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You can change your cookie settings at any time Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports A man has been fined for operating an illegal waste site near Milton Keynes following an investigation by the Environment Agency pleaded guilty to two waste crime charges at Milton Keynes Magistrates’ Court on 31st January victim surcharges and prosecution costs totalling £20,864 Environment Agency officers investigated the site in Woburn Sands which Mr Greenhalgh operated without an environmental permit he ignored the Environment Agency’s guidance and failed to comply with a notice requiring him to clear the waste from the land Officers found an increased amount of waste on site with each visit Drone image showing part of the illegal waste site Waste was burned repeatedly including asbestos domestic appliances and commercial refrigeration units Scrap vehicles were also stored and broken on site The waste site is surrounded by a housing estate and ancient woodland The activities of the illegal operation put the neighbouring residents and nature at huge risk of harm The local fire and rescue service were called to the site numerous times throughout the years and in August 2022 there was a significant fire on site The fire service had to close a road and deploy multiple pumps using an estimated 800,000 litres of water Waste criminals make their profits by breaking the law and not paying tax Illegal waste sites such as the one operated by Mr Greenhalgh undermine legitimate businesses which carry out their activities with consideration for the environment The Environment Agency works to stop waste criminals and support legitimate business whilst protecting communities and nature from harm We take illegal waste activity very seriously and will not hesitate to disrupt criminal activity and prosecute those responsible Anyone who suspects illegal waste activity should report it to our 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 807060 or anonymously through CrimeStoppers on 0800 555111 between 13 September 2018 and 10 July 2023 did deposit controlled waste on land at the north side of Bow Brickhill Road when there was not in force an environmental permit authorising such a deposit did knowingly cause or knowingly permit the deposit of controlled waste on land at the north side of Bow Brickhill Road Mark Greenhalgh was ordered to pay a total of £20,864.23 within 12 months Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details You are using an outdated browser. 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The rate is £68 plus VAT per year less a 20% discount if you are renewing your subscription within 28 days or, as someone new to Gardenforum, you have taken a Free Preview in the last 24 hours Gives 2 or more members of your team full access to Gardenforum at reduced rates They will enjoy all the benefits mentioned above so we haven't convinced you to take an annual subscription and there's some information you would really like to read perhaps it's a key news item or some company results The solution is a Trial Membership for 24 hours for £10 plus VAT If you are new to Gardenforum and would like a Free Preview You will have full access free for two hours It will also give you 20% off Personal Membership if you subscribe within 24 hours You will also be entitled to receive the Gardenforum newsletters such as Briefing If you would like further information please e-mail subscriptions@gardenforum.co.uk Join nowor trial us Free Gardenforum is a trade website for the UK garden industry Sign up to our popular News and Product emails Terms and Conditions Acceptable Use Policy Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Download the Gardenforum Media Pack Gardenforum enjoys around 50,000 page views a month Repeated views of your banner will build recognition and confidence in your company Email: info@gardenforum.co.uk Look forward to hearing from you © Gardenforum 2025 | This site is intended for use by UK businesses only Gardenforum will not be responsible for any loss or liability arising from use by any other party Milton Keynes City Council is proposing to introduce new 20mph speed limit zones on specific roads in five areas following requests from the local communities The new zones could be introduced in parts of Caldecotte The City Council has published details of each proposal on its website  and is inviting local people to comment by 20 February All comments received will be reviewed and the new speed limits could be put in place later this year town or community council may apply for a 20mph zone to help improve road safety in their area if the streets included meet set criteria.  More information on how to apply for a 20mph zone can be found here. Blue Diamond have announced that they have acquired Frosts Garden Centre at Woburn Sands Buckinghamshire and will also be acquiring Frosts Willington in September.  the CEO of The Blue Diamond Group said “Frosts Garden Centre is a thriving and respected family business with a unique brand and excellent reputation within the local community Blue Diamond is proud to be the new owner of this aspirational Garden Centre We intend to protect its heritage and core values whilst driving the business forward into the future and are delighted to welcome Frosts into the Blue Diamond portfolio.”  James & Jeremy Frost said “When our grandfather started this business in 1946 he could not possibly have foreseen how Frosts would develop - it has been our family’s passion now for over 75 years and there is no-one in the Frost family to take over the reins when we received an approach from The Blue Diamond Group we concluded that the time was right - not only for us The Blue Diamond Group now owns 45 garden centres in the UK and Channel Islands and is committed to running aspirational centres which provide their customers with an exceptional shopping and dining experience. This acquisition will move the Group turnover to £332m per annum.    Alan Roper added: "We welcome all the Frosts team into the Blue Diamond family and we look forward to getting to know everyone in the coming months." Source : Reproduced with kind permission from GTN Xtra For all the very latest news and intelligence on the largest UK home improvement and garden retailers, sign up for the Insight DIY newsletter. Insight DIY always publishes the latest news stories before anyone else and we find it to be an invaluable source of customer and market information The newest release of BGS BritPits provides information on an additional 6500 surface and underground mineral workings The latest release of the BGS BritPits dataset covers more than 260 000 mineral workings in Great Britain as well as a range of mineral operations including mines wharfs and rail depots handling mineral products and industrial processes Each entry describes an onshore mineral working in terms of its name the geology worked and the mineral commodity produced This data is of particular value to organisations with an interest in the location of mineral extraction sites and their potential for further use BGS © UKRI – Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2025 BGS BritPits is available in three different packages: Two licenced packages are available in GIS and CSV formats The full dataset includes all the entries of the BGS BritPits database, including historic sites. This data is also available for specific mineral planning areas (MPAs). The full dataset is available as a GIS or CSV format and can be accessed as a Web Map Service (WMS) layer or via the BGS Onshore GeoIndex The AID data package is a subset of the full dataset and includes only the active inactive and dormant mines and quarries (around 5200 entries) Index level information is available to view via the BGS GeoIndex and access as a WMS link under the Open Government Licence (OGL) This is based on the full BritPits dataset but contains index-level information only on the name Further information is available through the BGS BritPits dataset page or by contacting the digital data team More than 70 mineral commodities have been captured in the newly published volume of World Mineral Production BGS geologists were involved in new study revealing the long-term effects of seabed mining tracks 44 years after deep-sea trials in the Pacific Ocean New Government-commissioned studies reveal that the UK may require as much as 40 per cent of the global lithium supply to meet anticipated demand by 2030 The Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre conference took place at BGS’s headquarters in Keyworth A new public application programming interface for the BGS World Mineral Statistics Database will revolutionise how users interact with critical data Groundwater flooding accounts for an estimated £530 million in damages per year; geoscientific data can help to minimise its impact Strengthening BGS/Indonesia scientific research partnerships to address the complex challenges Indonesia faces from natural hazards and maximising opportunities from mineral resources and geothermal energy BGS GeoCoast data can support researchers and practitioners facing coastal erosion adaptation challenges along our coastline The latest edition provides essential information about the production consumption and trade of UK minerals up to 2022 Ordnance Survey and BGS have teamed up to add a range of geological data products to the OS Data Hub making it easier for users to access and use geospatial data All 662 reports from the Mineral Exploration and Investigation Grants Act programme are now available on the Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre website Prof Paul Monks CB will step into the role later this .. More than 70 mineral commodities have been captured in .. BGS will be attending the European Geosciences Union’s .. Geology doesn’t stop at international borders The Isle of Arran has officially been named as the .. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We’ll assume you’re okay with this, but you can opt out if you wish. More information Keep up to date with all the latest research Directors James and Jeremy Frost have completed the sale of the business to The Blue Diamond Group The new owner already runs 44 garden centres across the UK and in the Channel Islands and has pledged to maintain the Frosts heritage The Blue Diamond Group’s chief executive Alan Roper said: “Frosts Garden Centre is a thriving and respected family business with a unique brand and excellent reputation within the local community Blue Diamond is proud to be the new owner of this aspirational garden centre “We intend to protect its heritage and core values while driving the business forward into the future and are delighted to welcome Frosts into the Blue Diamond portfolio.” Frosts was founded in 1946 as a nursery by Harvey Frost and his wife Vera Their son Brian opened the nursery to the public and in 1972 partnered with the Godber family to develop Willington Garden Centre near Bedford The Godbers had owned the Willington site since the late 1890s operating it as a successful wholesale nursery before it became a garden centre Discussions are ongoing on the future of the Willington site The company also opened a successful landscaping division Current managing director James Frost and his brother Jeremy said in a statement: “When our grandfather started this business in 1946 he could not possibly have foreseen how Frosts would develop – it has been our family’s passion now for over 75 years “We are not getting any younger and there is no one in the Frost family to take over the reins when we received an approach from The Blue Diamond Group to buy Frosts we concluded that the time was right – not only for us DECISIONS by both the UK government and the European Union to increase spending on defence has created significant growth opportunities for an electrical equipment supplier based in Newport Pagnell Sign up to receive Business MK Magazine straight to your inbox each month for free THERE are moments in a region’s development that signify more than progress The biggest expansion to the city’s local transport system in over five years has been announced today following a partnership with the Labour City Council Labour-run Milton Keynes City Council has been working closely with Arriva and the Milton Keynes Bus Partnership to create ‘The Loop’ a brand new bus service which will connect communities in Milton Keynes The Loop will connect residents in Oakgrove Westcroft and Shenley Wood to key destinations such as Kingston The service will launch on 6th January and will operate in both clockwise and anticlockwise directions “This new route is an example of what collaboration can achieve The new Loop service will allow residents to feel more connected with better access to major shopping areas “The previous Conservative Government drove our local bus services into the ground Labour pledged to deliver better bus services and we are delivering on our promises By working with our local bus operator and listening to residents’ we have been able to ensure residents have a new service which is tailored to them.” Email: media@mklabour.org.uk Frosts are currently in discussion with Blue Diamond about the potential sale of its remaining two garden centres Woburn Sands near Milton Keynes and Willington The two parties have now entered into an exclusive dialogue about Blue Diamond becoming future prospective owners of Frosts While these discussions are continuing neither party will be making any further comment near Abingdon to Webb.  This was followed by the sale of Brampton Garden Centre in Cambridgeshire to Notcutts Source : Reproduced with kind permission from George Bullivant at GardenForum For all the very latest news and intelligence on the UK's largest home improvement and garden retailers, sign up for the Insight DIY weekly newsletter.    Insight DIY is the only source of market information that I need and they always have the latest news before anyone else Additional data reveals latest mineral workings around Great Britain and Northern Ireland THE British Geological Survey’s newest release of BGS BritPits provides information on an additional 6,500 surface and underground mineral workings The latest release of the dataset covers more than 260,000 mineral workings in Great Britain and rail depots handling mineral products and industrial processes This information will be of particular value to organizations with an interest in the location of mineral extraction sites and their potential for further use BritPits data have been supplied to: national and local governments for use in planning and statistical studies; non-governmental organizations for environmental and conservation planning; and commercial organizations for analysis of resource potential and legacy operations and dormant mines and quarries (around 5,200 entries) Index-level information is available to view via the BGS GeoIndex and access as a WMS link under the Open Government Licence (OGL) operator etc are reserved for the licensed version Further information is available through the BGS BritPits dataset page or by contacting the BGS digital data team jobs events and articles direct to your inbox Subscribe Here Agg-Net is the ‘go-to’ website for key decision makers within the aggregates and recycling industries market reports and industry features provide an independent and informed voice for the industry Agg-Net is the official digital partner for Hillhead providing unrivalled coverage of our June event 7 Regent StreetNottinghamNG1 5BSUnited KingdomTel: +44 (0)115 941 1315 is providing a grant towards heating bills for residents on smaller incomes or those living with a disability the award will be paid directly to the applicant’s energy supplier For an application form, please email Charlotte Johnstone before September 30 Red Bull secured double points after a fierce Max Verstappen claimed his third pole position of the season as both Red Bull drivers reached Q3 ahead of tomorrow's Miami Grand Prix Poor weather created the perfect storm for a chaotic Miami Sprint Race It was mixed emotions for Red Bull Racing during qualifying for the Miami Grand Prix Sprint Race MKFM always wants to hear your stories about your city Feedback window for local sports closes on Sunday Track riders implore electric vehicle users: ‘please don’t wreck it again’ Chilly feeling with scattered showers possible Bereaved kids fund calling for support from local businesses Shoplifting app being used by more than 1500 businesses Marathon walk to every London football ground starts at MK Dons Popular player full of confidence for next season © 2020 MKFM Limited - Radio Made In Milton Keynes. Powered by Aiir. Win HappyPremiumSearch Rayogreatest hitsbeds bucks hertsnewsThree days left to share thoughts over East West Rail plansA final in-person event is to be held this afternoon (21/01) in Cambridgeshire People can view and comment on the latest plans for the proposed Oxford to Cambridge rail link set to deliver stops in Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire The latest consultation was launched to get views from the public and organisations until Friday the 24th January 2025 After a series of in-person events in the main towns and villages set to be affected by or benefit from East West Rail a final consultation is due to be held today (21/01) in Cambridge The East West Rail would connect communities between Oxford Officials say some passenger services are due to start running from Oxford to Bletchley and Milton Keynes from the end of the year A key milestone for of the project was reached towards the end of last year with the first test train successfully completing its first run between Oxford and Bletchley The government has described it as one of Britain’s largest transport projects claiming it's set to boost the Oxford-Cambridge economy by £6.7 billion per year by 2050 Residents of Woburn Sands in Buckinghamshire shared their thoughts with Greatest Hits Radio one of the residents whose property overlooks the current rail lines and it's very unsocial hours - 2:00 in the morning "And when you're living so close to a railroad line you weren't expecting that to be happening "OK it saves a lot of lorries going on to the road and I'm not convinced there is a solid business case around the freight stuff anyway." said: "I've lived in Woburn Sands nearly 30 years and I also was a child here growing up and went to schools and I just want to understand how the landscape will change what the rail will mean to to this village already we've seen a lot of building work going on and we've seen that the village change so it's important to me to understand what's happening and how long is it going to take." whose property also overlooks the current rail lines I lived next to the railway line and remember it when it was steam engines I do remember when we could get through to Cambridge "We've been part of a time of great change in this community what had been all farming land is now home to 350,000 people and then all of the infrastructural things that's taking place and we are obviously very interested as to the proposals are." You can find the online consultation here. Company number 01176085; Bauer Radio Limited Company number: 1394141Registered office: Media House Peterborough PE2 6EA and H Bauer Publishing Company number: LP003328; Registered office: The Lantern London NW1 2PL All registered in England and Wales VAT no 918 5617 01H Bauer Publishing are authorised and regulated for credit broking by the FCA (Ref No: 845898) Frosts is talking to Blue Diamond about the prospective sale of their two remaining garden centres Email: hwsupport@haymarket.com Register Subscribe Subscribe a man went in to the Co-op in High Street and queued behind another customer the man approached the counter and asked for cigarettes he then made threats against a member of staff He opened a carrier bag and showed the victim a small knife and wrench inside Investigating officer Detective Constable Wayne Watson says, “This was a very distressing incident for the staff involved “Nothing was taken and no-one was hurt but a member of staff was threatened and has been left very shaken by this incident “The man in these images may have vital information about the incident “Please get in touch if you recognise this man or if you think this could be you “Anyone who may have seen what happened or has information about this incident is encouraged to contact police.” please call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 © 2020 MKFM Limited - Radio Made In Milton Keynes. Powered by Aiir For several years I’ve walked at first both my daughters With a new school in September those journeys will end There’s a small pond buried in there too Local gardeners and tree surgeons often knock on our door offering their services in tidying the garden up Near our house is Aspley Guise golf course We saw a slowworm on it once (there are plenty nearby) E saw a grass snake on the street locally once The golf course has plenty of trees off the greens Swifts fly over Woburn Sands for three months per year (May to August) and swallows and house martins live on the golf course – although very few this year Some fine ash trees grow in the neighbourhood that haven’t succumbed to ash dieback A small wood in the golf course shadows the path We leave the golf course and enter Aspley Guise recreation ground With space to grow and little competition it has a sprawling canopy Farther along we pass through a reasonably species rich field The view from the field over Aspley Guise is worth a shot my favourite being scarlet tiger moths (in summer) before reaching the village of Aspley Guise A spinney is opposite; it features on the school logo The small tree in the foreground is occupied by flocks of bramblings in winter Looking back from the spinney is the school These fields are owned by the Duke of Bedford Estate I won’t forgive the Estate for felling a local oak wood of hundreds of years old This broad-bodied chaser flew ahead of me down the path I reach the grounds of the modest sewage works the vicinity of which is perhaps the most biodiverse location on my journey A view across the grounds near the sewage works There’s a mixture of grasses and young trees I see lots of birds here including whitethroats aplenty This one has lost part of its wing to a bird or some brambles I did manage a photograph of a yellowhammer I’m unsure exactly what type of poplars they are The wood is mixed; patches are managed in different ways I think to let light through for bluebells which flourish for a couple of weeks each year Fifty metres away is this plantation of rows of young trees The ground is littered with the plastic tubes I collect them sometimes and I’ve petitioned the Duke of Bedford Estate to remove them Sooner or later I’ll coordinate some work parties to remove them Many of the plastic cases that lie dormant on the woodland floor for years become shelters for ants’ nests Now the water level is too low for bathing It may still dry up though in the long dry spells we now have A beautiful stairwell leads away from the Mermaid’s Pond to a new world above look out for siskins in the alders near the top The sands of this heath justify the name “Woburn Sands” Large areas are fenced off to protect the growing trees from the numerous muntjac deer which benefit from the nuts of the many sweet chestnut trees Farther along I enter another patch of older woodland Presumably they were planted at a similar time and made their way upwards in search of light Plenty of chiffchaffs and willow warblers around here in spring Ten years ago there were several massive beech trees because fallen beeches make great habitats Beyond this is a conifer plantation and then Woburn Sands town The Open University is recruiting a postdoctoral research associate to work on my EPSRC funded project The Farey framework for SL2-tilings You can apply for it from the following link Postdoctoral Research Associate – The Farey framework for SL2-tilings It starts on 1 July 2022 and lasts three years Some background to the project can be found on the EPSRC project page https://gow.epsrc.ukri.org/NGBOViewGrant.aspx?GrantRef=EP/W002817/1 the following paper gives some of the mathematics underpinning the project https://arxiv.org/abs/1904.11900 That paper explores SL2-tilings over the integers using the  Farey complex in the hyperbolic plane Part of the project will involve Farey complexes for other rings such as the Farey complexes for the four unital commutative rings of order four shown below (click on the image for a clearer version) My thanks to the EPSRC reviewers who supported the proposal making the project possible I recommend this short video for the vision of Rewilding Britain Many thanks to those who attended today’s Royal Institution Masterclass on Navigating by numbers which I hosted together with Margaret Stanier The desmos activities will remain active for a couple of weeks yet https://student.desmos.com/join/8k8baa Thank you to those who joined Andrew and me tonight for the Navigating by numbers online workshop as part of Maths Week Scotland Here’s the abstract for the workshop: Our exploration will take us from intriguing frieze patterns of numbers through triangulated polygons and repeated fractions to a beautiful infinite tessellation with remarkable properties Along the way we will meet the mathematicians who forged this path of discovery and we will get a taste of deeper aspects of the subject And here’s a recording of the workshop itself: I had the pleasure today of delivering a workshop in Belfast on The mathematics of dessins d’enfants as part of the Northern Ireland Science Festival 2020. This workshop explored some of the more geometric aspects of the Navigating by Numbers outreach programme The workshop will be an interactive exploration of the incredible mathematical theory of dessins d’enfants (“children’s drawings”) We can think of a dessin d’enfant as a shape that you obtain by gluing together a number of triangles these simple objects give rise to far deeper mathematical ideas which form an active subject of modern research the workshop will explore some of the secrets of dessins d’enfants and look at the mathematicians who have developed the subject The workshop is for those with appreciation of shape and symmetry participants will appreciate the flavour of an exciting branch of contemporary mathematics We will meet some beautiful geometric ideas which will be a source of inspiration for aspiring mathematicians and artists alike Travelling to Belfast was an epic and thoroughly enjoyable trip I don’t fly on aeroplanes – instead I caught a train from Milton Keynes to Holyhead I felt nostalgic for the familiar dump that surrounds Dublin Connolly Station Today marks the launch of the Navigating by numbers outreach programme The purpose of this programme is to communicate an attractive array of mathematical ideas centred on the Farey graph to as wide an audience as possible – from school learners to academic researchers My PhD student Margaret Stanier and I launched the programme with an interactive display at Maths Fest 2020 Extinction Rebellion’s International Rebellion begins today in London The environmental collapse of the Earth is summed up well by the first lines of David Wallace-Wells The Uninhabitable Earth: The slowness of climate change is a fairy tale perhaps as pernicious as the one that says it isn’t happening at all… You can support Extinction Rebellion financially too E and I donated £500 and then committed to £60 per month © Ian Short. Powered by WordPress and Manifest South East Milton Keynes Strategic Urban Extension (SEMK) is an allocation within Plan:MK covering an area of land approximately 198 hectares in size encompassed by Tilbrook and a range of social and green infrastructure provision The SEMK Development Frame Work Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) explains what Milton Keynes Council expects to be considered with any planning application and the detailed information that needs to be submitted.  The SPD establishes the following for the allocation site: This SPD would be a material consideration in any future planning applications for development of the SEMK allocation South East Milton Keynes - Strategic Urban Extension Development Framework Supplementary Planning Document (SEMK SPD) was adopted by Milton Keynes Council on 11 January 2022 The adopted SPD is available at the link below and details regarding the consultation on the draft document and the responses received during the consultation are outlined later on this page South East MK SPD 2022  Adoption Statement for SEMK SPD  Letter of Agreement SEMK Urban Extension The Delegated Decision report recommending adoption of the SPD is available to view at: Delegated Decision Meeting 11 January 2022 The adoption of the SPD enables the implementation of Policies SD11 and SD10 within Plan:MK and considers other relevant policies within the Local Plan (Plan:MK) The SPD has focused on the spatial distribution of strategic infrastructure and main land uses and it proposes: Milton Keynes Council consulted on the Draft South East Milton Keynes - Strategic Urban Extension Development Framework (SPD) for a period of ten weeks which was extended to 9 June 2021 to allow respondents to review EWR Co’s non-statutory consultation alongside the draft SEMK SPD all comments received were taken into consideration by the Council in finalising the SPD for adoption.  A copy of the draft SEMK SPD (1) which was consulted on can be viewed below alongside a copy of the associated SEA Screening Statement (2) and a document which outlines all comments received during the consultation and an associated Officer response (3) The following link answers some of the most frequently asked questions in relation to the SEMK allocation and SEMK Development Framework SPD: Officers have provided two online Questions and Answers sessions.  These were held on the following dates: A South East MK Local Stakeholder Group has been established following meetings and workshops with the Danesborough Forum (see below) where it was agreed that a specific group be established with the purpose of discussing the development of South East MK The group is likely to meet approximately once a month to discuss a range of issues associated with the development Participation in the Local Stakeholder Group is without prejudice to that organisation’s or individual’s public position in regard to the principle of developing the South East MK allocation within Plan:MK Papers for the meetings of Local Stakeholder Group are published below including the Terms of Reference for the group The Council has engaged with the local Danesborough Forum which is a group local parish and town councils and other local civic groups who represent communities in and around Aspley Guise and Woburn Sands.  The aim of this engagement is to enable local community representatives information about the preparation of the Development Framework and to be informed on the preparation of associated technical work being undertaken to aid the preparation of the Development Framework Officers from Milton Keynes Council have attended Danesborough Forum meetings during mid to late 2018 and workshops have been planned for January 2019 to discuss the aims and objectives for SEMK taking into account other development sites within the area such as the South Caldecotte Strategic Employment Allocation Papers of the meetings and workshops with the Danesborough Forum are published below The first planning Cabinet Advisory Group (CAG) workshop on SE SUE MK took place on 25 August 2020. Details of the workshop and  associated documents are available on MKC’s Modern.Gov system (direct link Planning CAG workshop 25082020) Comments only on matters highlighted in the workshop around the principles for the SPD should be submitted by the 18 September 2020.  The document published below is a draft output of ongoing wider work to analyse options for improving highway connectivity across the railway between the A5 and Woburn Sands in response to planned growth and additional rail services associated with East West Rail that will have an impact on existing level crossings in the area The document below does not represent a project or proposal of the Council or any other bodies at this time and forms only one element of a wider study that is still ongoing In order to avoid misleading any person or persons it therefore should not be reproduced or referenced without this wider explanatory context  This document is engineering advice to investigate the feasibility of extending V11 Tongwell Street southward from Elgar Grove/Britten Grove roundabout across the Marston Vale Line (MVL) railway to a development area to the south.  This feasibility study considers the engineering required to create a dual carriageway from Browns Wood roundabout (where the V11 Tongwell duel carriageway section meets Bletcham Way) into the SEMK SUE guidance and recent permissions in relation to Gypsy and Traveller sites in England can be found at the link below: Swan Golf Designs is planning renovation work at Aspley Guise & Woburn Sands Golf Club near Milton Keynes “We’ve been appointed to design golf course improvements with a view to begin implementation in the autumn and winter,” said William Swan “This will likely see changes to tees bunkers and green surrounds with additional focus on more effective tree and landscape management “It’ a great honour to be asked to ‘improve’ a course with such a unique history and one which is so highly regarded.” The design firm is now in progress with its initial assessment of the course which is a blend of heathland and parkland Its original nine holes were designed by former Open champion Sandy Herd and opened in 1914 A second nine designed by Robert Sandow was added in 1974 general manager at Aspley Guise & Woburn Sands said: “I am pleased to be able to work alongside William and the team at Swan Golf Designs once more My personal experience of the company is wholly positive and professional and we look forward to reaping the benefits over the next few seasons.” which made their UK debut right here in Milton Keynes in 2018 have become increasingly popular and 'normal' with residents around here Starships Technologies announced they have expanded into the Woburn Sands area Starship wrote on Facebook: "We're now delivering from Tesco in Woburn Sands "Take a look on our App to check out our expanded service area and spread the word to friends and neighbours!" You can order using the robots via the Starship app from the app store But the other option is proving almost as unpalatable for Woburn Sands Town Council as it would mean level crossings being closed 10 times every hour as services increase on the East West Rail (EWR) line EWR is currently consulting with councils and the public on the options between Bletchley and Bedford The consultation is coming to an end next Wednesday (June 9) So-called Option 1 suggests closing the crossing and building a bypass from Newport Road approximately opposite Cross End Road and then running south to reach the Bow Brickhill Road Traffic would then enter Woburn Sands either via the Bow Brickhill Road or via an extension running through the allotments and Edgewick Farm into Hardwick Road in its response to East West Rail says: “This option is totally unacceptable to Woburn Sands and would effectively destroy the town.” closing the crossings for up to 40 minutes every hour they say it is “also unattractive.” But they have called for a bridge or underpass to be explored as “either of these would enable a free flow of both traffic and trains in the long term.” Milton Keynes borough councillor David Hopkins (Cons) represents Woburn Sands as part of the Danesborough & Walton ward He’s a supporter of the Marston Vale line and of opening new East West Rail services from Oxford to Cambridge But like the town council he wants to see the company prove its business case “The last thing I would want to see is the line becoming a white elephant,” he said Cllr Hopkins yesterday (Tuesday) took the opportunity to quiz Milton Keynes Council’s ruling Lab Lib Dem “Progressive Alliance” cabinet “Would it be the council’s policy to withdraw its support if it became clear that the East West Rail project was not going to be a fully electrified project?,” he said Wolverton) said: “I don’t think necessarily withdrawing support if it’s not electrified is likely not least because even a diesel train is likely to take car journeys off the road.” MK Council is finalising its response to EWR in advance of a decision next Tuesday (June 9) Cllr Marland said MKC would object to the closure of the level crossing in central Woburn Sands But MKC is not as opposed to the idea of a bypass Cllr Marland said: “Whilst we are not implaccably opposed to a bypass that might take traffic off Newport Road the current route of the bypass would cause more traffic problems that it would ease.” Stony Stratford) is the Progressive Alliance’s cabinet member for climate change She is finalising MKC’s formal response but she has already made the council’s position clear that it “very strongly supports” the EWR But it wants plans tweaked and to “fully electrify” the line located in The Institute in the High Street will be closed this week due to boiler issues Milton Keynes Council said: "We're very sorry but Woburn Sands Library is closed for the rest of this week and possibly longer "We'll let you know when it's open again." The library will remain closed whilst MK Council waits for emergency boiler repairs Find out more about MK Libraries here