Community News
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OLNEY TOWN COUNCIL COMMUNITY NEWS The official source of Town Council news and information to residents of Olney ISSUE 02 FEBRUARY 2021 HAPPY NEW YEAR! We do hope you have been able to keep well. If you should need advice on the latest Covid guidance all our staff are Covid Champions. It was disappointing not to be able to have all the usual remembrance commemoration in the Market Place. But with Remembrance Day the help of The Olney Group Tec Team and Marcus Jordan Estate agents working with the Royal British Legion and OTC Town Meeting a dignified commemoration of the fallen was live streamed for On page 7 we have an advert for the Town/Parish Meeting. This all those who could not attend. The bugler was amazing if you is an annual event where you the parishioners have a voice. didn’t get to hear his rendition you can catch up on Face book. We were unable to hold the meeting last year and this year we cannot have the meeting as we would wish with wine and The Council cheese after the event. We are having an online meeting the Those of you listening to our meetings online will have heard link to the meeting will be on our web page in good time for that the Council have voted to publish documents relating to you all to join in. the activities of the Council. In the past the previous group of Councillors did not want these published. Elections As I write we do not know when the next Council elections will The Town Clerk published a statement on line after the meeting take place. When they do, I do not intend to stand. I am proud in answer to your questions. This has been copied on page 7 of to be leaving the Council in a much better state than I found this Newsletter. it. It has been a privilege to be a Councillor and Mayor and I would recommend standing to anyone who wishes to support Some of the documents make uncomfortable reading. A and shape their community. totally new HR Committee was established in September 2019, they and their newly elected Chair have since worked hard to There is a great deal to learn and establish good practice and process. The Chair of Finance has rewards in seeing a job well done. also written a piece for this Newsletter which clearly explains the financial strides the council has made in the last 2 years. Financial documents will be uploaded that show previous financial mismanagement. JEREMY RAWLINGS Mayor of Olney REPORT There were no documents to be found either online or as paper documents relating to the year 2018 HR meetings other than agenda in the office. Some Councillors kept the copies issued Don’t forget to visit our website: by the office at the time so we collected them together for The website link is publication online as they should have been after each meeting https://www.olneytowncouncil.gov.uk in 2018. You can also find us on Facebook at: Thank you https://www.facebook.com/OlneyTownCouncil/ As Mayor I should like to thank the current serving councillors in If you have any concerns, or suggestions please contact the Town supporting me and the staff in this difficult time of change. The Council Office on 01234 954554 or you can email me directly at Council is now in a place where it is working correctly within the [email protected] legislation and directions set out for small Councils. OLNEY TOWN COUNCIL COMMUNITY NEWS 01 MEETING DATES OLNEY TOWN COUNCIL Meetings of the full Town Council and its committees are held each month on Mondays at 7pm or 7:30pm at The Olney Centre in the Council Chamber, (currently remotely via Microsoft Teams).See MEETINGS for the virtual meeting link, agendas, and minutes. Monday 8th February Recs & Services Monday 26th April Planning Monday 22nd February Planning Monday 26th April Development Monday 1st March Full Council Monday 10th May Full Council Monday 8th March HR Monday 17th May Recs & Services Monday 29th March Planning Monday 24th May Planning Monday 12th April Full Council Monday 7th June Full Council Friday 16th April Annual Town Meeting Monday 14th June HR Monday 19th April Finance Monday 21st June Planning Members of the public are welcome to observe (remotely) any of these meetings. If you wish to do so go to our website agenda and meetings where you will find the link. Should you wish to make an enquiry or comment please email to the Clerk at [email protected] by 5pm the Friday before the meeting. Please note public comments must be no longer than 3 minutes and in total the time taken for the comments to read cannot be more that 15 minutes. Should there be more than one public comment they will be taken in order of receipt by the office and should the time run out for them to be read they will be forwarded to the next meeting. OLNEY TOWN COUNCILLORS Cllr Joanne Eley Cllr Colin Rodden Cllr Jeremy Rawlings [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Cllr Chris Tennant Cllr Malcolm Messenger Cllr Desmond Eley [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Cllr Stephen Clark Cllr Peter Geary Cllr Paul Collins [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Cllr Graham Harrison [email protected] TOWN COUNCIL OFFICERS LANDSCAPE OFFICERS Town Clerk Deputy Town Clerk Head Groundsman Groundsman Andrea Vincent Sarah Kennedy Bob Marshall Jonathan Burbridge WARD COUNCILLORS FOR OLNEY ON MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT MILTON KEYNES COUNCIL Ben Everitt Peter Geary [email protected] Suite 102 , Milton Keynes Business Centre Foxhunter Drive , Linford Wood MK14 6GD Keith McLean [email protected] Phone: 01908 686830 David Hosking Email: [email protected] [email protected] 02 OLNEY TOWN COUNCIL COMMUNITY NEWS Olney Town Council SERVICES THE TOWN COUNCIL CONTINUES TO OFFER ALL ITS SERVICES DURING THESE DIFFICULT TIMES. FOR EXAMPLE: ALLOTMENTS OLNEY CEMETERY Demand for allotments has been high, many residents Throughout the grounds staff have tended the have been keen to grow their own, or just have a place cemetery with great care, whilst facilitating with outside to spend time. respect and understanding internments. If you need to arrange a funeral, enhance an existing family grave or The ridings on the allotments have long been of purchase a grave for yourself or another please contact concern to allotment holders because of ruts and the office on 01235 711679. potholes. The council was able to find a contractor who made a fantastic job of levelling off the ridings. LANDSCAPING The main route is now safe for all vehicles be they a Olney Town Council landscape team are working small car, bicycle or a wheelbarrow. hard to keep the town beautiful and have had the delightful job of ordering the summer bedding, most Unfortunately, on smaller routes off of the main route cheering in these dark and wet days. Please help by the consistent heavy rainfall has damaged the surface taking litter home if you can and using the dog bins repair. The council will be looking at this again to find and bags provided for dog mess. If there is a problem a more durable fix. in your locality, you can contact our landscaping team by email to [email protected] or The very experienced staff team at Olney Town [email protected] Council are being supported by expert contractors who are repairing the walls of the graveyard. Olney Town Council is project managing this work on behalf of Milton Keynes Council who have the ultimate responsibility for the grave yard. If you would like or need more information please email to [email protected] or deputy@ olneytowncouncil.gov.uk or telephone on 01234 954554 OLNEY TOWN COUNCIL COMMUNITY NEWS 03 A Rubbish Quiz Test your knowledge in our interesting quiz about waste and recycling in history Questions 1. When were the first recorded dustmen in history? 2. How did Ancient Egyptians recycle old papyrus scrolls and manuscripts? 3. What did the Ancient Chinese Han Dynasty recycle animal waste, straw, plant ash into? 4. What did the Victorians introduce in 1842 that revolutionised how rubbish was collected? 5. In World War 2 families were encouraged to save their meat bones. What were they recycled into? 6. What year did Milton Keynes launch kerbside collections of recycling? 7. Where was the first purpose-built recycling factory in the UK? 8. What happens to the black bin bag rubbish in Milton Keynes today? Answers 1. 200 AD The first dustmen in history are found in Romans times. Teams of two men walked along the streets picking up rubbish and throwing it in a wagon. There is also evidence that early Romans recycled broken pottery into flooring and melted down bronze coins into statues that could be sold at a higher monetary value than the original coins. 2. There is evidence in Ancient Egypt that letters and legal documents were repurposed as mummy wrappings. 3. In China early records from the Han Dynasty suggest that composting was a part of life early as 2000 BC, recording ‘fertilizer recipes’ listing human & animal waste, straw, plant ash. 4. Victorians brought in regular refuse collections in 1842. Council standard galvanised dust bins and weekly collections were introduced to much public objection. It was found people put bins out on the wrong day and misused the bins.