Plans for nearly 400 homes near Newport Pagnell '˜could help Milton Keynes homelessness crisis'

Grand Union Housing Group is offering to build 81 of the homes immediately, providing planning consent is granted by Milton Keynes Council for the site, which is off Little Linford Lane and would be connected to the Poets Estate by footbridges.

Many of these first homes could be used immediately for homeless households.

A planning application is due to be submitted shortly for the development, which would be called Portfields Rise and would be completed within five years.

A spokesman for the architects, DLA, said: This is an excellent and entirely appropriate site for much needed housing – and it can start delivering almost immediately. We think the application should be supported by anyone who is serious about doing something to address the woeful record on housing delivery – particularly affordable housing.”

He added: “The site itself has not been put to any significant use for a generation. It is not open to the public and has very little agricultural, habitat, ecological or landscape value. There are no protected species or trees, indeed our development will positively enhance the environment. In planning terms, the site can’t ‘creep’ because it is contained on all sides by immoveable natural or man-made features. As such, there are no ‘flood-gates’ to be opened by building on this unused land.”