'Hurry up and build our shops' demand residents on large new estate in Milton Keynes

Residents on Whitehouse Park are urging authorities to provide them a shop where they can buy basic groceries.

Some have lived on the estate, which is part of MK's Western Expansion Area, for more than four years. Yet they are still awaiting the "vital" facility to be built.

"To date, there is no community focal point, something that has always been a key feature of all of Milton Keynes’ many residential areas. There is no convenience store, no pub, no community centre, no retail space except for a coffee shop and a pharmacy," said one resident.

Fairfields, a large neighbouring estate, is also part of the Western Expansion area and also has no shop.

"There is not a single convenience store anywhere here or at Fairfields," said the resident.

"Access to basic essentials such as bread and milk is surely a bare minimum for any residential area of any size and even more so one which is so big," he added.

"There are more than enough residents to warrant such a basic amenity and with no sign of anything being installed any time soon, the reality is that people are moving into areas and spending hundreds of thousands of pounds on property that sits on land that offers no access to the usual basic facilities one would expect as a bare minimum.

"Something somewhere has failed."

Fairfield residents have contacted the estate's main developer, L&Q, the local ward councillors MK council and even the local MP.

"Whilst L&Q have submitted a Design Code ( whatever that is ) to the council, the council will need to approve it and then the developer will work on more detailed plans. It’s clear that any physical infrastructure that will eventually accommodate retail space is a very long way off," said one householder,

The Citizen contact MK Council and L&Q to ask when shops and other facilities would be provided for the two estates.

A spokesman for the council said: "Shops are planned for both Whitehouse and Fairfields and the council is currently assessing a design guide for the Whitehouse high street area. Once that has been approved we would expect to start receiving the planning applications for the development later this year."

He added: "The council has received the planning application for the smaller local centre at Fairfields and this is going through the planning process."

A spokesperson for L&Q Estates told the Citizen: "We are working with our partners Milton Keynes Council on designs for the High Street. Once they are agreed we will progress detailed designs and layouts, and all parties are keen to move things forward.

"We aren’t responsible for any facilities which may be created a tFairfields, but it is possible that they will come forward first.”