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Government Plans Even More Houses for Milton Keynes and Goes East of M1– Greens Highly Critical

01908 316921 07724 619438

News Release Thursday 17 July 2008

Government Plans Even More Houses for Milton Keynes and Goes East of M1– Greens Highly Critical

Alan Francis, Green Party candidate for Milton Keynes North, expressed his disappointment with the Government’s latest proposals for the South East Plan published today. The Government is now intending to increase the number of new houses in and around MK over the next twenty years from 48,800 to 52,500, a 3,700 increase.

The Inspectors report following the Examination in Public last year recommended 49,950 new houses for Milton Keynes, but the government has gone beyond that. Mr Francis represented the Green Party at several sessions of the EiP on housing, transport and Milton Keynes.

Alan Francis said, "The increase in housing numbers means that even more green fields will be concreted over and more villages will be swallowed up. This major expansion of Milton Keynes will mean the loss of large areas of countryside. Facilities in Milton Keynes, such as the hospital, the city centre and the road network were designed for a population of about 250,000. They will not be able to cope with the 400,000+ population proposed.”

“This latest version of the SE Plan proposes 5,600 new dwellings within the MK Council area to the east of M1. While the plan does not state exactly where this is to be it presumably means in the Moulsoe/Newport Pagnell area. The plan also confirms major developments in the Wavendon and Newton Longville areas. The Green Party will be opposing these developments.”

Milton Keynes Green Party has been objecting to the proposal for major expansion around Milton Keynes ever since the idea was first floated by two Labour councillors 11 years ago. The Green Party is the only party objecting to the expansion of Milton Keynes onto the green fields around the new city.

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Contact: Alan Francis 01908 316921 07724 619438

Note: The latest SE Plan is available on GOSE website.