Archived press release

Date Published: 14/02/06

Aylesbury Vale District Council and Buckinghamshire County Council are being given another chance to have their say on expansion plans for Milton Keynes. The timetable set by growth board Milton Keynes Partnership to announce a preferred blueprin...

Aylesbury Vale District Council and Buckinghamshire County Council are being given another chance to have their say on expansion plans for Milton Keynes.

The timetable set by growth board Milton Keynes Partnership to announce a preferred blueprint for homes has been changed to allow additional consultation with key stakeholders, including AVDC and Buckinghamshire County Council, to be carried out this spring.

The Partnership will consult closely with the district and county councils in order to better understand their positions on infrastructure and phasing of growth before deciding on a draft growth strategy to go out for public consultation in June.

The Milton Keynes Partnership shut off its current round of public consultation on 12 January with the intention of announcing a preferred proposal for homes in March. AVDC and Buckinghamshire County Council made strong objections to the growth plan process, which would have involved decisions being made on the location of growth before much of the essential background information was completed and available to comment on.

Councillor Carole Paternoster, Cabinet Member for Planned Development at AVDC, said: “We are pleased that the Partnership is giving everybody more time to consider the long-term implications of different options for the expansion of Milton Keynes. The original timescale in which we were asked to reach a view on such a major issue was far too short and did not allow us to engage in proper democratic or community involvement.

“The Partnership is proposing very significant growth for Milton Keynes and this is likely to have a major impact on the north of the Vale. It is therefore very important that we take this opportunity to work closely with the Partnership during the consultation process in order to protect and enhance the quality of life in the Vale.”

Councillor Rodney Royston, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning at Buckinghamshire County Council, said: "The county council welcomes this extra and badly needed phase of consultation on the Milton Keynes options for growth. It is essential that any decisions are based on sound evidence, and we are not satisfied that such evidence is yet fully available. The extended timetable for consultation is therefore welcomed in the interests of correct decision making that will affect the lives of all residents of the Vale."