(Above) Councillor Zoe Nolan, Cabinet Member for Children and Families, at the new site in MK East.
At a ‘ground breaking’ event yesterday, work officially began on new facilities including a community hub and a primary school in the east of the city.
The 461-hectare development, which sits between Newport Pagnell and the M1, will eventually include 5,000 new homes plus shops and local amenities. Alongside the new housing will be two employment zones with capacity to create 5,000 jobs and a new 63-hectare ‘river valley park’ providing additional green space for residents.
These first buildings are being delivered by the City Council with support from the Government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund.
A community health hub will offer space for a GP Practice plus associated physical and mental health services. The purpose-built 1900sq. metre building will also include a Children’s Centre, community hall and meeting space – all managed by the City Council.
Both the community hub and primary school, the first of five new schools for the area, are being built with greener use in mind; not relying on gas boilers but instead using clever technology and renewable energy sources to minimise the impact on the environment, and make eventual running costs lower.
“In Milton Keynes we make sure new communities have the right infrastructure in place early on, so facilities can keep pace with development. We know that quality community services are what residents want. That’s why buildings like this are so important – they help to create a thriving community where people want to live, work, and spend time.”
The construction work is being undertaken by Ashe Construction Ltd. Over the past 18 months, the design team have worked closely with the City Council to ensure the completed buildings will contribute towards the City Council’s sustainability strategy.