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December 2025 | Phonebox Magazine 25November 2025in rural villages. They%u2019re keeping an eye out for things like hare coursing, farm equipment, and vehicle theft.External MeetingsCouncillor Sarah Lowe reported back from the Northeast Forum (her fi rst time there!).Like every meeting, the main talk was about speeding and traffi c.She brought up the problems at the Recreation Ground over the summer (antisocial behaviour, etc). Sadly, many people said they just don%u2019t bother reporting issues anymore %u2013 they just tolerate them until the summer ends. Sarah found this quite sad, as it keeps people from enjoying the river and the area.The 101 Problem: She realised one reason for under-reporting is the online 101 form. When reporting things like BBQs or campfi res, you get to %u201cScreen 6,%u201d and it%u2019s nearly impossible to fi gure out where to put the problem! Our MP, Chris Curtis, was there and asked Sarah to send him screenshots so he could try to get that system fi xed. We will keep an eye on that.Shoplifting Again: Retailers are also giving up on reporting shoplifting because it takes too long. This is a big issue, especially during huge events like %u2018Dickens of a Christmas%u2019. The police said they will add extra resources for special events like that, but the core issue of under-reporting remains a huge problem they need to solve.Speed Camera Data (SID Report)Rob Mungham%u2019s Speed Indicator Device (SID) report for early September to early October had some positive news:%u2022%u2002 The average speed on Yardley Road is down %u2013 that 20mph limit is fi nally sinking in.%u2022%u2002 The Town Clerk mentioned seeing a police offi cer with a speed gun pulling people over outside Aldi, which is a fi rst.More SIDs?They all agreed the SIDs seem to work. After a chat, they decided to apply for another SID! It was thought that they now cost around three or four thousand pounds, and Jane, the Town Clerk, will try to get it funded, possibly with a contribution from the council, since another area %u2013 Sherrington- got one through the previously mentioned Wind Farm fund. They got it all, so here%u2019s hoping.Deidre also asked if the town-wide 20mph limit idea (from Martyn Wilkinson earlier) could be put on the agenda for a full discussion next time, and the Town Clerk said yes.River Water QualityDebbie Whitworth gave a technical but concerning update on the river health:Electroconductivity & Ammonia: These are looking good (reductions seen, scoring well).Phosphate & Nitrates: These are not great and are classed as %u2018poor.%u2019 While farming fertiliser is often a factor, this could also be coming from sewage.River Fly: The number of tiny river insects (a health indicator) is signifi cantly down, showing poor river health.What%u2019s Being Done: The Fishing Association is getting a top-notch nitrate meter so their tests will be accurate for the Environment Agency (EA). The good news is the EA is fi nally paying attention! They%u2019ve asked Mark Butterfield to re-test an area near Weston Underwood because the results were %u201coff the scale%u201d bad. Anglian Water claims they haven%u2019t discharged anything, but the output ditch there is a chemical mess. Shout out to Chris Curtis MP and Mark Butterfi eld, and the Olney & Clifton Fishing Association for their hard work!Development & Property UpdatesYardley ManorCommunity Building: The roof work starts this week and is on track.Play Area: They are just waiting on a date for the contractor to fi x the play equipment and the zip line (which everyone, including the councillors, seems keen to try out!).Trees/Signs: Tree replacements will happen between November and February, and new street signs are about to be installed.Ex-Football Club & Padel CourtsThe council is hitting a few snags with grants, but the football club project should be ready to go by Christmas.The Padel Courts need a draft agreement drawn up by a solicitor before anything can start. They agreed that the developers of the courts should cover that cost.Tree Working Group.Cllr David Tyler raised the idea of putting Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) on mature trees in The Orchard (behind the tennis courts). The Town Clerk pointed out that this was on private property and there is nothing OTC can do about that. This caused a moment of silence and perhaps unease, but David emphasised it%u2019s a legal responsibility to look after our environment, especially with the site near a river and a bat box nearby on OTC property. He pointed out that the site had several pending planning applications on it and that he and Colin Rodden (also on the tree working group) had thought it a good site to look at. There was also brief discussion about the area of the crane site and although most of it is scrubland there had been a report from the TPO Offi cer and there are some there which could disappear if not kept an eye on. You can%u2019t necessarily take the word of someone that they will protect trees, said David, so best to make sure it%u2019s enforced. When pressed for an update, JB explained that there had been at last month%u2019s meeting and Councillors had had all the relevant papers on the matter. The mayor pointed out that if anyone had any specifi c question, David and Colin could be approached.Admin & Final DecisionsBurial Request: A request was made to use the Olney cemetery by a non-resident. The clerk explained that it had been agreed that the Olney cemetery is reserved purely for the residents of Olney, but under extenuating circumstances, at double the fee, they can have a plot, but she was not convinced that this application met the criteria. It was proposed that the Town Clerk go back and say sorry, but no. This was agreed on.Street Naming: This is regarding the old convent site. They approved two proposed names for the St. Joseph%u2019s Convent site: %u2018Old Convent Gardens%u2019 and %u2018St Lawrence Close.%u2019 (Singular Lawrence, not plural, as pointed out by Deidre Bethune). This had been agreed by all three ward councillors - which is quite an occasion.Shoplifting Survey: Everyone agreed to move forward with a simple survey for retailers to get clearer data and statistics on how bad the shoplifting problem really is. Although it%u2019s fairly apparent.Co-option Policy: Currently, there%u2019s no clear policy on how to select new council members for co-option. Even at an offi cial council training session, no one really knew, and it seems that it is up to individual councils to decide. Which is slightly dangerous, as one council who had been at the table at that meeting said that some councils had, in the past, %u2018fl ipped a coin%u2019 on whether to accept an applicant, which was met with a huge burst of laughter by all present at this meeting. Deirdre Bethune mentioned that in the past, in Olney, people could also just fetch up on the night of a meeting and ask to be coopted on the night, but it was agreed that the best way forward would be for the applicant to fi ll in a formal application, so that the person could be discussed before a vote was taken at a meeting. Chris Shaw thought that the applicant should be there when it is being decided, and able to take any questions. That was agreed on and so there will be a consistent co-option policy rather than the fl ipping of a coin or a fi erce game of poker. Precept: An extraordinary meeting will be needed in December to discuss the precept (the town council%u2019s share of local tax), as the necessary info had only just arrived at the OTC offi ce.Other than a brief discussion as to what councillors would be available for the Remembrance service on Sunday, that was that, and Debbie Whitworth brought the meeting to a close.The Next MeetingThe next meeting will be held on Monday 1st December 7pm in the Olney Centre. If you would like to contribute to the Public Participation section at the start of the meeting, or any time the mayor deems appropriate, please contact the Town Clerk, townclerk@olneytowncouncil.gov.uk.Location VehicleCountSpeed LimitAverageSpeedBridge Street(Southbound) 225,000+ 30 mph24.19 mphHigh Street (Northbound) 199,000 30 mph21.67mphYardley Road (Middle School) 23,552 20mph16.93 mph