England Elections 2022: Political parties share plans for Milton Keynes

There have been concerns about the introduction of wheelie bins across Milton Keynes

Voters will head to the polls to elect councillors across Milton Keynes on Thursday 5 May.

One third of Milton Keynes Council is elected each year on a three-year rotation, followed by a year without an election.

The authority has had no overall control since 2006.

Labour and the Liberal Democrats agreed a coalition to run the council after last year's local election, when the Conservatives made sizeable gains.

After the 2021 election, the Tories were the largest party on the unitary authority with 24 seats - but it needed 29 to have overall control.

The BBC has spoken to representatives from the main parties about their vision for the town.

Jane Carr, Liberal Democrats

Jane Carr said there was "a range of issues" that were "bugging" Milton Keynes residents.

"The usual issues of potholes and landscaping are always going to be common themes," she said.

"But one of the questions people really want some clarity on is about weekly waste recycling.

"Once we get wheelie bins next year, there will be four bins - three will be recycled every week.

"We are not stopping weekly recycling collections, we are alternating the types of recycling we collect each week.

"One week it will be cardboard, next week glass and others - so there will still be a weekly collection."

Ms Carr said she thought the Conservatives' pledge that it would save weekly collections was "a twist on words".

She said she expected the council to remain in no overall control and emphasised that her party was "part of an alliance that is working together".

Alan Francis, Green Party

Alan Francis said he felt this year's election was "unusual" as he had heard "a lot of people who normally vote Tory won't be doing so because of things like partygate, the general state of the economy and energy bills".

"Some will be voting for us, they've told us, and some won't be voting at all - which is worrying," he said.

Mr Francis said there were fears about the expansion of Milton Keynes and that people felt they were not "being respected".

But he said the "biggest concern" was the introduction of wheelie bins.

"In New Bradwell, an old Victorian terraced area, some of the streets are cluttered up with wheelie bins all week long," he said.

"Because they don't have the space for them and they don't want to drag them through the house.

"So they're in the way of baby buggies and wheelchairs and it's such a big issue."

Peter Marland, Labour Party

Peter Marland is leader of Milton Keynes Council.

Mr Marland said the current coalition had "put party politics aside and governed for the majority of people in Milton Keynes".

"Having a governing partnership with an opposition has provided stability to get more things done at a really difficult time -recovering from Covid and the cost of living crisis," he said.

Although the Conservative Party has made a point in its campaign about changes to bin collections in the town, Mr Marland said that was not a focus for residents.

"That's not what's coming up on the doorstep," he said.

"What's coming up for us is the cost of living crisis and knife crime.

"If you're going to talk about weekly recycling collections - they're going nowhere."

Mr Marland said the coalition were going to "bring in wheelie bins and one week there will be plastic and glass recycling, the next week there will be paper recycling".

He said the separation would allow for more items to be processed.

"I think people at home would be a bit upset if they knew the amount of paper that they try and recycle, but then gets a bit of bean juice on them, that doesn't actually get to be recycled," Mr Marland said.

"It's better for the environment and better for people's pockets as it means the council gets a better financial rate for the recycling, which means we can keep council tax low, as we do in Milton Keynes."

Alex Walker, Conservative Party

Alex Walker is the leader of the Conservative Group in Milton Keynes.

He said the Tories' local plan was "to deliver a common sense council".

Mr Walker criticised the Labour and Liberal Democrat coalition's planned changes to waste collections.

"We are determined to review that and to make sure we look at whether we can reduce the number of bins, but also keep those recycling collections weekly," he said.

"I think it's a really slippery slope from that.

"This time it will be recycling going fortnightly, next time it will be every bin going fortnightly."

Mr Walker said his party wanted "to show Milton Keynes some TLC".

"There's been a lack of love and lack of care and it's now looking really tired and unloved," he said.

Mr Walker said the national polls were "challenging" for the Conservatives and would "no doubt have an effect locally".

"But my message has been: 'We're interested in bins - not Boris',"he said.

"I think people understand this local election isn't about what's going on in Number 10."

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