MILTON KEYNES AND AYLESBURY NEED NEW TRANSPORT AND COMMUNITY INVESTMENT, NOT JUST HOUSES

MORE HOUSING IN THE MILTON KEYNES AND AYLESBURY GROWTH AREAS IS NEEDED but must be coupled with job creation and investment in transport, educational and health infrastructure. This is the message from the South East England Regional Assembly.

At a recent meeting of the Assembly's Executive Committee, the Committee approved a set of proposals for growth to 2016 for the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Growth Area, one of the four growth areas in the wider South East identified in the Government's 'Sustainable Communities- Building for the Future' plan. These proposals will now be submitted to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for formal consultation and Public Examination.

The Milton Keynes and South Midlands Growth Area proposals for Milton Keynes and Aylesbury recommend that:

• Until 2016 there should be a high level of growth in these areas with provision for approximately 33,000 additional dwellings in Milton Keynes and approximately 10,500 in Aylesbury. This should be possible because of the strong market position and economic potential of both Milton Keynes and Aylesbury, but continuing efforts to achieve economic investment and job growth will still be needed.
  
  
• Of the houses that need to be built, 30% of the housing in Milton Keynes and 40% in Aylesbury should be affordable housing.
  
  
• Along with a growth in housing, there needs to be substantial investment in transport infrastructure, particularly public transport improvements. In both areas, this should cover major bus and rail improvements as well as vital improvement of key roads.
  
  
• There also needs to be timely investment in other key infrastructure notably health and educational facilities and further flood prevention measures.
  
  
• Effective local delivery arrangements will need to be quickly established.

These proposals will be published by the Government as a consultation document on 18 July. Following this, they will be subject to a formal period of public consultation, culminating in a single Public Examination for the whole growth area in February 2004.

Contact

Lesley van Dijk, PR Executive - 01483 555223

Alex Butlin, PR Executive - 01483 555221

Notes to editors:

1. The Regional Assembly is the “voluntary regional chamber” for the South East. It was established in January 1999 to give a representative voice to the South East region which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, and Surrey.
2. The Assembly is made up of 111 members including elected councillors nominated by the region’s local authorities and 37 representatives from other sectors of the community (including business, trades unions, education, housing, health, sports, culture, tourism, faith groups, environmental, community and voluntary organisations).
3. The Assembly has three areas of core business:
1. It is the representative voice of the South East, engaging and representing its member organisations and, through them, the wider public.
2. The Assembly has a specific role under the Regional Development Agencies' Act 1998 to ensure the accountability of the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) to the region.
3. The Assembly has been the Regional Planning Body for the South East since April 2001. It has responsibility for proposing strategic planning and transport policies to Government.

Last updated: 21 August 2007