Proposals to create an “arc of development” puts Milton Keynes at the centre of the Government’s most ambitious plans since the new towns initiative of the 1950s, according to Kirkby Diamond.
Welcoming the report by the National Infrastructure Commission, which calls on local authorities from Oxford to Cambridge to work together to harness the region’s economic potential, the chartered surveyor said it would lead to unprecedented levels of growth.
Andrew Wright, managing partner and head of land planning and development at Kirkby Diamond, which has offices in Milton Keynes, Bedford and Luton, described the proposals for one million homes by 2050 as “incredibly positive” because it would attract inward investment and create thousands of new jobs.
“The announcement is very significant and puts Milton Keynes centre stage of one of the Government’s most ambitious and ground-breaking development plans since the new towns initiative of the 1950s,” he said.
“The investment in new transport infrastructure will create amazing opportunities for growth and job creation in our region.
“The significance of this should not be under-estimated because it will result in unprecedented levels of development along the entire length of the growth corridor, particularly in the Milton Keynes sub-regional area, which will become the central hub where east-west and north-south connectivity is focused.”
“This announcement is incredibly positive and will pave the way for Milton Keynes, which is already one of the country’s most successful towns, to fulfil its ambition to become one of the country’s most successful cities.”
The proposals, outlined in the Cambridge-Milton Keynes-Oxford interim report, call for one million new homes to be built by 2050.
It also urges the Government and local councils to “seize the opportunity” to harness the economic potential of the region, which is home to many cutting-edge technology companies.
The report says: “The Commission’s central finding is that a lack of sufficient and suitable housing presents a fundamental risk to the success of the area. Without a joined-up plan for housing, jobs and infrastructure across the corridor, it will be left behind by its international competitors. By providing the foundations for such a strategy, new east-west transport links present a once-in-a-generation opportunity to secure the area’s future success.”
