Milton Keynes residents have always been proud of Campbell Park — a unique green space in the heart of our city, a place for families, festivals, and community. But under Labour’s New Towns plan, Conservative Councillors are concerned that its skyline and character are at real risk.
The Government’s New Towns Taskforce report names Milton Keynes as a “Renewed Town”, and advocates for MK “city centre densification”, paving the way for high-rise developments. Earlier this year, residents strongly opposed plans by Urban Splash for large-scale, 11-12-storey apartment blocks on the north side of Campbell Park. Despite significant projected harm to the park and green infrastructure, council officers recommended that these plans be approved. A large number of residents submitted their comments and spoke out against this proposal at the council planning committee meeting. The application was then rejected ‘due to the harm caused by the scale and bulk of the development and on the heritage asset of Campbell Park’.
Now, Conservative councillors say with Labour’s plan to hand all planning powers to unelected Development Corporations, future decisions like this will be taken out of local hands altogether. They are concerned that residents will have no right to consultation and won't be able to join any planning meetings to share their views on changes to their communities.
Cllr Shazna Muzammil-Cook, Leader of the Conservative Group on Milton Keynes City Council, said:
“Campbell Park is the jewel of our city. Residents walk here, play here, celebrate here — it is part of what makes MK special. But Labour’s potential plans for more one- and two-bedroom tower blocks risk turning Campbell Park and its surroundings into the shadow of a high-rise skyline. This is not what Milton Keynes was designed to be. Residents have already spoken out against these kinds of developments, and our job as elected representatives is to listen to our residents, not go against them. "
Alongside the visual impact on Campbell Park, there are wider concerns about infrastructure. Conservative councillors say more dense housing in the city centre will mean more pressure on parking, GP surgeries, schools, and roads.
“Of course we need new homes,” Cllr Muzammil-Cook added.
“But if we keep forcing one-bedroom flats into towers while ignoring the basics, we’ll create a city centre that people can’t enjoy and that doesn’t meet the needs of families. We need investment to strengthen our infrastructure, and affordable homes that people can actually afford. Labour and Lib Dems are offering MK up to deliver housing targets, completely ignoring the fact that we need investment in our infrastructure, and community services should be prioritised."
Former Councillor and campaigner for Campbell Park and Old Woughton Charlotte Hall said
"We are in hugely worrying times. I know how much we love this area and how much we want to preserve its uniqueness for generations to enjoy. But all this uncertainty is making residents lose confidence — they feel their voices won’t matter anymore, that their will won’t count, and that they won’t have a say at all. If local democracy is silenced, what hope do we have of protecting the places we love?”
The Conservative Group is calling for genuine consultation with residents before any further expansion of Milton Keynes city centre is agreed. They say that residents’ views must be respected, green spaces protected, and infrastructure prioritised before more large-scale projects are approved.
“Milton Keynes is different by design,” Cllr Muzammil-Cook concluded. “Campbell Park is part of our heritage and adds to that difference. We must not lose it to top-down targets and tower blocks.”
