Labour Milton Keynes City Council will begin a consultation next month on how best to plan the growth of the city until 2050, with the Labour administration seeking to prioritise more affordable family homes, infrastructure investment, protecting green space and job creation.
The MK City Plan 2050 will set out a preferred strategy for the delivery of the city’s growth, up until 2050 with sites being allocated for around 30,000 more homes, in addition to the 30,000 already given permission by Plan:MK.
The Draft MK City Plan 2050 will be published for a twelve-week period of public consultation and will be looking for local views on issues including:
A proposal to ensure 40% affordable family housing of all new previously undeveloped sites.
An Infrastructure First policy to deliver maximum funding for the hospital, new health provision, new schools and community facilities.
Protecting existing green spaces, and ruling out growth in rural Milton Keynes as it doesn’t meet the ability to deliver the required infrastructure for growth.
Growing the city economy with a focus on high-tech jobs, a city centre university and Bletchley regeneration.
Tackling climate change and improving sustainability.
The consultation period for the MK City Plan 2050, will include the publishing of a range of activities and materials in public exhibitions, meetings, mailouts and a brand-new online engagement platform developed specifically for consultation on the MK City Plan 2050.
Cllr Peter Marland, Leader of MK City Council said:
“The draft MK City Plan contains a clear set of ambitions and priorities about how to deliver the future growth of Milton Keynes to 2050.
“The City Plan housing figure is set by a government formula and the plan will need to pass an examination by a government appointed inspector, but we can still seek to ensure we grow in the right way.
He continued:
“We know that local young families need to be able to get on the housing ladder or have the option of an affordable home they can rent. We clear that on newly allocated undeveloped sites we want to see 40% affordable family homes being built.
“However, we know that local people have concerns about the pressure that growth might put on existing services, and that is why we are also proposing an infrastructure first approach to growth to maximise the funding available for the hospital, new health provision, new schools and community facilities. We have ruled out allocating sites in rural areas such as West of Olney, MK North and in rural areas because the current infrastructure would not be able to cope with the growth.
“We also want to see Milton Keynes continue to be a national centre of economic growth, so we have proposed a laser-like focus on job creation, securing a university in CMK and regeneration of Bletchley as key priorities.
“There will now be a 12 week consultation on the draft plans for local residents to make comments on our priorities and to make suggestions or propose alternatives.
He concluded:
“After 14 years in power, people are fed up of being gaslighted by the Conservatives about housing and infrastructure and their lies about growth in MK. The Conservatives have failed, failed and failed again to deliver for Milton Keynes. It’s time for a change.
“Labour’s plan will deliver better growth, more affordable family homes, more infrastructure and protect green spaces from developer-led growth.”
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