Monkston Focus Team’s website has moved to be part of the Milton Keynes Liberal Democrats website.
Please find our new website here. Thank you for your support.
Thank You – We Won!
Jenni Ferrans was re-elected to serve as a Councillor for Monkston ward on Milton Keynes Council for another four years. The result was
Jenni Ferrans Lib Dem 1540
Conservative 596
Labour 521
Jenni says “A huge thank you to all of you for voting for me to continue as your councillor for another four years. It’s been even more a team effort than usual for this last couple of years, as we’ve all struggled with COVID (including my getting it in the middle of this election campaign!), so particular thanks to all the volunteers who help get the Focus out so we can keep in touch with you. Please keep emailing us on [email protected] about your issues so that we can keep serving you.
Overall Labour and Lib Dem are up and the Conservatives down and an independent lost his seat. For the full results of the Council election see the Council website.
Thousands in MK Face Benefits Cut
Nearly 23,000 Milton Keynes families face a “heartless” government Universal Credit cut when the Government withdraws the extra £10 added during COVID next month. Prices have risen, rents have risen, unemployment has risen, and ages have fallen, and yet the Government is cutting Universal Credit that so many working families now rely on.
“£10 can make the difference between getting a hot meal – or paying the rent. When you’re struggling every pound counts” says Lib Dem Councillor Jenni Ferrans. “The Liberal Democrats here and in Government are calling for this £10 to be made permanent. Please write to your MP and ask them to vote for it to stay.”
Vanessa McPake Re-elected in Monkston Ward!
Many thanks to the residents who returned their postal votes or turned out on a wet polling day to vote. Vanessa won!
The result was:
1507 Vanessa McPake (Liberal Democrats)
806 Jaime Tamagnini (Conservatives)
555 Naseem Khan (Labour)
So Vanessa was elected for another four years.
Vanessa says “I am delighted to be re-elected as one of your ward councillors. Thank you so much for voting me in with a clear majority. Now your Lib Dem Focus team will continue working hard to serve you both locally and MK-wide.“
Brinklow Roundabout V11/H8 Diversions Change
The diversions round the Brinklow roundabout are set to change overnight on Thursday 15th April. The new road closures and diversions will then be in place 24 hrs a day until 25th April, and then 9.30-4.30 daily from 26th April until 1st May. The good news is that the roadworks will end then – a week earlier than expected.
The map below shows the open sections in blue and the closed sections in red. Where only 1 line is shown, the road is fully open.
The new road closures will be:
– the H8 Standing Way A421 will be closed from its junction with the H9 westbound to its junction with Tunbridge Grove
– the underpass at Wadhurst Lane will be open, as will the left turnings out from Waltham Drive and Tunbridge Grove
– to go south from Monkston or to get to Monkston from the south you will need to use the V10
– the V11 will be open past Monkston and Kingston, but going south you will have to turn east at the roundabout. There will be no U turns round the V11/H8 roundabout
– the Eastbound H8 will stay open
– the V11 will close from the H8 roundabout to the junction with Pondgate. The cross-over there will be open.
The number 8 bus will be diverted through Kingston, along the H8 to the H9 and then back to the V11, and return the same way.
Council Housing for Kents Hill
MK Council wants to build some Council homes on the waste land between the allotments and the playing fields at Kents Hill. Kents Hill has no Council homes at all, which means local people needing affordable housing have a very long wait, or have to move elsewhere.
The Council is consulting now about the “development brief” which lines up the planning policies which will apply. See the proposals, and have your say at www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/consultations/629 The deadline is 22 March.
The final version of the brief will be decided sometime in June, and after that they will develop actual plans. Residents will be consulted at that stage too. They hope to get a planning application approved by around Christmas, and then development will start mid 2022.
They hope to use a new construction design approach, Wikihouses, which really speeds up the build time, so it could be finished over the winter of 2022-23.
Ideas also include offering some homes as shared ownership, where the residents will put time in, rather than money, as apprentices learning the build skills, and build their own homes, which is much easier with this method. They can then go on to work on other sites in MK.
Please let us know if you have any concerns, or if you want to be kept informed at each stage.
20 mph for Walton
Residents in Walton Grange have asked for a 20 mph speed limit on Walton estate. For years there have been near misses with children playing on the road – since there’s nowhere else to play. A play area is coming, but it’s still a couple of years off. Now a pet has been killed, and residents are worried that a child could be next.
Please take our survey to tell us what you think. The results, and the addresses of those supporting the 20 mph limit will be shared with Milton Keynes Council to evidence support. Thank you.
20 mph for Monkston Estate
Residents on Monkston estate have asked for a 20 mph speed limit across the estate. Numerous pets have been killed, and, with parked cars hiding children and animals from view, they are scared that a child will be next.
They want the speed limit to apply across the whole estate, as there have been pet deaths on every main road, and if the main roads are 20 mph but the side roads 30 mph, then drivers will be worrying about the speed limit, rather than paying attention to the road!
Please take our survey to give your opinion. The results, and the list of addresses supporting the change, will be shared with Milton Keynes Council. Thank you.
Thank you! – We WON!
Thank you to all those who supported us in yesterday’s MK Council elections. And thank you to everyone who voted, whether you supported us ot not. Its important that everyone has their say.
Leo won, with votes as follows:
Lib Dem (Leo) 1383
Conservative 504
Labour 346
Green 188
Cllr Leo Montague says “I would like to say a huge thank you to the great people of Monkston ward for electing the Liberal Democrats once more. It sounds cliché but we really do work hard all year to make sure this is a fantastic place to live, and that is definitely reflected in today’s election result. Vanessa, Jenni, and I will continue to represent all residents as best we can in the coming year. Thank you!”
Leo Montague – Working for Monkston ward
Lib Dem campaigner Leo Montague is standing for election to MK Council on 2nd May as the third councillor for Monkston ward, alongside Jenni and Vanessa.
Leo grew up in MK and went to school here. He has been an active member of the community for well over 10 years, serving as a Youth Cabinet Member, and a Parish Councillor, before moving to Monkston and joining the Focus team. In his spare time he manages a Sunday League football
team and enjoys playing piano and guitar.
Leo says “Lib Dems have made a real difference to MK and to our area, and I’m keen to help continue the work. I’m passionate about the environment and I know many of you are too, so I’m particularly pleased about the extra money the Lib Dems have got there for the coming year, and I’m looking forward to making sure that its spent well in our area, but our programme includes many other important things that the Lib Dems are pushing for to make MK better as well.”
● Increasing the Council house building programme to provide more affordable housing for larger
families and free up small homes for small families
● Continuing the great work for the street homeless that’s helped many to get back into housing,
health and work
● Cleaning up the litter blackspots and dealing with the brambles and weeds
● Sorting out long term management of our landscaping with the Parks Trust
● Sorting out the recycling system so that MK returns to being one of the best for recycling
● Improving mental health provision, particularly for children and those threatened with, or
recovering from, homelessness, and more support for Special Educational Needs provision
● Continuing to press for proper funding for care for the elderly from the Government
● Supporting plans for the new University and for the expansion of MK College
Vanessa and Jenni say “We’ve enjoyed working with Leo over the past couple of years and we really look forward to him being elected and
joining us on the Council. Please support him, so that the Lib Dem Focus team can work even harder for you and for this area.