Wilton Avenue/Church Green Road Proposal
Presented Again and Again (and Again?)
Milton Keynes Council has now for the sixth time applied to itself  to put houses on the area, which it owns, to the south-east of Wilton Avenue. Unlike previous applications there will be no access on to Church Green Road. The approach will be via the former Cricket Pavilion in the conservation area. There are still plans for 50 houses. The parish council has expressed concern at the loss of preserved trees in the conservation area, the housing density and the lack of affordable housing. There have also been concerns that the junction with Sherwood Drive is too close to the Buckingham Road cross roads. A site meeting will be held on Monday 3 rd March. The application will be considred at the Milton Keynes Development Control Committee Meeting on Wednesday March 12 th. The Bletchley Park Residents' Association is presenting a petition opposed to the application. The Parish Council is putting in an alternative application proposing use of the land as a long overdue cemetery.

Despite earlier rejection by its own Development Control committee in August 2000 and November 2002, Milton Keynes Council submitted not only a third application 02/01758/MKCOD3 for housing to the south of Wilton Avenue with an exit on Church Green Road to the same committee but has also initiated a fourth and a fifth.  It is understood that the third application has more houses with 20 approached from the exit on Church Green Road and another 30 approached through the former college site on Sherwood Drive although the traffic survey for this site does not consider this. The fourth application is for 50 houses overall with 35 accessing Church Green Road and has been submitted by a developer at the instigation of council officers. Private developers can appeal whereas the council cannot appeal against its own decisions. The fifth application is by the council's estates department and evisages all 50 houses exiting on to Church Green Road through the conservation area.

As expected at the  site meeting the MKC Development Control committee will reject all three applications BUT as stated above, a sixth application involving an exit near the old cricket pavilion is to be discussed at the 12 th. March committee meeting. Another site meeting will take place on Monday 3 rd March.

The previous application was 00/00756/MKCOD3. A second petition was presented and a meeting of residents was held on Thursday 8 th. November 2001. Chris Simpson, Chairman of the residents association once more presented the petition and spoke to the Milton Keynes Development Control committee on Wednesday 14 th. November.

It is understood that Council Land comprising this site is to be sold by Taylor Estate Agents and that Tay homes are the preferred bidder. The plot is expected to realise more than two million pounds. The development would have consisted of 40 houses. As far as Milton Keynes Estates Department is concerned this is purely commercial transaction.  The profit to the Council would be substantially reduced if it had to pay Milton Keynes College for access to Sherwood Drive. To maximise its profit by utilising an alternative exit, the Estates Department was prepared to cut through the conservation area into Church Green Road and create a potential traffic blackspot. Milton Keynes Council has a policy of low cost housing as a proportion of all significant new development. Cllr Long implied that opposition to the scheme is obstructing low-cost housing. Cllr Long was at that time the Milton Keynes Council 'cabinet member' responsible for finance.

The Development Control Committee at its meeting on 23rd August 2000 heeded the views of Resident's Association members and other local residents. Chris Simpson presented a petition to the Committee opposing access to Church Green Road for proposed housing off Wilton Avenue. This had been collected by Roger Wyatt and Stuart Forrester. Keith Woodward (an Association  member and a Neighbourhood Councillor) had spoken on the subject at a previous DCC Meeting.

Denbigh Councillor Mick Legg and Councillor Roger Bristow had visited the proposed access point and agreed that it was quite unsuitable. The planning application was deferred and referred back to the Estates Department. to negotiate with the College about access to Sherwood Drive from the site. It was also agreed that the effect on the area of all planned developments in West Bletchley should be considered. A Framework Document for Bletchley Park as a whole has twice been referred back for further detail by the Development Control Committee.
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