TION AC TION AC West S WBestletchley U P Y P T S I ouncil C O U L Bletchley R A P Y T U P T Q I ouncil C O L R A T U open door Q openopenTHE OFFICIAL N EWSLETTERdoordoor OF WEST BLETCHLEY COUNCIL openHE FFICIAL EWSLETTERdoor OF EST LETCHLEY OUNCIL THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF WEST BLETCHLEY COUNCIL MAYMAY 20212021 WBC PRESENTS CARNIVALWBC PRESENTS 2017 CARNIVALCELEBRATING THE GOOD 2017 OL' DAYS (CELEBRATING &#% THE ()U)(K- GOOD OL' 1."#(!F DAYS (1#` 7WN# &#% N#8#8 ()U)(K- 8#8 1."#(!F JJN"78SN 1#` 7WN# N#8#8 8#8 JJN"78SN Live music from around the world and across the decades Live musicOur very from own around Carnival the worldbar built and on across Rickley the Park decades CommunityOur very Arena own toCarnival showcase bar builtlocal ontalent Rickley Park Community Arena to showcase local talent Games to try from local Clubs and Centres Games to try from local Clubs and Centres The best Independent Food Traders, Thefrom best noodlesIndependent to Fish Food 'n' Chips Traders, from noodles to Fish 'n' Chips Family friendly entertainment Family friendly entertainment ./,3 98." /( ./,3 98." /( Midday - 5pm )(K.Midday '#-- ." - *,HHH5pm . LEAVING)(K. MELROSE '#-- ." AVENUE *,HHH AT MIDDAY! . LEAVING MELROSE AVENUE AT MIDDAY! Applications for Stalls Applicationsand Parade for Stalls ENTRY and Parade()1 &)- ENTRY ()1 &)- MELROSE AVE > RICKLEY PARK 01908 648257 #PROUDTOBEMK3 [email protected] MELROSE AVE > RICKLEY PARK 01908 648257 #PROUDTOBEMK3 [email protected] www.westbletchleycouncil.gov.uk www.westbletchleycouncil.gov.uk INSIDE THE MAY EDITION Chair’sCHAIR’S WELCOME - Chair’s Welcome Welcome Welcome to the Spring - Introduction by the Parish Clerk edition of Open Door. - Results of the Local Parish Councils Elections It includes our Annual Report to residents - West Bletchley Town Council Gets Quality Gold Status which summarises the Council’s activities over the past year together with the - Grant Awards Statement of Accounts. - West Bletchley Residents Can Swim for Free It was a pleasure recently to present - The Marc and Frank Moran Centre awards in our Spirit of MK3 Awards and - Climate Change Emergency to know we have so many residents who - Win A Compost Bin Competition gladly and freely give their time and make a difference in our community. I’m sorry - Landscaping Covid restrictions meant it wasn’t possible - West Bletchley Council Annual Report to make it the big event it deserved to be. Following the local elections, a new - Active Travel Council starts this month, and I’d like to - Spirit of MK3 Community Awards 2020 thank those councillors who have stood BLETCHLEY & FENNY STRATFORD TOWN DEAL, MAY 2021 - Rickley Park Improvements down this year for the many years of time and commitment they have given to West - Flowers Park Play Area & Trim Trail Bletchley Council and, of course, a big - Wordsearch welcome to our new councillors. - West Bletchley Policing Team Safeguarding Our Local Residents Enjoy the summer and stay safe. - Crimewave Cameras Cllr Veronica Belcher ChairBest wishes of West Bletchley Council - St. Martin’s Bowls Club CLLR VERONICA BELCHER Chair of West Bletchley Council - Noticeboard Committee Meeting Dates Letters should be sent to Office Opening Hours Open Door at MP’s Surgery West Bletchley Council Councillors Advice Surgeries Letters should be sent to Open Door at 221 WhaddonWEST BLETCHLEY Way, COUNCIL Bletchley, 221 WHADDON WAY, BLETCHLEY, - Bletchley & Fenny Stratford Town Deal MiltonMILTON Keynes, KEYNES, MK3 7DZ 7DZ Or email to [email protected] email to [email protected] 2.2 WEST BLETCHLEY COUNCILLORS INTRODUCTION BY THE Here are the results of the local parish PARISH CLERK elections that took place on 6th May 2021 ABBEYS WARD Geraldine Helder Kit Power I am delighted to Tina Walsh introduce the latest 1 Vacancy edition of Open Door featuring information about activities and CASTLES initiatives taking place across the parish. Matthew Burn Susan Long Read at pages 8 and 9 about the actions that Gladstone McKenzie we are taking to help us address climate change. You will see that we are encouraging CHURCH GREEN WARD the use of compost bins as one way of reducing Waqas Ahmad carbon emissions within the parish. Enter our Jim Kearon competition for the chance of winning a free Nabeel Nazir home composting bin. COUNTIES WARD Paul Harvey Due to the uncertainty of ongoing Covid-19 Nigel Long restrictions, we have sadly, once again, found Shakeel Sibtain it necessary to cancel the annual carnival. The Council has, however, agreed instead FAIRWAYS WARD to allocate the carnival budget to fund a Shery Delfani programme of smaller scale events across Iain Layden the parish. Please check our website at: www. 1 Vacancy westbletchleycouncil.gov.uk for updates. POETS WARD In responding to the Covid pandemic we Paul Moore have also reviewed and agreed to extend our 1 Vacancy community support services and will, when restrictions permit, be providing additional RACECOURSES WARD activities at the Melrose Avenue Resource James Butson Elaine Wales Centre (MARC). Follow us on facebook at: facebook.com/frankmoranMARC RIVERS WARD for updates regarding this. Veronica Belcher Ray Brady Lastly, I would again draw your attention Naomi Sinclair to our brief “Salden Chase” update at page 4. Please continue to check our website for SAINTS WARD further updates on proposals for development Andrew Coaton on land adjacent to the parish Ernie Thomas HELEN HUPTON SCOTS WARD Clerk to West Bletchley Council Felicity Cockbaine Barbara Moore 1 Vacancy 3. SALDEN CHASE UPDATE In the last edition of Open Door we advised that the Public Inquiry, to consider the appeal against Milton Keynes Council’s decision to refuse permission for the Salden Chase Highways Planning Application (Ref:15/00619/ FUL), had been adjourned until 9th February 2021. Following a Case Management Conference in late 2020 the Planning Inspector confirmed a further postponement of the Inquiry until May 2021. The Public Inquiry commenced on the new date of 11th May 2021 and (at the time of printing of this edition of Open Door) was expected to last for up to 9 days, ending on or before 25th May 2021. West Bletchley Council has, together with Newton Longville Parish Council, appointed experts to present its objection to this application at the Public Inquiry. Please continue to check our website at: www.westbletchleycouncil.gov.uk for updates. WEST BLETCHLEY COUNCIL GETS QUALITY GOLD STATUS West Bletchley Council has again been awarded ‘Quality Gold Status’ West Bletchleyby the National Council Association gets Quality of Local Councils, Gold Status the highest category of award under the National Award Scheme for the second time in a West Bletchleyrow. The Council Chair of has the Council, again Councillorbeen awarded Veronica Belcher‘Quality was Gold glad to Status’ by theaccept National the award Association on behalf of all of at LocalWest Bletchley Councils, Council. the highest category of award under the National Award Scheme for the second time in a row.The CouncillorsThe Chair and of Staff the Council,of West Bletchley Councillor Council Veronica are delighted Bel to cher was glad tohave accept successfully the award passed onrigorous behalf examination of all at demonstrating West Bletchley that the Council. Council is at the forefront of best practice and achieves excellence in governance, community leadership and Council development. The Councillors and Staff of West Bletchley Council are delighted to have successfully passed rigorous examination demonstrating that the Council is at the forefront of best practice and achieves excellence in governance, community leadership and Council development. 4. KEECH HOSPICE CARE - GRANT AWARDED CHILDREN’S COMMUNITY SUPPORT SERVICES Keech Hospice Care would like to thank West Bletchley Council for supporting our specialist care services for children with life-limiting conditions. Grants such as yours make a significant impact and enable us to continue making the difference when it matters the most. Your generous donation of £450 in April 2020 to our Children’s Community Support Services contributed to us continuing to provide this specialist care to those who need it. We are extremely grateful for all your support. I would like to take this opportunity to update you on what our charity is doing during this worrying time to make sure that we can continue to care for our seriously ill children and adults, and their families. Our amazing care teams are continuing to care for children and adults at the end of their lives, both at the hospice itself and out in our communities. Since March, some support for children and their families has been out in the community and virtually. We have found that some parents have been quite anxious to let our nurses into their homes as it is their safe bubble. Therefore, nurses have been providing support remotely whilst sitting in their car on the family’s drive, or more recently in their gardens and even via zoom from the hospice. Our dedicated nurses remain at the end of our 24-hour advice lines for both child and adult patients, so families can continue to get the best care and support they need, when they need it. Our priority now is the same as our purpose at all times: to care for our patients and support their families when they need us: making the difference when it matters the most. Covid-19 is continuing to provide many challenges to us as an organisation and we have adapted our care services considerably since the initial outbreak in March. I have no doubt that our services will continue to adapt and change as we move into the winter and face new challenges. However, our priority now is the same as our purpose at all times: to care for our patients and support their families when they need us: making the difference when it matters the most.