The Parishes Forum met to discuss a range of issues, including updates from Milton Keynes University Hospital, Drug and Alcohol Family Support services, and Early Years/Youth Services. The forum also addressed constitutional changes and reviews of community governance and polling districts, and heard about Great Linford Parish Council's success in the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) Star Council Awards.

Constitutional Changes and Community Governance

Councillor Jennifer Wilson-Marklew, Cabinet Member for Public Realm, addressed constitutional changes aimed at strengthening governance and improving access and visibility for parishes. The Cabinet will aim to provide earlier notice of decisions to enable parish engagement.

Key points:

• The Forward Plan will be emailed to parishes a month in advance, highlighting upcoming Delegated Decisions.
• Parishes can support a call-in attached to ward councillors if they wish to challenge a Delegated Decision, leading to a sub-committee meeting where parishes can speak.
• The new Community and Partnerships scrutiny committee will coordinate scrutiny work to avoid duplication and ensure relevance to residents.
• Parishes can speak at most public meetings, with 48 hours' notice for written questions and 15 minutes' notice to speak on non-procedural items.
• The ModernGov App can be used for notifications and automatic downloading of papers.

Councillor Richard Pryor raised concerns about a perceived drop in trust between parishes and the council following discussions about constitutional changes, referencing an exchange of letters with Councillor Pete Marland. Councillor Wilson-Marklew responded, acknowledging the need to rebuild trust and improve engagement with parishes, and ensuring agreed actions are carried out.

Democratic Services announced upcoming formal reviews of Community Governance, and Polling Districts and Places. These reviews aim to update electoral geography to reflect population growth and other factors, especially in light of the Milton Keynes City Council electoral review. A consultation on draft proposals will run from 19 June to 11 September, with final decisions made in the autumn to be reflected in new electoral registers by 1 December 2025.

MK Sustainability Strategy 2025 – 2050

Sophie Lloyd, Head of Economic Development, announced a consultation on the city's second Sustainability Strategy¹, open until 1 September. A Teams session will be arranged for interested parishes to discuss the strategy.

Section 106 Planning Obligations

James Williamson, Monitoring and Implementation Team Leader, Sharon Price, Principal Planning Obligations Officer, and Jennifer Head, Senior Planning Obligations Officer, presented an item on Section 106 (S106) planning obligations².

Key points:

• The team focuses on small to medium scale developments, including sites of around 1,000 homes that do not incorporate the MK Tariff work.
• Planning obligations mitigate the impact of development through non-financial contributions (e.g., a new play park) or financial contributions.
• A signed S106 Agreement must be lawful, directly related to the development, and reasonably related to the scale of the development.
• The team ensures financial contributions are spent to avoid funds being returned to the developer.
• S106 funding is limited to areas where development or growth has occurred and the funds belong to the developer, not the council.
• Funding is collected in instalments and spent through Board approval, with unspent funds returned to the developer if not used in time.
• Parishes are contacted about unspent funds in their area and advised on how the funds can be spent.
• Ward councillors should be informed of projects.
• Parish and town councils are bound by subsidy control regulations, as is MKCC, and spends by third parties are checked for compliance.
• Spends over £100,000 require a Members Delegated Decision.
• Feedback is required every 3 months once funding is paid, with supporting evidence such as invoices and photos.
• Early engagement with the team, MKCC, and other relevant parties is key, as there may be other funding available.
• Parish and Town councils will be consulted on the actual planning application and on the S106.

Mel Woof from Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes Association of Local Councils (BMKALC) queried why MKCC did not embrace Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)³, as parishes and town councils with Neighbourhood Plans would benefit from a greater contribution. It was advised that standard S106 planning obligations attracted more funds and infrastructure than CIL.

Planning Enforcement

Pavan Hira, Planning Enforcement Officer, presented an item on planning enforcement. The team investigates alleged breaches of planning control in line with the Local Enforcement Plan, including unauthorised development, work on listed trees, changes in land or building use, and untidy sites. All valid allegations are investigated, and expediency checks are carried out to determine if enforcement is in the public interest.

Changes are being made to the 'Report It' form on the website, with a new log-on area being developed for parish and ward councillors to directly access the system and view their planning enforcement complaints. Parishes are notified of initial alleged planning complaints made by residents, but only the original complainant receives key updates.

Armed Forces Covenant

Johanna Hyrcak, Armed Forces Covenant Project Manager, discussed the Armed Forces Covenant⁴, set up in 2011 to ensure fair treatment for those who serve or have served, and their families.

MKCC has signed the covenant three times and holds the MOD 'Employer Recognition Scheme' Gold Award, supporting staff members and army reservists. Elements of housing, healthcare, and education were legislated in 2022, and MKCC and MK hospital have invested in a covenant officer to ensure compliance. A new Duty called Op Valour will be announced to provide more support for veterans.

Veterans with service-related injuries are entitled to priority healthcare based on clinical need. Those who have left the forces in the last 5 years with a service-related physical or mental health injury have the right to go on the Council's housing register, even without a local connection.

Landfill Communities Fund

Luke Gledhill, Principal Waste and Minerals Planning Officer, discussed the Landfill Communities Fund. Landfill tax is charged on every tonne of waste sent to landfill, and a proportion of this tax is available as grants for community projects by non-profit organisations within 10 miles of Bletchley Landfill. The FCC Community Action Fund relates to sites within 10 miles of the Bletchley Landfill Site, and the SUEZ Communities Fund relates to sites within 2 miles of the SUEZ waste site in Old Wolverton.

Parish Successes

Eirwen Tagg, Parish Manager for Great Linford Parish Council, presented on the council's success in winning the 'Council of the Year' award at the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) Star Council Awards. The award recognised the council's commitment to community engagement, collaboration, and innovative service delivery. In 2023, newly elected councillors used S106 funding to convert the disused Conniburrow Community Centre into a community hub and introduced new environmental and social initiatives. The council also strengthened partnerships with over 50 organisations and launched a Partners Forum and a Community Forum to tackle local issues collectively.

Other Items

The agenda for the meeting also included updates from Milton Keynes University Hospital, Drug and Alcohol Family Support (DAFS) services, and Early Years/Youth Services and Family First programs.