Milton Keynes Expansion
The Milton Keynes long term ‘Growth Strategy’ to 2031 was produced to inform the directions of growth of the city. It will inform the preparation of statutory regional plans, including the preparation of the South East Plan and the Local Development Frameworks (LDFs) for Milton Keynes Borough, Mid Beds District and Aylesbury Vale District.
The key implication of the Strategy upon Mid Bedfordshire is the proposed growth of the city in a south easterly direction around Wavendon, Woburn Sands, Aspley Guise and Husborne Crawley. The Strategy recommended 7000-8000 dwellings to be built within this south east growth area with 3,200 within Mid Bedfordshire. This Council accepted the principle of growth within Mid Bedfordshire only if a significant green buffer could be provided to prevent the villages of Aspley Guise and Husborne Crawley from coalescence with the expanded Milton Keynes.
Local Consultation
To help inform the Council’s response to the Growth Strategy and its submission of evidence to the South East Plan Examination in Public (EiP), Mid Beds District Council asked residents how we should protect the villages of Aspley Guise and Husborne Crawley from coalescence. The overwhelming response to this consultation was that residents wished for the South Beds Green Belt to be extended north of the railway line to form a defensible green buffer.
The results of this consultation were used in evidence to the South East Plan EiP in which Mid Bedfordshire District Council supported the protection of a countryside gap by extending the Green Belt, and in order to allow for a reasonable buffer, proposed a reduction from 3,200 to 2,700 homes to be built within Mid Bedfordshire. A plan showing the boundary of the proposed Green Belt extension can be downloaded from the bottom of this page.
South East Plan Panel Report
After the EiP, the South East Plan Panel report was published in August 2007. In this report the independent Panel of Inspectors that examined the South East Plan stated that “we see no need for an extension to Green Belt to the south east of the city as suggested by Mid Bedfordshire DC. In our view there are no exceptional circumstances to justify this”. In addition, the Panel recommended an increase of dwellings to be provided with the south east growth area from 7-8000 to 10,4000 with a total of 5,600 in Mid Bedfordshire.
At this stage, the Panel's recommendations are being considered by Government. The outcome of the Proposed Changes will have a direct impact on the future direction of Mid Bed’s policy. The proposed changes are anticipated to be published in Summer 2008.
Milton Keynes Strategic Development Areas Study
In light of the Panel’s recommendations, a study has been commissioned by the 5 affected local authorities to look at the possible number of houses in new development areas south east and south west of Milton Keynes. The Study outlines the amount of land needed for housing, employment, open space, schools and other facilities in two Strategic Development Areas (SDAs) in the south east and south west of Milton Keynes and tests whether there is room for the number of homes proposed by the Panel. The Panel recommended 5,390 new homes in the South West SDA, between Milton Keynes and Newton Longville and 10,400 in the South East SDA near Wavendon, Woburn Sands and Aspley Guise.
The Report, proposed Green Belt Map and Executive Summary are available to download from this web page.
South East Plan Proposed Changes
The Secretary of State’s Proposed Changes to the South East Plan were published for consultation on 17th July 2008. This is the Government’s response to the Panel Report on the Examination in Public. The Proposed Changes recommend an increase in housing growth across the South East region and an increase in provision at Milton Keynes.
The Secretary of State recommends that provision should be made within the Milton Keynes growth area for 49,950 new homes over the period 2006-2026. In order to meet this growth three urban extensions have been identified to the south-west, south-east and east of the M1. The Secretary of State has agreed with the Panel Report and recommended 10,400 new dwellings to be provided in the urban extension to the south-east of the city with 4,800 in Milton Keynes’ administrative area and 5,600 in Mid Bedfordshire.
As development in Mid Bedfordshire goes beyond the geographical scope of the South East Plan the Secretary of State has stated that development here cannot contribute towards the target for housing in the South East Region. This leaves a shortfall in meeting the housing requirement across the South East which has prompted the Secretary of State to recommend land east of the M1 to deliver 5,600 dwellings by 2026.
This Council will be submitting a formal response to the Proposed Changes in due course.
To view the Proposed Changes please visit the Government Office for the South East website:
http://www.gose.gov.uk/gose/planning/regionalPlanning/
To find out more about the Milton Keynes Growth Strategy please visit the Milton Keynes Partnership website
* Download Review of the proposed Milton Keynes Strategic Development Areas (SDAs) in light of the Panel Report into the Draft South East Plan (application/pdf; 5021kb)
* Download Proposed Green Belt Expansion Plan (application/pdf; 7315kb)
* Download SDA Non Technical Executive Summary (application/pdf; 1459kb)
