Should these affordable homes be built in rural location in Milton Keynes?

Grand Union Housing is applying to build 377 homes on land west of the M1 in Little Linford, near Newport Pagnell service station.

Councillors on the Development Control committee are due to consider the application tomorrow (Thursday) but MK Council officers have already recommended they refuse it.

Officers say it would be “detrimental to the open, rural character of the locality”. Neighbouring parish councils have all objected.

But they have been accused of NIMBY-ism by protestors, who took to Change.org to organise a petition with almost 1,000 signatures BACKING the development.

They say many of the homes would be affordable and a quantity would be to rent, which is what MK needs to ease the homelessness crisis. More than 80 of the properties would be built immediately,

The refusing of the application could also open grounds of appeal, as the officer’s report admits: “The council cannot currently demonstrate a five year housing land supply.”

But it adds: “ Having regard to likely economic, social and environmental impacts of the scheme, it is considered that any benefits of the scheme are significantly outweighed by its unsustainable location.”

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