Plans to build 600 flats on 'eyesore' former Toys R Us site near Central Milton Keynes
A planning application will be lodged shortly to build up to 600 new apartments on the Argos and former Toys R US site at CMK.
A property investment company is handling the Grafton Gate site on behalf of an unnamed client and has published an artist’s impression of how the development would look.
The flats would be in blocks of up to 15 storeys high and would be of “high quality” with a mix of commercial and leisure spaces included.
Currently the site is frequently slammed by locals as an eyesore, particularly the old boarded-up Toys R Us store that has been empty since the company went into administration in 2018. It has been a target for vandaliam and graffiti ever since and has been described as a disgrace and even dystopian.
The neighbouring Argos store, which is still open, is included in the new plan and it is assumed that would be demolished. No plans to relocate the store have yet been revealed.
The company managing the project is Columbia Threadneedle Real Estate (UK) and they have already put the outline plans out to public consultation under the title of ‘800 Grafton gate’. As a result of the consultation, the height of the proposed buildings was reduced to the 25 storeys.
You can view their website here.
A spokesperson for the company said: “We are hoping to submit an outline planning application soon. This means that we are hoping to establish the principle of development on the site. If that gets approved, it will be followed by a reserved matters application. This will include more detailed information like the exact housing mix, design, and specific commercial and leisure spaces. “
They added: “Currently the site is underutilised and hosts a derelict retail unit alongside a trading Argos store. We think 800 Grafton Gate could provide much more for the economic engine of Milton Keynes and our plans propose to transform the space to fully reach its potential.
“We have created a more detailed vision for the site to make 800 Grafton Gate an attractive place of which Milton Keynes can be proud...The site is run-down, disused and needs regeneration.”
The company says it is committed to working with local residents and the wider Milton Keynes community to achieve the best possible future for the site.
The website states: “We have created a plan for a grassy residential courtyard with play space, flowerbeds and new trees. There will be more trees, lawns and flowerbeds across the rest of the site to make it a space that people enjoy being in.
It adds: “Words used to describe the site as it is now range from ‘a disgrace’ to ‘dystopian’ and even ‘a waste of space’...We have designed a proposal that can turn 800 Grafton Gate into an attractive, gateway destination.”
There would be green roofs on all the buildings and pedestrians and cyclists would be prioritised with wide streets, walking routes, bike stores for residents and a public bike docking for the entrance to the site off Childs Way.