Milton Keynes' "ambitious" Neighbourhood Plan not welcome, businessman claims

The Central Milton Keynes Alliance (CMKA) is behind the development of the Plan to ensure the new City keeps a strong economy, but one local businessman said "the whole thing is doomed to crash".

The CMKA is led by a group of eight councillors and eight business leaders, chaired by Dr Rebecca Kurth, of Central Milton Keynes Town Council.

The planning regime being set up under the Localism Act in Milton Keynes is “the most ambitious neighbourhood plan in the country, without a doubt,” said Dr Kurth, to a breakfast club meeting, according to local reports.

One of the aims of the new plan, for the area bounded by the railway line, Campbell Park, Portway and Child’s Way, is to encourage economic growth. It will eventually be subject to two referendums among businesses and residents before formal adoption by Milton Keynes Council.

Central Milton Keynes is the town's main location for retail, office and leisure development and the Council is eager to create a plan to determine which development needs permission, and to make it easier for community groups and young businesses to locate to new premises without the need for planning applications.

However, a local businessesman that attended a meeting on the plan did not support the initiative.

“The whole thing is doomed to crash and burn because of general apathy," said Jonathan Vowles of a local accountancy firm, according to local reports. “We elect councillors to do this kind of thing on our behalf."

Milton Keynes was selected as a business neighbourhood frontrunner by the Government."The business neighbourhood frontrunners unveiled are all areas with an enormous potential for economic growth," said Liz Peace, chief executive of the British Property Federation.

"Designation as a business neighbourhood should help them to put together a planning and development framework for their areas that allows them to realise that potential. We hope that many other business neighbourhoods will follow their lead," said Peace.

Plans for more and more shops in Midsummer Place, Secklow Gate and the Point meant the city centre was already in the process of destroying itself, said Theo Chalmers the local chariman of planning group Urban Eden, according to local reports.

The next business forum meeting of the CMKA will be held on Thursday, July 19 at Centrecom, in North Row.