Blueprint to turn shopping centre into huge housing and leisure development to be approved by Milton Keynes City Council

A plan to turn a city shopping centre into a high density and possibly high rise housing and leisure complex is set to be approved by councillors.

The blueprint is for the 6.4 acre site covering the Brunel Centre and the former Sainsbury’s and Wilko stores in Bletchley.

It is set to be given the green light at an MK City Council meeting tonight (Tuesday and afterwards the site will be marketed to interested developers.

The intention is to demolish much of the existing structure and create a “well-designed, mixed use, high density development, including housing, according to the blueprint.

The favoured option is to create a “well-designed, mixed use, high density development” - including housing and leisure outlets such as “cinemas, restaurants, bars and pubs, nightclubs, casinos, fitness centres, bowling and bingo halls, hotels and conference facilities, it states.

It adds: "There is scope to build new homes at higher densities and above shops and offices to create a more vibrant mix of uses and support local services.”

Though no heights are mentioned, the plan states: “Taller buildings will be sought that capitalise on Central Bletchley’s sustainable location and build on the density policy within Plan:MK policy.”

The Brunel Centre and the Wilko site are owned by the MK City Council’s ‘business arm’ Milton Keynes Development Partnership (MKDP), while the former Sainsbury’s store and car park belongs to the council itself.

A public consultation was launched last year so people could have their say on the draft plans.

Leader of MK City Council, Cllr Pete Marland, said: We’re making good progress in revitalising these town centres and this is an important step in the project. The Brunel Centre is a key site and it’s crucial that any future proposals reflect what local people and businesses have told us they would like to see there.

"We’ll continue our conversations with the community to ensure we deliver a brighter and more prosperous future for Bletchley and Fenny Stratford.”

The council says the redevelopment of this site will deliver a major investment within the town centre and, with the Bletchley Town Deal, be part of the transformational regeneration of Central Bletchley.

This will take advantage of the growing accessibility of Bletchley town centre to Oxford and Cambridge when the EastWest railway line is complete.

One of the first steps in the project will be to demolish the old Sainsbury’s store.

"A survey undertaken by the council has identified extensive asbestos-containing materials within the building. These materials have been disrupted by vandalism and break-ins,” says the draft plan.

“Demolition of the building is urgently required as repeated vandalism is causing a health and safety concern,” it adds.

The Brunel Centre itself was built in the 1970s by Milton Keynes Development Corporation, with architects intending it to become a landmark urban building similar to centre:mk.

“The result is not a great success,” states the plan. “The very modest earlier buildings are drained of personality by the forbidding presence of the later ones.”

You can view the plan that is due to be approved here.