Leading figures at Milton Keynes City Council are set to agree proposals to funding vital new flood defence schemes across the city.
The proposals include major schemes for estates such as Beanhill and Netherfield and the village of Lavendon.
A meeting is planned for 20th January where a Council Cabinet member is set to formally agree proposals which will see the City Council match funding from the Environment Agency secured by Milton Keynes MPs.
The council and Environment Agency funding will enable new schemes to protect homes and businesses in Lavendon and city residential estates from the increasing levels of flood risk linked to extreme weather caused by climate change.
MK’s Labour Party, which has a majority on the City Council, has said that the decision will enable the City Council to deliver projects that will move 30 homes in Lavendon and 108 households in Woughton to being better protected against extreme wet weather and will see a total investment of over £3m, subject to final approval of the council’s 2026/27 capital budget.
In Lavendon, the funding will unlock technical works to manage water run-off, while in the Woughton Community Council area the focus will be on modernising drainage systems to prevent local overflows.
Councillor Jennifer Wilson-Marklew, Labour Cabinet Member for Public Realm, said, “It is great news that by having a clear plan to deal with flooding issues and by working properly with our partners we have been able to secure funding that can further our current work in flood prevention in both Lavendon and Woughton. By match funding this financial support, we will be able to ensure residents and local businesses are further protected by extreme wet weather.”
Chris Curtis, MP for Milton Keynes North, said, “I am pleased that by working with Milton Keynes City Council I have been able to ensure additional Environment Agency funding that will deliver flood schemes that protect homes in Lavendon, particularly into the future as the impact of climate change makes weather events more frequent. I will specifically be writing the councillors for Lavendon and asking that they support these proposals when the council approves the capital budget for next year.”
Emily Darlington, MP for Milton Keynes Central, added, “Securing this funding from the Environment Agency has taken a long time, but thanks to the hard work of residents and local councillors, homes will now be better protected from flooding, giving families peace of mind and safeguarding the community from future cases of extreme wet weather.”
Luton are out of the EFL Trophy as they suffered a 2-1 home defeat against Swindon Town at Kenilworth Road.
An early penalty scored by Jerry Yates had put Jack Wilshere’s side ahead, only for the League 2 side to turn things around through goals by Will Wright and Filozofe Mabete, which saw the Robins take the place in the last 8.
The Hatters’ defeat means they are now out of the 3 cup competitions for the season, with the result ending their hopes of adding to the EFL Trophy they had won in the 2008-09 campaign.
Luton had taken the lead in seventh minute, as a foul by Joe Snowdon on Emilio Lawrence was penalised, and Yates scored the spot-kick.
The hosts missed multiple opportunities before Swindon scored a 37th minute equaliser when Wright’s cross deceived Luton keeper James Shea and ended up in the back of the net.
Mabete then put Swindon ahead in the 53rd minute when he turned home after Shea could only parry an initial ball into the box.
There would be no way through for the Hatters in their quest to grab an equaliser, as they slid to defeat.
However, there was a noteworthy issue along the way regarding Swindon’s Aaron Drinan, who was brought on as a half-time sub by the Robins but who had not been named on the official teamsheet. This lead to a lengthy stoppage while the officials clarified the situation before choosing to carry on, with a question over whether this will get investigated by the FA.
Luton Town have voiced their anger after a racist comment was aimed at the club’s assistant manager Chris Powell on social media.
The Hatters voiced their dismay in regard to a racist comment on an Instagram post showing Powell celebrating on the pitch after Luton’s 2-1 win over Stevenage last weekend.
The statement read, “So, Luton Town win another football match and it happens again. And we’re not just talking about Chris Powell’s unbridled post-match celebration after Saturday’s win over Stevenage at Kenilworth Road.
“Racism. On Instagram.
“As sure as night follows day, a Luton win on TV is followed by a vile message aimed at one of our black players, or in this case, a member of staff.
“And let’s be clear from the off, as these things are often misunderstood. This does not appear to be a supporter of Luton Town or Stevenage. It’s come from a German account that has no previous posts about English football.
“We thought long and hard about whether to share the name of the person who posted it, but decided not to spark a witch-hunt – although by posting a racial slur on one of our videos, that person advertised themselves anyway.
“They didn’t even bother sliding into Chris’ DMs, as we’ve seen so often in the past with abuse of Elijah Adebayo, Teden Mengi, Gabe Osho, Carlton Morris, Tahith Chong and Peter Kioso, to name a few.
“We’re now tired of saying we’re tired. We’re saddened by hearing our black players say they aren’t bothered about following reports through. Especially when we wait over a year for a perpetrator, a criminal, to be brought to court and be fined a measly couple of hundred quid, and not even be given an automatic football banning order.
“Going on previous examples, we wouldn’t even get that far with this one anyway with it coming from an overseas account, which sadly falls out of our equally frustrated local and UK police’s jurisdiction.
“So we’re posting it here and letting everyone see what our friends, our Luton family, have to endure for simply winning a game of football.
“We stand with Chris Powell and all victims of online discriminatory abuse. What we won’t stand for is the abuse continuing and nothing being done about it.
“The social media companies need to do more to prevent these people committing crimes via a keyboard, and that action needs to start right now.”
Luton Town have voiced their anger after a racist comment was aimed at the club’s assistant manager Chris Powell on social media.
The Hatters voiced their dismay in regard to a racist comment on an Instagram post showing Powell celebrating on the pitch after Luton’s 2-1 win over Stevenage last weekend.
The statement read, “So, Luton Town win another football match and it happens again. And we’re not just talking about Chris Powell’s unbridled post-match celebration after Saturday’s win over Stevenage at Kenilworth Road.
“Racism. On Instagram.
“As sure as night follows day, a Luton win on TV is followed by a vile message aimed at one of our black players, or in this case, a member of staff.
“And let’s be clear from the off, as these things are often misunderstood. This does not appear to be a supporter of Luton Town or Stevenage. It’s come from a German account that has no previous posts about English football.
“We thought long and hard about whether to share the name of the person who posted it, but decided not to spark a witch-hunt – although by posting a racial slur on one of our videos, that person advertised themselves anyway.
“They didn’t even bother sliding into Chris’ DMs, as we’ve seen so often in the past with abuse of Elijah Adebayo, Teden Mengi, Gabe Osho, Carlton Morris, Tahith Chong and Peter Kioso, to name a few.
“We’re now tired of saying we’re tired. We’re saddened by hearing our black players say they aren’t bothered about following reports through. Especially when we wait over a year for a perpetrator, a criminal, to be brought to court and be fined a measly couple of hundred quid, and not even be given an automatic football banning order.
“Going on previous examples, we wouldn’t even get that far with this one anyway with it coming from an overseas account, which sadly falls out of our equally frustrated local and UK police’s jurisdiction.
“So we’re posting it here and letting everyone see what our friends, our Luton family, have to endure for simply winning a game of football.
“We stand with Chris Powell and all victims of online discriminatory abuse. What we won’t stand for is the abuse continuing and nothing being done about it.
“The social media companies need to do more to prevent these people committing crimes via a keyboard, and that action needs to start right now.”
Willen Hospice have announced plans for an exclusive gala evening of world-class ballet featuring Matthew Bourne’s The Red Shoes as a fundraiser in partnership with Milton Keynes Theatre.
The event on February 12 is a limited-ticket event promises a spectacular cultural experience while raising vital funds for our Hospice.
Guests will be welcomed on the red carpet and enjoy a champagne and canapé reception before taking premium seats for the performance. Additional gala privileges include access to a private VIP area and interval refreshments, making this a unique opportunity to enjoy a double Olivier Award-winning production in an exclusive setting.
Based on the iconic Academy Award-winning film by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, The Red Shoes is a timeless and powerful story of a dancer, driven by ambition, who becomes caught between love and her all-consuming desire to become the greatest dancer in the world. The production features a specially orchestrated score by Terry Davies, featuring the mesmerising music of Bernard Herrmann, alongside striking design, lighting and immersive sound which dazzle the senses and have captivated audiences for generations.
Tickets are £100 per person, with all proceeds supporting Willen Hospice. It costs the hospice £11 million each year to provide expert care services for local people with a life-limiting illness, of which only 12.7% is covered by ongoing NHS funding. The charity says that fundraising events such as this gala are vital in helping them raise the £9.6 million needed each year to continue our care for the local community completely free of charge.
