Emergency 24 Hour helpline

The Environmental Health line (for out of hours calls regarding music events in Brickhill Woods or noisy parties etc) is back in operation. If you experience a serious noise problem that will not wait until the next working day then you should contact the MAC Community Alarm Centre on MK (01908) 226699 (open 24 hours a day, every day). Both the Community Alarm and MK Council Environmental Health staff have been told what type of matters will be dealt with, the service is not intended to deal with all Environmental Health matters but primarily noise nuisance that is a one off and having a considerable impact on the locality. The standby officer is able to contact a member of the Environmental Health management team if necessary for advice etc. Thames Valley Police and Bucks Fire and Rescue Service are both aware of the current arrangements.

For reference, the normal business hours number to report these incidents is 01908 252398

Possible Closure?

The Government and Post Office Ltd are pushing ahead with planned closures of 2500 Post Offices across the country. Your local Post Office could be one of them. The Countryside Alliance believes that Post Offices play an important social and economic role in communities. This value, often unseen, goes beyond the doorstep of the Post Office.

We believe that the Government has ignored the concerns of thousands of people following its sham consultation on the Future of the Post Office Network. Many people like you are simply worried about the local impact of losing their Post Office.
To their own cost, and to the cost of many other well used viable Post Offices throughout the UK, local action groups are finding that no matter how watertight a case they put forward it is ignored and their branch is closed. This fight cannot be one on a local level!
Local groups are now getting together to get the true message out to the nation and to stop the closure of well used viable Post Office Branches.
Please take a look at the website CAPOC which is the home of CAPOC (Communities Against Post Office Closures).
You can help by registering your own Local Action Group - even if your Post Office has already been closed -, Register Local Group, or even just contribute to the forum.
We hope you agree that the battle is not over yet.

If you would like any further information or some campaign materials (posters, stickers, flyers) please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sarah

Sarah Lee
Head of Policy
Countryside Alliance

T: 020 78409253
M: 07803 002352

Countryside Alliance

Contact Details

The Little Brickhill Parish Council meets in the village hall on the first Monday of every month (except January and August). Meetings start at 7.45 pm. members of the public are welcome to attend and a 15 minute open session at the start of the meeting is for you, as local residnets, to come and raise issues of concern to you and your friends and neighbours.

Minutes of the March 2008 meeting can be viewed here Minutes March 2008_(48K)and the March 2008 Agenda here March agenda_(26K)

Note - there is no meeting planned for May - the next meeting will be 2nd June 2008
The Parish Clerk (Glyn Bailey) can be contacted by email at LB Parish Clerk or by telephone on 01525 261103.

Bus Service Alert

There is an issue with bus services in the village that residents should be aware of and one that I have been working to resolve with the help of officers at MK Council.

Arriva has decided that they have had enough of the X66 and the service will be withdrawn from 2nd September. This doesn't really come as a surprise as apparently the maximum numbers on any journeys on the service for some time have been no more than four passengers!

There were a number of options available including doing nothing. However, after pressing, Milton Keynes Council will be securing both peak and off peak journeys via Little Brickhill. There will be the loss of the first and last Monday to Friday journeys between Little Brickhill and Central Milton Keynes, but overall there will be an increase in the number of journeys via Little Brickhill.

I realise however that this change won't be popular with residents and probably with the Parish Council, but Arriva, MK Metro, and MK Council have conducted surveys and looked at ticket machine information and have struggled to find any use of journeys via Little Brickhill.

I have now forwarded a copy of the new timetable (attached) Bus Timetable_(230K) to every home.

November 2007

Little Brickhill Traffic management_(28K) & Little Brickhill Newsletter_(57K)

Snippets
The Circus comes to town...well nearly as a touring circus attempted to winter on the old Chicken Farm site in the village. Vigilant locals prevented them accessing the site.

Are you sick of waiting for that bus that never arrives? Have you experienced poor service on the bus connection to the village? Then let Stuart Simmonds of MK Council know by calling him on MK 252011.
Conservation Area for Little Brickhill
I promised I would keep you informed via an update on the proposition that Little Brickhill might seek Conservation Area Status.The issue came before the MK Council Cabinet Committee on Tuesday September 26th 2006. Cllr Hopkins and Cllr Ken Philips both addressed the Cabinet at the meeting. The Cabinet agreed to adopt the Conservation Area recommendation that excluded Wyness Avenue and a few properties on the northern end of Watling Street, but that a further consultation would take place to further investigate the merits of extending the area to include those areas as well

Report here: Report_(142K)
List of Consultees here: LB Consultees list_(54K)
The Map showing the two conservation area options is here: Map LB_(749K)

The Cabinet was faced with two options, one that includes Wyness Avenue and one that does not include Wyness Avenue. The Parish Council has been asked to provide conservation based reasons for including Wyness Avenue.

The results of the consultation process were 54 responses in favor of the granting of conservation status and 21 opposed to the granting of that designation.

Click here Little Brickhill Conservation_(106K) to view the report that went to MK Council Cabinet regarding starting work on proposals for a Little Brickhill Conservation Area.

Contact the Parish via the Parish Clerk Glynis Bailey
50 Wyness Avenue
Little Brickhill
Milton Keynes
MK17 9NG

email at LB Parish Clerk or by telephone on 01525 261103.


No Cold Calling Zones in Little Brickhill?
I would be grateful to receive your views on the possible establishment of a No Cold Calling Zone in the parts of Little Brickhill following representations made to me and to Milton Keynes Council and Thames Valley Police by some older or more vulnerable village residents or by people speaking on their behalf.

Quite simply, this is about local residents having the confidence to say "NO" to uninvited salespeople and to warn rogue traders and cold-callers that they are not welcome.

A National Trading Standards Institute survey involving over 9,000 randomly selected households in the UK showed that 96% of people simply do not want doorstep cold-callers and nobody actually welcomes them. More information on the background to the setting up of such a scheme can be found at www.doorstepcrime.com under No Cold Calling Zones.

If you feel you would want to support such a scheme please write to me via my Freepost address

Cllr David Hopkins
Freepost (Licence Number 1788)
105 Queensway
Bletchley
Milton Keynes
MK2 2BR

(No stamp - no charge to you). Please also use this opportunity to let me know of any other issues locally that are of concern.

No Charges for School Transport to High Ash
Local residents raised with me the issue of MK Council possibly starting to charge for home to school transport for those pupils attending High Ash school in Great Brickhill. The Cabinet member for Education at MK Council has offered the following reassuring response;

'Milton Keynes Council has provided free Home to School Transport for children from Little Brickhill to High Ash School in Bucks since we became a local authority in 1997. Little Brickhill has historically been regarded as being in the defined area for High Ash since that time. There is a requirement on Local Authorities to provide free home to school transport to children under the age of 8 years who live over 2 miles from their nearest school and for those over 8 who live 3 mile away, or for lower mileage if their is no safe walking route.

With regards to Little Brickhill there was some unforeseen confusion about continued eligibility for free transport to High Ash, resulting in parents mistakenly being advised that their child was no longer eligible for transport to this school.

Following representation from the Headteacher and Chair of Governors this confusion was cleared up. In early May 2006 a senior officer wrote to the Chair of Governors confirming that free transport would be provided for Little Brickhill children continuing or starting at High Ash School in September 2006 and parents have been informed.

However the council does need to keep transport to all schools under review and this will be done as necessary. Should any changes be considered, (and there are none at present) then a full consultation would occur'.

To contact High Ash School direct use the address below, phone, e-mail or click on their enquiries page (http://www.highashcofe.ik.org/).

High Ash C of E Combined School
Pound HIll
Great Brickhill
Milton Keynes
MK17 9AS

Tel:01525 261 620
Fax: 01525 261 988
Email: Office@Highash.bucks.sch.uk

Need to contact your Member of Parliament?
Contact: Mark Lancaster, the MP for North East Milton Keynes
At
House of Commons
London SW1A 0AA

Need to speak to the Chairman of the agency responsible for MK Expansion
Sir Bob Reid
Chairman Milton Keynes Partnership
Central Business Exchange II
414-428 Midsummer Boulevard
Central Milton Keynes
MK9 2EA

Need to talk to your Milton Keynes Councillor, then contact:
Cllr David Hopkins
80 Walton Road
Wavendon
Milton Keynes
MK17 8LW

01908 582632
David.hopkins@milton-keynes.gov.uk
www.mkweb.co.uk/little-brickhill



The Parish Council has raised with me the fact that as the play equipment has become damaged or defective it is removed by Milton Keynes Council. The MK Council safety officers assessed that the play items had suffered severe corrosion at ground level and were therefore, consequently deemed to be unsafe. Regretably MK Council has insufficient funds to replace such equipment and as such I am working with the Parish Council to see if we can access alternative funding streams to undertake suitable replacement of at least part of the play equipment. Your thoughts on this would be appreciated.

Great Brickhill Lane - Unsuitable Route for HGV's
Milton Keynes Council will be erecting a "not suitable for HGV" type sign at the start of Great Brickhill Lane in the near future.

No Dog Fouling Signs
The MK Council Safer Communities Unit will look into the issue in Little Brickhill and will ensure that suitable signs are erected in the most appropriate places!

Mobile Library
For details telephone 01908 254050 or go to central.library@milton-keynes.gov.uk


Feel free to contact me on any issue by calling 01908 582632 or write to me at David Hopkins, 80 Walton Road, Wavendon, Milton Keynes MK17 8LW (email: david.hopkins@milton-keynes.gov.uk)

July 2007 Update

Milton Keynes Council has new monitoring equipment and Jeremy Lee (The Lead Planning Officer on Mobile Phone Masts within MK)visited Little Brickhill and carried out the following monitoring ... more...

StreetCare

Want to report a problem concerning Transport, Highway Repair, Pavement Maintenance, Waste and Recycling, Residential, Retail, Street Lighting, Drainage, Crossings and Road Safety, Trees and Scrub Maintenance and Animals on Highways, Cultural Services, Leisure, Play Areas, Family, Entertainments, Neighbourhood Nuisance, Waste, Building and Construction, Landscape and Countryside and On the Move, Car related issues, Parking, Redways, Cycling, Street Furniture, Crime, Signs, Highway Infrastructure, Roadworks, Waste and Graffiti, Underpasses, Landscape & Open Spaces, and Traffic Signals and Signs?

Then click to....

MK Council StreetCare to report it direct

Village Mobile Phone Masts

PHONE MASTS AND CANCER CLUSTERS - The Times Article Residents have raised the issue of the Phone Masts with me once again during the recent local election campaign. ... more...

No Changes to Existing Arrangements

Local residents raised the issue of MK Council possibly starting to charge for home to school transport for those pupils attending High Ash school in Great Brickhill. The Cabinet member for Education at MK Council has offered the following reassuring response;

MKC has provided free Home To School Transport for children from Little Brickhill to High Ash School in Bucks since we became a local authority in 1997.
Little Brickhill has historically been regarded as being in the defined area for High Ash since that time.
There is a requirement on Local Authorities to provide free home to school transport to children under the age of 8 years who live over 2 miles from their nearest school and for those over 8 who live 3 mile away, or for lower mileage if their is no safe walking route.

With regards to Little Brickhill there was some unforeseen confusion about continued eligibility for free transport to High Ash, resulting in parents mistakenly being advised that their child was no longer eligible for transport to this school.

Following representation from the Headteacher and Chair of Governors this confusion was cleared up. In early May 06 a senior officer wrote to the Chair of Governors confirming that free transport would be provided for Little Brickhill children continuing or starting at High Ash School in September and parents have been informed.

However the council does need to keep transport to all schools under review and this will be done as necessary. Should any changes be considered, (and there are none at present) then a full consultation would occur.
To contact High Ash School direct use the address below, phone, e-mail or click on their enquiries page (http://www.highashcofe.ik.org/).

High Ash C of E Combined School
Pound HIll
Great Brickhill
Milton Keynes
MK17 9AS

Tel:01525 261 620
Fax: 01525 261 988
Email: Office@Highash.bucks.sch.uk

Summer 2006

The MK2031 growth plan was considered by the board of MKP at its most recent meeting which was held on 12 June 2006.Draft Plan for Milton Keynes_(190K)

see English Partnerships

MKP now plan to make this document the submission to the South East plan. The closing date for any submissions to GOSE was June 23rd 2006.
The public examination of the South East plan is to be in November of this year.The South East plan will provide statutory guidance to the local planning authorities (including Milton Keynes Council) in the region for the period to 2026.

The MK2031 growth plan has to identify locations for 34,000 houses. This is over and above anything (such as the northern, eastern and western expansion areas; completion of the new city area; the city centre etc) contained in the current local plan for Milton Keynes.

MKP propose 11 to 14,000 of these houses within the existing city. This is equivalent to a town about the size of Dover, Hatfield or Leighton Buzzard.These houses are to be mainly within the city centre and along the V7 Saxon Street corridor.

The remainder (20 to 23,000)are to be
around Newton Longville(in Aylesbury Vale)and
around Wavendon, Woburn Sands and Aspley Guise. Part of this area is within Mid Beds and outside the South East Region.

MKP have carried out an urban potential study. It may illustrate how the 11 to 14,000 houses could be accommodated within the existing city but it is not yet published.

Milton Keynes Council, Aylsbury Vale DC, Mid Beds DCCouncils are to make their own submissions to the South East plan. A further stage of consultation on the MK2031 growth plan is to be held over the summer. This is likely to be led by the local authorities rather than MKP. The results of this consultation are to be fed into the public examination of the south east plan in November.

The urban potential study is to be published with the report and other papers for the MKP board meeting of June 12. It is likely to be available on the MKP web site from about June 5.

If you wish to make any comments on the MK2031 growth plan then please submit them to the south east plan consultation at Response to SE Plan

The closing date is Friday June 23rd 2006.

Background information

The Conservation Area proposals can be viewed here Appraisal a_(1990K) and here Appraisal b_(1771K)

If you have any views on the designation of a conservation area in Little Brickhill please write to Martin Ellison, Milton Keynes Council, Civic Offices, 1 Saxon Gate East, Milton Keynes, MK9 3HG. You can contact Martin Ellison by calling direct on 01908 252501 or email Martin Ellison

Please note that the deadline for submissions has now closed and that the next village meeting set to discuss the outcome of the consultation will be held on Monday 12th June 2006 starting at 8 pm

Parish Council Meeting Agenda & Minutes

Little Brickhill Parish Council Meeting - Monday 6th November at 7.45 p.m. in the Community Centre -

All welcome (First 15 minutes Public Session)

For the June 2006 Agenda click Agenda_(26K)

Most recent minutes (July 2006) - click here July Minutes_(62K)

Annual Village Meeting 2005 minutes Annual Meeting minutes_(54K)

The Parish has a new clerk so to contact the Parish Council please write to

Margaret Jones
32 Church Street
New Bradwell
Milton Keynes
MK13 0DR

01908 314885
or you can send an mail to the Parish Chairman (Cllr Ken Philips)

Parish Chairman

Bus Services....

Village Bus Services
It is reported that residents have experienced some unpredictable time keeping from the bus services that 'service' Little Brickhill. I have reported this on to Milton Keynes Council but do not hesitate to get in touch with the passenger transport service at MK Council if you have any concerns or complaints (non arrival / lateness etc). Likewise if you feel the buses do not serve the village at sensible times (e.g. you can not return from MK Centre after the early evening by bus). Contact Stuart Simmonds on 01908 252011 Stuart Simmonds - Passenger Transport to report any complaints, concerns or suggestions.
.

in Little Brickhill

For more information concerning the existing mobile phone masts and plans for a second mast in Little Brickhill, contact Jeremy Lee (Senior Planning Manager) at Milton Keynes Council on Milton Keynes (01908) 252316.

See also information from the DTI at Information on Mobile Phone Masts

Milton Keynes Local Plan

Click here Planning_(652K) for a copy of the Interim Report, published in April 2004 and relating to the Local Plan Inquiry. Residents will note the troubling change of status suggested for the Brickhills - the Inspector suggesting that they lose their Area of Atrtactive Landscape (AAL) status.

Sid policy for review

This policy outlines the current data led approach to managing speed on the LHA roads within Milton Keynes Council. Whilst referring to a number of measures available to raise awareness to change attitudes and behaviour towards speed, it focuses upon Speed Indicating Devices and Vehicle Activated Devices. The reason for this is to try and indicate the distinct difference between these two measures and develop a greater understanding of how these measures are intended to operate. To review the policy click here SID policy_(28K) and SID two_(146K). The summar consukltation sheet can be viewed here Summary SID_(33K)

Phone Masts (latest News)

Attached is the November 2004 Telecoms Systems Policy document of particular interest to Little Brickhill residents who live close to 'the mast'! Telecoms Systems Policy doc._(202K)