Demolition of empty Agora Centre to herald start of £32m regeneration in Milton Keynes

Demolition of the empty Agora Centre is expected to begin in April paving the way for the eagerly anticipated £32million regeneration of Wolverton to move forward.

Demolition contractors are expected to erect hoarding around the Agora in mid-April and will then start to work on internal preparation, internal demolition and removal of internal materials before demolition of the exterior starts in July. The historic work in July will be marked with a community event.

In September, all demolition will be complete to make way for developers to begin constructing the award-winning Love Wolverton scheme which consists of new homes, shops, streets, and community facilities.

The Council and TOWN will deliver:

> 86 new homes, with 31% being affordable housing

> Eight new shops for local businesses

> Car-free ‘little streets’ and a pocket park for residents and visitors to use

> A sustainable mobility hub, which includes an electric car club and bike hire facility

> An energy microgrid that generates two-thirds of the annual energy needs of the development on-site

Other improvements to the town centre will include a new car park at St George’s Way to replace the former Agora car park, alongside public realm improvements and a public toilet.

Labour Councillor Rob Middleton represents Wolverton Ward, and is the Cabinet Member for Resources. He said:“It’ s great to see we’re making headway with the exciting regeneration of Wolverton, as it has been years in the making. Wolverton is a brilliant town that deserves a new lease of life, and this award-winning scheme will do just that.”

He added: “Residents can expect to see lots of activity around the Wolverton Agora in the next few months, and I look forward to marking structural demolition with a community event in July.”