Momentum for the continued growth of Milton Keynes looks set to continue as its city council begins a consultation on an ambitious new Local Plan. David Bainbridge, a director in Savills central planning team, looks at what MK City Plan 2050 might mean for a city that is already bucking the trend.
The UK planning system is ‘plan-led’, meaning that development plans such as Local Plans should be prepared and be kept up to date. Decisions on planning applications and appeals are to be made in accordance with the relevant Local Plan policy unless there are material considerations which indicate otherwise.
However, after the previous Government identified that the system is ‘broken’, new legislation seeking to improve plan-making was put into place.
There is provision under the Levelling-Up and Regeneration Act 2023 for plan preparation to become more nimble and for there to be greater certainty over planning decisions. It is up to the new Secretary of State to decide whether to bring into force these parts of the Act or not, but with a new Planning and Infrastructure Bill promised in the King’s Speech, change seems likely.
Having up-to-date development plans is one of the main ways in which to identify targets for development, helping to support delivery of new commercial premises and housing.
The most recent figures for house building in England show a flat-lining whereby in 2022-23, there were 234,400 net additional dwellings.[1]Â This is in the context of a target of 300,000 new homes per year.
Bucking the national trend is Milton Keynes. Declared a city in 2022, the area continues to see good levels of investment in infrastructure with new jobs and housing delivered.
Figures from the city council shows there were 2,200 new dwellings completed in the monitoring year 2023-2024[2] – significantly more than has been delivered in any other authority in the area.
The city council is intent on keeping up the pace of planning for, and delivery of development having gone out to consultation on a new Local Plan called MK City Plan 2050.
The ‘regulation 18’ version of MK City Plan 2050 sets out a draft preferred strategy that would:
- Deliver between 53k and 63k homes, including around 17k affordable homes, over the period 2022-2050 through a range of urban and brownfield sites and new Strategic City Extensions;
- Achieve 40 per cent affordable housing on previously undeveloped sites; among other matters.
The city council’s ambition is to reach a population of 410,000 people within Milton Keynes by 2050.
The consultation is taking place now with a deadline of October 9, 2024 for responses. The intention is to hold a further and final consultation early next year prior to the MK City Plan 2050 being submitted for examination.
Whilst we foresee new legislation and national planning policy changes following the General Election, plan-making and delivery of growth in MK looks set to continue.
[1] https://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/planning-and-building/planning-policy/monitoring-data-planning/housing-development-monitoring
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