Page 24 - Demo

24 Phonebox Magazine | December 2025Mercury Report Public ParticipationOnly one person from the public, Martyn Wilkinson, showed up to chat, and he was, once again, there to talk about speed limits in Olney.Last time he spoke, he was mildly admonished for getting slightly loud. He explained it was partly because of his hearing, and he asked for a heads-up if it happened again. (Spoiler: it didn%u2019t! He was very calm and measured.)Martyn%u2019s main point was that even though the people who enforce traffi c (at MK) say drivers don%u2019t speed down roads like Weston Road and the smaller streets off the main high street... well, they absolutely do.He knows new signs cost money, but his simple suggestion was: Why not just make the entire town of Olney a 20mph zone? It would make things clear, even if not everyone follows it. He thinks the real problem is that with all the heavy traffi c, people are constantly looking for shortcuts, and they zoom through.Martyn is worried because no matter how much he tries to explain this to the traffi c offi cers, he feels like they ignore the residents%u2019 concerns. His fear is that one day there%u2019s going to be a terrible accident.The Junction Mess: Martyn also mentioned that the road markings at the bottom of Weston Road (near the Co-Op entrance) are a mess %u2013 no one knows who has the right of way there.The Big Ask: He requested that the council put forward the idea of a town-wide 20mph limit.Apologies of AbsenceAbsent: Councillors Tennant, Chennells, and Rowland. Colin Rodden was also absent.Confl ict of InterestNo Confl icts: None of the councillors present had any personal interest in the items being discussed (meaning no confl icts of interest).Finances & ReportsThe minutes of the previous meeting were approved unanimously.The Expenditure and budget to date was passed with full agreement, and Chris Shaw said regarding the budget %u2013 if some of the fi gures looked odd, then it was to do with timing issues, and everything was well on track %u2013 and everyone seemed reassured.Ward ReportsCouncillor Peter Geary was on duty this month and had a lot of important stuff to go over!The Future of Milton Keynes (MK)First up, he talked about the MK New City Plan. It sounds like things are growing fast!Besides the housing areas we already know about, there%u2019s going to be signifi cant growth in the area known as Milton Keynes East. This expansion will apparently reach almost to the top of Chicheley Hill.He mentioned that the offi cial MK plan didn%u2019t even include all the new growth areas. We%u2019ll have to wait and see what other spots the MK Development Corporation adds to the list.Big Cuts to the Fire ServiceNext, he covered a big, potentially controversial topic: cuts to the Fire Service.The Bucks Fire Authority are currently seeking input on proposed cuts.Buckinghamshire currently has 30 fi re engines, and the proposal could slash that down to 23 %u2013 a loss of seven engines!Action Item! This is something the public can weigh in on, either by responding directly to the consultation or by going through their local councillors.A Bit of Drama: This issue is a huge deal in Milton Keynes, and things got a little tense even at this local level. Cllr Geary mentioned that the leader of the MK Council allegedly swore at a young person who was speaking about the cuts during another meeting. The mayor quickly stepped in to say that detail was unnecessary to bring up.Just a note: As an independent reporter, Mercury can confi rm that this incident did take place %u2013 it was reported in the news, and there is a recording. Pro-Tip: Always assume the microphone is on.The Case of the Wandering Wheely BinsNext up were the wheely bins, which are causing a bit of a headache in various parishes.The Problem: It seems like after collection day, the wheely bins are not being delivered back to their original location.MK Council%u2019s Stance: The council (MKCC) insists that the crews should be returning the bins to their original spot.The Frustration: Deidre Bethune pointed out that sometimes you practically have to go on a treasure hunt just to fi nd your bin when returned.The Solution (Hopefully): Peter explained that the collection trucks have cameras on board. Since the crew can see exactly where they collected the bin from, fi xing this issue should be straightforward %u2013 they just need to make sure the crew puts it back where it belongs.Roadworks Update: The Sherrington Bridge (A509)Good news on the roadworks front!%u2022%u2002 The repair work on the A509 underneath the bridge at Sherrington fi nished quicker than they expected. That%u2019s a nice win!%u2022%u2002 However, there%u2019s a small catch: there%u2019s still a bit more work that needs doing in that area, and some people thought it would happen at the same time as the main project. Since it hasn%u2019t, the local ward council is now pushing to fi nd out exactly when that fi nal bit of work is scheduled to happen.The Wind Farm Fund Update Next up, he touched on the Petsoe End Wind Farm Fund.%u2022%u2002 Now, this topic wasn%u2019t totally new, as Councillor McClean and Mercury had already covered a lot of it last month.%u2022%u2002 Basically, it%u2019s an ongoing issue, and it sounds like they%u2019ve run into quite a few little hurdles and complications along the way. Stay tuned for more updates!Ward Councillor Updates from Debbie WhitworthThen Ward Councillor Debbie Whitworth came in with a couple of quick updates for the area:The Weston Road Column: Good news! That damaged column on Weston Road that everyone%u2019s been waiting for should finally be fi xed on November 7th. Apparently, it%u2019s a specialist job, which is why it took a bit longer than expected.The Pothole Puzzle: Debbie also heard from residents about the shoddy-looking pothole repairs at the junction on Woodpit Lane.%u2022%u2002 She raised this with the City Council.%u2022%u2002 The response she got back was that these are only quick, temporary fixes! The real resurfacing job is planned for Aspreys, and these repairs are just holding things over until the proper work can be done.Police Off er: Scam Talks & Security Advice%u2022%u2002 Debbie Whitworth mentioned something helpful from the police.%u2022%u2002 The police are more than happy to come out and give %u2018Scam%u2019 talks and share security advice with all the local parish communities. They%u2019re eager to do these presentations, and some communities are already taking them up on the off er.%u2022%u2002 It%u2019s a great way to help everyone stay safe and informed!Crime, Traffi c, & Town Talk%u2022%u2002 Better Reporting for Businesses%u2022%u2002 Milton Keynes%u2019 business partnership and crime department have set up a new system called DISC. This is great because it lets businesses skip the long wait on the 101 nonemergency line and get straight through to the police if they have a shoplifting incident. The local PCSOs are spreading the word, so if you know any business owners who are cursed by shoplifting, please tell them about the DISC scheme! PCSO Report %u2022%u2002 The Crime Numbers (Sept 15 %u2013 Nov 2)%u2022%u2002 The usual PCSO wasn%u2019t there, so Debbie Whitworth gave the crime rundown. Here%u2019s a snapshot of what happened:There was also one report of a phone being left in a toilet, but I couldn%u2019t quite work out where the crime aspect came in there.Because of the recent burglaries in and around MK, the police are ramping up late-night patrols Incident Type CountAssault (with injury, includes one dog bite) 2Assault (without injury) 3Business Burglary 2Attempted Business Break-in 1Ramraid ATM 1Residential Burglary 5Shoplifting 8Theft (including a parcel from a door) 4Motor Vehicle Theft (vehicle recovered) 1Drug Off enses 1Public Order Off enses 3Suspicious Incidents (people/vehicles) 8