn this year. The bank was merely an unsightly heap of rubble and clay, he said. Mike Hughes pointed out that the original objective of the plan by MKC was to specifically not provide any top soil in order to encourage the growth of wild flowers.
Flattening of the high bank and reseeding with grass was probably not an option, he said, since Wimpey were only responsible for implementing the plans of MKC, which they had done. The prohibitive cost of removing the bank and disposing of it would probably preclude its happening, he thought.
*Foot note
Although known locally as ‘Jock’, John Smail prefers Mercury to use his ‘Sunday’ name when reporting on meetings of Olney Town Council. The Mercury reporters would like to thank him for the many humorous comments and observations that we have been able to report – plus the many more that we couldn’t!
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The next meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 1st June 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.
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Phonebox Magazine 19