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22 Phonebox Magazine | August 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 OyakhireLocal Young Voices in Local DemocracyWe have made a commitment to championing young people and engaging with them to help them gain a better understanding of local Government. This summer, we were delighted to welcome work experience students from several local schools, including two students from Ousedale Sixth, for a week of hands-on political work experience. They brought a keen interest in local politics, government, and what the future could look like for their city.James, who is currently studying Politics, English Language, and Sociology, wants to go on to study Politics and Foreign Relations at university.Refl ecting on his experience, he said: %u201cMy placement has taught me how the City Council functions beyond elections. It%u2019s been a real eye-opener, understanding how policies are put in place and the challenges local government is under when it comes down to fi nances. It%u2019s been a fantastic insight to learn more about how the City Council works with MPs to raise important issues in parliament.%u201d Rhia, who is also studying Politics, as well as History and Psychology, hopes to continue Psychology at university, and has also found the experience helpful:%u201cSeeing the plans for the new infrastructure and sustainable waste disposal really stood out to me %u2013 it%u2019s exciting to see that Milton Keynes is investing in a greener future. I%u2019ve also found it interesting learning more about the Youth Council and how more young people can get involved in local government.A highlight for me was attending the Full Council meeting, where the Youth Council have a dedicated space to ask questions on issues that are important to young people across the city.%u201dBoth students have spent time with Liberal Democrat councillors and City Council The Town Council cannot control what the City Council do or how they do it, but we can speak up for local communities and do exert infl uence that sometimes adjusts their plans. This was made more diffi cult recently as MKCC removed the ability of parish councils to %u2018call-in%u2019 Executive decisions. I spoke against that change at the MKCC meeting.I highlighted that I was actually serving on MKCC when that was introduced, as we considered it vital for local democracy as a check and balance to the unitary authority (of which I was a member of the fi rst Cabinet). That was partly why, as an administration at the time, we were committed to every part of the Borough (now City) having a local council giving residents a voice.Moulsoe Parish has ensured their identity as a village will be preserved despite the MK East development, which leaves the new area without an eff ective parish council to represent the folks that do, and will, live there, and likely to include many nextgeneration folks from Newport Pagnell.If it did exist, we would work with them as our new neighbour, but as many important decisions will be made shaping MK East before the population is big enough to create such a parish, we%u2019ve instead off ered to help be a shadow parish.It%u2019s more work for us town councillors, but worth it to help a new neighbour settle in and to avoid every decision falling exclusively to MKCC and the developers. Decisions made now and soon may impact forever on the residents of the new development and on our town, so we want them to be the right decisions. We hope local people will support that idea.Diary reminders%u2022%u2002 We are promised that the A509 will open from the town to the motorway no later than 31st August.%u2022%u2002 Reminder to join the town council%u2019s 40th birthday party on Bury Common from 1pm on Saturday 13th September. Let me know what you think.Phonebox readers with any comments about Newport Pagnell, can contact me at pauldayMK@outlook.com I am also on social media @pauldayMK on Facebook. offi cers, gaining a behind-the-scenes view of how local democracy works in practice %u2013 from policy development to planning for 2050.We are proud to support and encourage the next generation. Their enthusiasm is a reminder of how vital it is to involve young people in local decision-making and inspire them to see local politics as a force for positive change in their communities.Litter Pick DatesThe dates for our next community litter picks are:30th August %u2013 meet at the entrance at Portfi eld Ave shops at 1pm25th October %u2013 meet at Station Road Car Park at 1pmCouncillor SurgeryOur next councillor%u2019s surgery will be on 30th July from 10 to 11.30am, at the Mead Centre, Newport Pagnell, to coincide with the Repair Shop. Local voice