Milton Keynes launches new town heritage register - but what should feature?

From today (Jan 23) - Milton Keynes’ 51st birthday since designation - until Friday, March 23, the council is seeking nominations to its New Town Heritage Register.

Milton Keynes is the last, largest and most ambitious of the all the new towns, the combination of its scale, distinctive grid layout, architectural and landscape driven design is unlikely to be seen again in this country.

Its architecture, art, planning, green landscapes, public realm and infrastructure all contribute to its unique character and its local, national and international heritage significance.

Some individual new town assets have already been recognised by the government and its heritage advisor, Historic England as being nationally important, resulting a number of Grade II listed buildings.

However, beyond these there are many parts of the new town that are of local significance that contribute to the distinctive identity of Milton Keynes.

The Heritage Register seeks to identify, bring together and celebrate those assets that make an important contribution.

The MK New Town Heritage Register is the first time that the heritage significance of the MK’s new town and its component parts will be positively set out within the planning system, enabling it to inform planning decisions that affect it.

It also hopes to form a basis on which to positively promote the unique new town heritage of Milton Keynes, aiding investment and other cultural projects. Ultimately, the Heritage Register website will show the location and nature of the assets, bringing together walks and tours to help residents, visitors and workers in MK understand, appreciate and enjoy it.

Councillor Liz Gifford said: “The Heritage Register is an important step in telling the story of the new town and explaining why, despite its relatively youthful age, Milton Keynes has a unique heritage value. The current stage allows anyone to nominate their favourite parts of the new town, I look forward to seeing what people put forward.”

In order to make it on to the register, those making nominations will need to explain why they think the asset meets the criteria adopted by the Council in November 2017. The nominations will undergo an initial sift with those selected going to a selection panel.

Nominations can be made via the Conservation & Archaeology Team webpage of the Milton Keynes Council website, where the selection criteria and examples of the various types of assets can also be viewed.

https://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/planning-and-building/conservation-and-archaeology/new-town-registerAlso by the Milton Keynes Citizen newspaper: