Lakes Estate Neighbourhood Plan

Current position

At its meeting on Wednesday 21st October 2015, Full Council agreed that following the successful referendum in September, the Lakes Estate Neighbourhood Plan should become part of the Development Plan for Milton Keynes.

The policies in the Neighbourhood Plan will now be used alongside the Local Plan and the Core Strategy when considering development proposals within the area of the Lakes Estate covered by the plan.

The Decision Statement (Lakes Estate Decision Statement (PDF, 15KB)) and the papers from the full Council meeting where the Plan was made can be viewed on the Council's Modern.Gov system at the following link: Council Papers 21 October 2015.

Update September 2015

Following a residential referendum on Thursday 17 September 2015, the Lakes Estate Neighbourhood Plan received a majority 'Yes' vote in favour of using the Plan to help decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area.

The official declaration of results can be viewed at: Declaration of results - Lakes Estate Neighbourhood Plan Referendum (PDF, 13KB)

The next steps are for Milton Keynes Council to ‘make’ or adopt the plan to bring it into legal force. A report is scheduled to go to a meeting of the Council’s Cabinet on Monday October 12th with the following recommendation:-

That the Cabinet recommends that the Council ‘makes’ the Lakes Estate Neighbourhood Plan 2015-2026 pursuant to the provisions of Section 38(A)(4) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004."

Once the Neighbourhood Plan is ‘made’, it becomes part of the Development Plan for the Lakes Estate (with the planning policies of the adopted Core Strategy and ‘saved’ planning policies of the Milton Keynes Local Plan).  It will be used to determine planning applications and to guide planning decisions on the Lakes Estate.

A link to the Cabinet report is available at: Cabinet 12 October 2015

Referendum information

August 2015

A Referendum relating to the adoption of the Lakes Estate Neighbourhood Plan will be held on Thursday 17 September 2015.

The question which will be asked in the Referendum is: 

 “Do you want Milton Keynes Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for the Lakes Estate Area to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?”

The Referendum area is identified on the map in the link below. This is the same as the designated Lakes Estate Neighbourhood Plan area. 

Lakes Estate Neighbourhood Plan Area (PDF, 5.9MB)

Residential Referendum

A person is entitled to vote in the Residential Referendum if, on 17 September 2015, 

  • he or she is entitled to vote in a local government election in the referendum area
  • his or her qualifying address for the election is in the Referendum area. A person’s qualifying address is, in relation to a person registered in the register of electors the address in respect of which he or she is entitled to be so registered

Referendum expenses

The Referendum expenses limit that will apply to this Referendum is £2,571.92.

The number of persons entitled to vote in the Referendum by reference to which that limit has been set is 3530 for the residential referendum. The Referendum will be conducted in accordance with procedures which are similar to those used at local government elections.

Specified documents

A number of "specified documents" have to be published; these provide information about the Lakes Estate Neighbourhood Plan and the Planning system in general. The specified documents can be viewed here:

A copy of the specified documents may also be viewed in person at the following deposit points:

1) Bletchley and Fenny Stratford Town Council Offices, 74-76 Queensway, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, MK2 2SA.                                             Tel: 01908 649 469

Town Council Offices opening hours: Monday to Friday 10am-2pm except for Wednesday 9am-2pm.

2) Spotlight Office, 114, Serpentine Court, Lakes Estate, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, MK2 3QL.                                                                       Tel: 01908 645 021 

Spotlight Office opening hours: Monday to Friday 10am – 3pm.

3) Milton Keynes Council Civic Offices, 1 Saxon Gate East, Milton Keynes, MK9 3EJ.

Council Civic Offices opening hours: Monday to Friday 9am - 5.15pm. 

4) Milton Keynes Central Library, 555 Silbury Boulevard, Central Milton Keynes, Milton Keynes MK9 3HL.

Central Milton Keynes Library opening hours: Monday to Wednesday and Friday 9am-6pm, Thursday 9am-8pm, Saturday 9am -5pm, Sunday 11am-2pm.

5) Bletchley Library, Westfield Road, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, MK2 2RA

Bletchley Library opening hours: Monday 9am-1pm, Tuesday 9am -7pm, Wednesday to Friday 9am-5.30pm, Saturday 9am-1pm.

A copy of the Council’s decisions and a report on modifications to the  Lakes Estate Neighbourhood Plan arising from the Examiners report, which was the subject of a delegated decision on 14 April 2015, can be found on the link below:

Delegated Decision 14 April 2015

Late February 2015 update

Milton Keynes Council (MKC) has received the Examiner’s report on the Lakes Estate Neighbourhood Plan, submitted to MKC by Bletchley and Fenny Stratford Town Council. The Examiner Mr John Slater, has recommended that the Lakes Estate Neighbourhood Plan, as modified by his recommendations, should now proceed to referendum.  He has also concluded that the plan, if amended in line with his recommendations, meets all the statutory requirements including the basic conditions test.

A copy of the Examiner’s report can be viewed at: Lakes Estate Neighbourhood Plan Final Examination Report (PDF, 431KB)

February 2015 update

In reviewing the submitted Neighbourhood Plan policies, the examiner has raised a concern with Policy GP7, as per his email of 18/01/15 below.

In response to his request, the following documents set out the proposed revised Policy GP7 and the correspondence between MKC and Bletchley and Fenny Stratford Town Council.

Email to Examiner re. amended policy GP7 (PDF, 242KB)

Policy GP7 - BFSTC and MKC jointly agreed wording (PDF, 15KB)

Policy GP7 - BFSTC and MKC jointly agreed wording - tracked changes version (PDF, 16KB)

January 2015 Update

Mr John Slater has been appointed by Bletchley and Fenny Stratford Town Council and Milton Keynes Council, to carry out the Examination of the Lakes Estate Neighbourhood Development Plan. 

In considering the policies contained within the submission version of the Plan, Mr Slater has asked that the following document be made publicly available:

Examiner's email 18/01/2015 (PDF, 45KB)

May 2014 Update

In April 2014, Bletchley and Fenny Stratford Town Council submitted their draft Neighbourhood Plan to Milton Keynes Council, in accordance with Regulation 15 of the Neighbourhood Plans (General) Regulations 2012.

Following a delegated decision on Tuesday 13 May 2014 Milton Keynes Council agreed to publish the plan for a period of consultation.

The Lakes Estate Neighbourhood Plan will therefore be available for comment from Tuesday 20 May to Tuesday 15 July 2014.

For further information on the consultation including how to make comments and to read the submitted plan and its accompanying documents please use the links below:

Publicity Information and How to Make Comments (PDF, 44KB)

Lakes Estate Neighbourhood Plan Area (PDF, 5.9MB)

Lakes Estate Neighbourhood Plan (PDF, 3.2MB)

Lakes Estate Neighbourhood Plan Basic Conditions Statement (PDF, 1.9MB)

Lakes Estate Delivery Strategy (PDF, 6.1MB)

Lakes Estate Neighbourhood Development Plan Consultation Statement (PDF, 1MB)

Consultation Statement Appendices 2.1 - 4.4 (PDF, 2.9MB)

Consultation Statement Appendices 5.1 - 5.3 (PDF, 6.2MB)

Consultation Statement Appendices 6.1 - 6.5 (PDF, 9.1MB)

The Neighbourhood Plan and accompanying documents are also available to view in  hard copy at the following locations:

  1. Spotlight on Bletchley Offices, Serpentine Court, Lakes Estate Bletchley, MK2 3QL. (Open Monday to Friday: 10am-3pm.)
  2. Bletchley Library, Westfield Road Bletchley, MK2 2RA. (Open Monday: 9am - 1pm, Tuesday: 9am - 7pm, Wednesday: 9am - 5.30pm, Thursday: 9am - 5.30pm, Friday: 9am - 5.30pm and Saturday: 9am - 1pm.)
  3. Bletchley and Fenny Stratford Town Council  Offices, 74/76 Queensway, Bletchley, MK2 2SA. (Open Monday to Friday: 9am - 3pm.)
  4. Milton Keynes Council Civic Offices, 1 Saxon Gate East, Milton Keynes, MK9 3EJ. (Open Monday to Friday 9am - 1pm and 2pm - 5.15pm.)

November 2013 Update

Bletchley and Fenny Stratford Town Council have released their draft Lakes Estate Neighbourhood Plan for a six week period of public consultation from Monday 25 November to Monday 6 January.

The Town Council are the responsible authority for the consultation on this document and the plan is available to view on their website.

Comments on the plan can also be made on the website outlined above, where a responses form and further information about where and when the plan may be inspected can also be found.

For further information contact Bletchley and Fenny Stratford Town Council on 01908-649469 or by email on: info@bfstc.co.uk.

Area Designation

Following a Delegated Decision on the 22 January 2013, the area put forward by Bletchley and Fenny Stratford Town Council in their revised Neighbourhood Plan Area Application for the Lakes Estate has now been approved as a Neighbourhood Plan Area.

To comply with regulation 7 of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012, Milton Keynes Council is publicising the following details:

•The name of the Neighbourhood Area: Lakes Estate Neighbourhood Area.

•The name of the relevant body who applied for the designation: Bletchley and Fenny Stratford Town Council

•A map of the designated area can be viewed at Lakes Estate Neighbourhood Area Map (PDF, 529KB)

•The relevant Delegated Decision Report and decision note can be viewed at: Delegated Decision 22 January 2013

Submission and Consultation

Following an initial consultation on a Neighbourhood Area for the Lakes Estate, between September and October 2012, Bletchley and Fenny Stratford Town Council applied to Milton Keynes Council, in October 2012, in accordance with the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012, to designate a revised Lakes Estate Neighbourhood Plan Area.

The revised application and a statement explaining why and how Bletchley and Fenny Stratford Town Council intends to prepare a Neighbourhood Plan, and how the organisation and area meet the conditions of Section 61G(2) and 61F(5) of the Town And Country Planning Act, 1990 can be viewed at:

• Lakes Estate Neighbourhood Plan Application (PDF, 448KB)

In accordance with Regulation 6 of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 Milton Keynes Council consulted residents and other interested stakeholders on this application. The Consultation ran for a 6 week period from Monday 29 October to Monday 10 December 2012. A copy of the consultation statement can be viewed at the link below.

•Lakes Estate Neighbourhood Area Application Consultation Statement (PDF, 16KB)

This was not a consultation on the Neighbourhood Plan itself, but merely the identification of the area for which the parish or town council wished to prepare a neighbourhood development plan.

Following the close of the 6 week consultation period, Milton Keynes Council considered all the comments received and prepared a report and recommendation to take to the Delegated Decision on the 22 January 2013.