The parkland, ponds and play areas across the Oakgrove estate in Milton Keynes have now been transferred on a 999-year lease to The Parks Trust, the charity that cares for over 6,000 acres of the city’s green space.
Over the past ten years, around 900 homes have been built at Oakgrove by developer, Crest Nicholson, who also created three play areas, a junior cycle track and a wetland habitat corridor that runs through the centre of the development. The transfer agreement means that these areas will benefit from the same high quality of management as those in older parts of the city that are under the charity’s care.
Crest Nicholson also provided a one-off capital endowment payment to The Parks Trust which will be invested to provide the funds needed to look after the area in perpetuity, at no ongoing cost to residents.
Commenting on the news, Phil Bowsher, Head of Environment at The Parks Trust, said: “Oakgrove’s landscape has been carefully designed to connect with, and extend, the Ouzel Valley Park and is the latest addition to our unique linear park system that runs through the city. The Parks Trust will undertake landscaping, maintenance and improvement work to ensure the play areas, ponds and habitats are always available to serve local people and provide opportunities for wildlife.
“Ongoing, we continue to work with housing developers in Milton Keynes and support them with our local knowledge so that their designs for green spaces and play areas are suitable. We do this not only for the benefit of future residents and to sustainably expand the linear park system but also to protect and improve precious local biodiversity.”
The Oakgrove areas now under the care of The Parks Trust are:
The children’s play areas at Harvard Way, Ferranti Place and Aiken Grange
The central habitat corridor that runs through the centre of the estate from the Aiken Grange Play Area to the Ouzel Valley Park
Green verges along the north side of Atlas Way
Work has already commenced on the bike track that forms part of the Harvard Way play area and The Parks Trust hopes to open this for use by local residents by early 2023.
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