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22 Phonebox Magazine | January 2026Newport 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 OyakhireHappy New Year to all. We start the year with some good news for those renting homes. More Rights for Private Tenants: The new renters rights bill, which passed recently, will give almost all private tenants more rights, which will be a huge relief to many. Since the start of 2026 the City Council gained more powers to inspect properties to enforce housing standards. This will mean landlords must comply when told to improve housing conditions. Later in in the year the Decent Homes standard, and Awab%u2019s Law against damp, will also apply to the privately rented properties. However, from 1st May private tenants will also get the right to:%u2022 An open-ended lease with the right to give notice at any time.%u2022 An end to %u2018no fault, no reason%u2019 S21 evictions.%u2022 An end to bidding wars when a property is let.Landlords will only be able to seek one month%u2019s rent in advance and can only raise rents once per year. They will also be unable to discrimination against those with children or on benefi ts. We shall keep you posted on how this new legislation impacts locally. Pavement Parking: We get a lot of complaints about pavement parking, which whilst easing traffi c, often obstructs pedestrians. However, it is not always illegal to park on the pavement. Here are some facts. The off ence of %u2018unnecessary obstruction of the highway%u2019, i.e. the road, verge or pavement, exists; although is only enforceable by the police and rarely applied. Further, the Highway Code only %u2018advises against%u2019 pavement parking outside of London, which is why it is not always illegal.However, the City Council can enforce where vehicles are parked in breach of existing waiting restrictions, (for example crossing yellow lines) or where there is a New Year, New You?If you are considering New Year resolutions, there are ways to incorporate our town into your commitment. You could volunteer for a local group, take up a new hobby at one of our many clubs, or join the gym/get involved in a sports club (as participant, volunteer coach or spectator). All that and much more are options for you. What about walking to the town centre rather than driving elsewhere when you go out to eat, drink or shop. Any of the above helps benefi t our town.Looking forwardAs we start the year 2026, we are closer to the year 2100 than the nostalgic world of say 1950. It makes sense to think about the future and how our community will evolve. As the MK East and further development happens, we%u2019ll probably have a decade or more of signifi cant building ahead, but I hope we%u2019ll see the new residents use our local businesses and get involved in our clubs, etc. Remember most of our existing streets were agricultural fi elds in 1950, so while we maintain our heritage and green environment where we can, change is a constant. Let%u2019s welcome our new neighbours to build our joint future together. DemocracyMilton Keynes City Council impact our daily lives, so it matters who forms that authority. There are elections in May 2026 on new ward boundaries and three of the total 60 councillors to be elected will represent the singular new ward of %u2018Newport Pagnell%u2019 - no longer divided in two or mixed in with other areas. Please make sure you are registered to vote: and either turnout on the day or make it easier with a postal vote. You don%u2019t have to vote, and last local election only 30% of registered voters did, but not doing so means you give up your infl uence. Maybe voting should be one of your New Year%u2019s resolutions.Phonebox readers with any comments about Newport Pagnell, can contact me at pauldayMK@outlook.com I am also on social media @pauldayMK on Facebook. designated exclusion in force. This includes signage and bay markings. The other condition relates to commercial vehicles weighing over 7.5 tonnes, unless there are allowances for unloading. So, to stop pavement parking the City Council must establish designated exclusion zones in order to fi ne off enders. Whilst this may solve some problems it could create far more, so the City Council is considering all requests on a case by case basis to ensure value for money to avoid losing other vital services. If there is a site, you would like us to look into please let us know. In the meantime you will see improvements to the signage and road markings along our High Street and Car Parks. CORRECTION %u2013 re E-Scooters. For clarity you cannot ride your e-scooter on a pavement or footpath, only on the roads (except motorways), cycle lanes or redways. Our next councillor%u2019s surgeries will be on 24th Jan and 28th Feb from 10 to 11.30am, at the Mead Centre, Newport Pagnell, to coincide with the Repair Shop. 200 Club Winners %u2013 November 2025, 1st J A Carr, 2nd M Kennedy.Happy New Year to everyone