Dirty Old Town – Dirty New City. That was the very first piece of writing I had published about Milton Keynes. It was something The Bletchley and District Gazette elaborated from something I submitted to its letter page. The Bletchley and District Gazette, what an iconic newspaper that was back in the mid 1970’s when I penned a comparison of living on a mud filled building site, as Milton Keynes was, with the song Dirty Old Town. It was very tongue in cheek, you could not build the biggest project our country had seen in the sterile conditions of an operating theatre. You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs, you can’t build a city without creating mud.
It now forms the opening chapter in my book MILTONKEYNES THE CITY OF LEGEND.
I want you to do something. I want you to step outside your home, how far do you have to walk before encounter a piece of litter ?
Milton Keynes today is a Scruffy City !
Right across our city, parish councils have placed and dutifully maintain litter bins, they are doing their bit. Sadly far too many ignorant residents are not doing their bit by using them. It is not the council, parish or city’s responsibility to pick up litter it is the duty of its criminal citizens not to drop litter.
Milton Keynes has a recycling programme we can be proud of but it is not the council’s responsibility to pick up litter and enter it into the recycling system.
YES, dropping litter is a crime ! Conviction in a magistrate’s court can result in a fine of up to £2,500 but when did the Scruffy City of Milton Keynes last impose such a fine from its court on Silbury Boulevard ?
Fly posting is also a criminal offence. Where an offence is proven the contravener shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine, currently not exceeding £1,000 and, in the case of a continuing offence, £100 for each day during which the offence remains after conviction.
This particular Roofing Services fly posting, along with many others, has been in place for way beyond a year. As I understand the matter this IS the responsibility of Milton Keynes City Council to act.
I sent a draft copy of this edition to Milton Keynes Councillor Adam Rolfe who is my ward councillor and for West Bletchley where this fly post can be found. I asked for his comment to include here. HE FAILED TO REPLY !
I also invited Iain Stewart Member of Parliament to comment and give his wider point of view on Milton Keynes – The Scruffy City, The City of Litter. HE FAILED TO REPLY !
Politicians, the litter of society ?
I am not a goodie-goodie but can honestly say I have never dropped litter at any time within my long life. I just was not brought up that way. Not dropping litter does not make one a goodie-goodie, such is simply being a responsible member of society. Dropping litter makes one a BADDY-BADDY !
LITTER ! A recent event has made the irresponsible dropping of such very personal to me.
On Thursday 8th December 2022 litter within Scruffy Milton Keynes became very personal to me.
Walking across Morrisons car park at Westcroft I inadvertently placed one foot inside a loop of plastic packaging in the click and collect area. Without realising this had happened I placed my other foot on the loop and fell flat on my face. I broke my nose, bruised my face, sprained my left hand and left knee, bruised the ribs on the left side of my body and broke my right arm. I had an operation to put a plate in my arm and needed extended support and physiotherapy in order to get better.
I am NOT here seeking sympathy, not never no way, but I am asking for contempt be directed to all disrespectful people who would have Milton Keynes become the SCRUFFY CITY !
My injuries were extensive but minor. I doubt the costs to our NHS in its present over-stretched situation were minor !
I received only the finest care from University Hospital Milton Keynes. Attending A & E I did not experience a long waiting time. Three doctors worked on my broken arm, pulling the bones into place before wrapping them into a plaster cast. The following Sunday – YES SUNDAY – I received an operation to place a metal plate in my arms. Surgeons working on a Sunday were not doing overtime, they were doing what every front-line NHS worker does – they were going the extra mile to care with love for their patients. Then received and am still receiving weekly physiotherapy sessions.
What is my treatment costing in money ? I don’t know, does anybody know ? What I do know is the idiot litter bug who caused my accident added the financial burden to our overstretched NHS.
Dirty
Old Town – Dirty New City – Milton Keynes The Scruffy City – The City Of Litter
- Politicians, the litter of
society
ENOUGH ! STOP IT ! MILTON KEYNES DESERVES BETTER !
Given the interest in these weekly features I am going rto make them twice weekly, Saturday and Wednesday. Next Wednesday MK Writers. Watch this space.
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