Your Parish Councillors
The Parish Council consists of 20 Parish Councillors, the Parish Manager, Project Officer, a small part-time office team and three rangers. Parish Councillors give their time voluntarily and do not receive payment for the time they commit to Council Affairs.
Giffard Park and Blakelands
Vacancy
Current Year Attendance:
Committee Appointments:
Parish Councillor Biography
When did you become a Councillor?
Areas of Special interest and expertise
What inspired you to become a Councillor?
Vacancy
Current Year Attendance:
Committee Appointments:
Parish Councillor Biography
When did you become a Councillor?
Areas of Special interest and expertise
What inspired you to become a Councillor?
Vacancy
Current Year Attendance:
Committee Appointments:
Parish Councillor Biography
When did you become a Councillor?
Areas of Special interest and expertise
What inspired you to become a Councillor?
Pennyland & Bolbeck Park
Vacancy
Current Year Attendance:
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Parish Councillor Biography
When did you become a Councillor?
Areas of Special interest and expertise
What inspired you to become a Councillor?
Cllr Derek Harvey OBE
Current Year Attendance: 100%
Committee Appointments: Full Council, Personnel, Community Services, Finance Governance and Asset, Disciplinary
When did you become a Councillor? October 2021.
Areas of Special interest and expertise: My expertise lise in Operational Management having worked in central government for 44 years. This has given me a thorough all-round understanding and experience of management including, budgets, projects, programmes, contracts, HR and staff. In my latter working years I was also developing effective relationships with employers and partners in London for which I was awarded an OBE. I am looking for these skills to be of use as a councillor and to the wider parish council team, not least in my special interests around Coummunity and Finance.
I also love being outdoors and enjoy nothing more than doing things to make the place in which we live in better, whether litter picking, bulb planting, landscaping clearance or whatever as well as meeting other people.
What inspired you to become a Councillor? I have been a resident of Pennyland since 1986 and have seen the village and parish grow and mature and, whilst some things have changed, the community remains as inclusive and supportive as the one that welcomed me and my family from the North East those many years ago and I want to remain so. Also, having worked mostly oputisde of MK, I appreciate all the more just how fortunate we are living in a place such as this. I am keen that we see it, feel it and keep it a place of which we can be proud and , having retired, I wanted to become more active in the community. I started as a Parish Guardian and as a councillor I am look to do even more..
Conniburrow
Vacancy
Current Year Attendance:
Committee Appointments:
Parish Councillor Biography
When did you become a Councillor?
Areas of Special interest and expertise
What inspired you to become a Councillor?
Cllr Jimmy Zamek
Current Year Attendance: 78%
Committee Appointments: Full Council,Finance Governance and Asset
Parish Councillor Biography
When did you become a Councillor?
2017
Areas of Special interest and expertise
Finance, management, people, community
What inspired you to become a Councillor?
After retiring I missed been active and sharing my time helping others.
Vacancy
Current Year Attendance:
Committee Appointments:
Parish Councillor Biography
When did you become a Councillor?
Areas of Special interest and expertise
What inspired you to become a Councillor?
Downhead Park & Willen Park North
Cllr Ed Nixon (Chair)
Current Year Attendance: 78%
Committee Appointments: Full Council, Finance Governance and Asset, Personnel Committee, Community Services, Planning
Parish Councillor Biography
When did you become a Councillor?
2021
Areas of Special interest and expertise
I have a background in managing programs and projects within the Telecoms and Networks arena and have been doing this for over 20 years.
This work experience has given me significant experience with leadership, budgeting, technology and delivery.
I enjoy long walks with our 2 dogs around the parish and spending time with the family. I also enjoy travel and since Covid have been focused on UK travel which has been fantastic.
I am keen to promote sustainability and green issues which we can all do together in our own way.
What inspired you to become a Councillor?
I have lived in Milton Keynes for over 25 years and Downhead Park for most of that time.
I have 3 grown up boys and a grandson and we all live within the Great Linford Parish. Becoming a councillor seemed like a good opportunity to give something back after 25 years of living here and also to use my background to help deliver benefit into the community through our many initiatives.
Having seen the children grow up in the parish I wanted to help GLPC to provide the value to the community for future generations as well.
Cllr Trevor Heale (Vice Chair)
Current Year Attendance: 100%
Committee Appointments: Full Council, Community Services, Personnel
Parish Councillor Biography
When did you become a Councillor?
2016
Areas of Special interest and expertise Promoting Community
Computing and IT
Yoga
Electric Vehicles
What inspired you to become a Councillor?
Health and well-being for everyone.
Enabling people to live a full life.
Negating the effects of the environmental disasters coming our way.
December 2019
Downs Barn
Cllr Janet Brindley
Current Year Attendance: 100%
Committee Appointments: Full Council, Planning, Community Services
Vacancy
Current Year Attendance:
Committee Appointments:
Parish Councillor Biography
When did you become a Councillor?
Areas of Special interest and expertise
What inspired you to become a Councillor?
Great Linford
Cllr Donna Nicholls
Current Year Attendance: 100%
Committee Appointments: Full Council, Community Services
Parish Councillor Biography
When did you become a Councillor?
April 2022
Areas of Special interest and expertise
Bringing the community together and helping people get through the hard times! Some people may know me as the Manager of the Community Hub at Great Linford Local Centre and the community fridge coordinator, for which I was nominated for the BBC Three Counties Radio Make a Difference award in 2022, receiving a commendation.
Professionally I am a chef, my background is in hospitality management and I love baking cakes and treats.
What inspired you to become a Councillor?
My life with my family is heavily involved in the community and I am passionate about helping people to improve their situations and also about our surroundings, so it made perfect sense to become a councillor.
I enjoy talking to, and helping, people, whether that's through coordinating the Community Fridge, supporting the Breakfast & Banter, running the Community Hub or cooking a hot meal at the regular Tuesday Club in the Warm Spaces that GLPC provides.
Being a councillor has enabled me to extend the work I do at The Hub further into the community and you'll see me and my family join in with GLPC's regular litter picking activities, a positive, helpful way to spend a few hours, great for meeting people and of course, at the end, I get to serve my cakes to the volunteers.
I couldn't do what I do without volunteers, we have some amazing helpers and I enjoy working with them and encouraging new people to become a volunteer which in turn gives them confidence to move on to bigger things. Like being a Parish Councillor!
Cllr Jane Mackenzie
Current Year Attendance: 44%
Committee Appointments: Full Council, Community Services
Parish Councillor Biography
When did you become a Councillor?
January 2021
Areas of Special interest & expertise
I have spent most of my career in marketing and communications for various retailers – my last position was as Head of Marketing at Marks & Spencer plc. I have volunteered for several organisations over the years and will do pretty much anything if it needs doing!
I grew up in this area and have recently moved back after living in London for 20+ years and Australia for 7 years. I love this area and believe that Milton Keynes is a great city with a lot going for it. I love the area of Great Linford and surrounds and feel genuinely at home here. I love meeting new people and am interested in everybody’s stories.
I am often to be found walking around the area with my 2 Parson Russell Terriers – so if you see me, please stop and say hello.
I am interested in looking after our beautiful neighbourhood and community and enjoy getting involved in community events and activities.
What inspired you to become a Councillor?
I wanted to get involved with my community and I believe that you get out of life what you put into it – so I’m willing to put time and effort into making our community a happy, thriving and pleasant place to live.
I hope that people will feel they can talk to me if they think something needs doing – and I hope I can encourage others to get involved and take part in their communities.
David Walter
Current Year Attendance:
Committee Appointments:
Parish Councillor Biography
When did you become a Councillor?
December 2022
Areas of Special interest and expertise
I am a retired professional engineer and Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. I am innovative with a number of international patents to my name. I received a Design Council Award presented to me by the Late HRH Duke of Edinburgh. I was selected by the Department of Trade and Industry to give a numbeer of lectures, on Product Design, to selected delegates. I was Engineering Director of a Heavy Engineering Company in Bedford and finished my career as Managing Director of an Engineering Company in Milton Keynes. As MD I was responsible for all elements of management including finance, budgeting, cost control, as well as staff and union matters.
What inspired you to become a Councillor?
Having lived in the Great Linford ward for over 37 years I have developed a deepening interest in the locality. During the early years of Covid I did a lot of walking, and I discovered just how pleasantly unique and diverse the Parish is. I believe that my managerial experience together with my innovative outlook could help in not only maintining, but also improving, the Parish for the Parishioners.
Neath Hill
Cllr Martin Burgess
Current Year Attendance: 100%
Committee Appointments: Full Council, Planning, Finance Governance and Asset, Personnel, Disciplinary
Parish Councillor Biography
When did you become a Councillor?
February 2017
Areas of Special interest and expertise
No expertise in anything really, just enthusiastic when I find something that gets the juices flowing!
What inspired you to become a Councillor?
A lot of the areas I have worked in over the years were very affluent but were lacking the open spaces with all the vegetation. Once I moved here I came to realise how lucky we are to have all this right outside our front doors. I felt that this was important and that it needed looking after and helping to improve for everyone’s benefit where possible.
Milton Keynes is a great place to live and there is much more to it than the concrete cows and roundabouts that everyone automatically thinks of!
December 2019
Vacancy
Current Year Attendance: 44%
Committee Appointments: Full Council, Finance, Governance & Asset, Community Services
Parish Councillor Biography
When did you become a Councillor?
Areas of Special interest and expertise
What inspired you to become a Councillor?
Redhouse Park
Vacancy
Current Year Attendance:
Committee Appointments:
Parish Councillor Biography
When did you become a Councillor?
Areas of Special interest and expertise
What inspired you to become a Councillor?
Willen Park South
Vacancy
Current Year Attendance:
Committee Appointments:
Parish Councillor Biography
When did you become a Councillor?
Areas of Special interest and expertise
What inspired you to become a Councillor?