Delegates at a meeting of the Milton Keynes North East Area Forum have been advised of the council’s strategy for dealing with the vast numbers of potholes resulting from the recent prolonged period of wintry weather. The Forum met at Lavendon Village Hall on Wednesday 3rd March and received a number of presentations, including one from Ian McGregor, the MK Highways Network Manager, about the level of repairs required. Ian’s repair budget is somewhat healthier than he expected following a last-minute amendment from Liberal Democrat Councillor Douglas McCall at the council’s recent budget setting meeting. The amendment suggested adding 0.5% to the Council Tax to specifically generate money to repair potholes. Although the amendment drew the wrath of the Conservative Group Leader, it was eventually passed.

The addition of 0.5% on the Council Tax has meant that an additional sum of £447k is available to repair the unprecedented damage to the highway network caused by potholes. The additional money will be spent over a four month period to deal with as many of the damaged areas as possible. There are currently some 1,300 reported sites, many with multiple potholes. The council has recently been using a different technique to improve the productivity of the repair teams. By hiring in a planing machine the council has been able to implement road closures and do a permanent repair job on the damaged areas. This strategy has resulted in some 200 square metres of road surface to be repaired every day, as opposed to the 20 square metres managed by utlising the normal patching teams.

The issue of parking in Olney has been a difficult and contentious one for many years. The majority of households have at least one vehicle, and some larger families may have several. Much of the housing in the older parts of the town was built long before the advent of the private motor car and off-street provision is very much lacking. In some of the narrower streets in the town residents have attempted to park in such a way that their vehicles would not impede the flow of traffic. This often meant parking with the two nearside wheels just on the pavement. However, in the past this type of activity has been frowned on by the local police.

Even in our very wide High Street we still get parking problems. The edges of the highway are wide enough to allow the sensible parking of moderate-sized vehicles, but not sufficient to allow the parking of 4×4 type vehicles. Many drivers of these vehicles tend to roll one or more wheels up on to the kerb, causing damage to the integrity of the kerbstones and also the drainage gully covers.

The issue of parking came up at the monthly meeting of the Town Council on 4th January, at which members were advised of some vehicles parking with all four wheels on the pavement! With the amount of traffic using the High Street it is obviously difficult for HGV drivers to make deliveries to the High Street shops, and there are clearly issues with security companies making deliveries and collections for the various banks. However, there does seem to be little justification for parking on the pavement.

Residents in the Olney area who use the B5388 Yardley Road may wish to note that a temporary closure of this road will be in effect from MONDAY 7th SEPTEMBER to WEDNESDAY 9th SEPTEMBER. The length of road affected is that between the junction with the U506 Aspreys (Drift Way) and the junction with the A428 at Northampton Road, Yardley Hastings. The closure is required to allow for the re-surfacing of the road and will be from 09.30 to 17.00 each day. The alternative route for through traffic is via the Warrington Toll Bar roundabout.

There is no doubt that there is widespread abuse of wheel clamping across the UK. Bletchley appears to be something of a local ‘hot spot’, with the local media reporting numerous cases of motorists having their vehicles immobilised by clamps. There is no uniformity in terms of notices, warnings or release fees. In many instances, the wheel clampers appear to be employed merely to make money from innocent motorists who do not realise that they have contravened non-existent regulations.

There are instances where clamping appears to be carried out in a sensible and controlled way, with clear notices advising the level of the release fee. However, the vast majority of cases reported in the press relate to areas where there are no clear notices, and the astronomical fees appear to be made up on the spot by the thugs operating the system.

In response to the widespread concerns about wheel clamping, the Milton Keynes Citizen newspaper has launched an on-line petition calling for regulation of the ’industry’. I would strongly urge everybody to sign up to this petition, and hope that sufficient interest will persuade those in government to bring in suitable regulations to prevent the abuse which has been occurring.
Footnote

The Citizen petition closed on 21st August. Sadly it only attracted 111 signatures, so presumably everybody else is content with the way that the clampers operate?

Joint statement from OIS and OMS: -

“It is always difficult to make the decision to close a school due to bad weather. The Headteachers of Olney Infant and Olney Middle schools make a joint decision based on the most up to date weather report and road conditions as the majority of our staff live some considerable distance from the schools. If the decision is taken to close the schools parents are informed via the school websites, Milton Keynes’ website (see link below), Heart FM and Three Counties radio stations.” 

For up to date news on school closures due to adverse weather conditions, please click on the ‘school closures‘ link on this page.

Work on the eagerly anticipated signalised crossing for Olney Middle School is to commence during the forthcoming half term holiday. The crossing will be of the ‘Puffin’ type. Work on equipment installation will require the closure of a 30 metre stretch of Yardley Road from a point just south of the main school entrance. This road closure will be from Monday 27th October until Friday 31st October. The closure may be maintained through the weekend of Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd November in the event of any unforseen problems. Final completion of the crossing is scheduled to be carried out later this year. Congratulations to local parents Della Cheal and Rachael Passee who campaigned tirelessly to get a signalised crossing for the school. Thanks also to MKC Liberal Democrat Cabinet member Cllr. Chris Williams who has given this project a great deal of personal attention to ensure its eventual delivery.

Milton Keynes Council has finally received a set of planning applications relating to the proposed new Tesco Express store at 16-17 Market Place, Olney.

The applications are as follows: -

Number: 08/01386/ADV (Advert Application)

ADVERTISEMENT CONSENT FOR ONE EXTERNALLY ILLUMINATED PROJECTING SIGN AND ONE EXTERNALLY ILLUMINATED FASCIA SIGN at 16-17 Market Place, Olney MK46 4BA for Tesco Stores Ltd.

Number: 08/01387/FUL (Full Application)

INSTALATION OF PLANT EQUIPMENT AND ASSOCIATED SCREENING at 16-17 Market Place, Olney MK46 4BA for Tesco Stores Ltd.

Number: 08/01389/FUL (Full Application)

INSTALLATION OF NEW SHOP FRONT INCLUDING ATM* UNIT at 16-17 Market Place, Olney for Tesco Stores Ltd.

Local residents will now have the opportunity to comment on these applications, which became valid on 6th August, although they should be mindful that such comments should be confined to valid planning reasons only. The proposed store is situated within the Olney Conservation Area.

The planning applications were considered by the Planning Liaison Committee of Olney Town Council on the evening of Monday 18th August. Members were concerned about possible noise from the air conditioning plant and freezers, as most of this plant is at first floor level and close to local dwellings. It was also felt that there was no need or justification for a further ATM in this area. Olney Town Council has no planning powers itself, but is able to pass on its comments to Milton Keynes Council.

(*ATM = automated telling machine - i.e. cash dispenser)

The Liberal Democrat Leader of Milton Keynes Council, Isobel McCall, says that the Conservative and Labour opposition parties in Milton Keynes should put up or shut up when it comes to running the Council.

After the recent local elections

• the Liberal Democrats remained the largest party on Milton Keynes Council

• Isobel McCall was elected as Leader of the Liberal Democrats

• she was duly elected as Leader of the Council at the recent full Council meeting.

Then the two opposition parties, working in coalition, decided they wanted to dictate to the Lib Dems who their leader should be. When Labour and Conservative Councillors didn’t get their way, they voted to hand councillors’ decision-making powers to unelected officers.

Isobel McCall said: “It is completely unheard of for members of one party to dictate who should lead another party. We are prepared to run an administration - even the Tories say we should! But we do it on our own terms, including deciding on our own leader. The opposition have no right to decide who our leader is. If they won’t allow us to run the Council with the Leader and cabinet members we want, the opposition must put up an administration themselves rather than employ wrecking tactics to bring the Council into chaos. They have more than enough votes between them to put up an alternative administration.”

Meanwhile, Isobel McCall is carrying on with her duties as Leader of the Council where the current situation makes it appropriate to do so, in order to minimise disruption to partner organisations within Milton Keynes. She has invited the other two cabinet members to play their part. There has been no response whatsoever from the Tory leader who, along with the Labour leader, was elected to the Cabinet.

This whole fiasco started with the opposition parties blaming Isobel McCall for the problems with the school build programme. Not a single report on the school build programme, including the Penn Report, named Isobel as being culpable. The Council staff that were to blame have now gone, and the cabinet member responsible for the school build programme has honourably resigned. The Leader was not held responsible by Mr Penn.

The independent Penn Report was, in fact, commissioned by Isobel McCall and it makes some helpful suggestions on how the Council could work differently, which both Isobel McCall and the interim Chief Executive, Kate Page, are already starting to implement.

“You don’t have the Prime Minister step down just because one civil servant makes a mistake,” said Isobel. “The official or the Minister resigns - and both have done so in this case.”

Local campaigner Steve Clark commented: - “I hope those of you who voted for the Tories in the local elections are proud of the shambles that you have helped to create!”

Many thanks to local resident Chris H, who spotted this rather dubious scene in High Street South recently and managed to capture it on his mobile ‘phone. Local residents have been concerned about traffic in this area for a considerable time and it is a matter of good fortune that there have not been any really serious accidents caused by vehicles deliberately or accidentally mounting the pavement.

    (click on thumbnail to enlarge pictures)

The driver of the Cemex vehicle was clearly too impatient to wait for the refuse crew to complete their collection, and decided to mount the kerb in this somewhat cavalier fashion. However, one could question whether it is really necessary for Cory’s drivers to park in the narrowest section of the road as they have done in this instance.  Don’t forget to go along to the exhibtion of traffic improvement proposals at the Olney Centre if you are concerned about problems in this part of the town!

A public exhibition of proposals to improve traffic management and road safety is to be held in The Olney Centre, High Street, Olney. Detailed plans of the proposals will be on display and staff will be on hand to answer questions at the following times:

Thursday 5th June:   12.00 to 19.30

Friday 6th June:          12.00 to 19.30

Saturday 7th June:     10.30 to 13.30

Mouchel, working in partnership with Milton Keynes Council, have produced a series of proposals for consideration during the consultation period:

• formalising parking spaces along the High Street and a review of the pedestrian crossing provision.
• improvements to the junction of High Street South and Weston Road, including carriageway widening.
• traffic calming along East Street, with footway and parking improvements and provision of a pedestrian crossing near the recreation ground.
• traffic calming along West Street, with footway improvements and changes to the exisiting waiting restrictions.
• changes to the character of Yardley Road by traffic calming or changes to the junctions and road layout.
• parking improvements in Wellingborough Road and waiting restrictions at the junction with Midland Road.
• changes to the existing layout of the Market Place area.
• traffic calming along Coneygere.
• changes to waiting restrictions in Church Street.

After the consultation has ended, responses will be compiled and recommendations will be made depending on the outcomes of the consultation. The purpose of this exercise is to produce a prioritisation list of all works agreed and this will form the basis of a 3 year development plan for Olney.

Should you wish to view the consultation material, plans will be available on-line from 29th May until the end of June 2008. Please click on the ‘Olney Area Review’ link on the left hand side of your screen.

For further information please contact the Project Engineer, James Whiting, on 01908 254470.

Following revision of the routes followed by the coaches providing transport from the Olney ward villages to the new Ousedale campus it became apparent that parents in Clifton Reynes, Newton Blossomville and Cold Brayfield were not totally happy with the new arrangements.

Following suggestions by some parents the council has now agreed a further revision, which will apply from MONDAY 12th MAY. Warrington and Lavendon children will continue to travel on the current OC1 contract. Those from Clifton Reynes, Cold Brayfield and Newton Blossomville will transfer onto the contract which transports primary aged children from those villages (plus Petsoe End and Emberton) to Olney Middle School. Any Emberton children transerring to secondary in September will go onto the dedicated Emberton contract. Parents of children involved in these changes should receive confirmation from the council in due course.

It is increasingly apparent that an election is looming! Despite assurances from MKC Cabinet member Chris Williams that the Council will install a crossing to ensure the safety of students crossing Yardley Road to get to Olney Middle School, the Tories have put out a leaflet suggesting that this will not be the case. It is very sad that the Tories have made this issue a political football. As soon as I was made aware that local parents Rachael Passee and Della Cheal were campaigning for the crossing, I gave my wholehearted support to their campaign and worked hard to get Chris Williams to consider the merits of a suitable scheme. Given his original stance, supported by officers of the Council, that a crossing was not required; I was most impressed when Chris publicly changed his opinion and announced that a crossing would be provided within the financial year, following consultation. I have had an assurance from Chris that the crossing  WILL be light-controlled, but we still do not know exactly which type will be recommended following the consultation. The Tory candidate suggests that, if elected, he will ‘fight’ to get the crossing for the school. Whilst I can’t predict the outcome of the election, if the Liberal Democrats are still in control of the Council, the crossing is guaranteed!

Milton Keynes Council are due to carry out emergency road works to deal with the subsidence caused by collapsed ducting underneath the pedestrian crossing at the Market Place in Olney. If the damaged ducting is not repaired, there is a risk of failure of the lights on the crossing due to the crushing of the electrical cables that run through it. At the same time it is intended to upgrade the crossing to the latest Puffin design. It is likely that there will be considerable traffic disruption during the remediation work, which is likely to be carried out around the end of April or beginning of May. Once we have more information, it will appear on this website.

A number of parents have asked the Council to consider re-routing the coaches that take children to the Ousedale annexe from Lavendon and the surrounding villages. The majority of the children live in Lavendon and are picked up first in the mornings and dropped off last in the evenings, despite living closer to the campus than children from the other villages. The completion of the Driftway link means that the Council are now able to consider re-routing the service. Parents are being consulted on three options: -

• No change to the current system
• Reverse the route for the morning journey (First pick up in Clifton Reynes, last pick up in Lavendon)
• Reverse the route for both morning and afternoon journeys (Lavendon children would have the shortest journey time for both journeys.)

75% of the students travelling come from Lavendon. The maximum journey time is 35 minutes regardless of the route.

Following the consultation process, the most popular option was the third one. Changes to the travel arrangements will take effect from Tuesday 6th May 2008. The pick-up and drop-off times will now be as follows: -

Morning:                                                                      Afternoon:

08.00    Clifton Reynes                                                15.52

08.04    Newton Blossomville                                     15.48

08.09    Cold Brayfield                                                 15.43

08.14    Olney Road, Lavendon                                  15.38

08.17    The Cross, Lavendon                                     15.35

08.22    Warrington                                                      15.30

08.35    School                                                               15.20

 Local Councillor Steve Clark is pleased that MK Council has resurfaced another section of the road between Clifton Reynes and Newton Blossomville.  Steve says; “It is good to see that the Liberal Democrat run council are continuing to improve our rural roads” 

Coming soon: another stretch of the B565 between Olney and Lavendon - Cold Brayfield is due for resurfacing. Congratulations to Newton and Clifton Parish Council for providing a superb new play area with funding from Milton Keynes Council’s Parish Partnership Fund, and the Landfill Tax Funding scheme operated by WREN.

Nun Wood Wind Turbines, Lavendon 

Following objections from English Heritage, Npower Renewables are revising the numbers and the siting of the Wind Turbines at Nun Wood, between Lavendon, Bozeat and Harrold. It is expected that the developer will submit a new planning application very soon. These plans will be considered as a new planning application, and the planning procedure starts all over again, this includes the making of objections or support.  Lib Dem Cllr Steve Clark says: “It is very important that local people have their say. We will keep you informed of how to make representations either for or against.”

The long-awaited extension to connect Aspreys with the A509 finally opened on Friday 11January. By the time of the evening traffic peak a steady stream of traffic was already benefiting from the new piece of highway. Local Councillor Steve Clark fought hard to get this road paid for and built by the developer and is angry that local residents feel so let down by the late completion of this important link. The developers have never explained why they have dragged this project out for over a year longer than expected, or why they didn’t see fit to explain their abysmal performance to the people of Olney.