300 new rental-only flats to be built as part of 18-storey development at Central Milton Keynes

An 18 storey high block of flats is part of a new £47m development that will bring more than 300 new homes to Central Milton Keynes.

Every single one of the flats will for rent only - but the operators are refusing to say whether housing benefit tenants will be accepted.

Called Aubrey Place, the project is behind The Hub and across the road from Sainsbury's,

It will consist of an H-shaped building with blocks of flats 10, 12, 14 and 18 storeys in height. There will be an rooftop garden, an underground car park and cycle store, and 10,000 sq ft of "customer amenities".

"We believe the scheme will become Milton Keynes’ premier live, work and play destination... This scheme will incorporate all those things that make life a little easier and enjoyable," said a spokesman for Winvic Construction Ltd, who have been appointed by Packaged Living to build he flats.

Groundworks have already started on the site and the scheme is due to be completed in April 2022.

Operators Packaged Living are being supported by funders Invesco. We asked both parties for details of the rental price of the flats and also whether housing benefit tenants would be accepted.

An Invesco spokesman said: "Under the planning permission granted for the development by Milton Keynes Council, 10 per cent of the 294 apartments will be offered at a “Discount Market Rent” (“DMR”) , which is to be 20 per cent below the market rent prevailing at the time the project is delivered.

"The exact location, and size of the DMR units is subject to ongoing discussions with the Planning Department of Milton Keynes Council and so at this time it is not possible to what requirements the council will require in respect of the occupancy of these units and whether they will require the apartments to be offered to tenants on the Housing List. This will only become clear once a full agreement has been agreed with the council."

The spokesman said the scheme will also include three apartments that comply with the Disability Discrimination Act.

When we asked again whether benefit tenants could be accepted, the spokesman said: "I’m afraid I cannot disclose any further information."

Last week the Citizen reported on Solstice apartments, a new block of 139 furnished flats due to be finished shortly in Central Milton Keynes.

This is also a rental-only development, with the majority of rents starting at £1,050 for a one bedroom apartment.

Fourteen of the flats will be available at "discount" rents, starting at £810 a month, Although landlords Grainger plc say tenants on benefits "would not be declined" for these, they have imposed a condition that monthly rent cannot be more than a than a third of their monthly income for any tenant.

Currently there is only a handful of private landlords in Milton Keynes that will accept an application from anybody who is reliant upon benefits.