Local political figures in Milton Keynes have provided their reactions to the announcement that the city is under consideration for a new town scheme launched by the government.
A report published by the national Labour government on Sunday (28/09) listed Milton Keynes as one of 12 areas of the UK recommended as a possible location for a new town. Locations as well as MK included new sites in Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cheshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire, as well as urban development plans in London, Plymouth, Leeds and Manchester.
The report by the government’s New Town Taskforce was to meet a pledge in the government’s manifesto during last year’s election to build 1.5 million homes by the time of the next election, scheduled to take place in 2029.
When the report was published, the government said that an environmental assessment will take place before a final decision is made on whether to proceed.
Proposals for Milton Keynes would see new houses built in areas to the north and east of the city’s existing boundaries, along with proposals for a mass public transit system that would reach Central Milton Keynes.
In a statement, Cllr Pete Marland, Leader of Milton Keynes City Council, said, “The announcement that Milton Keynes could be part of the next generation of new towns is a massive opportunity for our city. We know here that to do growth well, it needs to be done properly. We welcome the change to discuss investment in a new public transport system, more affordable homes and more powers to deliver community infrastructure with the government, and will be working hard to get started as quickly as possible.”
The report was also praised by Milton Keynes’ 3 MPs.
Chris Curtis, MP for MK North, said, “I am delighted that the success of Milton Keynes so far has been recognised, and that the New Town Taskforce has identified our city as a prime location the build new affordable homes the next generation of people who grew up here need.”
Emily Darlington, MP for Milton Keynes Central, added, “We know that we need to carry on attracting that inward investment and supporting local businesses to grow in a vibrant city centre. I’ll be working with the taskforce and council to ensure that our city centre gets the investment it needs to supercharge our economy.”
Callum Anderson, Buckingham and Bletchley’s MP, also commented, “The report by the New Town Taskforce is a massive chance to really work with the government to ensure we get the right investment into our area, not only for the fantastic new communities we can develop, but for areas like Bletchley, so everyone can benefit from growth.”
Meanwhile, the proposals were criticised by leaders of the Milton Keynes Conservative party, who described the proposals as “reckless expansion”.
Cllr Shazna Muzammil-Cook, Leader of the Conservative Group, said, “Of course, we need more homes, and I am not a NIMBY. But I am worried that we are losing everything that makes Milton Keynes unique and running the risk of just becoming another crowded city like Manchester. It’s great that investment could come to MK – but why don’t we fix the basics first? Our roads are collapsing, flooding gets worse every year, schools and GPs are already overstretched, and we still only have one hospital. Building at this scale without fixing what’s broken first is reckless.”