“Goldie Locks” brings halt to discussion over development near much loved Milton Keynes village landmark

Councillors and members of the public were discussing Chris Scharff’s contentious plan to demolish garages and build a house on land near The Clock House, in Little Brickhill when Goldie Locks burst in.

Paul Trendall, a Lib Dem councillor, had been in full flow during the virtual meeting when he was interrupted by a committee manager who asked the mysterious Goldie Locks to identify themselves.

After a brief silence the manager announced that the interloper had been ejected from the inner sanctum of Milton Keynes Council’s development control panel. It was held in Microsoft Teams and Goldie was muted and unable to identify herself.

We can now reveal that the mysterious character was in fact a Little Brickhill parish councillor, Martin Goddard, who was planning to speak against the planning application.

After the meeting Cllr Goddard said he had been in Malta for business and could not access the meeting on his device.

He added that he attempted to get in on another device owned by his wife “and for some reason it had that user name. A name neither of us use.

“That was as much a surprise to us as you,” he added.

Cllr Goddard was “relieved” that his statement was read out and its points made by the committee manager.

However the points made by Cllr Goddard and other objectors were rejected by the committee.

They had argued that the development would harm the Little Brickhill conservation area and the setting of the historic Clock House.

But council planning officers recommended granting permission, saying that the Clock House could not be seen from the road anyway, so it could not harm its character.

Cllr Trendall (Campbell Park & Old Woughton) said: “It’s a very attractive building but no-one’s bothered to list it. It’s a place of residence and this application will get rid of some garages with no architectural merit.”

Councillors voted by four votes to one to permit the scheme.

The local democracy reporter asked the council why Goldie Locks, the three bears, or anyone else couldn’t just join in the Microsoft Teams meeting if they wanted.

A spokesman said the council considers Microsoft Teams to be the virtual council chamber, where only councillors, officers, and people who are registered to speak have the opportunity to do so.

The public gallery, where members of the public could, in a world before lockdown, just turn up and boo, hiss and catcall, has been replaced by the live broadcast on the council’s YouTube channel.

But he revealed that one change has been made since the Goldie Locks incident on Thursday evening.

“Speakers taking part in the Microsoft Teams meeting will have to use the name they registered with,” he said.