About Old Woughton Parish Council

Beginnings:

Old Woughton Parish Council officially came in to existence on 1st April 2012. The parish was formerly part of the much larger Woughton Community Council. Independence was granted by Milton Keynes Borough Council on November 8th 2011 following a 2 year campaign by local residents and a parish boundary review.

Our Ethos:

Our ethos is thus strongly embedded in the local community which is evidenced by the large numbers of residents who regularly turn out to Annual Parish meetings. We are highly service-orientated, acting promptly and appropriately to ensure our responsibilities are fully discharged in the best interests of its residents. We are passionate about preserving, enhancing and protecting our beautiful, semi-rural environment. In the wider realm we work enthusiastically with Milton Keynes City Council, The Parks Trust, neighbouring parishes and other bodies. In addition to doing our business effectively and efficiently, we are also determined to do it economically and overall to give the very best value for money. To this end we maintain the very lowest, operational cost base that we can and our financial affairs are completely transparent and accountable.

Community – Service – Economy

Locality:

The parish comprises the areas of Milton Keynes known as Woughton on The Green, Woughton Park and Passmore. There are just under 400 homes in the parish along with a church, a hotel, a pub and a handful of small businesses. The Woughton Pavilion and sports fields are also located here. Approximately 60% of the parish is green space, including a village green and a section of the Ouzel Valley Park. Old Woughton Parish is the owner of one of the largest allotment sites in Milton Keynes.

Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer (RFO)

Katherine Harmsworth

kharmsworth@oldwoughton.org.uk;

Katherine serves as the Parish Clerk and Responsible Finance Officer for Old Woughton Parish Council. In this role, she oversees the council’s day‑to‑day administration, prepares agendas and minutes, manages correspondence, and ensures the council follows proper governance and procedures. She is also the main point of contact for residents, helping to keep communication clear and responsive.

As RFO, Katherine manages the council’s finances, maintaining accurate accounts, supporting budget planning, and ensuring that public funds are handled responsibly and in line with statutory requirements.

Katherine’s combined role helps the council operate efficiently, remain compliant, and stay well connected with the community it serves.

Parish Responsibilities :- Parish Clerk and RFO

Parish Councillors

Passmore Ward

Mary Major

mmajor@oldwoughton.org.uk;

Mary Major was born in North London, educated in Mill Hill, Watford and Rugby. She became a Mechanical Engineering Apprentice with Hawker Siddeley Dynamics, studying on a sandwich course in Mechanical Engineering at Hatfield Polytechnic. She worked in the Engineering industry for her whole working life as an engineer and lately as Project Manager, gaining a Project Management Professional Qualification from the Project Management Institute in 2012. She took early retirement from Industry in 2018.

Mary moved to Stantonbury in Milton Keynes in 1987, finally moving to Passmore in 1992. She has been a member of the Women’s Institute for nearly 20 years in Simpson until it closed and now in Whaddon. Mary has been an allotment holder at the Patch since 1993 and has recently become a Trustee of The Patch Allotments. She is on the committee of the Passmore Residents Association (PRA) . PRA members supported the Small is Beautiful campaign which resulted in the formation of Old Woughton Parish in May 2012.

Vacancy

Woughton on the Green North Ward

Robert Grindley

rgrindley@oldwoughton.org.uk;

Robert is an Architect and has been living in Milton Keynes since 1982. After time away studying and working in Newcastle Upon Tyne, The Netherlands and then London he moved back to Woughton on the Green in 2006. He has a particular interest in the built environment and advises the parish council on planning matters. He is a member of the newly formed Woughton Heritage Group and has enjoyed getting to know more about the local area and its residents.

Professional Interest:

Registered Architect working for a family practice in Simpson

RIBA Accredited Conservation Registrant

Member of Milton Keynes Forum, the Civic Society for Milton Keynes

Ryan Gillies

rgillies@oldwoughton.org.uk;

A self-professed "born and bred" Milton Keynesian, Ryan was among the first children born in MK Hospital with family on both sides stretching back generations through the towns and villages which now make up our city. He attended Giffard Park Primary school, Stantonbury Secondary and Sixth, MK College and the (then) University College of Northampton majoring in Education Studies, so has experienced and remains aware of what it means to be young and growing in and around Milton Keynes. Ryan spent close to a decade in Taiwan before returning to the UK with his wife and three children in 2020, subsequently moving to Woughton on the Green in 2022.

By profession Ryan specialises in data and digital transformation and works for Willen Hospice. He previously served as a Councillor in the MK & Broughton Village Parish and has a keen interest in non-profits and volunteering, with interests spanning the arts, heritage, youth engagement and environment as well as a passion for real ale!

Philip Nash

pnash@oldwoughton.org.uk;

Philip worked in IT, initially as a developer and then as a project and programme manager for various IT companies. Projects delivered were mainly in financial services and government departments. He is now retired. Philip moved out of London, first to Buckingham and then to Woughton on the Green in 1989. He has been a parish councillor since May 2014 working as part of the Allotments team administering the Patch Allotments. He also set up the virtual Google Workspace, IT infrastructure in use by the Parish Council for emails, collaboration and document storage. He has developed this website for the Parish.

Woughton on the Green South Ward

Ray Brown

rbrown@oldwoughton.org.uk;

Charlotte Hall - Chair

chall@oldwoughton.org.uk;

Family have lived in the village of Woughton-on-the-Green since the early 1950’s. Second generation Woughton Parish Councillor.
Education: Locally: Old Simpson School and Stantonbury Campus and Stantonbury Campus Music School. University of Wales: BA (Hons) and PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate in Education)
Career: Outdoor Education / Pursuits Instructor in the Lake District (Calvert Trust) and Yorkshire.
Bursar: North London School for 20 years. Senior Manager with responsibilities for the day to day financial management of the School together with HR, Health & Safety and premises maintenance and development. Capital project planning and implementation.
Currently: Self Employed: Bespoke Business Support. President: The Patch Allotments. Chair: Woughton Heritage. MKHA (Milton Keynes Heritage Association) Executive Committee Member - Shadow Treasurer.
Interests: Gardening, Allotment & Bee Husbandry. Conservation and Protection of the Rural Environment.

Woughton Park Ward

Vanessa Freeman Gwynn - Vice Chair

vgwynn@oldwoughton.org.uk;

Vanessa has lived in Woughton Park since her husband, Richard, constructed the three properties at Saddington in the early ’80s. Her own career saw over 30 years of public service with MK Borough Council and then MK unitary authority - firstly in management services, then economic development and, latterly, in Children’s Services. By profession Vanessa is a chartered secretary; she is a life member of the Institute of Economic Development and she has an Honours degree and a Masters from the OU.

Outside Interests: Vanessa is the recent past Chair of Works for Us (a local employability charity); a founder member of Soroptimist International:MK; and a Humanist. Dog ownership and animal welfare are lifelong commitments.

Parish Interests : natural environment