The Government's Sustainable Communities Plan (2003) recognised that Milton Keynes has the potential to become a major regional centre in the heart of England - a city of some 350,00 people. Milton Keynes Partnership was established in June 2004 to help bring forward the sustainable growth of Milton Keynes.

The Government asked Milton Keynes Partnership to prepare a long-term vision for the new city which would help guide the growth of Milton Keynes and also ensure that the implications of that growth are firmly rooted in regional plans and strategies. A long-term vision for Milton Keynes was developed through the MK 2031 project. The Strategy for Growth, completed in June 2006, looked far enough ahead to provide a platform for major economic and cultural development and also took into account the qualitative and quantitative changes required in education, health and social care alongside major physical infrastructure. This work has provided a robust description of how the growth of Milton Keynes would make a significant contribution to the sustainable development of the South East Region of England.

Milton Keynes' future growth will be guided by the South East Regional Spatial Strategy (the RSS). The draft RSS was published in 2006 and, following public consultation, was subject to an Examination in Public heard by a Panel of experts. The Strategy for Growth was submitted to the Panel in June 2006 and was used to inform the debate on Milton Keynes. The Panel completed their work in March 2007 and submitted a report of their recommendations to the Government Office of the South East (GOSE) on 29th August 2007. The Government Office issued proposed changes to the RSS, on 17th July 2008 and consulted on them until 24th October 2008. Milton Keynes Partnership Committee considered the Government’s Proposed Changes in September 2008 and decided that it opposed the proposal for a third Strategic Development Area east of the M1 Motorway. This was based on the reasons set out in evidence submitted to the EiP Panel and subsequently in a report to MKPC on 11th September 2008. The Partnership’s response to the consultation is available on our website. All the responses to the Proposed Changes are available on the GOSE website.

MK2031 involved five Local Authorities, local communities within Milton Keynes and the surrounding rural areas in Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, voluntary organisations, statutory providers and private-sector businesses. The MK2031 project brief was approved in December 2004 and the work was completed at the end of June 2006. It was undertaken by a team of consultants led by GVA Grimley which included EDAW, ECOTEC and Atkins. The four stages of the project are set out on the MK2031 page and all documents relating to it can be seen on the MK2031 documents page.