GHRA Meetings

Actions: Committee Meeting #1 Wednesday, 30th November, 2016 (7pm)

People

Present Absent
NF:  Nyomie Flecknell (Chair)

JS:  Joy Sumner (Secretary)

RA:  Roy Adams (Treasurer)

MA:  Mick Allsopp

DaT: David Tavener

DoT: Doug Titchmarsh

 No one

 

Actions

Action On? Date Set Update
Handover discussion for relevant communications Doug T/ Dave T 2016-11-30
Update the constitution as noted in minutes Joy S 2016-11-30
Discuss registering GHRA with the council Nyomie F 2016-11-30
Investigate possibilities for a GHRA domain Doug T 2016-11-30
Investigate options for a GHRA bank account Roy A 2016-11-30
Find volunteers for court reps Dave T 2016-11-30
Scan and circulate email with first copy of Noose Mike A 2016-11-30
Send around date of next SSTC meeting Mike A 2016-11-30
For General Meeting of GHRA, make a list to see if there is interest in a children’s club Nyomie F 2016-11-30
Talk to Sue about the potential for using the school in the summer Nyomie F 2016-11-30
Investigate possible funding for a GH party for MK’s 50th. Mike A 2016-11-30
Book venue for next meeting Mike A 2016-11-30
Update on discussions with Council about making a bench for GH from the tree felled from GH. Mike A 2016-11-30
Events

GHRA Coffee Morning. Tuesday 14th March 2017

Coffee morning imageThank you to everyone who turned up to the GHRA’s second weekly coffee morning for a coffee and chat on Tuesday, we were again very pleased by the response. We are very lucky to have the support of Pastor Kumi and the facilities at the venue, he has confirmed our coffee morning and monthly meeting for the forthcoming year. We hope to develop more ideas that our community can adopt such as social evenings, bingo, whist drive, maybe a disco, anything is possible given time.

Someone asked if they could bring along friends who are not resident on Galley Hill and this of course is most welcome, the more the merrier.

The committee are still seeking court reps and are grateful to Vicky for volunteering to support Redbourne Court, we just need a volunteer for Rovely and Stanbridge now if any of you are keen to help.

We would like to remind everyone that there is a general meeting this Thursday (16th March 2017) at 19:00 in the Galley Hill Small Meeting Place above the shop.

Thanks to everyone who helped out today, hope to see you at one of the Galley Hill coffee mornings soon.

Nyomie, Mick, Roy & David.

 

 

Events, Miscellaneous

GHRA First Coffee Morning.

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Tuesday 7th March 2017Coffee morning image

Thank you to everyone who turned up for a coffee and chat on Tuesday, we were overwhelmed by the response and the messages of support from those who were at work or who couldn’t make it on the day.  It was good to see support from the headmaster  of Saint Mary Saint & Giles School Mr. Salter who is hoping to get volunteers to provide labour to help him refurbish the school, more information to follow.

It was also good to have the Stony Stratford Town Clerk Lynne Compton in attendance giving her full backing to the GHRA project.

We did hear that some people did not come as they were struggling for one reason or another. The committee and Court reps are here to help so if anyone wants to come along on any Tuesday contact us and we will arrange to help you get here.

Our thanks to pastor Khumi for providing the venue free of charge in the interest of fostering good community relations, the coffee morning is FREE but some people wanted to donate hopefully Pastor Khumi will accept these donations. The Pastor & Nyomie also provide biscuits and cakes which were much appreciated. Roy our treasurer also did a good job serving tea & coffee and washing up afterwards.

Whilst having a coffee and chat you can tell us what you would like to see at the coffee mornings and for other events the GHRA could organise for the community e.g. bingo, whist, disco etc.

We hope to see you there soon for one of our regular Tuesday coffee mornings

Love & kisses Nyomie (Galley Hill Residents Association Chairperson and the committee of the GHRA)

Miscellaneous

Constituency Boundary Changes Affecting Galley Hill.

It has been noted by the GHRA that Wolverton and Stony Stratford (including Galley Hill) are two of the areas affected by the proposed boundary changes for 2018. These changes are part of a government process to equalise the number of constituents per area, which in the case of Stony Stratford and Galley Hill means we will be moving into a different area, namely that of Buckinghamshire. So far we in the GHRA committee are unsure exactly what that means as far as services and dealing with local issues, but we are delving into this to find out how it affects us all, if it actually does.

For the purposes of clarification we are linking to the following extract from The Boundary Commission for England review of Parliamentary Constituencies, which we hope might help.

“The Borough of Milton Keynes is currently divided into two constituencies, both of which have electorates above the 5% limit. Additionally, the local government ward boundaries in the borough have also been modified. In order to reduce the electorates of the two Milton Keynes constituencies it is necessary to cross the boundary between the Borough of Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire. We therefore propose to include the Wolverton and Stony Stratford wards of the Borough of Milton Keynes in our proposed Buckingham constituency.”

Full doc here http://boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/2016-07-11-Guide-to-2018-review-Final-Version.pdf

Here is the boundary information https://www.bce2018.org.uk/

Here are two map extracts which visually indicate the change to our boundaries (taken from a zoomed in view at  http://constituencyboundaries.uk/2016/south-east )

The Purple line shows our current boundary

 

The Blue line shows our new boundary

and here is where people can comment https://www.bce2018.org.uk/node/add/informed-representation/6488

As we have already stated, we are delving into this issue more deeply, and will post any more information we can find right here as soon as we have any. If you are reading this and have any further insight, please contact us so we can share the information with everybody.

Thanks to David for his help in finding the appropriate links and extracts listed above.

UPDATE: From The FAQs at BCE consultation Portal (follow the link for more Frequently asked questions and answers)

Will the boundary changes have an impact on my council tax, local services or insurance premiums?

No. The boundary changes only relate to parliamentary constituencies. Services and council tax charges in your local area are set by your local authority and these will not be affected. Insurance premium calculations are based on postcode so will not be affected.
Miscellaneous

MKC Visit Thursday 16th February 2017

This morning Cllr Mick Allsopp, GHRA Chairperson Nyomie Flecknell and Court rep David Tavener met up with Kevin Wilson from MK Council to discuss issues relating to cleaning up the estate roads & footpaths.

We walked around a variety of courts and Kevin took photographs to illustrate concerns we raised.  We were made aware of the problems that Kevin & Serco face and have let Kevin know the Galley Hill Residents Association is keen to work with him & the Council to improve the look of the estate.

Kevin has undertaken to advise us of when Serco are scheduled to clean the courts so we can get the court reps to notify their residents to keep their areas clear of cars etc so the street sweeping machines can do their job.

Kevin will also be able to provide equipment for volunteers to engage in litter picking as a supplement to the Council’s efforts. GHRA will also be able to obtain educational material to distribute within courts to help people understand when, where and what to put in what bag for collection.

A very positive outcome thanks Mick & Kevin.

GHRA Meetings, Miscellaneous

Big Turnout For GHRA Public Meeting

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Well, that surprised us all, the meeting on 26/1/2017 was a huge success and the meeting place was packed with people who want to see a change in their local community. Once the introductions (including the court reps who have volunteered to help get the information flowing both ways) and the general association business had been taken care of, we heard of the first small step the committee made in getting something changed. Our Chairperson has addressed the Council to get the Galley Hill noticeboard  moved to a more prominent position for better access and visibility to all. It may sound trivial, but this was Nyomie’s first time representing the Residents of Galley Hill, so it was decided to start with something small to get her feet wet in the pool of local Council meetings, and she has got her first result as the sign is being moved.  Well done Nyomie!

The floor was then opened up to everybody to find out what the people of Galley Hill wish to see changed. It seems as if there are some common problems in the area which are affecting everybody, such as the overgrown bushes and grass which obstruct the pathways. Litter was also high on the list for quite a few of the people we heard from.  Leaves on the paths making them slippery are another issue we added to the list of local concerns. We also heard about drains with plants growing out of them and parking problems in the courts.

But it wasn’t all about complaints, as the GHRA committee also wanted to know if there was any appetite for social events in the area, and ways to bring the community together as a whole. With the 50th anniversary of Milton Keynes and the historical importance of Galley Hill to the foundation of the New Town it seems only fitting that we try to bring together the people of the area to commemorate the half century.
With that in mind there are the seeds of a plan to organise something for Galley Hill Residents, and we even got somebody to volunteer for the role of organising this and future events, and another kind soul who has offered to pitch in and help with the 50th anniversary celebrations.

To sum it up, the Galley Hill Residents Association has gone from the seeds of an idea to actually starting work on issues and community building. Now we really need your support and help to continue onwards and upwards to making  ours a better area to live in. With that in mind please can we ask you to fill in a feedback form and sign up for the Newsletter before you leave the site?

GHRA Member Profiles

Creslow Court Representative

Creslow Court Rep David Taverner           David Tavener

Hi, my name is David Tavener and I live in Creslow Court and have done so since September 1974. My wife Angela and I have raised a family which now includes grandchildren.

We recall those old days when all of our neighbours were as broke as we were and we all traded our skills to fix cars, appliances or furniture. Virtually nothing was new as it was very difficult to get HP or loans, everything had to be paid for with what you had earned, if you didn’t have the money you went without. We also remember interest rates getting to 15% and thinking we would lose our home. We were a genuine community helping each other out and we want to try to restore that goodwill.

We were fortunate as our wonderful new home in Milton Keynes was supported by the Milton Keynes Development Corporation (MKDC), they had vision. Go down memory lane here . Those that followed failed (for whatever reason) to maintain what they inherited. You only have to look around to see the distressed state of our estate and City.

Late in 2016 Mick Allsopp and I decided to try to get the Galley Hill Residents Association up and running to address the neglect we have witnessed. We have been very pleasantly surprised by the response. We have successfully formed an enthusiastic Committee and Court Reps. So far we have held a couple of well supported public meetings. We have a bank account and will soon be formally recognised by Milton Keynes Council.

You can find out more by visiting the Galley Hill Residents Associations Web site www.GHRA.UK generously provided by Doug Titchmarsh. On the contact us page you can find out who is who, the committee and your court rep is, if there isn’t a court rep for you please consider volunteering it won’t be that difficult.

If you support the Galley Hill Residents Association please sign up to the newsletter it will save us printing and distributing information to you. Don’t worry if you don’t have the Internet or email we will still deliver to you. 

If there is a particular issue you want addressing then please let us know or complete this simple form

 

Miscellaneous

Stony Stratford Library – Volunteers Needed

This is from the Friends Of Stony Stratford Library, please help if you can.

As you will know, recent cuts in local government spending have meant that Stony Stratford Library has had to reduce its opening hours. In accordance with our mission to promote the interests of library users, FoSSL is seeking, with the support of the Milton Keynes Library Service, to restore the previous opening hours. In particular, we are hoping that the Library will again be able to open at 9 a.m. (Tuesday – Saturday) and to remain open until 7 p.m. on at least one evening per week.

To do this, we need to recruit a team of volunteers to assist users. Volunteers would indicate their availability for particular days and times. FoSSL will then set up a rota of pairs of volunteers to cover the extended opening. All necessary training will be provided.

If you are already convinced that you want to join this team, email philip.sarre@gmail.com to sign up.

If you would like more information, or would like to ask questions, please come to a

MEETING IN THE LIBRARY ON TUESDAY 21 FEBRUARY AT 3.30 p.m.

Tea, coffee and cakes will be provided.

With best wishes,

The Friends of Stony Stratford Library committee

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Friends of Stony Stratford Library – we normally meet at 7pm on the first Tuesday of the month. All welcome.

Please pass on information about the Library to your friends and neighbours.

We are also on Facebook – keep up to date with campaign developments.

Miscellaneous

GHRA residents meeting 26th January

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All are invited to the next residents association for Galley Hill Residents Association. Details below..

GHRA Residents Meeting

19:00hrs on January 26th 2017

@ The Small Meeting Place

(above the Galley Hill Shop)

The Galley Hill Residents Association is holding a public meeting to introduce ourselves, to meet you, and work out together what we can undertake to improve our estate.

Everyone living on Galley Hill is invited to attend.

We hope you can come along and would be grateful if you could confirm attendance either by email or telephone.

Regards

Nyomie Flecknell

GHRA Chair.

www.ghra.uk

email:         chair@ghra.uk

telephone:        07464 755266

Miscellaneous

2017 and Galley Hill Residents Association

As 2017 starts, we at the Galley Hill Residents Association are looking forward to this being the year that the residents come together as a community, and make the area known as Galley Hill a better place for all of us to live in and enjoy. Before we get too far ahead of ourselves though let’s take a look back at the GH of old with this link to a letter which was sent to a local paper by Galley Hill Resident Doreen Tidy.
http://pages.cdn.pagesuite.com/8/d/8df73bf7-9557-440d-a937-b3f76072243a/page.pdf
This letter mentions the old newsletter “The Noose” which we have a copy of and here is how it used to look (we hope to resurrect The Noose to help keep people in Galley Hill informed alongside this website)

The Noose

So that was the past, what are we looking to do for our future?

Firstly we have formed the committee, and have sent the required forms to the Milton Keynes Council to be recognised as a Residents Association which will give us as a community a little more clout when dealing with the various council departments to get things done!

There is a meeting upcoming in January which you will get details of in a letter delivered by your local court reps, once we have the complete list we will post here for all to see who those court reps are and which court they represent. The meeting will be a chance for you to get to know your Galley Hill Residents Association Committee members and hopefully your court reps.

The big news for all Milton Keynes residents this year is the 50th anniversary of MK being taken from an idea to actual buildings, and as one of the first areas to be built in the new town we feel that Galley Hill should be right there among the celebrations. With that in mind we are hoping to get a bench made from the old tree which fell in the  “new” play area last year. Hopefully that will be just the start of the Galley Hill celebrations, keep an eye here for more details of plans and how you can get involved.

In the meantime, happy new year from the Committe of the Galley Hill Residents Association, we look forward to your support and help in 2017.

Nyomie Flecknell – GHRA Chairperson
Mick Allsop – GHRA Vice Chairperson
Joy Sumner – GHRA Secretary
Roy Adams -GHRA Treasurer