Plan for 3000 more homes in Milton Keynes will cause traffic chaos, say residents

Plans for the new 3,000-home South East MK expansion will cause serious traffic problems in two local areas, say residents.

The homes will be built on 198 hectares of land between Woburn Sands and Bow Brickhill. It is encompassed by Tilbrook, Browns Wood and Wavendon to the north, Woburn Sands to the east, the Green Sands Ridge to the south, and Bow Brickhill to the west.

The area was allocated for housing in the city’s Plan:MK, which was approved by central government and the council in 2019.

Now the final plan is due to be approved by MK councillors at the end of this month.

But residents in Woburn Sands are not happy. Supported by their councillor, John Baker, they say the plan is missing a direct route to the M1 North and shows a ‘redway and bus only’ link to Newport Road.

"This would push the majority of M1 traffic through Woburn Sands into Aspley Guise using The Leys and Theydon Avenue, already busy congested roads with little space for two cars to pass safely," said Cllr Baker, who is an independent councillor for Central Bedfordshire Council, covering the Aspley and Woburn ward.

He added: "The obvious solution is to extend the H10 to Newport Road, which is outside of the decision-making process for this current plan."

One resident said: " "Our road Theydon Avenue, is already a rat run. It is very busy during rush hours and sometimes dangerous. If the SEMK does not have a proper way of funnelling traffic towards Milton Keynes and the motorway then it will get worse and potentially more dangerous. It's quite scary really."

Residents launched a petition to urge MK Council to change the redway and bus only road to a normal road. This would alleviate the excessive additional traffic through Woburn Sands, said Cllr Baker.

More than 200 people have already signed the petition and it has now been submitted to MK Council leader Cllr Pete Marland.

Cllr Baker said: "Many residents have also written to their councillors and the responses are non-committal to the proposal put forward: that a bus only link does not serve the interests of Woburn Sands."