Government plans for expanding Milton Keynes under its new towns proposals would avoid creeping into Central Bedfordshire, according to the leader of the city council.

Extending Milton Keynes to the east is one of seven shortlisted new towns put forward by the Labour government in its latest report to update progress.

Central Bedfordshire Council has been monitoring this planned development, as well as the new town scenario associated around Tempsford to the north-east of the county.

Ward councillors in areas of Central Bedfordshire closest to the boundary with Milton Keynes have expressed fears about the potential impact of extending the city into parts of Bedfordshire.

placeholder image — Milton Keynes sign. Photo: MK Citizen

But the Labour leader of Milton Keynes City Council appears to have quashed those concerns by suggesting any new town development would be within the confines of its city boundaries.

In a social media post, Independent CBC Aspley and Woburn councillor John Baker said: “With the news that Milton Keynes is in the running for a significant expansion through the government’s new towns project, I contacted the local authority’s leader councillor Pete Marland to understand how this may impact Central Bedfordshire.

“I asked what this would look like for the border between MK and Central Bedfordshire, east of the M1.”

Councillor Marland replied: “I can be very clear that all elements of the proposals being considered by government are within the boundaries of the Milton Keynes City Council area.

“The city centre and Milton Keynes East elements already form part of the MKCC Local Plan, that the council has widely consulted on and will soon be submitting for examination.

“The developer-led Milton Keynes North element, which would be based around a new junction 14a of the M1, forms the third part of the government plans.

“I’m sure that a number of landowners, promoters and developers outside the MKCC boundaries in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and south Northamptonshire will doubtless have their own ideas of how they may piggyback our Local Plan-led infrastructure first approach to new homes.

“But I can categorically state they don’t form part of the new town plans, regardless what they or others might say. Any tag-along proposals will need to be dealt with by the respective planning authorities.

“We respect the autonomy of our neighbours to make their own planning decisions. We also understand that developers will try to propose development sites on the edge of our city in other local authority areas,” he explained.

“MKCC has a grown-up approach to that possibility, with our new Local Plan having very clear policies on what Milton Keynes would expect from any edge of city development for us to support it.“

Writing on Facebook, councillor Baker added: “It seems pretty clear to me that MKCC is focusing on an area north-east of M1 junction 14.

“Hence, the new town project in Central Bedfordshire would only exist at Tempsford. However, development east of Milton Keynes will continue and eventually reach the Central Bedfordshire boundary.

“Developers see the attraction of building close to Milton Keynes because people don’t worry much about borders when visiting a vibrant shopping centre, going to the cinema or theatre, using train services on the West Coast Mainline, or travelling to work.”