Page 38 - Phonebox Magazine April 2016

Please tell us what you think
At the February Olney Town Council meeting, councillors approved the pre-submission consultation edition of the Olney Neighbourhood Plan. You may recall that we have sought your views on many aspects of the future of the
town by issuing to all Olney households the original questionnaire that came out in the autumn of 2014. That was followed up in March 2015 by a survey asking more detailed questions on housing, and we issued a Site Allocations Plan consultation document in August to make quite sure we understood what you wanted.
We believe that the Plan follows your views and contributes to sustainable development. The new housing sites are where the majority of respondents want them, as are the areas allocated for providing employment. There will eventually be about 90 affordable homes with local people having priority and 50% being for shared ownership. Objectives, numbered six to nine, of the Plan concern how the town operates, and the Town Council is setting up a group to work out how these policies can be turned into actions, so that when the Plan gets approved in a referendum we have a way forward. Some of the possible infrastructure projects and their funding will be complicated
as there will be a number of organisations involved.
This article is part of the formal notification that the draft plan is subject to a six week consultation period beginning on 4th April and finishing on 16th May. The Plan can be viewed on line at olneyplan.com/draft-plan and hard copies can be obtained from the Town Council offices and Library at the Olney Centre. We invite your comments by letter, on-line at olneyplan.com/draft-plan, e-mail to consultation@olneytowncouncil. gov.uk. If you would like to come and talk to us to give us your views we are holding a drop-in session at the Olney Centre from 10am to 4pm on Saturday 7th May.
Copies of the Plan have been sent to the statutory consultees and to Milton Keynes Council (MKC) as part of this pre-submission consultation to ensure that it meets all the legal obligations. All comments will be carefully taken into account in preparing the final version of the Plan. The Neighbourhood Plan will then be subject to an independent examination.
If the neighbourhood plan is found to be satisfactory, with modifications if necessary, then MKC will arrange for a referendum to take place of local people on the plan.
Olney Model Railway Club
At the club AGM at the end of January, all the club officers were re-elected without a vote being necessary as the members were very satisfied with how the club is being run.
Most discussion centred around our major project, the Olney Station layout. People who have visited our exhibitions over the past couple of years will appreciate what a large project it is.
In view of the size of the project separate teams have been set up to work on track and electrical control, buildings, and scenery. At every meeting there is a progress report from the various groups to ensure coordination of each groups efforts.
Track for the scenic part of the layout has now been laid and work is beginning on the more scenic aspects of the project. The photo shows a small group, at one of the February meetings, discussing how the building representing the station buildings, platforms and forecourt can best be placed. In the foreground can be seen the mock-up of the main station building.
Although the membership is growing we are still seeking more new members of any level of skill and experience, from beginners to experts, to assist in building exhibition layouts, to develop their model-making skills or just to run their trains on a much larger track than most people have available at home.
The club meets every Thursday from 7.30 in the permanent club room
38 Phonebox Magazine | April 2016
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behind the Carlton Club. Members have a wide range of interests from live steam models to n gauge. For more information the club website is www.olneymrc.org.uk, or just come along and join in or phone 01234 241686 for more details.