'Down at heel' Milton Keynes town set for £22m makeover - but fate of its shopping centre remains uncertain

The final plan for a £22m scheme to transform Bletchley is set to be approved next week.

The Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) will provide the key part of the framework for the regeneration of the town, which has previously been described as "down at heel" by MK Council officials.

According to the council, the SPA "provides detailed design principles and guidance to inform prospective developers on how best to contribute to the sustainable renewal of the town".

What it doesn't make clear, however, is what will happen to Bletchley's struggling Brunel shopping centre, which was sold off to the council's business arm, Milton Keynes Development Partnership, last month.

The plan refers to "redevelopment" of the Brunel Centre, but it fails to say whether it will be demolished, used as a site for housing, or upgraded as a shopping destination.

It also refers to one of the town's flagship stores - the large Wilko just outside the Brunel Centre - as a redevelopment site, as well as the former Sainsbury store and car park.

The SDA states: "Redevelopment of the Brunel Centre and Wilko will enable the reconnection of Queensway to Buckingham Road, creating a pedestrian scaled and pedestrian friendly public realm."

It adds: "A key aim to address this issue is to reconnect Queensway to Buckingham Road to enable pedestrian and cyclist movement. This clearly requires the redevelopment of the Brunel Centre and Wilko."

The town's main shopping street, Queensway, should become "a real destination" by encouraging a wider retail, cultural and leisure offer that stimulates a new day and night-time economy, states the SDP.

It highlights how Central Bletchley should be a "walkable neighbourhood" and highways should be designed as "inclusive streets" to encourage pedestrian movement and provide easy access to green spaces.

The plan also refers to six "opportunity areas" that are suitable for development, which could result in increased housing choice for residents.

And it vows that the town’s unique technological legacy should be capitalised to increase opportunities for more tech-related start-ups and small businesses.

But the biggest boost will come in the form of the new East-West Rail project, which will provide Bletchley with direct rail links to Oxford and Cambridge alongside its existing links to London.

The scheme will bring new gateways to the town, creating an eastern railway station entrance and a transport interchange that faces the town centre.

Councillor Pete Marland, leader of MK Council, said: “It is an exciting time for Bletchley, with it set to be a major intersection of East West Rail and the council securing the town a cash injection of over £22m.

"However, Bletchley does need major investment to ensure it lives up to its potential, and adopting this planning document will help us achieve that.

"The SPD tells future developers that they must take a holistic and sustainable approach to improving the town, so that it can be enjoyed by future generations.”

Councillor Mohammed Khan, current Mayor and Labour councillor for Bletchley East, said: “Bletchley has been my home for as long as I can remember; it is a brilliant place with a real sense of pride in its history, and an incredibly strong community.

"I’m pleased that the council recognises the value of the town and wants to see it fulfil its potential.”

Previous council studies of Bletchley have realised the need for action to revamp the town.

The Central Bletchley Regeneration Framework document states: " Currently, Bletchley is portrayed as a town rather down at heel and few positive messages come forward."

It adds: "Unlike the neighbouring parts of Milton Keynes, Bletchley has its own longstanding character and sense of place. However, as stated in the 1999 Study, the many positive elements of this have been eroded over time by inappropriate development and a lack of co-ordinated investment which jars with the established and evolved urban form of the town.

"The need for Bletchley to become an attractive, convivial place in which people will want to choose to live, work and raise a family is still relevant today. To achieve this, the town needs to strengthen its identity, building on positive aspects of its past – that are relevant to today and the future - including its pioneering history as the birthplace of computing and the information age.

"Creating a strong sense of place will ensure that the town becomes a destination of choice – and not of last resort."