UPDATED – Controversy at Saxon Court

UPDATE – At the committee meeting on March 6th Milton Keynes Council indicated that they are now minded to drop the options involving building on classic infrastructure following the deputations. A subsequent version of the development brief which has been presented for adoption no longer contains these options.

CMK residents recently led a deputation to Milton Keynes Council about controversial proposals for Saxon Court. The Council wishes to sell the building as well as the empty development site to the rear, but its “preferred option” is for buyers to demolish the building and replace it with a much larger development which would take up most of the surrounding public infrastructure.

When your town councillors heard about this idea, they delivered urgent letters to hundreds of homes explaining the likely negative impact on residents through increased congestion, disruption to pedestrian and cycle routes, loss of trees and public parking bays.

Marc Carroll, who led the residents’ deputation, told the assembly “ This is over-development of the site. Removal of these roads would create great hardship for residents. At busy periods, the extra congestion on Avebury Boulevard which is a major bus route could add 20 minutes to journey times.”

Dr Rebecca Kurth, chair of the Town Council, says “It is totally unnecessary to build over footpaths and side-streets when there is plenty of land to build new homes and premises in CMK without losing vital links in the city’s grid. Also, we need all of this infrastructure to support existing residents as well as the thousands more who will be moving to CMK in the next few years.”

The Town Council has submitted a strong case for MKC to drop this approach and concentrate on sustainable options.  As long as the height of any new building steps down to respect nearby homes, and stays within the typical footprint for buildings in CMK this would prevent more conflict and upset.

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