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Heelands Local Centre

By the time you read this the regeneration of Heelands Local Centre should hopefully be virtually complete. The last of a catalogue of hold-ups to the project was caused by the dreadful weather in February, pictured above.

Our message to everyone is:

Our local shops, both in Heelands and in Bradwell Common, are an invaluable resource for us all. Please make use of them as much as you can SSUUPPPPOORRTT YYOOUURR LLOOCCAALL SSHHOOPPSS!!

Don’t let our area look like this!

Call Milton Keynes Council on (01908) 252570 to get furniture, white goods and other bulky items collected free within 10 days.

If your items are in good condition there are also charities which will take them to resell or recycle. Please visit the MK Web site: www.miltonkeynes.gov.uk/recycling for full details. It also explains the full conditions applying to the bulk refuse collection service.

Sandy McAlear Resigns

Parish councillor Sandy McAlear has resigned as a councillor for Bradwell Village for personal reasons. The other parish councillors join with the clerk in thanking her for all her hard work and ideas over the past five years.

In turn, Sandy thanks the residents of Bradwell Village who have supported her over this time.

There is now a vacancy for a parish councillor to represent Bradwell Village.

Heelands School needs governors! If you would like to be more closely involved with the quality of education your children receive or even if you are not a parent at the school we welcome volunteers from the community to come and share in helping governors support the school.

Please contact the school on MK 316306 Headteacher: Mrs. Lesley Barnard

New Play Equipment for Bradwell Common Local Park

Until three months ago, the play facilities in Bradwell Common Local Park, off the Boulevard near the bridge to Conniburrow, were mainly for pre-school aged children. Then two new pieces of play equipment were installed to benefit somewhat older children. The new features, illustrated above in the foreground and extreme right, cost over £21,500, met about two thirds by Bradwell Parish Council and one third by Milton Keynes Council’s Play Area Improvement Scheme.

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Proposals for a Safer Crossing of Glovers Lane

£16,000 has been allocated as part of the regeneration work at Heelands Local Centre to provide a safer crossing of Glovers Lane for pedestrians. Milton Keynes Council report that the volume of pedestrians, including many school children, did not warrant a zebra crossing, but that “build outs” could be installed at the crossing point near the post box. These would calm traffic and give pedestrians a better view of the road. It would, however, necessitate repositioning the bus stop. This could cause inconvenience to passengers, so the Parish Council has made alternative proposals for a more convenient location for the bus stop.

The Parish Council has long been pressing for improved drainage to stop the “stream” running down the side of Glovers Lane whenever there is heavy rain (as shown on the left, above).

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Bradwell Parish Council is again financing play sessions for children aged 4 to 14 in the Easter school holidays. The sessions are professionally organised by Milton Keynes Play Association. As before, as children can come and go as they please, they remain the responsibility of their parents. Children under 8 must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

DATES AND VENUES

Heelands Sports Grounds South Field (near the basketball courts) On Tuesday mornings 7th and 14th April between 10.00 am and 12.30 pm

Bradwell Common, Summerfield School field (off Downley Avenue) On Wednesday afternoons 8th and 15th April between 2.00 and 4.30 pm

Bradwell Village, King George’s Field (Loughton and Primrose Roads) On Thursday afternoons 9th and 16th April between 2.00 and 4.30 pm

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News from the NAG

As we’ve mentioned before, the Bradwell Neighbourhood Action Group (NAG) continues to deal with the three problems nominated by local residents in 2007. They are:

Landscaping and defective infrastructure Vehicle parking and speeding Anti-social behaviour

Most residents support NAG action on the first and third problems, but it has to be admitted that their acting on vehicle related problems, particularly parking, does bring a small minority of residents into conflict with the police. One of the police community support officers details their position on the next page. If drivers act upon page 82 of the Highway Code, reproduced on page 11 (pink section), they’ll avoid conflict with the police.

Welcome to PCSO David McLean

We are really delighted to welcome new Police Community Support Officer David McLean to the police team in Bradwell Parish / NAG area.

“Tombstone” Marking

The NAG has made definite arrangements to have the numbers on court marking stones in Arncliffe and Langcliffe Drives, often called “tombstones,” repainted so that they are clearly visible, even in poor light. This work will be done in better weather by offenders doing unpaid work, under the direction of the Probation Service. The NAG is paying for the paints. Offenders will also make a start on repainting yellow bollards on redways.

More Parking Spaces for Rawlins Road? Bradwell Parish Council has applied to MK Council’s Community Parking Partnership Scheme for 50% joint funding of a long parking lay-by on the grass verge in Rawlins Road (north side), in Bradwell. At this location, shown on the left, cars parked on a bend prevent drivers seeing oncoming traffic. The first stage is for MK Council highway and road safety engineers to survey the road and make recommendations. Unfortunately, even if it’s approved, it may take up to a year to get the lay-by constructed.

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A Message from One of Our PCSOs On Bradwell parish we have parking issues, just like any other area in Milton Keynes and across the country! We have had a number of complaints from residents across the parish about people parking on pavements, drop kerbs (where the kerbs are lowered for disabled access/ mothers with pushchairs) and vehicles parked adjacent to junctions.

Above: Vehicle parked within 10 metres (32 feet) of a road junction To clear up any misunderstandings about these issues I would like to let you know the procedure the police will use regarding this. In the first instance if we come across an incorrectly parked vehicle we will check if the vehicle is registered to a local address so we can attend and speak to the owner of the vehicle, if this is not possible and if the owner is not home or does not live locally, a warning letter will be placed on the vehicle and a note taken of the registration. If the vehicle is then seen again after a warning has been given a £30 fixed penalty notice will be issued. The offence needs to be physically seen by a PCSO/PC. Left: Vehicle obstructing a pavement.

The following legislation relates to the Highway Code:

• You should not park within 10 metres of a junction or roundabout. • You should not fully obstruct a footpath with a vehicle, if a double buggy

cannot fit on the pavement it counts as an obstruction. • You should not park on a drop kerb.

We are working closely with the council to highlight where there are parking ‘hot spots’ and we hope to resolve this with requests for additional bays. I hope this has been helpful.

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More Dog Waste and Litter Bins

Bradwell Parish Council installed seven more dog waste bins throughout the Parish during the winter. This makes a total of 25 dog waste bins, one of the highest concentrations of them anywhere in Milton Keynes. It costs the parish council over £5,000 a year to empty them.

While all the dog waste bins are provided by the Parish Council, most of the litter bins in the area are provided by Milton Keynes Council. However, the parish has supplied and does service six litter bins in locations where MK Council will not fit them, but where there is a litter problem. The illustration shows the only instance of a dog bin and a litter bin, both supplied by the Parish, mounted on the same post. This is on the pathway between the Aldi store and Brill Place in Bradwell Common.

Updated lists and maps of our dog bin locations is shown on the parish web site www.bradwell-pc.gov.uk. With this many dog bins there really is no excuse to let dogs foul public areas. Thank you to the people who suggested new dog bin positions; we are sorry we can’t meet them all, but we are keeping the situation under review.

Local police information at your fingertips – Milton Keynes Would you like to receive free crime alerts and information from Thames Valley Police direct to your mailbox? For several years the Force has operated a messaging system known as Ringmaster in support of formal watch schemes such as Neighbourhood Watch, Pub Watch, Country Watch and Business Watch. People who sign up for the service will receive emails about burglaries and crime trends in their areas, crime reduction advice, information about the police force and numbers to call, appeals for witnesses – all specific to the areas in which they live or work. Helen Sharratt, Watch coordinator at Thames Valley Police said: “The aim of these messages is to raise awareness and make people more vigilant. For example if we had a spate of distraction burglaries in a certain area we can warn people what to look out for through this system and help stop anyone else becoming a victim. It can also be used to provide feedback regarding suspicious behaviour and it is a brilliant way for the police to work more closely with the community in preventing and detecting crime.” If you have not signed up to the system, it is quick and easy and you will start to receive messages almost immediately. To find out more about this free service and to sign up online visit www.tvpcommunitymessaging.org and click on apply. Or email Helen Sharratt at helen.sharratt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk Thames Valley Police - Milton Keynes Communications Team 01908 686300.

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Abbey Field Update A number of public seats and benches were installed in Abbey Field Wildlife Conservation Area last autumn. Many more daffodil bulbs have been planted there. The “wet area” at the railway end of the field has been dug out, but a lot of work still needs to be done on this, and we ask people to be very careful there.

The Parish Council sincerely thanks volunteers who have donated plants to Abbey Field and helped with planting them.

Heelands Rangers Bradwell Parish Council has given a substantial grant to Heelands Rangers FC to enlarge their Astroturf pitch so teenagers can use it. The Club has played a great part in providing facilities which have helped reduce youth crime.

Heelands Rangers have also entered into an agreement with Bradwell Village School by which the Club will carry out football coaching at the school, and pupils from the school can play their football matches on Heelands Rangers’ pitches.

BRADWELL VILLAGE RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION

A date for your diary

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Saturday 27 June 2009

In the Motte and Bailey Field next to the Church

Bring family and friends.

Stalls - Entertainers - Musicians – Games

Competitions for young and not-so-young

Cream Teas at the Church and Catering Van at the field.

Or be a firefighter a

Round the day off with a Disco and BBQ at the Sports and Social Club

More ne

.

Further attractions in the Memorial Hall

Come and be handcuffed at the police van

t the Fire Engine

ws later

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Street Trading Prohibited at

Heelands Centre

Following concerns expressed by local shopkeepers and residents, police officers and Bradwell Parish Council, Milton Keynes Council has designated Glovers Lane and Swinden Court in Heelands prohibited streets for street trading. This order means that all street traders, for example fast food vans, are prohibited from operating within 75 metres of the centre of both Glovers Lane and Swinden Court. A snack van using the shops’ car park last year resulted in a loss of car parking space and the police having to deal with anti-social behaviour. In our area, the grid roads, Grafton Street, Dansteed Way, Portway and Saxon Street are also designated prohibited streets for street trading.

Bradwell Parish Becomes a Drinking Control Area

On 1st March 2009, Bradwell Parish, comprising the grid squares of Bradwell Common, Bradwell Village, Heelands and Rooksley, became a Drinking Control Area. All of Central Milton Keynes and Campbell Park and areas around Stantonbury Campus and the east of Bradville are already designated Drinking Control areas.

The effect of the Drinking Control Order, which is supported by the Police and both Milton Keynes and Bradwell Parish Councils, is to control the drinking of alcohol in public places which is liable to result in anti-social behaviour. In these instances the offender can be required to stop drinking, and failure to observe this can lead to the confiscation of the alcohol and to penalties. The order does not affect people drinking on private property or in licensed pub and club premises during their permitted drinking hours and for half an hour afterwards.

The police, including PCSOs, can and will confiscate alcohol from under-age drinkers in public, whether or not there is anti-social behaviour, as an offence is being committed.

An example of the notice, which is being displayed at strategic points throughout the area, and in parish notice boards, is displayed on the opposite page.

Gas Supply Upgrade Works in Bradwell Village

Several residents have contacted us about the disruption caused by the upgrading of the gas supply pipes in Bradwell Village.

The contractor, Southern Gas Net-works, never once contacted the Parish Council about this work. Milton Keynes Council simply told us that it was authorised to take place between 1st December 2008 and 2nd March 2009.

Under the Road & Streetworks Act, the contractors have six months to reinstate all infrastructure including grass verges and the Parish Council will keep a careful check that this is done. It is very concerned about reports of an increase in the rat population in the area caused by the disturbance.

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Bradwell Parish Council is in no way related to Milton Keynes Credit Union but is supplying these details as a way of possibly helping residents save and borrow money reasonably in these difficult economic times.

Milton Keynes Credit Union –

Saving and Loans that are Ethical, Local & Affordable

Milton Keynes Credit Union was established in November 2005 – we are a cooperative of people who live and work in the city, providing access to community-based saving and borrowing. It’s simple to join and, once you’ve been saving for three months, you can apply for a loan at competitive interest rates. With MKCU, your money is kept safe locally and the union can lend to other local people to have a positive effect on their lives. MKCU members save for all sorts of things – Christmas, home improvements, holidays and so on. Loans are also given for a whole range of things – from car repairs or home insulation to study costs and paying off other (more costly) debts. What are the advantages of saving with your credit union?

• MKCU is run by our members for our members – this means that we are community-minded, not solely profit-driven

• Your savings are safe with us – MKCU is regulated by the Financial Service Authority and is part of the

Deposit Guarantee Scheme

• MKCU invests it’s surplus funds locally and ethically. The money we loan out is money that we have; it’s never borrowed from somewhere else as some other financial institutions have done

• MKCU is flexible – you can start as small as you like with savings and we also lend to suit your needs – from

around £50 to £5000 with no credit checks for smaller amounts

• Our interest rate on loans varies depending on the amount borrowed and starts from just 12.68% APR – we also have no arrangement fees, no early repayment penalties and free life insurance is included for members on both savings and loans

• You access MKCU locally; we have Collection Points across the city and are opening more in the next couple

of months. You get a face-to-face service to ask questions and deal with your savings and loans or you can ‘phone us if that suits you better.

There are lots more benefits too. If you’d like to know more, or would like an application pack, please contact enquiries@mkcreditunion.org.uk or 01908 525086 or drop in to your local Collection Point. Collection Point Opening Times

Foundation House, Aylesbury Street, Wolverton (Head Office) Open Fridays 10am-12 noon

Christ Church, Stantonbury Open Saturdays 10am-12 noon

Crosslinks, Serpentine Court, Lakes Estate Open Fridays 10:30am – 12:30pm

Coming Soon… Collection Points at Milton Keynes Citizens Advice Bureau (CMK) and Tenants Resource Centre (Netherfield)

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MKLC supports community integration with its English courses for non native speakers

In the present economic climate, with so many companies going out of business and many job loses, we all need to think about our own personal and professional development. There is a possibly we may even have to take the step to retrain for an alternative career pathway altogether. This can seem like a daunting task but don’t despair; there is a lot of support out there. For non-native speakers, the present predicament is impacted due to the language barrier; this can be very isolating for people in the community. To help overcome this, Milton Keynes Language Centre are offering government funded ESOL courses (English for speakers of other languages) FREE to people on benefits in Milton Keynes. There are four different levels designed to suit all abilities and we endeavour to deliver courses in local meeting places, meaning classes are easily accessible. Students will be working towards nationally recognised qualifications. This will improve job prospects, give students a real sense of achievement and bring the community together as they unite in their personal development. For those who are thinking of re-training for a new career pathway or setting up a business of their own, Milton Keynes Language Centre offer opportunities by way of teaching qualifications and diplomas in business. We have received government funding in the past for these qualifications and endeavour to do so in the future. The present economy is affecting us all and we owe it to ourselves to take this opportunity to improve our own prospects. Make the most of what is on offer; use it to your advantage in order to be successful. Louise Prince MKLC

For further information regarding any of the courses we offer, please call MKLC on (01908) 579222 or check our website for details www.mklc.co.uk

Bradwell Memorial Hall

The Parish Council has given Bradwell Memorial Hall, in Bradwell Village, a grant of £500 to help with the cost of installing a new front door with full access for disabled people.

Unlike the other community halls in the area, the Memorial Hall gets no financial help whatever from Milton Keynes Council _______________________________________________ Following on from pages 4 and 5 An Excerpt from the Highway Code

on Parking 242 You MUST NOT leave your vehicle or trailer in a dangerous position or where it causes any unnecessary obstruction of the road. [Laws RTA 1988, sect 22 & CUR reg 103] 243 DO NOT stop or park

• near a school entrance

• anywhere you would prevent access for Emergency Services

• at or near a bus or tram stop or taxi rank

• on the approach to a level crossing/tramway crossing

• opposite or within 10 metres (32 feet) of a junction, except in an authorised parking space

• near the brow of a hill or hump bridge

• opposite a traffic island or (if this would cause an obstruction) another parked vehicle

• where you would force other traffic to enter a tram lane

• where the kerb has been lowered to help wheelchair users and powered mobility vehicles

• in front of an entrance to a property

• on a bend

• where you would obstruct cyclists’ use of cycle facilities except when forced to do so by stationary traffic

244 You MUST NOT park partially or wholly on the pavement in London, and should not do so elsewhere unless signs permit it. Parking on the pavement can obstruct and seriously inconvenience pedestrians, people in wheelchairs or with visual impairments and people with prams or pushchairs. . 11

You’re Welcome to contact Your Parish Council

Bradwell Parish Council

21 Glovers Lane, Heelands Milton Keynes MK13 7LW

Parish clerk/manager: Harold Atkins

Telephone (01908) 321285

E-mail: clerk@bradwell-pc.gov.uk

Website: www.bradwell-pc.gov.uk The Parish Office is usually manned on weekdays at least between 0830 and 1330, and at other times by appointment. If there is no reply, please call and leave a message and we will get back to you. As well as Bradwell Parish Council, the Parish Office also services the Bradwell Neighbourhood Action Group (the NAG) and Bradwell Charity.

We keep a supply of pink recycling refuse sacks at the office. If you call us we’ll get a roll round to you free in two or three days. We regret that we are not able to supply black refuse sacks.

New Developments

New parking bays have now been constructed in Abbey Road, Bradwell Village, outside the Moat House, to provide on-street parking. This is a joint venture paid 50% each by Bradwell Parish Council and Milton Keynes Council’s Community Parking Partnership Scheme. New Bus Shelters

Another recent welcome development is the bus shelter in Langcliffe Drive, Heelands. Shelters like these are being installed in several estates and have been funded by the new Homes & Communities Agency, formerly English Partnerships. The Parish Council was consulted about this, but has not contributed to its cost.

The Parish Council would like to see another shelter near Summergill and Smithergill Courts, but would need a grant for joint funding in view of the high cost of at least £15,000.

The replacement bus shelter in Loughton Road, Bradwell Village, opposite Providence Place, was provided by Milton Keynes Council.

Your Parish Councillors

Councillors Parish ward represented Brian King Chairman of the Parish Council Bradwell Common & Rooksley Ivor Bradbury Vice chair of the Parish Council Bradwell Common & Rooksley Rex Exon Also a Milton Keynes councillor Bradwell Village Satinder Gill Bradwell Village Cheryl Glennon Bradwell Common & Rooksley Venetia Sams Heelands Tom Sayers Heelands Ziya Suzen Heelands Julian Vischer Heelands Vacancy Bradwell Village

Published by Bradwell Parish Council, 21 Glovers Lane, Heelands, Milton Keynes, MK13 7LW. Telephone 01908 321285

Printed by www.csfprint.com t: 01908 614300