Milton Keynes City Council have announced there will be changes to the electoral map ahead of next year’s local elections.

New electoral wards will be introduced for the May 2026 local elections following an independent review of Milton Keynes City Council’s electoral map and two consultations by The Local Government Boundary Commission (LGBC). Milton Keynes’ boundaries were last reviewed and redrawn in 2014.

The LGBC is the national body that draws boundaries for English elections. As population changes over time, the Commission routinely reviews an area’s boundaries to ensure councillors represent about the same number of electors.

The Commission’s final recommendations for changes published as part of the review proposed that the number of city councillors should be increased from 57 to 60, and the number of wards be increased from 19 to 21.

Under the new proposals there will be 19 three-councillor wards, 1 two-councillor ward (New Bradwell), and 1 single-councillor ward (Hanslope).

Further information can be found on the review page of the LGBC’s website, including an interactive map.

The changes become law once Parliament has approved them ahead of the May 2026 local elections, when all Milton Keynes City Councillors will be up for election.

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Police have released a CCTV image of a man officers would like to speak following a sexual assault on a bus in Milton Keynes.

The incident happened between 7am and 8am on Monday 14 April. The victim, a woman in her twenties, boarded the number 6 bus heading towards Wolverton at Windermere Drive in Bletchley.

A man sat down next to her and repeatedly tried to kiss her while touching her face. The man then got off the bus at the Fullers Slade stop and headed in the direction of the Kiln Farm estate. The woman wasn’t injured during the incident.

As part of their appeal, Thames Valley Police released CCTV taken from the bus service of a person they wish to speak to.

Investigator Katie Coulson, said, “I am appealing to anybody who recognises the person in this image to please come forward as they may have vital information to assist us with our investigation.

“I am also appealing to anyone who witnessed this incident or has information that may assist us to please get in touch.

“Anyone with information should call 101 or make an online report, via our website, quoting crime reference number 43250181258.

“If you don’t want to speak directly with police, you can also call the independent charity Crimestoppers 100% anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

Gulliver’s Theme Park in Milton Keynes has announced the return of their Land of Lights festival this winter.

The festival will features new lanterns and displays for the upcoming season, with the festival set to be added to the theme park’s roster of attractions on selected dates from November 2025. It will run over the Christmas period and through to January 2026.

More details, including when tickets go on sale, will be revealed in due course with customers advised to sign up to the mailing list on www.landoflights.co.uk to be the first to hear the latest news.

In a statement, the theme park promised a grand show. They said, “Land of Lights 2025 promises to be a breathtaking spectacle, featuring new lanterns covering 12 dreamworlds including an array of incredible dinosaurs.  In addition, there will be music, entertainment and street food with thousands of visitors expected once again.”

Darren Hoy, festival manager, said, “For the fourth year running, we are so excited and proud to be bringing the Land of Lights festival back to Gulliver’s resort in Milton Keynes. We get such good feedback from our customers year after year who come to enjoy the lights and sparkle and we know they won’t be disappointed with what we have in store this time!

“The one-mile trail will showcase a huge array of amazing lanterns and displays, creating a wonderous, wild, and magical atmosphere suitable for all ages.

“Please keep an eye on our dedicated website for all the latest news and ticket sale announcements and don’t miss this opportunity to experience a spectacular display of light and artistry here at Gulliver’s this autumn and winter.”

Milton Keynes City Council have awarded the Mears Group with a contract for council house repairs in the city.

Following a procurement exercise involving tenants and leaseholders, Mears has been awarded a five-year contract to repair and maintain 12,000 Milton Keynes City Council homes, with the option for a five-year extension. 

The new contract will start on 4 August. Before the start of this partnership, the city council and Mears will be running sessions with residents where they can meet the team and ask questions. 

The city council began the search for a contractor early last year and has asked all tenants and leaseholders for feedback on what changes to the contract would improve their experience.

MK City Council said the new contract was designed around the goal of achieving several improvements, including greater contractual focus on getting repairs done right first time, and a new 14-day priority repair to make sure repeat jobs are done quicker – between emergency repairs (4-24hrs) and routine repairs (within 28 days).

The council also stated they aimed to achieve stronger contract management oversight of how works and services are done, with robust performance management and aligning how the works and services are done to the new regulatory requirements for council homes. 

Cabinet Member responsible for housing, Cllr Ed Hume, said, “The new contract gives us an opportunity to overhaul how we monitor repairs and maintenance of council homes and to ensure tenants are getting a fair and responsive service, and more ‘right first time’ repairs.

“In 2025/26 we’re planning to invest nearly £90m in bringing more council properties up to a better standard; installing kitchens, fire doors and energy saving measures to make sure tenants have a good quality, affordable home where heating bills can be managed.”