A leading Milton Keynes Labour Councillor has said that MK Council will continue to oppose a new housing growth area on the edge of Milton Keynes being put forward by Buckinghamshire Council.

A new version of the Aylesbury Vale Local Plan has been published by Buckinghamshire Council, which covers the area to the west of the city. The plans want to allocate an area of land next to Oxley Park and Kingsmead, but located in Buckinghamshire Council’s boundaries, for growth of around 1800 houses. The estate will be known as Shenley Park.

When then plans were first published MK Council submitted modifications such as the need for MK levels of infrastructure and grid roads, however Conservative Buckinghamshire Council have ignored these requests and plan to proceed with plans that do not include a grid road.

Cllr Anthony Brown, Labour ward councillor for Tattenhoe, which is right next to the development, and Chair of the Development Control Committee, has said that MK Council will oppose the plans in any way they can unless they are changed to reflect the fact that it will be an extension to Milton Keynes in all but name.

MK Council Leader Pete Marland has also called Buckinghamshire’s Conservative leadership out over the plans after the fact they often publicly adopt the position of opposing the growth of Milton Keynes.

Cllr Anthony Brown, Tattenhoe ward and Chair of DCC committee said: “Conservative Buckinghamshire Council are proposing an extension to Milton Keynes and effectively to my ward. It is poorly planned bolt on growth to Milton Keynes. MK Labour oppose it and MK Council will continue to oppose it unless they acknowledge the truth and agree to MK levels of infrastructure and a grid road.”

He said: “We all know that good quality, truly affordable housing is needed, but done in the right way. This new estate will be part of MK. It needs to be built like MK and Buckinghamshire Council ned to accept that it will impact on the services of MK. I bet it will be marketed and sold as being part of Milton Keynes, it’s even going to be called Shenley Park!”

Cllr Peter Marland, Leader of MK Council said: “The Conservative leadership of Buckinghamshire are shameless hypocrites on growth. Only last month they made a big song and dance about our MK Futures 2050 plans, yet here they are again with Shenley Park proposing reckless growth on our borders that pay no respect to the infrastructure values of MK, our unique character or our grid roads. Just like Salden Chase the local Conservatives say one thing and do another on growth. The people of MK will pay because villages in wealthy South Bucks areas like Little Calfont won’t take their fair share of growth.”

He concluded: “Make no mistake unless these plans change we will use every tool open to us to oppose this scheme for as long as it takes. At their plan inspection. At every planning stage. Every single step forward they take will be a grinding fight for them to deliver this extension to Milton Keynes. I feel for the surrounding towns and villages of Buckinghamshire as they must now fear that they will be the next extension to MK pushed by Conservative Buckinghamshire Council but without any proper planning.”c