Fuller, Heather

From: Fuller, Heather Sent: 18 March 2013 09:15 To: Hinds, Alex Subject: FW: Review Attachments: MK Ward Proposals - Iain Stewart_JPG

From: STEWART, Iain Sent: 17 March 2013 17:33 To: Reviews@ Subject: Milton Keynes Review

Alternative New Warding Arrangement for Milton Keynes Council Dear Sir,

As the Member of Parliament for Milton Keynes South, I would like to make a representation to the consultation on the proposed new wards for Milton Keynes Council.

My submission relates to the proposals for the area of Milton Keynes Council covered by my Milton Keynes South Parliamentary constituency; namely the existing 11 wards of , Loughton Park, Emerson Valley, Furzton, Denbigh, Whaddon, & Fenny Stratford, Eaton Manor, , Walton Park and Danesborough.

I support the Commission’s proposed Tattenhoe and Woughton & Fishermead wards. However, I have proposed an alternative warding for the other areas of my seat. In addition, I have made suggestions for the remaining areas of Milton Keynes. This is simply to show that my proposals for the area covered by my constituency do not result in difficulties in composing wards in the rest of Milton Keynes. While I would argue that my proposals do reflect local communities and ties, other proposals may be preferable.

For the MK South areas, I have been able to come up with an arrangement that preserves the “Western Flank” area (with the boundaries of the A5, A421 and the council boundary) and the Bletchley area (covered by Bletchley & Fenny Stratford Town Council and Parish) without a cross‐community ward that has attracted some criticism. I note from the Draft Recommendations documents, in particular, the reluctance of many residents in Bletchley to see parts of Bletchley paired with the Western Flank areas for ward boundary purposes. The Western Flank and Bletchley are well‐recognised sub‐divisions of Milton Keynes.

In addition, I am aware of a strong wish from residents in Danesborough ward for the area not to be included in an urban ward.

Finally, I specifically object the proposed & ward. This joins two areas of my constituency, , with areas many miles to the north with which they have no community ties.

1 The ward strikes me as rather an artificial creation made up from “left over” areas after other wards have been composed.

In order to address these concerns, and to better reflect local community ties, I have proposed 18 3‐member wards plus one 2‐member ward and a one 1‐member ward. I believe this satisfies the criteria as set out in Paragraph 16 of the Draft Recommendations Report. In addition, all my proposed wards have forecast 2018 electorates within 10% of the electoral quota.

I have detailed my proposed new wards for “Milton Keynes South” below.

DETAILS OF NEW WARDS

Numbers correspond to the attached map. The electorates are based on the forecast ones for 2018 and are all within 10% of the 2018 electoral quota of 3,342 electors per councillor.

The Western Flank

1. Stony Stratford (2 Member Ward) – 2018 electorate: 6,132

Comprises polling districts SA to SF. The ward includes the whole of the Stony Stratford Town Council area and the small Calverton Parish area. Calverton has long been paired with Stony Stratford in a local electoral ward and the two share many close links. For example All Saints Church in Calverton is linked with St Mary & St Giles Church in Stony Stratford. As one of the historic towns around which the new town of Milton Keynes was designed, Stony Stratford retains a proud, strong and distinct local identity. Electorally, it is the right size for a two member ward. While, since the last review of boundaries, it has been paired with Parish (the Two Mile Ash estate), the two communities are distinct. I would argue strongly that Stony Stratford’s identity would be best served by having a two‐member ward. As I explain further in my proposals for my Emerson Valley & Furzton ward (No 4) below, I would further argue that this logical 2 member ward arrangement for Stony Stratford avoids the need to disrupt other strong community ties in the Western Flank.

2. Two Mile Ash & Oakhill (3 Member Ward) – 2018 electorate: 9,864

Comprises Two Mile Ash (SG), the whole of the new /Whitehouse development, Crownhill (LB), Grange Farm (LE) , and Oakhill/Medbourne/Shenley Wood (LF). This is a logical fitting together of the most modern of the West Flank developments together with the immediately adjacent estates of Two Mile Ash and Crownhill.

Crownhill and Two Mile Ash in particular will have strong links with the new Fairfield and Whitehouse developments. In the planning discussion, for example, there has been considerable debate about the optimal pedestrian and traffic links between them and neighbouring estates. The employment, education and retail facilities planned for the new developments will include neighbouring estates in their natural catchment areas. I would strongly argue that Two Mile Ash will have much more in common with these areas than with Heelands or Bradwell, as proposed in your Draft Recommendations.

I would further argue that the needs of the very recent estates of Medbourne, Oakhill and Grange Farm will be similar to those of the proposed developments in Fairfields and Whitehouse.

3. Loughton & Shenley (3 Member Ward) – 2018 electorate: 9,632

Comprises Loughton (LA), Great Holm (LC), (LD) and Shenley Lodge (HA). This ward combines the whole of Loughton Parish with parts of Shenley Church End and Parishes. I would argue this is

2 a logical pairing of very similar estates, which share a common road artery in Watling Street. Loughton, Great Holm, and Shenley Church End are already linked in the existing Loughton Park ward. I would suggest that Shenley Lodge has at least as much in common with these areas as with Furzton with which it is currently paired. Housing in Shenley Lodge and Shenley Church End was developed at the same time. In addition, Shenley Lodge is one of the defined catchment areas for Denbigh School (located in Shenley Church End) and the Caroline Haslett primary school in Shenley Lodge is a partner school of Denbigh. Many residents in Shenley Lodge use the shops and services at the Shenley Church End local centre.

4. Emerson Valley & Furzton (3 Member Ward) – 2018 electorate: 10,435

Comprises Furzton North and South (HB and HC), Emerson Valley North and South (GA and GB) and Shenley Brook End (GE). This area is wholly within the Shenley Brook End & Tattenhoe Parish. I was particularly concerned by the proposals in the Draft Recommendations to divide the Furzton and Emerson Valley estates into two along the linear park and pair the southern parts of both with Bletchley. I would suggest that, rather than dividing both estates, the linear park unites them. People from all parts of Emerson Valley and Furzton use the park for recreation and leisure.

Paragraph 70 of the Draft Recommendations suggests that this division of Emerson Valley and Furzton is a consequential result of other ward arrangements, rather than being based on strong “local ties” arguments. I believe that my proposals for the Western Flank as a whole avoid the need to split two estates which share very similar characteristics throughout.

5. Tattenhoe (3 Member Ward) – 2018 electorate: 9,651

Unchanged from LGBCE initial proposals (ie Tattenhoe (GC), (GD), Kingsmead (GF) and Oxley Park (GG and LG). I agree with the suggestion that the areas of this proposed ward share similar characteristics and local ties.

Bletchley Area

Bletchley, Fenny Stratford and Water Eaton are also well‐established areas around which the new town of Milton Keynes was planned. They are covered by Bletchley & Fenny Stratford Town Council and West Bletchley Council. Neither council is big enough for two 3‐member wards but are too big to have just one 3‐member ward each. Taken together, three 3‐member wards are possible.

6. Far Bletchley (3 Member Ward) – 2018 electorate: 9,269

Comprises the whole of existing Whaddon ward (UA to UD) plus Denbigh West (EB – from existing Denbigh ward) and Saints (AB – from existing Bletchley & Fenny Stratford ward). All this area lies within the West Bletchley Council area. The main Buckingham Road, Shenley Road and Whaddon Way roads link all parts of the proposed ward, with shops and a community centre at the junction of Whaddon Way and Warwick road providing a community hub.

7. (3 Member Ward) – 2018 electorate: 10,534

This ward joins the adjacent parts of Bletchley & Fenny Stratford Town Council and West Bletchley Council. I have also included the small new Ashland estate from Simpson and Ashland Parish, which is already within the existing Bletchley & Fenny Stratford ward. This does involve splitting the Simpson and Ashland Parish. To avoid too great a difference in ward electorates, I have proposed including Simpson village (497 electors) in my proposed & Walton ward, as I believe Simpson and Walton are natural bedfellows. However, if there is a wish not to split Simpson and Ashland Parish, Simpson could continue to be included in this Bletchley ward.

3 My proposed ward comprises Church Green (AA), Poets (AC), Fenny Stratford (AF), Granby (AG) and Ashland (AI) from the existing Bletchley & Fenny Stratford ward; and Denbigh NW (EA) and Denbigh NE (EC) from existing Denbigh ward. There are good road links to all parts of the ward and there is a railway line linking Bletchley and Fenny Stratford stations which are both within the ward.

8. Water Eaton (3 Member Ward) – 2018 electorate: 9,856

Comprises whole of existing Eaton Manor ward plus Central Bletchley (AD) and Manor North (AH) from existing Bletchley & Fenny Stratford ward. I believe this is a more natural joining of the areas of south and eastern Bletchley. It unites the community through which Water Eaton road (the current boundary between Eaton Manor and Bletchley & Fenny Stratford) runs.

Danesborough and Walton

I have received many representations from constituents in the current Danesborough ward expressing a wish not to be included in an urban Milton Keynes ward. The small town of and the villages of , and Wavendon are distinct semi‐rural communities within Milton Keynes. Although they look to Bletchley and to for major services, they have a different character to adjoining areas. I accept that the electorate of the current Danesborough ward is going to be too large for a single 1‐member ward to continue.

However, the majority of the forecast population growth is in the parish of Wavendon, where a significant housing development will adjoin the existing estates on the east of Walton Parish. I would therefore propose that the Wavendon part of the current Danesborough ward moves to join Walton in a new 3‐member ward while the rest of Danesborough stays as a single‐member ward.

9. Woburn Sands & The Brickhills (1 Member Ward) – 2018 electorate: 3,212

Comprises the polling districts Bow Brickhill (DA), Little Brickhill (DB) and the two Woburn Sands ones (DD and DE). There is also a transfer of land (and a tiny number of electors) from the Wavendon (DC) polling district (the land south of the railway line), to reflect a change to the Woburn Sands Parish Boundary. The LGBCE map already reflects this.

10. Wavendon & Walton (3 Member Ward) – 2018 electorate: 10,830

Comprises Wavendon (DC) from the current Danesborough ward, Walton Park/Walnut Tree (TA), Wavendon Gate (TB), Browns Wood/Old Farm Park (TC) and Caldecotte (TD) from the current Walton Park ward, and Simpson (AE) in the current Bletchley & Fenny Stratford ward. This means all of Walton Parish is in the ward (as opposed to being split under the LGBCE proposals) and it is arguable that both Simpson and Wavendon as adjacent parishes are a natural complement (especially with the proposed housing developments in Wavendon). As noted in my proposals for Bletchley, it may also be possible to include Simpson in a Bletchley ward to avoid splitting Simpson and Ashland Parish. This could be done without any knock‐on effects to other ward proposals.

Woughton

11. Woughton & Fishermead (3 Member Ward) – 2018 electorate: 10, 361

Unchanged from LGBCE proposals (ie current Woughton ward plus Fishermead from Campbell Park ward), which I support as a sensible arrangement.

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Rest of Milton Keynes

Having covered all the areas in my Parliamentary constituency, the following proposed wards relate to the rest of Milton Keynes. I stress that, while I believe these wards represent a sensible arrangement of communities in the centre and north of Milton Keynes and show that my proposals for wards in Milton Keynes South are workable in the context of Milton Keynes as a whole, there may be other configurations of wards that are preferable.

12. Monkston (3 Member Ward) – 2018 electorate: 9,965

Comprises Old Woughton parish (polling districts MD, MG, MF), plus Monkston Park (MF), Monkston MC), Broughton Gate (MK) and Brooklands (ML), all in the current Middleton ward, together with Kents Hill (TE) in the current Walton Park ward. This means all of the Kents Hill Monkston and Brinklow Parish is in the same ward, plus the adjacent Broughton and Old Woughton Parishes.

13. Central Milton Keynes (3 Member Ward) – 2018 electorate: 10,556

Comprises Oldbrook (CD), the two CMK polling districts (CF and CE) and Springfield (CC) all in the current Campbell Park ward, plus Campbell Park (KF) from Linford South and Conniburrow (BD) from Bradwell. This unites all of the recognisable CMK areas in one ward together with three of the immediately adjacent estates.

14. Willen (3 Member Ward) – 2018 electorate: 9,721

Comprises Broughton (MA) and MK Village/Middleton (MB) from the existing Middleton ward, plus Woolstone (CB) from Campbell Park ward and Willen (KE), Willen Park (KD and KG), and Downhead Park (KC) from Linford South.

15. Wolverton (3 Member Ward) – 2018 electorate: 10,584

Based on the LGBCE proposal for Wolverton but with the addition of Oakridge Park (IE) and minus Blue Bridge/Bancroft (RC).

16. Bradwell (3 Member Ward) – 2018 electorate: 9,782

Comprises Heelands (BC), Bradwell (BA), and Bradwell Common (BB) from the existing Bradwell ward, plus Stacey Bushes (VF), Hodge Lea (VE) and Bradwell Abbey (VG) from Wolverton and Bancroft (RA) and Bancroft Park & Blue Bridge (RC) from .

17. Stantonbury (3 Member Ward) – 2018 electorate: 10,845

Based on LGBCE proposal for Stantonbury but without Bancroft (RA) and Oakridge Park (IE) and with the addition of Downs Barn (KA) from Linford South.

18. South (3 Member Ward) – 2018 electorate: 10,647

Based on the LGBCE proposal for Newport Pagnell South but with the addition of Pennyland (JB) from Linford North.

19. Newport Pagnell North & (3 Member Ward) – 2018 electorate: 9,141

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Unchanged from LGBCE proposal.

20. Olney (3 Member ward) – 2018 electorate: 9,451

Unchanged from LGBCE proposal.

I would be most grateful if you would consider this representation as part of your Inquiry. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require clarification or further information on any of the points that I have raised.

Yours faithfully,

Iain Stewart MP

Iain Stewart MP Member for Milton Keynes South

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