About the Town Council

About CMK Town Council

CMK Town Council is the parish council for the residents of Central Milton Keynes (CMK) – the city centre of Milton Keynes. The parish area (shown above) is bounded by the grid roads H5 (Portway) to the north and H6 (Childs Way) to the south, and by the West Coast railway line to the west and the Grand Union canal to the east. The parish is divided into 3 parish wards – the West Ward (from the railway lines to Saxon Gate), the East Ward (from Saxon Gate to Marlborough Gate), and Campbell Park Ward (from Marlborough Gate to the canal).

The following map shows the parish councillor wards. The red and blue lines designate the wards for elected MK City Council ward councillors.

CMK parish has about 4,000 residents and over 1,000 businesses. The Town Council has 8 elected councillors – 3 from the West Ward, 3 from the East Ward, and 2 from Campbell Park Ward.

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What is a parish?

A parish is a geographical area like a county or borough, but on a smaller scale. People who live in a parished area elect councillors to represent them on the parish council for the area. Parish councils are the most local level of government – often called the ‘first tier of local government.’

Milton Keynes is a borough which is divided into about 45 parishes, one of which is Central Milton Keynes (CMK) – the parish covering the city centre.

What is the role of a parish council?

A parish council has overall responsibility for the well-being of their local community. The work of CMK Town Council generally falls into three main categories:

  • representing the views of our local community on a wide range of matters
  • improving services to meet the needs of our residents
  • striving to improve quality of life for our parish
What is the difference between a parish council and town council?

Not a great deal. They both have the same powers and can provide the same services. The only difference is that a town council usually includes the town or city centre and has decided that it should be known as a town council instead of a parish council, and often has a mayor.

What is the difference between CMK Town Council and Milton Keynes Council?

A great deal. Milton Keynes Council (MKC) is the council for the whole borough of Milton Keynes, representing about 250,000 residents. MKC provides most of the local services for residents, from street lighting and road repairs to social services and council housing.

CMK Town Council is the parish council for the city centre area, representing about 3,000 residents. Our work focuses on influencing the borough council (MKC) to deliver better services and to make better decisions for our residents (on local development proposals and licensing applications, for example). We also partner with MKC on a number of projects to improve the quality of life for our residents.

How is CMK Town Council funded?

Like all parishes, our work is funded through a parish precept tax.

In 2021-22, CMK and Campbell Park households will pay an average of £77.97 precept tax to support our work. This is a nil increase on the previous year. The sum is considerably below the average parish precept (£105.50) levied by other parishes of Milton Keynes. This small annual sum is added to the council tax per household to support of the work of Milton Keynes Council (which also provides most of the local services throughout the borough).

Do CMK Town Councillors get paid?

No. All CMK Town Councillors are unpaid volunteers – we do not even claim allowances.

Is Campbell Park a part of CMK?

Yes. Some years ago, however, the blocks adjacent to Campbell Park were included in the parish boundary of Campbell Park Parish Council (CPPC). Following the 2010 Boundary Review by Milton Keynes Council (MKC), these blocks – known as the Campbell Park grid square – were transferred to the the parish area of CMK Town Council. So Campbell Park belongs to CMK parish and not Campbell Park parish.

Meet the Town Council

Peter Lightfoot

Peter Lightfoot

Chair and Town Councillor, Campbell Park Ward

Pete has lived and worked in Milton Keynes for over 30 years and currently resides in Campbell Park.

His career in residential property gives him a keen interest in the architecture of the area, in addition he is passionate about live music and developing this scene in Milton Keynes.

Andrew Thomas

Andrew Thomas

Chair, Planning Committee and Town Councillor, West CMK Ward

Andy is a retired Chartered Civil Engineer and a Chartered Highways and Transportation Engineer, with long and extensive experience in the public and private sectors, including many years at Milton Keynes Council. In addition to Andy’s role on the Town Council, he is also Secretary to Milton Keynes Forum – the Civic Society for Milton Keynes.

Paul Cranfield

Paul Cranfield

Clerk, Town Council

Paul has lived in Milton Keynes for over 30 years and has served as Clerk to the Council since the late 1990s. “I‘m still learning every day!” says Paul. Having worked both in finance and as part of a large co-operative has provided him with the skills to manage the Town Council‘s day to day operations. He is currently studying for the Clerk’s professional qualification.

MinHi Chun

MinHi Chun

Town Councillor, East CMK Ward

Min has lived in Milton Keynes for over 8 years and CMK has always been part of her everyday life.

Min is trained as an architect and has a specific interest in architectural research – research informed evidence-based approach in the built environment projects. She believes residents’ experiences and their opinions are important, and that their feedback should be taken into the account to improve their local area and any future developments nearby.

She is a governor at her local primary school, Summerfield School, where many children are from the CMK area. She is also a black belt holder in Taekwondo and competes in the national championships.

Anurag Jain

Anurag Jain

Town Councillor, East CMK Ward

Milton Keynes had been a home for me for past 20 years and always been very close to the heart. I am a strong believer in “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”, which is a Sanskrit phrase found in Hindu texts, which means “The World Is One Family”.
As a parish councillor, I am dedicated to helping individuals and families navigate life’s challenges and find practical solutions to their problems. With a background in social care and a passion for making a difference in the lives of others, I bring a unique blend of empathy, compassion, and problem-solving skills to my role.

Andre Brady

Andre Brady

Town Councillor, West CMK Ward

Andre is an attorney at law from the United States. Prior to practicing law Andre worked as a constituent assistant for the United States Senator from Illinois. Since moving to Milton Keynes, Andre has been actively involved in the local community and is a member of the church of Parish of Saints Francis de Sales and Mary Magdalane. Andre is passionate about listening to local residents and is excited about making a positive difference in Central Milton Keynes.

Philip Murphy

Philip Murphy

Town Councillor, East CMK Ward

I am a Project Manager coming to Milton Keynes in 1975 to work on the design and construction of CMK including Centre MK. I continued to live in MK and raise a family, but my career took me to London and finished as a partner in a leading architectural practice. I have held voluntary positions with schools, universities and arts organisations and want to serve the residents of CMK. I am Chair of the Fred Roche Foundation campaigning for high quality design and town planning and to support students with interests in architecture and landscaping. My other interests are cycling, rowing, singing, and theatre.

Rebecca Kurth

Rebecca Kurth

Town Councillor, Campbell Park Ward

Rebecca has lived in Milton Keynes for 16 years, the last 9 years in Campbell Park and previously 7 years in Great Linford. After a successful career in the pharmaceutical industry, she joined the Town Council four years ago to ‘give something back to the community.’ She loves the work she does and the people she meets – ‘CMK is a very special place!’

Edward Smeathers

Edward Smeathers

Town Councillor, West Ward

I’ve been living in Milton Keynes for 15 years and working here for a few years more (currently in the world of energy management).

I live in Campbell Park I felt joining the town council was a great way to give back to the part of Milton Keynes I call home.

The Town Councillors’ register of interests can be found here.