Page 50 - January Phonebox Magazine 2012

Councillor Corner
A contribution from Cllr Debbie Brock and Cllr Peter Geary
As we write this month winter has finally arrived after a very warm autumn. we are waking up to frost in the morning and some snow and the weather is gradually becoming more what we expect in winter. Along with these come other things that we have come to expect in the winter such as potholes. it is also all the more important to make sure street lamps are working and that grit bins are full. if you come across newly forming potholes or street lamps that are not working or indeed grit bins that are getting low then please get in touch giving us as much information as you can as where the problem is and we will report it and aim to get the problem resolved as quickly as possible.
Drain Cover Thefts
You may have seen a run of cones along the A509 between the Chicheley Hill roundabout and the turning to sherington. these have been put to temporarily cover drains where the drain covers have been stolen by thieves for scrap metals, until Milton Keynes Council can get new ones to replace them. Metal thefts are a growing problem with numerous sites across both the rural and urban areas of Milton Keynes and further afield being hit. the council is replacing the stolen grids with lockable versions where possible however this is very costly and more importantly if they are left unmarked it is very dangerous to all road users especially cyclists and pedestrians. intelligence is being gathered on who is doing this but the Police need you to keep an eye out and check what is going on. if you see anyone lifting drain covers at night, even if the van looks official then please contact the Police on 101 immediately. if possible make a note of the registration number of the vehicle and they will be able to check very quickly if they are official road workers or thieves. if you notice drain covers or manholes have disappeared then please get in contact so we can make sure the area is made safe.
Christmas Rubbish Collections
with Christmas coming up and a number of bank holidays in a row the rubbish collections will be disrupted. the times they are to be changed to are listed below.
You may remember last year
collections faced much
disruption, changing with little
notice being given. A service
existed then that was little
known about where you can
have updates on rubbish
collection service sent to you by text or e-mail. this is a service that has become more popular throughout the year, if services have to change for whatever reason you will receive a text or e-mail giving you an update. if you don’t wish to register you can find up to date information on the website. Both services can be found at www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/recycling and click on Collections service Update. if you don’t have access to the internet and don’t use mobile phones then hopefully a neighbour will be able to keep you informed.
Wind farm update
we reported last month the very disappointing result of the appeal for the Nunn wood wind farm. Loosing the appeal was bad enough but the way the appeal was announced with moving the decision date forward to beat the imposition of the localism act which would have changed the policy for wind turbines is seen as a complete affront to the democratic process. the council have seen this for what it is and have investigated all legal routes to challenge the outcome. it is possible for inspector’s decisions to be challenged although this is rarely done. Milton Keynes Council has sought legal advice from a barrister as to whether they can challenge and at the time of writing are considering it. in the meantime the MPs for the affected area, Mark Lancaster and Peter Bone have been busy raising the issue in Parliament, at least three times, Mark Lancaster asking a question to the Prime Minister at question time on wednesday 7th December. the legal ramifications, the chances of success and the costs have to be worked through before any challenge to the decision is launched but this has to be done quickly. By the time you read this, the decision will have been made and the process underway or scrapped, however no matter what the decision, the ability of a planning inspector to ignore not just the will of local people but also the will of Parliament in this way needs to be changed.
As usual we will be running our surgery on Friday 6th January, the first Friday of the month at the Olney Centre, between 7.30 – 8.30. If there are any problems we can help you with then please come along or contact us by phone or email. We would also like to wish readers a very peaceful New Year.
Stolen drain covers on the A509
Week following Christmas
Normal collection day
Monday 26th December tuesday 27th December wednesday 28th December thursday 29th December Friday 30th December
First week of January
Monday 2nd January tuesday 3rd January wednesday 4th January thursday 5th January Friday 6th January
Second week of January
Monday 9th January tuesday 10th January wednesday 11th January thursday 12th January Friday 13th January
Revised collection day
wednesday 28th December thursday 29th December Friday 30th December saturday 31st December tuesday 3rd January
wednesday 4th January thursday 5th January
Friday 6th January saturday 7th January Monday 9th January
tuesday 10th January wednesday 11th January thursday 12th January Friday 13th January saturday 14th January
weather permitting all collections should return to normal on Monday 16th January. the community recycling centres are open during the winter months from 8am – 5pm with the exception of the following days:
Christmas eve 8am – 1pm Christmas Day closed all day Boxing Day closed all day New Year’s eve 8am – 1pm New Year’s Day closed all day
50 Phonebox Magazine