New estate with 1,200 homes likely to be built on Milton Keynes countryside - despite council's firm objection

Milton Keynes City Council has lodged a firm objection to plans to build a whole new estate of 1,200 homes on local countryside.

But their protestation is likely to be ignored, as the application lies with a different local authority, which has already given it the green light in its Local Plan.

The new estate will be called Shenley Park and lies between Milton Keynes and Whaddon, near Kingsmead, Tattenhoe, Oxley Park and Emerson Valley. Next to Tattenhoe Valley Park, It is to the north of the A421 with Shenley Road crossing through the middle of it.

The 103 hectare countryside site falls largely under Buckinghamshire Council instead of Milton Keynes and it has already been allocated for development in the adopted Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan.

Milton Keynes councillors say the project does not meet with the city’s planning standards and could have a “devastating impact, causing traffic congestion, lack of infrastructure and loss of green space.

It will include 1,265 new homes, a care home /extra care facility, a new primary school and nursery, a mixed-use local centre and open spaces.

Developer Crest Nicholson has already put the plan out to public consultation, and the results can be viewed here.

Meanwhile their application went to MK City Council’s Planning Committee last week and this resulted in an objection being lodged on a string of grounds, including included highways and traffic concerns as well as urban design and landscaping dissatisfaction.

Ward councillors Manish Verma and Shazna Muzammil, along with several residents, spoke in protest to the new estate.

The councillors said: “This development will have a significant impact on lives of Kingsmead and Oxley Park residents… We urge Buckinghamshire Council to take the feedback from our residents and MKCC officers seriously.”

MK Council is particularly concerned about plans to extend Childs Way, the H6, building the new road over the Kingsmead Green community space.

They are asking Buckinghamshire Council to undertake a further, more robust, traffic assessment.

Kingsmead resident Catherine Jeffreys said: “Kingsmead Green has been widely used for 20 years and is a much loved, valuable open space for residents. Allowing a road through Kingsmead Green would radically change the character of the area and cause significant harm to residents, which is contrary to planning policy.”

City council leader Pete Marland said: “We are being very clear that MKCC opposes the Shenley Park development.

“The consultation response to the SPD is mainly a technical planning document, but we want to highlight that the proposed development does not meet the standards we’d expect of a development on our border.

"We’re also concerned about the proposed road access and devastating impact that this could have on MK’s services.”

Buckinghamshire Council says it is keen to get the details right and has asked people to submit their views here. The consultation finishes at midnight on Wednesday (October 11)

Peter Strachan, Bucks Council’s Cabinet member for Planning and Regeneration, said: “This supplementary planning document sets out in detail the expectations and requirements for the important new development... It will allow us to ensure that the new neighbourhood provides high quality homes together with the amenities and infrastructure to meet the needs and aspirations of new and existing residents.”