Page 51 - Phonebox Magazine November 2014

COUNCILLOR CORNER
A contribution from Cllr Debbie Brock & Cllr Peter Geary
Lavendon Culvert... It’s finally complete!
If you have driven down the Olney Road in Lavendon recently, you will have seen the road has now re-opened, having been closed for almost three months. In this time, the culvert under the road has been replaced with one twice the size, and the road above has been resurfaced. Work will now commence to clear the brook down stream from the culvert. There are a number of blockages in the course of the stream, from trees, foliage and even an abandoned fridge. The resurfacing work will continue to Langlands in future resurfacing schedules.
Minerals Local Plan
Gravel extraction has been a big issue for people in the Olney and Sherington Wards for decades. Aggregates, by their very nature, are usually found along rivers, and as the Ouse Valley makes up most of the wards, there are potential sites for extraction that could affect everybody. Over time, some gravel has been extracted at Ravenstone, and indeed at Emberton, a site that was later turned into Emberton Park.
As a planning authority, Milton Keynes Council has a duty to put together a Minerals Local Plan. This is a document that sets both what we feel is a sustainable level of mineral extraction in MK, and also highlights sites where that resource should be drawn from. In the past, Milton Keynes had to dig in the region of 90,000 tonnes of gravel every year. It was proposed in 2009, as part of the regional targets, that this figure should rise to over 100,000 tonnes, and Peter went to the examination in public to speak against the proposal. In the end, the change of government in 2010 meant that top down targets were removed, and local councils could decide their local targets. In doing so, they have to take into account what the local demand is, and as a growing place, Milton Keynes has a continuing need for aggregates. If a plan is not put in place, then companies wanting to extract gravel will be able to apply for extraction anywhere in MK where deposits
exist, therefore it is important that a plan is developed.
The MKC Cabinet, at its meeting in October, agreed that a consultation should take place to start developing a local plan for minerals extraction. This consultation runs for 12 weeks and in that time it is hoped that as many people as possible will feed into it. As part of this, we are proposing to hold a number of public meetings where you can come along and talk to the officers concerned, look at the plans and feed your views into the consultation. We will inform people in future publications of the dates of these meetings. If you wish to look at the information and comment on the consultation, have a look on the MKC Website.
The MK Rose
Designed by Gordon Young, the MK Rose is a round granite piazza, which uses the design and some of the materials of the old pond it now replaces in Campbell Park, Central Milton Keynes. The intricate granite floor design, is based on the geometry of a flower- head, and is punctuated at mathematically calculated intervals by 105 engraved granite columns of varying heights. Sixty-five of the columns have been engraved with different dates, selected for their importance or meaningfulness to the people of Milton Keynes.
For over two years, Gordon Young has worked with communities, individuals and groups from across Milton Keynes, to gather dates for the Rose. The final pillar dates have been carefully selected by an independent panel to celebrate local pride, commemorate events of international importance, and to enable us the opportunity for personal contemplation, celebration and commemoration. The MK Rose will open to the public on November 9th 2013, with 65 dated pillars, leaving 40 for future events. All are welcome at the Opening Event from 12-approx 2pm on Saturday 9th November.
Some of interest to Olney, will include a column to celebrate the writings of William
Cowper, one to celebrate the hymn Amazing Grace, written by John Newton in Olney in 1772, and also The Pancake Race. Burying of the Hatchet also appears, after the Universities of Oxford & Cambridge met on the Knoll in Sherington to make their peace, equidistance between the two places on the 24th of February 1935. There will also be a column to mark Armistice Day on November 11th, a pillar that was unveiled on 11/11/11 at the old pond site. The Mayor of Milton Keynes, Councillor Brian White, will be hosting the first event at The MK Rose on November 11th at 10.45, commemorating Armistice Day. All are welcome.
Emberton Park - a sustainable future
Emberton Country Park was the first country park in Europe, and blazed a trail for a whole range to come across the continent. Built on a disused gravel site, the park was developed by the then local authority, Newport Pagnell Rural District Council. In 1974, when the local government re-organisation took place, the park was transferred to Milton Keynes Council. Over the next nearly 40 years, Emberton Park has gone through many phases, and has been an important part of many local people’s lives. Over the past decade and more, however the park has slowly declined with the necessary investment to replace the ageing infrastructure not forthcoming, and has become a shadow of its former self. What has not declined, however, is the fondness with which the park is held for many people. We have been striving to find a sustainable way forward, where the park can receive the necessary investment it needs to bring it back to its former glory, while also protecting the very essence of what it is: somewhere that has nature and conservation at its very heart, not a place that becomes over developed in the search for income.
To further this need, at the November Cabinet meeting, a paper will be put to the Cabinet in Milton Keynes that will see Emberton Park transfer on a 999 year lease to The Parks Trust.
The Parks Trust is based in Milton Keynes and looks after over 1800 hectares of park land in Milton Keynes. They do this not through public funding, but through the investments they make, which returns an investment that currently sees over £4m spent on maintaining their parks. The Parks Trust have the resources to invest in Emberton Park, and we are sure that over the coming years, we’ll see much needed improvements for all users and visitors. The transfer is part of a deal, that will also see land in which The Parks Trust has an interest, given up for the construction of a New National Badminton Centre which will be a further great asset for Milton Keynes.
Surgery
We will be holding our usual surgery on Friday 1st of November between 7.30 and 8.30pm. If you have any issues then please do come along or contact us on the details above.
Phonebox Magazine 51