The Bridge proposed in the EDAW report originally included in the Local Plan has now been approved for a grant by Central Government but was rejected by the Local Plan committee of Milton Keynes Council on Thursaday 15 th. November. It appears to mean that the Council's depot in Sherwood Drive, on which one side of the bridge would have been built, would continue in use as Cory;s refuse depot. However, there are some councillors who wish to use this site for housing. A final decision on the Bridge will be made by the Milton Keynes 'cabinet'.
For those who do not know about it, the idea is to build a bridge across the main railway line. It would link the Granby roundabout on Watling Street, via a road through the industrial estate, to the Whalley Drive end of Sherwood Drive. Sherwood Drive would then be the main access route into Bletchley from the grid road, despite the overloaded junction with Buckingham Road. Saxon Street, a four-lane dual carriageway built to take fast traffic, would then be downgraded.
Time for commenting on the deposit version of the Local Plan has now passed. There will be an opportunity for further comment on a revised version.
This stems from an EDAW proposal to downgrade Saxon Street around Central Bletchley. Apart from potential traffic problems in parts of West Bletchley, it will mean that the shops in Central Bletchley will be by-passed and thus less able to serve the needs of visitors. This seems unnecessary as the plan involves bridging Saxon Street. When this was raised with EDAW it was suggested that Saxon Street is a psychological barrier. This can be overcome at a physical level by arranging that shops and restaurants are located at the level of the bridge and possibly at intermediate levels (i.e. over the existing bus station or whatever replaces it). This would allow design features, which will give a sense of intimacy appropriate to the new role of Bletchley. A means of dealing with traffic overload might justify a new bridge to Sherwood Drive from Watling Street but to bring this about by deliberately restricting an existing road system is thought by most local residents to be unacceptable.
It has also been said that the bridge would be necessary to support a new Stadium to be built on the Denbigh playing fields. Local residents feel that football fans using Sherwood Drive as a route from the station would also be detrimental. However, pedestrian traffic only justifies a footbridge. Concern has been expressed that because of limited parking at the proposed stadium, motorists would use the bridge to find unrestricted parking in residential areas. Mr Winkleman, who is promoting the new stadium, does not regard the bridge as necessary to the Stadium development but agreed that use would be made of it for Pedestrian traffic between the Station and the Stadium.
Christine Large has specific denied a press report that the bridge would be necessary to the development of Bletchley Park.