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10 Phonebox Magazine | September 2025Reaff rs%u2019 Le%u001a ersDisabled accessDear SirThank you for your interesting article about disabled access in Olney. I have one comment:Although there are several dropped pavements in the Market Place, they are often blocked by parked cars, making it diffi cult for us disabled users to get on and off the pavement. Elsewhere in Olney (eg, on Timsons Row) dropped pavements feature a white line on the road to indicate to drivers that disabled access may be required. Although not a legal requirement to park, it provides a visual warning to drivers to try not to block access. I think this would be a good addition to the marketplace.I%u2019m not sure who to contact about this.Thank you.Name and address supplied.Solar Flare-upDear SirPeople of Lavendon. Do you use the footpaths and bridleway at the end of Castle Road? Do you know about the massive solar farm proposal for Lavendon? Every fi eld there will be covered in solar panels. The height of the maize growing in the fi elds is about two metres. But the panels are 4.5m high. You will not be able to see anything of the countryside, even from the back of a horse. All these fi elds, too, will be covered in solar panels.The top of the bridleway near Three Shires Wood will have every fi eld covered in these solar panels. Need I go on?Is this what you want? Please do anything you can to protest against this move.Name and address supplied.Thinking about fostering?Dear SirFostering Options has been helping children fi nd safe, loving homes since 2002. We%u2019re based in Milton Keynes and are part of a small group called Futures for Children, a team that puts children and carers fi rst.Our team includes people who have been foster carers, social workers, and even someone who grew up in care, so we really understand what families need.There are diff erent types of fostering to suit your lifestyle. Some carers foster full-time, while others do short-term care like weekends or emergency support. You can even fi t fostering around your job, depending on the type you choose.We off er: %u2022 Full training and support%u2022 A strong sense of community%u2022 Regular payments and extra help when you need itIf you%u2019ve ever thought about fostering, whether it%u2019s something new or something you%u2019ve been considering for a while, we%u2019d love to talk.Foster with us, because every child deserves someone who cares. Call 0800 408 4710 or visit: www.fostering-options.orgTony DarnellFirst look at school and medical centre on Milton Keynes link roadBuildings are going up, but local people are still unhappy about road delays.These are among the fi rst pictures of a new school and medical centre that have been built along the A509 through route from Newport Pagnell to the M1 junction 14.New roundabouts have also been constructed along the route, together with further infrastructure that%u2019s being put in place to create more through routes roads off the A509 London Road to the M1 road.The new route%u2019s opening could not come soon enough for local people, who have had two years of misery since work started on the roads plan. They were originally told in September 2023 that the closure of the busy and popular link with the M1 motorway would last a year. But last September passed with no sign of the vital route opening, handing frustrated motorists another winter and spring of traffic delays and upheaval. A parallel set of works at the nearby Willen Road roundabout and road over the motorway has made matters worse for drivers, residents and businesses, particularly those in Newport Pagnell. The school and medical centre in our pictures form part of the MK East development of around 5000 new homes and business premises on the massive site between Newport Pagnell and the M1.Last month, and nearly a year later than fi rst predicted, developers Laing O%u2019Rourke said plans are %u2018on track%u2019 for the route to open on 31st August. %u201cThe A509 closure is only part of this story,%u201d said Paul Day, Mayor of Newport Pagnell. %u201cThe simultaneous Willen Rad works are not yet complete, and both only happened at the start of a decade or more of development between the M1 and Newport Pagnell.%u201d%u201cI don%u2019t know how many extra hours and extra vehicles%u2019 mileage it has cost the residents of Newport Pagnell, nor the value of trade lost to local businesses, but I do know the compensation paid as a result was zero.%u201cNewport Pagnell has had signifi cant disruption and we want the local community to receive regular, accurate updates about any future works, and for the negative impacts of those works to be minimised.%u201dSchool (above) and medical centre