MK 2031

Set out below are the four stages of the MK2031 project. All the documents relating to this project can be seen on the MK2031 documents page.

From the Beginning

Stage 1: Research and early consultation

Between March and August 2005 we collected information, comments and opinions on the growth of Milton Keynes through meetings, a large seminar, letters and e-mail and a travelling exhibition. Topics to be included in the plan, ranging from the health of the local economy to the nature of green spaces, were identified and prioritised. Draft Directions Papers covering these topics were published in September 2005. These papers raise the questions we needed to answer through the process of developing the new Plan. They also provided the basis for “Options for Growth”.

Stage 2: Options for Growth

The Options set out how Milton Keynes could grow, balancing development inside the current urban area with extensions to the city into surrounding countryside. The Options were published for public consultation in November 2005 with comments requested by 12 January 2006. The Technical Report explains how and why these options were chosen.

A special project was devised for schools in and around Milton Keynes. Background material was provided on CD-ROM which could be used to design an ideal neighbourhood. It could also be used to test the sustainability of current neighbourhoods.

We also needed to decide how to assess the options in terms of impact on the existing community and to consider the sustainability of each. A stakeholder workshop held in January 2006 looked at how we might carry out this assessment. The key issues and indicators are set out in the Scoping Report.

Stage 3: Directions for growth

The Project Team analysed the information from the consultation, evaluated the options, undertook a sustainability appraisal and looked in detail at some of the older areas of Milton Keynes to see how they might change in the future.

The Partnership Committee discussed progress at its meeting on 20 March (see Agenda Item 10 in Committee Papers for the main report) This link opens in a new window.

Stage 4: Options for Growth

The Partnership Committee received a Progress Report on the technical work to evaluate the Options for Growth at a meeting held on 20 March. The Committee decided to proceed with the technical work to evaluate the Options for Growth and to publish the results as soon as all the Local Authority partners had provided comments. This was largely complete in early April 2006 with comments and responses and the final Urban Potential Study published at the beginning of June.

Stage 5: Finalising the vision

The last stages of work on the proposed Growth Strategy were completed during May 2006. The strategy consists of a main report and appendices dealing with transportation land budget and employment land. The Committee Report approved by Milton Keynes Partnership Committee on 12 June is also Committee Report. It includes a report of the outcome of the focused stakeholder consultation which took place in April and May and the preliminary statement from the Peer Group Review.

Milton Keynes Partnership Committee also agreed on 12 June to submit the Growth Strategy (including all the background reports) to government, as an advisory document for consideration as part of the examination-in-public of the draft South-East Plan. Milton Keynes Partnership has issued a press release explaining the role of the submission and providing some information about the final Growth Strategy.

To contact us about the MK2031 project, please e-mail MK2031@miltonkeynespartnership.info or telephone +44(0)1908 353615.