Environment
There are three bodies responsible for landscaping and maintenance of the environment in Milton Keynes – Milton Keynes Council (MKC), the Parks Trust (PT) and the Canal and Rivers Trust. The latter has a very limited remit to land immediately adjacent to canals. Although parishes may be responsible for their own land – like private or commercial owners – OWPC only owns the allotment site. This in reality leaves only MKC and the PT and the latter’s responsibilities only apply to landscaping whereas the former covers the whole remit from landscape to highways. Note that the PT is responsible for all landscaping along grid roads.
This means we have to report matters of concern – poor or missed mowing and pruning for example – in the same way that members of the public do: through the MKC Environmental Portal. We can however go direct to PT as we know who to contact. As we get to know many of the MKC officers involved we also get to guess at the standards by which they assess priorities. This can mean that when we say something really needs doing it really does by their standards as well. In order to keep track of all these reported issues since the very beginning we have kept an Environment Log. This is regularly updated by the clerk and referenced at every meeting.
One of the main casualties of MKC cuts has been the overall standard in maintenance of green space with particular reference to pruning back overgrowing shrubs and bushes which now only happens once per year. Of course exceptions are made for greenery that may be causing a hazard to traffic for example, but not greenery that is a nuisance to pedestrians. We therefore urge you to trim back such ‘nuisances’ – although do not take matters too much into your own hands by aggressive ‘chopping down’ etc.
Under this rubric also comes many other things such as blocked drains, litter, street cleaning, damaged verges, potholes, uneven redways, and so on. These are all reported in the same way although with these, apart from litter, it is only MKC who has the statutory responsibility to repair and replace.
Schedule for Litter Picking (November 2015 – Ver.2a)
Milton Keynes Council
Milton Keynes Council –
- WOUGHTON ON THE GREEN – every 4 wks Tuesday week 3
- PASSMORE – every fortnight Friday week 1 and week 3
- WOUGHTON PARK – every 4 wks Monday week 3
Parks Trust
Parks Trust – all areas MONTHLY – except these pockets –
- FORTNIGHTLY: Woughton on the Green: The area by the bridge over the canal to Peartree Bridge off Verley Close.
- WEEKLY: Woughton on the Green: parkland around the lake by Newport Rd/H7 and two areas by the Ouzel adjacent to Monkston Park.
Passmore: entrance area to the estate.