The Focus team have been out talking to residents in Fishermead about the Tory Council’s proposals to start charging for taking away bulky household waste. Many residents have filled in a survey and over 95% are against the charge.  They believe that it would lead to more people dumping rubbish on the estate.

The quick survey can be completed online and we would very much like to know what you think:  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FX6NYWB

At Milton Keynes Council tonight, the Tory administration proposed that council tenants should pay a 6.1% increase in their rent, at a time when people are hard-pressed because of increases in fuel charges, petrol prices and inflation, and many are losing their jobs.

The Lib Dems forced a reduction in the increase to 4% as we are very concerned about the impact on the more disadvantaged households in our community.

Despite protests by Cec Tallack and myself, the Cabinet member is pressing ahead with a decision on Tuesday to dim streetlights all over CMK from 6:30 pm. Cec Tallack and I will be there to try to stop the decision and we suggest any concerned residents or businesses turn up too at the Civic Offices

I met British Waterways along with representatives of the Parish Council and Milton Keynes Council to look at the atrocious state of Bridge 84, an old Grand Union Canal Bridge which links Woolstone and Springfield. There are huge cracks (which you can see through) on the bridge parapets and wings, and some bricks have fallen out of the archway.  The redway surface on top is broken up and very dangerous.

British Waterways say major repairs to the bridge are in their programme of repairs, but can’t be certain when it will reach the top of the list.  MK Council are reluctant to spend lots of money on repairing the path surface if the bridge is to be repaired in the next few months, as it might need doing again afterwards.  The Parish councillors and I impressed on the Council that the surface is far too dangerous to leave as it is, particularly as it isn’t lit and that some patching work at least needs to be done to make it safer.

The local police have warned that there have been a number of incidents in recent days of two people knocking on doors in Woolstone and Willen, with collecting buckets, falsely claiming to be raising money for Willen Hospice.  Willen Hospice say they are not authorised collectors and know nothing about them.  Residents should be careful and ask for proof of identity of anyone collecting money door to door.    If you have any suspicions ring the police on their new non-emergency number, 101.

Having seen the latest schedule of where the Council is going to be filling potholes on grid roads in the next few months, I have asked when the potholes on the H6 at Woolstone, Springfield and the junction with V8 are going to get fixed.  They are getting worse and with colder weather on the way are likely to deteriorate still further.

I have been told that the H6 should be added to the next schedule. I will make sure it is!

The replacement street sign has finally arrived!  A new handrail at the bus stop and a new street sign in the same week in Kenwood Gate – at last.  Unfortunately signs have disappeared elsewhere so I am reporting them and hoping they won’t take so long to be replaced.