Liberal Democrats on Milton Keynes City Council have ‘welcomed’ plans for a brand-new town in the north of Milton Keynes — despite having no information about what it would look like, how much it would cost, or what it would mean for the people who already live here.
At Full Council last night (Wednesday 19th November), the Labour administration brought forward a motion supporting the publication of the New Towns Taskforce proposals. The motion suggested that a new town “may provide the opportunity” for investment and asked councillors to work with government to ensure local views are heard.
The proposal, first announced in September, promises 40,000 new houses and a new mass rapid transit system, with the whole project likely to be overseen by a Development Corporation. While significant in scale, no detail has yet been provided to the Council about how such a development would be delivered, funded, or supported by local services.
Conservative councillors questioned how anyone could responsibly back a proposal of this magnitude when nothing is known about its impact on existing communities, how local roads, GP practices, schools and other services would cope, or what responsibilities the Council itself would be expected to take on.
Cllr Peter Geary said: “Labour and now the Liberal Democrats seem determined to deliver this New Town no matter what the consequences are for existing residents. To them, houses are just numbers on a spreadsheet whereas we want to be sure about what impact these proposals will have on our existing communities before this starts.
The proposals include the delivery of a mass raid transit system for the city, but this has been promised before, including in the New City Plans. The New City Plan 2050 also sets out plans for 60,000 new houses but not the promised infrastructure, will the New Towns proposal be any different?
Let’s be clear: Labour and the Liberal Democrats are united on wanting a New Town of at least 40,000 new houses, on top of the 60,000 in the New City Plan, no matter how it affects you. It is only the Conservatives who are thinking about how it will affect your communities.”
Conservative councillors made clear during the debate that they support sensible growth and welcome much-needed investment, but only when it is approached in a responsible and transparent way. They argued that supporting a plan without any substance or clarity is not in the best interests of residents.
Cllr Shazna Muzammil, Leader of the Conservative Group, said: “We cannot welcome a proposal when there is no clarity, no plan and no answers — and when residents’ concerns haven’t even been acknowledged. People deserve honesty and detail. More importantly, they deserve a say. Before anyone signs Milton Keynes up to a brand-new city, we need to hear the voices of the people who live here now.”
