Page 24 - Demo

24 Phonebox Magazine | May 2025Olney Ward Councillor Corner CONTACT DEBBIE:Tel: 07494 681907 / debbie.whitworth@miltonkeynes.gov.ukMy ward surgeries are every Tuesday, 10am-12pm at the Olney Centre. No need to book, just pop along.Cllr Debbie WhitworthLast month, I was accompanied by our MP Chris Curtis, who agreed to come and meet with residents at Osier Way %u2013 Cllr Hillier joined.The residents relayed their concerns, and we were able to show Chris on a walkabout to the site entrance exactly what the residents of Olney have been having to endure and spoke at length about the proposed planning application and how it would impact them and our beautiful historic market townFor clarity it is not the role of the MP to get involved in planning matters, but having met with residents to visit the site, Chris understands there are serious concerns and will raise this at his next regular meeting with MKCC.On the issues with Anglian Water, Chris assured the residents he would write to both Anglian Water and the developer to chase action and try and get some accountability out of them and will be happy to share whatever response he receives with me and the residents.Many residents across the ward have recently been asking me about speed reduction at certain locations which I have responded to in great detail. For anyone interested in 20mph applications %u2013 MK City Council will only consider a 20mph application that meets the criteria, which include already having a 30mph speed limit, being in a built-up area and having the support of the majority of local residents, which should be evidenced in a petition. MKCC will not introduce a 20mph limit to one street; it must be a 20mph zone, so adjacent streets must also be suitable for a 20mph limit.A 20mph limit is self-enforcing, and in some locations, it may be necessary to install speed humps or similar along with the usual signage.To be eligible for a 20mph speed limit introduction, your area must meet the following conditions:%u2022 Located within a built-up area in an urban area, town, or village within the MK Borough where vehicles and pedestrians will mix.%u2022 Ideally, the area of the proposed 20mph zone should be bounded by grid roads, other main roads, or geographical features, such as parks, rivers, canals, railways etc.%u2022 Have an existing speed limit that is 40mph or under.%u2022 Allow for 20mph signs to be applied to allow self-enforcement.%u2022 Have the support of the local parish/town or community council and at least two ward councillors.%u2022 Can evidence local community support for a reduced speed limit in an area (petition)If you are a low-income household in MK, you could qualify for Free energy upgrades.Only households without gas heating qualifi ed before, but the updated scheme will now include those with gas heating as well as those on a means-tested benefi t and living in a home with an Energy Performance Certifi cate (EPC) rating of D, E, F or G. The grant is available to landlords as well as private tenants. See the link below for further information -https://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/news/2025/free-energy-upgrades-low-incomehouseholds-milton-keynesThursday, 8th May, marks 80 years since the end of the Second World War. Let us honour and remember the brave men and women who defended the freedoms we enjoy today and celebrate a future built on unity, hope, love and peace.Flood Meeting in LavendonOn 25th March we held a meeting in Lavendon for those concerned about fl ooding and what we are pushing to be done in the future. Flooding has been a consistent problem in Lavendon, and despite a plan being drawn up after the 2012 fl oods of how physical measures can be built to provide fl ood protection to the village, these plans were scrapped in 2016 by the Labour administration of the Milton Keynes City Council (MKCC). This meeting was the fi rst time in many years that MKCC had agreed to come and talk to residents about the issues and what they are hoping to do about it. Positive things that came out of the meeting included MKCC getting many more details of the properties that had fl ooded in September 2024, which is vital for more government money to be accessed. The MKCC team will now be going door to door in the aff ected areas of the village to make sure all properties aff ected are recorded. The Parish Council has recorded that 48 homes fl ooded and knows of a number of other properties. However, before the meeting, MKCC was only aware of 22 fl ooded homes; this increased to 35 by the end of the meeting, with more to be recorded. Flooding is turning into one of the biggest issues MKCC is having to deal with. We have taken 3 motions to Council in the last few months, as well as attending scrutiny committee meetings to put the case for further measures. While MKCC is looking at mitigation measures to help individuals protect properties through a local village fl ood group we will continue to push them and any other agencies that can provide funding to get the fl ood alleviation scheme for the village built.Further Housing Proposed in VillagesLast year we reported that MKCC were starting to plan where new housing should be built in the Borough. In the initial plans, lots of homes were proposed across the rural areas but were not recommended to be progressed at that stage by MKCC. It has become clear that another signifi cant site at Lavendon is being promoted using the same process. Approaches have also been made to Sherington Parish Council. These have no more or less likelihood of being granted than any other schemes in the rural area, it is worth noting that no new houses have been recommended for existing rural communities apart from the massive urban extension between Moulsoe and Chicheley. This could all change in the next iteration of the plan, which publication has been delayed until autumn, which will then be open for consultation for 12 weeks. If the rural areas are aff ected by this we will ensure that people are kept informed of proposals and how they can make comments if they wish to.Green Bin ChargesWe%u2019ve reported previously about the proposals for MKCC to start charging for more than one green bin; this was approved in the MKCC budget. This has led to some people having tags affi xed to their bins to inform them of the change. Therefore just to let people know, if you have more than one green bin you will have to pay %u00a355 a year per bin for the second and, if needed, third green bin, from the middle of May. If you do you will get a sticker that shows the bin men it can be emptied; if you do not then they will only empty one green bin from each property. Charges will also be levied on other buildings such as churches which MKCC have to take the waste and recycling. We think this policy is madness and will cause problems and confusion for many. We tried to stop the charges for churches but even though it would only cost MKCC %u00a32,000, the Labour administration still refused to accept it should be stopped. Where these additional charges will be levied next we will see at the end of the fi nancial year. Business rates & increases in National InsuranceIn the Autumn budget the Labour government decided to scrap the scheme of business rates relief that had been in place since Covid for small shops and businesses on high streets, including pubs. Additionally, they reduced the threshold for employers to pay national insurance which has hit many small shops and businesses. We are aware this has been aff ecting some businesses in Olney and the other villages. Following on from some work done by a councillor in a neighbouring area we will be talking to businesses in the coming weeks about the impact of these tax rises and how it will aff ect their businesses going forward.Olney Ward Councillor CornerCllr Keith McLean Cllr Peter GearyCONTACT US: Keith: 07983 456081 keith.mclean@milton-keynes.gov.uk :: Peter: 07774 939404 peter.geary@milton-keynes.gov.ukOsier Way planning concern