Milton Keynes City Council and Milton Keynes College have announced they are close to completing multi-million pound expansion projects for the College’s campuses.
The project is increasing capacity at both the College’s Chaffron Way and Bletchley campuses, delivering over 350 additional teaching spaces, enhanced motor vehicle workshops, state-of-the-art engineering facilities and energy efficiency upgrades, helping to reduce long-term operational costs.
New classrooms are being built to accommodate a rapid rise in student numbers, with an increase of 806 since the 2022/23 academic year and a further increase seen in 2025/26 enrolments which now exceed 4,000.
To see the progress first-hand, Cllr Shanika Mahendran, Cabinet Member for Planning and Placemaking, visited the College to tour the new facilities and speak with students about how the changes will benefit their learning experience.
MK City Council have said they contributed a £6.1m investment towards the project, with a further £2m just released.
In their statement, the City Council said funding came from collecting money from housebuilders as the city grows, which they sought to reinvest into local infrastructure such as education and healthcare. A similar scheme was behind the City Council recently investing £15.6m of developer contributions into cancer and acute care at Milton Keynes University Hospital.
Cabinet Member for Planning and Placemaking, Cllr Shanika Mahendran, said, “It’s brilliant to see this investment coming to life, giving our young people high-quality spaces where they can develop their skills. Students at Milton Keynes College are studying in the UK’s fastest growing city, and it is great that they are able to experience the benefits of that. By using funding from new developments, we’re investing in facilities that make a real difference for the city’s current and future residents.”
Jason Mansell, Chief Operating Officer at Milton Keynes College Group, added, “Milton Keynes is growing at an impressive rate, and as a result Milton Keynes College is also growing rapidly. We are here to support our young people with industry-standard facilities, excellent learning spaces and exciting opportunities to learn and expand their horizons for the future. This investment from the city council has been invaluable in helping us to meet the growing needs of our communities in Milton Keynes. We are very proud of our new facilities and are excited to welcome even more students onto both campuses to take advantage of them”.
MK Dons boss Paul Warne voiced his annoyance with his side’s performance and result as they lost to Accrington Stanley.
The Dons were beaten 2-1 by the Lancashire-based club at Stadium MK, with Charlie Caton scoring the winner after Alex Gilbey’s controversial equaliser had cancelled out Isaac Sinclair’s first goal.
The result means that the Dons have lost 4 consecutive home games in all competitions, with the latest being a result Warne accepted after feeling his side’s performance was lacking.
He said, “I can take unlucky results or defeats but our performance level was substandard today. Collectively, we had a couple of players that were performing well but collectively, we were miles off the standards I think we set ourselves. I didn’t see it coming. They’d been training really well this week and were really upbeat and positive, but we just didn’t have any dynamic part of our play today, which is odd because I think that’s one of our strengths.
“We didn’t create enough chances to win the match, which is hugely disappointing, even moreso at home. We just didn’t really turn up.
“When it really came down to it, and sometimes it can be as simple as this, I just didn’t think we won many duels. We looked a little bit soft, which I haven’t said before and it’s something obviously we need to address. There’s different ways to win games but you’ve always got to match the intensity of the opposition and today I don’t think we did.”
Warne felt the attacking part of the Dons’ game was the biggest issue, feeling that the team didn’t test their opponents enough.
He said, “I didn’t think we had enough shots or bodies in the box or crosses or that our set-pieces were successful. We didn’t really ask enough questions of them. That’s my honest opinion and that’s on me. I’m the one who oversees everything and it’s hugely disappointing.
“Even after we scored, we just didn’t have enough of our attacking players on song. That’s what it felt like. It’s like everyone had an off-day at the same time.”
Warne said that he would turn attentions to how to remedy the Dons’ situation, feeling that he would look into whether the team’s set-up would need to change as he battles with injury and selection issues.
He said, “I’m not stupid enough to think that no matter what, I must stay with the same shape. If it needs to go to a 3, that’s absolutely fine – we played with 3 here last year and be nice to get some more of the defenders and full-backs back. In fairness, today, I thought our two better players today were our full-backs, with one a right-winger and the other a centre-mid.
“It would be nice to have some bodies back but we are limited in how we play by who we have fit. But I don’t care how it looks. I’m not a football snob who says we have to stick to a method. If we need to play a 3 or wing-backs instead of wingers, that’s what we’re going to have to do. It’s just about trying to win games.
“Today, we thought we were set up in a way to win a game, but you’ve seen it like I have and in the end, we weren’t good enough.”
Red Bull Racing have confirmed the full departure of former Team Principal Christian Horner, who leaves after 20 years with the team.
Horner had left his position as boss of the Milton Keynes-based F1 team in July, with the Red Bull parent company relieving him of his duties a few days after the British Grand Prix and replacing him with Racing Bulls team boss Laurent Mekies.
Since being removed from his position, Horner had been on gardening leave, with Red Bull now confirming a full severance deal has been agreed to release Horner from the Red Bull organisation altogether.
Red Bull Racing did not confirm specific details, which has been rumoured by various sources to include a pay-off valued between £50million and £80million, which would make it one of the most expensive pay-offs to an executive in sporting history. Horner had been on a contract that had been scheduled to run until the end of the 2030 F1 season.
Reports have also suggested that the now ex-Red Bull team boss is also free to join an F1 rival team from 2026 if he wishes to return to the sport.
The 51-year-old had been appointed as team boss when Red Bull brought the struggling Jaguar F1 team and first entered the sport as Red Bull Racing in 2005. In his time, the team have been a successful force in Formula One, with Red Bull winning 124 races, 8 Driver’s Championships and 6 Constructor’s Championships with Horner as team boss.
However, Horner’s position became unsecure after a chaotic 18 months on and off-track for Red Bull Racing.
Horner was strongly accused of misconduct by a female employee of the team in allegations that became public in February 2024, although two separate tribunals later cleared Horner of misconduct and he was allowed to stay in position.
This was then compounded by a loss of key personnel at the team’s executive level, including star designer Adrian Newey and sporting director Jonathan Wheatley.
There was then a significant loss of form on track, with Red Bull finishing third in last season’s Constructor’s Championship despite Max Verstappen winning the Driver’s Championship and then a slow start to the 2025 season where Red Bull were fourth at the point Horner left his position after July’s British Grand Prix.
News of Horner’s exit was confirmed the day after Red Bull achieved back-to-back race wins for the first time in 2025, with Verstappen winning the Azerbaijan Grand Prix yesterday (22/09) having won the preceding Italian Grand Prix.
In a statement shared by Red Bull Racing, Horner voiced his gratitude to the organisation for their time together.
He said, “Leading Red Bull Racing has been an honour and privilege. When we started in 2005, none of us could have imagined the journey ahead — the championships, the races, the people, the memories. I’m incredibly proud of what we achieved as a team breaking records and reaching heights no-one would ever believe were possible and I will forever carry that with me. However for me my biggest satisfaction has been assembling and leading the most amazing group of talented and driven individuals and seeing them flourish as a subsidiary of an Energy Drinks company and seeing them take on and beat some of the biggest automotive brands in the world.
“I wish Laurent, Max, Yuki and all of the Red Bull Technology Group the very best for the future. I am confident they will, as ever, deliver success on the track, for our fans, and continue to push to the maximum and I look forward to seeing the first Red Bull / Ford engine in the back of RB22 next year as well as the exciting RB17.
“I would like to thank our incredible sponsors and partners for their unwavering support who have played a key role in all our success. I would like to say a big thank you to the fans for their ongoing belief and without whom there would be no Formula One. Racing aside, I would also like to thank the shareholders, the late Dietrich Mateschitz for the opportunity he gave me as a 31 year old, Mark Mateschitz and Saravoot Yoovidhya and finally Chalerm and Daranee Yoovidhya for their friendship and commitment during my time at Red Bull as well as Oliver Mintzlaff and the Board for their guidance.”
The National Bowl in Milton Keynes will host a new fireworks event in the city.
Billed by the promoters as “the UK’s largest 360° fireworks show”, the FireworkX event on Saturday November 1st will see the Bowl host a 360° fireworks pyrosphere event, with organisers promising “a dramatic finale” as part of the show.
The event is intended to mark the return of fairground favourites once loved at Campbell Park elsewhere in Central Milton Keynes. Part of the team behind FireworX also involves Keith Emmett & Sons, the family fireworks specialists who delivered many of Milton Keynes’ most memorable displays.
FireworkX is also intended to feature drone and laser choreography on a grand scale, a main stage arena with live bands, DJs and entertainment, a Halloween funfair packed with rides and thrills and a wide variety of street food & bars.
Ticket information will be released in the near future ahead of the event going on general sale early next month. The organisers confirmed that the first ticket release will take place at 7am on Thursday October 2.
Neil Hart, Group CEO of Stadium MK said, “We’re very excited for ‘FireworkX’ to host this incredible display at the iconic venue that is the National Bowl.
“We are always looking out for new and exciting events to bring to the people of MK, and this one definitely fits the bill!
“It will be a remarkable experience for families and friends to come along to, with plenty of fun, excitement and thrills.
“Promising a fantastic atmosphere, we’re delighted that this electrifying display will be held here in Milton Keynes!”
Red Bull made it back-to-back F1 race wins as Max Verstappen won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku.
A dominant afternoon by the Dutch driver saw him convert pole to success, leading home runner up George Russell by just over 14 seconds.
The result meant a second win in a row for Verstappen, who had won F1’s previous race in Italy, as well as bringing him up to 4 race wins in the season after previously winning the rounds in Japan and Emilia-Romagna.
It was also a productive afternoon for his Red Bull teammate Yuki Tsunoda, who finished 6th in his best result in the 2025 season so far and his best since replacing Liam Lawson at Red Bull, even if he did finish directly behind Lawson, who took 5th for Racing Bulls.
With 7 races of the F1 season, the result means that Verstappen closes the gap to the championship-leading McLarens ahead of him. The man who has won the last 4 Driver’s Championships is up to 255 points, with the Dutchman now 44 points behind second place Lando Norris and 69 behind championship leader Oscar Piastri, who failed to score points after a first lap crash.
Tsunoda’s points saw him climb up to 20 points for the season, with the Japanese driver now 17th in the championship.
In the Constructor’s Championship, Red Bull remain 4th on 272 points. The Milton Keynes-based team are in a close fight for second behind runaway leaders McLaren, with the team now sat 14 points behind Ferrari and 18 behind second place Mercedes, who overtook Ferrari after taking 2nd and 4th in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix compared to Ferrari’s 8th and 9th.
The race in Baku came the day after a qualifying session of extraordinary chaos, with 6 red flags – a record for an F1 qualifying session – after multiple drivers crashed over the course of the session.
Verstappen had picked up pole with a late charge to take pole position, and he lead the field away calmly enough ahead of surprise higher-up qualifiers Carlos Sainz and Lawson.
Tsunoda had meanwhile made a good start from 6th to get ahead of Russell, although the Red Bull was then re-passed by the Mercedes into turn 3.
The safety car was deployed on lap one when Piastri crashed by himself, ending a disastrous weekend where he also crashed in qualifying and jumped the start.
When proceedings resumed, Verstappen immediately settled into a move of zipping away and building a gap to the rest of the field.
Meanwhile, Tsunoda continued his early duel with Russell. After the British driver had trouble on the restart, Tsunoda crept ahead of Russell, only for the Mercedes to re-pass him on lap 9 after a few laps of seeking to get past.
Both Red Bulls had started the race on hard tyres with the aspiration of going long, in a race where rain had been in the forecast, if ultimately failed to materialise.
Tsunoda was the first Red Bull to pit when he did so on lap 39, as he sought to cover an undercut attempt by Norris’ McLaren. He was able to slot back in directly between Lawson and Charles Leclerc, just before both Norris and Lewis Hamilton made moves to get ahead of Leclerc after the Ferrari’s tyres faded.
Verstappen pit on lap 41 and continued to control proceedings for the remainder of the day, coming home to take his second win in Baku after previously winning the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in 2022. Victory was the sixth Grand Slam for Verstappen, with the Dutchman having taken pole, won the race, lead every lap and set the fastest lap.
Further back, Tsunoda remained in a duel with Lawson and Norris but couldn’t make a pass on the Racing Bulls, although he was able to repel attacking moves by the McLaren behind.
Red Bull’s attention will now turn to preparing for a very different test in the next Grand Prix, as F1 heads to Singapore in two weeks time.
