First glimpse of how the 33-storey tall 'vertical village' will look in Central Milton Keynes

They show how there blocks of 288 apartments – and one of them will be a towering 33 storeys tall.

Plans were approved last December for the £180m scheme, which centres around the former council housing offices at Saxon Court.

Developers Socius, formerly First Base, bought the building in 2020 and allowed it to play a pivotal role as a Covid vaccination centre during the pandemic.

They say their redevelopment will “embody the future of urban living” and include 11 ‘Vertical Villages to provide space for room outside work, leisure and communal gardening.

There will also be room for local small and independent businesses, and the iconic atrium at Saxon Court will become an indoor public space for local independent food, drink, and leisure companies.

The 33-storey building was designed by award-winning architects Roger Stirk Harbour and Partners, and funding is currently being sought.

Barry Jessup, managing director of Socius Development said: “Milton Keynes is one of the UK’s fastest growing and forward-looking cities and we have worked with world-class architects RSHP to design a scheme that reimagines urban living , blending high- tech workspace and wellbeing – focused BTR homes. We look forward to bringing this exciting scheme forward.”

He said the the plans for MK Gateway received “overwhelming support” from the council, surrounding businesses and the local community.

Designed to be fossil fuel free with a focus on renewable energy, MK Gateway will set a sustainable benchmark for future developments across Milton Keynes.

The green plans include a focus on sustainable mobility, which will see the integration of all-electric energy solutions within the development, infrastructure to support electric bikes and charging points for electric vehicles.

As the site links directly onto the Redways, a dedicated independent Cycle Hub will be created. There will be more green space once the development is completed, compared to before the project was started, say the developers.

The 2.35 acre site will create over 2,000 new jobs and deliver over £300m in social value over the next 20 years