Page 42 - Phonebox Magazine November 2010

Mercury Report – Olney
Town Council Meeting on Monday 4th October 2010
Public participation
No member of the public wished to speak at this month’s meeting.
Special constables
There has been much discussion at recent council meetings as to the possibility of supplementing the existing police presence in the local area by the use of Special Police Constables. Chief Inspector Alistair Borland of Thames Valley Police and a Special Constable himself was present to address the council on the matter. Insp. Borland gave a brief history of the force before going on to explain how officers are recruited and deployed locally. He explained that the concept of a special force, manned by volunteers, predated the regular force we have today. There had been many changes in the last 10 – 15 years and the specials now come under the same regulations as the regulars. Unlike the Police Community Support Officers, they are unpaid but have the same uniform and powers of arrest as regulars. The role defines that they will spend approximately 50% of their time on ‘neighbourhood policing’. They are deployed on planned operations such as raves, drug busts and MK Dons fixtures, as well as being reserves to the regular force on unplanned operations such as searches for missing persons etc. The special compliment of Thames Valley Police is 444 officers, of which 63 are in the Milton Keynes Command Unit, and seven are attached to Newport Pagnell police station. On average Special Constables perform 1.2 arrests per day, but it is common for them to perform eight to 10 over the course of a weekend. They are expected to be on duty for a minimum average of 4 hours per week but most do more. The average for Milton Keynes is 26 hours per month. Applicants must be EU citizens over the age of 18, but there is no upper limit so long as the applicant can pass the medical assessment. Successful applicants receive 9 weekends of residential training followed by a post induction assessment. They then attend training evenings every six weeks. After two years they are granted ‘independent patrol status, meaning that they can patrol ‘solo’. Insp. Borland finished by saying that the present government had announced plans to increase the numbers of Special Constables by around 30% nationally and Milton Keynes was expected to have around 700 by March 2011.
Della Cheal asked the question which many members were keen to know: if Olney had one or more specials could they be called away to other parts of Milton Keynes, if
required. Insp. Borland replied that some forces had Parish Officers working from their own homes but in Milton Keynes there is no concept of ‘local’ special constables. Each officer can elect to be attached to a particular basic Command Unit and they express a preference for which station they wished to be attached to and in 97% of cases they would get that choice. The role defines that they spend 50% of their time in their local area and in practice it is usually 60 – 70%. However, the control room would deploy officers to incidents anywhere in Milton Keynes, as and when required.
Debbie Brock asked how the shifts and available resource is balanced. Insp. Borland said that officers have to commit to working the minimum hours but occasionally he has to request that they work extra duties to meet operational requirements. Except in times of full scale war he cannot oblige them to do so, he said.
Della Cheal asked if would be possible for a unit of specials to be based in Olney. Insp. Borland replied that nearest base would be Newport Pagnell but if the number of Olney residing officers there reached a particular ‘critical mass’ he could consider a base in the town.
More information on Thames Valley Police Special Constabulary is available at: http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/joinus/join -vpoloff/join-vpoloff-special.htm
Public access to Doff’s Field
The Rugby club have requested that Olney Town Council withdraw their application for a public footpath around the perimeter of Doff’s Field, which was submitted in January 2004. The main bone of contention appears to be that the application also included a footpath diagonally across the field. The council agreed to withdraw that particular part of the application.
Farmers’ Market
The Farmers’ Market traders want to promote a more ‘festive’ theme to the markets in October and November with Morris Dancers and a brass band. Additionally, they would like to be able to offer hot food in the form of high quality burgers. To date the council has resisted any hot food on either of the markets with the exception of special events such as Dickens, BOFF or Pancake Race etc, for fear that it would set a precedent. It was agreed that this would be allowed for the November Sunday Market (the October Market having already been held on the previous day), but only stalls already selling food would be permitted to sell hot food.
Refurbishment of Market Place toilets
Tony Evans presented the revised costs and some possible layout plans for the refurbishment of the toilets on the Market Place. The budget of £38.5k, including 10% contingency was agreed by a majority and a small sub-committee will be formed to liaise with architect Bill Bethune on the final details.
The Birds...!
The waste bins around the Market Place are subject to attack by flocks of marauding birds eager to feast on the remains of discarded pizzas, burgers and kebabs. The council will replace them with bins with ‘seagull flaps’ at a cost of £250 each. Although the Market Place is not generally troubled by larus argentatus it is expected that the bins will be equally effective in deterring corvus olneyitus!
Council rents
In view of the current difficult financial situation facing local clubs and societies the town council voted unanimously not to increase the rental rates for services and facilities.
Dickens of a Christmas
The Park and Ride for Dickens of a Christmas will once again operate from Emberton Park, but the park management are insisting that it is properly marshalled this year. If any local group or group of individuals would like to take up this franchise, please get in touch with the Town Clerk.
Town Council Guide
Discussion took place around the value of this guide and whether or not it should be published next year. Mercury assumed from the discussion that it is published by a private company and the costs are covered by the advertising therein, so there is no cost to the council. Mike Hughes was of the opinion that the guide no longer served a useful purpose and Deidre Bethune wondered if it had now been superseded by The Phonebox. Perhaps the council should sound out the Chamber of Trade, since their members would be asked to sponsor by advertising, she suggested. Town Clerk gill Edmondson noted that they are held by local outlets such as estate agents and the Museum. The Council office had already given out its entire stock of this year’s edition to visitors, she said, and observed that it contained a very good map of the town. Eventually it was agreed to go ahead with publication since there will be no cost to the council involved, although John Sharp requested that the fact that it is free should be prominently displayed on the front cover,
42 Phonebox Magazine