Olney Neighbourhood Plan Publicity Consultation

Mackowiak, Marek <Marek.Mackowiak@Milton-keynes.gov.uk>

Today at 16:38

Dear Sir or Madam,

In January, Olney Town Council submitted the final version of its Neighbourhood Plan to Milton Keynes Council. The Plan is now being published in accordance with Regulation 16 of the Neighbourhood Plans (General) Regulations 2012. This is the final stage to make comments on the Plan.

The Plan and its supporting documents are available to view at:

http://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/planning-and-building/planning-policy/olney-neighbourhood-plan

Any comments on the Plan at this stage (including those from members of the public and other organisations) will be passed to an independent person to consider when he or she is examining the Plan.  He or she will consider whether the Plan:

-              Meets a number of basic conditions

-              Satisfies the legal requirements for neighbourhood plans, and

-              Identifies an appropriate area for the referendum.

As part of this process, the Examiner will decide if the Plan should proceed to the Referendum stage, which is where local residents will have the opportunity to vote on whether the plan should be made (adopted) and used in the determination of planning applications in the area that it covers.

As this is the final chance to comment before the Plan goes to examination and then on to Referendum, it is important if there are any outstanding concerns you have regarding the Plan, that they are raised now for the Examiner to consider.

Comments should be sent to: Development.Plans@Milton-keynes.gov.uk

by 5pm on Wednesday 8th March 2017.

Kind regards

Marek

Marek Mackowiak

Planning Officer

T: 01908 254573

marek.mackowiak@milton-keynes.gov.uk

http://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/planning-policy

Milton Keynes Council | Development Plans| Civic Offices | 1 Saxon Gate East | Central Milton Keynes | MK9 3EJ

ERTA wants the railway rebuilt between Bedford-Olney and Northampton. The original route is blocked at Olney and the Handley Alignment (above red line) shows how those blockages can be overcome and link the old trackbed east and west of Yardley Road and River Great Ouse to the east. We want to ensure that the route option is retained and kept 'open' to allow rebuilding of the railway in a way that best suites engineering. Therefore any ambitions to expand the town of Olney northwards either side of the A509 is a threat unless tailored to protect the green-space railway corridor. If expansion goes ahead, the stupidity of it is that Olney has a major traffic issue. A509 has a lot of continuous traffic trundling through Olney. A bypass has been said to be a death-knell for the town's small businesses but equally many of the cars, vans and lorries do not stop and besides Olney has a lack of parking in relation to those who wish to park and volume to space ratios. Thus a car park with a railway station north of current built Olney could double up as well as improved lanes and paths and crossings for encouraging cycling, walking and public transport options in an integrated manner. The railway would deliver volumes of people contrast roads only which just erodes the otherwise pleasant surroundings. Please help us by responding to the consultation and mentioning the benefits and merits of reopening the railway which should be supported by the Town Council. To discuss further e. erta.9rails@yahoo.co.uk or join ERTA: https://ertarail.com/membership/

Beds on Sunday 22.01.2017 Page 7 Article

Steve Lowe keeps his role as an ad hoc reporter for BoS? Former Labour County Councillor. The reality is that if we had a plan for freight line-born going forward we could say "contaminated soil can be removed by rail when the Bedford-Cambridge line gets rebuilt." 

The Rowing Lake would sever the old trackbed and Sustrans cycle-way. It cannot be bridged due to no island column allowed for a racing and training still water lake. The added on developments are a far cry from earlier days when the lake and it's impact was played down by select supporters. This will be a major traffic generator, more congestion and mayhem on the roads we could do without.

Beds on Sunday 22.01.2017 Page 7 Article

Surely it is time to start putting the rail first and lake second? It and land proposed by Charles Wells for redevelopment is flood plain and I notice the old goods shed and land - which could serve as a western access and car park for Bedford Midland is included in plans to redevelop. 

The path to Kempston gets perennially closed as flood water exceed the path. There are wildlife habitats there currently with rushes and small ponds for spawning, sweep it away with river side development and that habitat is lost and/or compromised. 

Will Charter Walk be restored to the public as a right of way and made up for cycle access too?

I believe that unless Councils and the agency friends they build up start laying down the railway they want, we will not have a route into Bedford by 2030's. 

Just wanted people to be aware, by all means write to Bedford Borough Council, Cauldwell Street, Bedford, MK42 9AP and make you views/ask questions. 

The railway will bring volume footfall and spend, ease parking pressures and make development more sustainable, scupper it's reasonable access via the old St John's and you throw away that potential.

London Woes as Strikes and Sluggish Systems Fail to deliver progressive improvements in a timely manner.

09 January 2017

Press Release

London Woes as Strikes and Sluggish Systems Fail to deliver progressive improvements in a timely manner.

Today’s and other recent strikes are no more ideological than those in Government who are passing the buck of calling in Franchises and questioning whether more train services should be handed to TfL to manage or not. The result is a paralysation and on the ground whilst routine maintenance is happening, the grand scale plans seem remiss as HS2 takes Government time and resource and the millions of ordinary transport users are treated appallingly at cost.

ERTA believes the following should be looked at:

1. Tolling the M25 every 15 miles would inform a pot of money which could be used to invest to get London moving.

2. Bringing to fruition an urban London tram system would help central London cope with ever more numbers of people and mobility issues. But cars need to be cleared from Central London like Euston/St Pancras Road to enable trams and buses to get through, currently the whole road network grinds to a halt.

3. Southern lines like the Brighton Line needs to be made into Continental Loading Gauge and Dutch double-decker trains need to be imported to cater for growing volume of usage to relatively static terminal and track/station access capacity. Dutch double-deck trains are decades long tried and tested technology and this would enable greater numbers in more comfort to access existing terminals. 

4. Crossrail will be east-west, Southern radial lines are north-south like the Brighton Main Line. Crossrail 2 or 3 will take decades to deliver; we need something done interim to ease the pain of high volume London commute dependency, so the quicker plans to compulsory purchase and deliver Continental Loading Gauge are put in place the better for all.

5. Our other London suggestions can be found on our website page: https://ertarail.com/london/

End Press Release

Further comment: Campaigns Coordinator Mr Richard Pill 01234 330090 erta.rails6@yahoo.co.uk

Note: Source images of double-decker trains: 

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Dutch+Double+decker+trains&rlz=1C1AOHY_enGB708GB708&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj3ubf__rTRAhXjAcAKHePfADoQsAQIJw&biw=1280&bih=869

The first day of the London Marylebone - Oxford City Station service.

Caption above: Class 168 Unit No. 168106 at Oxford City Station prior to departing for London Marylebone 12^th December 2016. Oxford now has 2 routes to London, Milton Keynes and Witney next?

The first day of the London Marylebone - Oxford City Station service - by Simon Barber.

On the first day of the new timetable for Chiltern Railways(and also for several other Train Operators), three of our members (David Ferguson, Tony Bush and myself) travelled on some of the first through train services running from London Marylebone to Oxford City. David and I travelled on one service, whilst Tony travelled on another. We all distributed recruitment flyers on the trains to some of the other first passengers, and after we arrived at Oxford City both David and I went on to another train to leaflet more passengers prior to that train departing for London Marylebone.

We travelled on a Class 168 unit, which now operate most of the London Marylebone - Oxford City services. However, when we all returned to London Marylebone we travelled on a push-pull set presumably hauled by a Class 68 locomotive. There are now two bay platforms at Oxford City which are now dedicated to the London Marylebone service and also for the future East -West services for whenever these come on stream, and new awnings are now in the process of construction for these platforms.  We then made our way to an Italian restaurant close to Oxford's main bus station where we had a superb meal which also marked ERTA's Xmas celebration.

Caption Above: The ERTA Celebrating Christmas bash and the new rail link on December 12^th 2016 at Gino’s Spaghetti House, adjacent Gloucester Bus Station, Oxford City Centre where the X5 coach to Bedford goes from conveniently!

Join ERTA and be part of the picture! Good progress is being made. Further contacts and details see: Membership Secretary, 20 Fitzherbert House, Kingsmead, Richmond, Surrey, TW10 6HT T. 0208 940 4399 E. simon4barber@gmail.com or website: https://ertarail.com/membership/ All supporters welcome.