Milton Keynes City Council have announced they will be closing a bridge on the H9 Groveway for 10 weeks for maintenance.

The road bridge between Simpson and Walton will be closed for 10 weeks from 11 August for work to take place, with the City Council saying the investment is required to extend the life of the bridge and keep it in good condition. 

During the work, repairs will be made to concrete sections at both ends of the bridge, corrosion protection systems will be installed, and the bridge’s drainage and waterproofing will be improved. 

The road will be fully closed to traffic and a diversion route will be clearly signed. Pedestrian and cyclist access will not be affected and the footpaths above and beneath the bridge will remain open.  

Councillor Jennifer Wilson-Marklew, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Highways and Transportation said, “We look after more than 700 bridges and other structures on our city’s highways, and they are a vital part of our infrastructure.” 

“Each year we carry our hundreds of inspections and repairs to these structures, most of which are unseen as they take place underneath the main roads.

 “By doing these works now, we can help to keep the bridge in good condition for many years to come but more importantly, it is structurally safe.” 

MK Dons boss Paul Warne said he felt there was a lot to like about his team’s opening day performance but felt it was lacking the extra something to get victory.

The Dons’ Head Coach spoke after a 0-0 draw on the opening day of the 2025/26 season with Oldham Athletic, in a game that saw few chances created by both sides.

Reflecting afterwards, Warne said that against a team he represented in his playing days, he felt his MK Dons side had a lot of the fundamentals right but didn’t do enough going forward.

He said, “I’m pleased with the clean sheet against a good team who’ve been promoted. I played for them and have a lot of good memories of Oldham.

“I thought we were good without being great. That’s my assumption and I think the lads agree. Just in the final third, I didn’t think we’d done enough to make the keeper earn his money and that’s the truth.

“Transporting the ball end-to-end, I thought we were ok, we were pretty competitive, we defended all the long throws, which aren’t easy against a side like that, and at times when they broke and we were throwing the kitchen sink, our recovery runs were good. So I like that. There was parts of our play I liked, we just missed the goal. I think if we got one, we’d have had a lot more control.

“The longer the game goes on and you don’t get the goal, it gets more edgy and in the last 10-15 minutes, it was a bit stop & start. It’s not what we wanted, but if you can’t win it, don’t lose it. In that respect, I’m pleased but I’d like better.”

“We went with a front 3 with a 10 and tried to ask different questions. I thought there were really good performances but we lacked a physical presence at the top end. Bringing Paterson on helped but unfortunately he can’t get on the end of his long throw as that would be handy.

“It was disappointing in that respect. I might be wrong but I thought we had a penalty in the first half – you’d take that and the game would take a different path. Goals always change games – everyone knows that. But unfortunately today, we weren’t good enough to test the keeper enough.”

Speaking in further detail, he felt one element lacking in the Dons’ display was a lack of courage in attack.

He said, “I learned a little bit. I don’t really question their character or endeavour – I thought they had that. But maybe a little bit more courage.

“I mean that they saw the pass but thought it was a bit risky so played the safer pass. My teams don’t really play that safe. So I learned that about a few individuals but it’s our jobs as coaches and teachers to show them it and say it’s on, risk it, we want you to risk it and if it doesn’t come off, fine, it’s on me.

“So I learned a little about that. I also learned we’re pretty good, I quite like us and would pay money to watch us. I’d pay a little bit more if they shot a bit more! So I’ve learned there isn’t a lot wrong but to turn 0-0s into 1-0s, 2-0s, turns into shots.

“I just think the group are together, they’re disappointed they haven’t won, which is half the battle.”

With the opening game of the season now done, Warne said the work was now in place to get the team built up over the opening weeks and that he was consistent with saying that the team would need to be adaptable ahead of the challenge coming up.

He said, “If you win the first 5 games, you haven’t got it sussed and if you lose the first 5 games, you’re not horrific but you do get to see where the problems are. Today, Oldham caused us problems and stopped our attacks. It’s just constant learning. We’re always consistent with the lads with messaging. Even if we’d won 6-0, I’d be exactly out the same.

“You do learn about your time throughout the season. I said to the lads that the team today won’t be the same as it will be next week or 6-8 months into the season. You’re constantly changing, tweaking, people are in form and you learn about your time or whether you’re missing something there and whether you change the players you’ve got or bring other players in to help us with what we’re lacking.

“After a few games, you have a much better idea.”

The organisers of the Reggae Land festival have confirmed the festival will return to the Milton Keynes Bowl in 2026.

The day after the conclusion of their 2025 event at the Milton Keynes venue, the organisers have confirmed that Reggae Land will again be held at the Bowl in 2026.

The festival will take place at the National Bowl on August 1st and 2nd 2026, with 2026 representing the 4th edition of the festival to be held at the Bowl after first holding a festival there in 2023.

Tickets will go on sale for the 2026 edition from Friday (08/08) at 9am from the Reggae Land website.

Thousands of people descended on the venue for the festival, which was a 2 day celebration of reggae music and culture. It was estimated pre-event that over 70,000 fans in total were expected in through the venue gates over the two days.

In a post on social media, the organisers celebrated their 2025 edition by thanking those who attended.

The festival said, “Reggae Land family… we’re speechless. The music has just stopped, the lights are going down, and our hearts are so full.

“To every single one of you who came out, danced with us, sang every word, and filled Milton Keynes Bowl with nothing but love — thank you. You made this weekend unforgettable. You brought the energy, the vibes, the community. You are Reggae Land.

“Celebrating 5 years with you all tonight was beyond special. We felt the love in every beat. Please get home safe, rest up, and keep the memories close — and don’t forget to tag us in your moments.”

Red Bull were forced to settle for a minor haul of points from the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen finished in 9th position, while teammate Yuki Tsunoda finished 17th as the Milton Keynes-based team had a race to forget.

Despite picking up just two points, Verstappen remains third in the Driver’s Championship as F1 prepares for their summer break. With 14 races of 24 completed, he sits third in the standings on 187 points, though he is 88 points behind second placed Lando Norris and 97 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri. He is also 15 ahead of fourth place George Russell.

The result continues a streak without a podium for Verstappen, with the Dutchman having last finished in the top 3 of an F1 race at the Canadian Grand Prix in June.

Teammate Tsunoda has now failed to score points in his last 7 races, with the second Red Bull driver having not scored points since the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix at Imola in May.

Red Bull remain in 4th place in the Constructor’s Championship. The Milton Keynes-based team are currently 42 points behind 3rd place Mercedes and 124 ahead of Williams in 5th.

The race in Budapest was Verstappen’s 200th in a Red Bull car, but having only qualified 8th, Verstappen admitted that the Hungarian Grand Prix track didn’t suit their car, with the reigning World Champion having work to do to get forward.

Meanwhile, Red Bull made a late decision to withdrawn Tsunoda from the grid and start from the pit lane after making set-up changes.

A slow start saw Verstappen initially passed by former teammate Liam Lawson, but some decent moves allowed the Dutchman to pass Lawson and Lance Stroll, only for his advance to become negated when he got stuck behind Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto.

With most pre-race expectations saying the race would be a two-stop, Verstappen went early to make his first stop by pitting on lap 18. This however put Verstappen into traffic, with the Dutchman required to pass multiple cars.

One of those was his one-time championship rival Lewis Hamilton, which lead to a flashpoint on lap 30 when Hamilton went off track in a sequence that saw Verstappen get past. This was later investigated by the stewards, who would rule 2 hours after the race that no further action was needed after arranging a meeting where they could speak with Verstappen in person.

Verstappen had briefly risen to 5th, but duly ran out of tyres, making a second stop late on. He returned from that in 9th, and after a slide in turn one, he ultimately ran out of time to pass Lawson ahead.

Tsunoda had made some early progress from his pit-lane start, but the Japanese driver’s gamble to take soft tyres at his first stop ultimately failed to pay dividends. Tsunoda also picked up front wing damage in a collision with the Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg, and he ended up crossing the line 17th.

F1 will now take a three week break, returning with the Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday August 31st.