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22 Phonebox Magazine | June 2025Newport Pagnell Mayor%u2019s UpdateNewport Pagnell Councillor CornerYou can contact the Focus team by emailing newportsouthlibdems@gmail.com or phoning 01908 216366. Follow us on Facebook %u2013 Newport Pagnell South Ward Newport Pagnell South FOCUS Team, Cllrs Jane & Andy Carr, Tony OyakhireNature reserve and additional burial spaceThe riverside walk around the old caravan park is a favourite for dog walkers and runners. To protect the area from development, we have asked the City Council to investigate creating a new nature reserve on the lower ground, whilst releasing the upper land for an extension to the now full cemetery. The area has not been used for over 10 years, with nature having reclaimed the site, so leaving this space for biodiversity would make a wonderful habitat. Further, the path running by the river often fl oods, meaning walkers cannot get around into Riverside Park, so we are asking for an additional route through the old caravan site, which will allow the lower ground to continue to be a fl ood zone. It may be possible to add fi shing and observation platforms, whilst maintaining the wilding. There will be further investigation into how the proposal can be delivered, including funding via carbon off set, as well as biodiversity grants from the various sets of building works around the town.War MemorialAfter a rather protracted investigation, the town%u2019s war memorial will be getting some remedial work to ensure the crumbling stonework is repaired. It has been diffi cult to identify the actual owner of the memorial as there are no records, but the City Council will be taking on the work due to the signifi cance of the memorial to the town. It%u2019s not unusual for the ownership of land to be lost over time or for strips of land to remain in the ownership of previous developers. Often, the land is left without being formally handed over to the City or Town Council, via a legal process called adoption. In the case of the memorial as it stands next to the church, it was assumed it sat on church land, but is in fact on the highway, as vehicles have permission to drive on and around the memorial.I am grateful to the town councillors for electing me to serve as Mayor of Newport Pagnell for the coming year. It is a great honour and privilege to represent our town and to chair our council. Congratulations to Sue Garner, who is our Deputy Mayor this year too.The town council has existed in its current form for 40 years, and so we are having a party to celebrate that milestone in September, but do you know our history?In around the 14th Century, the %u201cNewport Hundred%u201d, also known as %u201cthe three Hundreds of Newport%u201d, was created as the administrative body for the area, almost identical to what is now the whole of Milton Keynes. It existed until the 1880s, when in Victorian times it became Newport Pagnell Rural District Council. In the following years, parts of the rural district became urban districts for Fenny Stratford (later renamed as %u201cBletchley%u201d), the Town of Newport Pagnell and Wolverton. In the 1970s those three urban councils, the remaining NP rural district council were combined with a piece of Winslow Rural District to become the District of Milton Keynes, which today is the City Council. It took around ten years for a new Newport Pagnell Town Council to be created, and so although Newport has been a key name in our local government for centuries, that is why we are celebrating only our 40th birthday this year.Please add to your diary now and join the party on Bury Common from 1pm on Saturday 13th September.COMING SOON:Newport Pagnell Carnival, Road race and parades through town. Events, music, food, bar, funfair and stalls on Riverside meadow, Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th JulyThe biggest event we have in the town calendar, with so much for the whole family. Don%u2019t miss it.Soapbox Derby, Silver Street, Sunday 13th July The road race, reborn a few years ago, Phonebox readers with any comments about Newport Pagnell, can contact me at pauldayMK@outlook.comLitter Pick DatesThe dates for this year%u2019s community litter picks are: 28th June, meet at Poets estate shops at 1pm30th August, meet at the entrance at Portfi eld Ave shops at 1pm25th October, meet at Station Road Car Park at 1pmCouncillor SurgeryOur next councillor%u2019s surgery will be on 28th June from 10 to 11.30am, at the Mead Centre, Newport Pagnell, to coincide with the Repair Shop. 200 Club WinnersMarch: 1st prize, Mr Webster; 2nd prize, Ms Kennedy.April: 1st prize, anonymous; 2nd prize, Ms S Moore. You can contact the Focus team by emailing newportsouthlibdems@gmail.com or by phoning 01908 216366. Follow us on Facebook %u2013 Newport Pagnell South Ward. Birthday Party Invitationreturns the weekend after carnival to start another relaxing Sunday.