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MILTON KEYNES | Projects and Construction

334K views 1K replies 81 participants last post by  MK Tom 
#1 · (Edited)
Although all three of these developments are ostensibly completed, I'm posting this so you can see some of the high rise development taking place in the new city. The Pinnacle is a 9 floor office development near the central station which is still only partially finished. The Hub:MK is a mixed use residential/commercial development including a 13 floor Jury's Inn hotel and a 14 floor block of flats. Finally Vizion, formerly known as One:MK, includes more apartments and a massive Sainsbury's superstore with a 14 floor tower on top of it.

All together these projects have given Milton Keynes a decent skyline which can be proudly observed from as far away as Leighton Buzzard, Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire. Below are some pictures I've taken on various walks. I've had to post the fotopic page links here because the image links wouldn't work on some browsers.


The now sizable Milton Keynes Central station.

http://tom-walker.fotopic.net/p61780655.html

The Hub:MK, seen from across Witan Gate.

http://tom-walker.fotopic.net/p61780652.html

The main tower of the Hub:MK.

http://tom-walker.fotopic.net/p61780653.html

Round the side of the Pinnacle. The tallest part is just out of shot on the northern face.

http://tom-walker.fotopic.net/p61780654.html

The main tower of Vizion, the 'breadboard' as its become known locally. Sainsbury's occupies the bottom floor and the underground car park.

http://tom-walker.fotopic.net/p61780656.html

The Milton Keynes skyline, seen from Great Holm, a suburb near my home. It's not quite the same picture that's on Wikipedia, but I did take them both.

P.S. East Midlands seemed the only category I could put Milton Keynes in, it's not in London and there's no East Anglia option. Hope it's OK. Also, please no anti-MK digs, I am a proud resident and it's a wonderful place to live.
 
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#84 ·
Hi everyone, I'm new to Skyscraper city but have seen this MK forum and loving it! Am from MK but go to Uni in Birmingham, but I love Milton Keynes. Great place to live and love coming home and seeing all these developments shooting up! Anyone know how many new jobs will be created with this new Network Rail HQ being built? Also saw a new network rail office in the CMK station building when I came home recently, so they are obviously getting ready to move in!
 
#85 ·
Welcome to the forum! The Network Rail page on the centre (http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/5939.aspx) says it will create 3,000 jobs. Not all of those are local though; a lot of them are people moving here from the existing smaller centres in Manchester, London and a host of other places. Nevertheless, those people either travelling here or moving here will be a significant boost to our economy.

Yeah they've had that office open for a fair while now. That combined with M&S and Station Express have brought a lot more life to the front of Station House. I used to hate the way all those units were unoccupied. I'd personally like to see a full line of shops along there! A newsagent or two, a charity shop or two, that kind of thing!
 
#86 ·
Definitely, HQ of a nationwide organisation such as Network Rail can only be a good thing, such a shame a relatively new building; National Hockey Stadium had to be demolished, seemed such a waste!
Is there any news of the redevelopment of station square? I read a year or two ago that they were going to turn into some sort of integrated transport zone, demolishing the nearby bus station and make traffic access much easier to the station, which certainly needs addressing! But with the new HQ the area will come to life a lot more once its finished, 3,000 extra ppl wondering around there during work hours should attract a few more businesses to the complex.

Also, what pains me the most is the Point in the City Centre (probably THE landmark of the centre during the 90s), I hate it being part derelict now and without its red neon lights on anymore! It desperately needs some sort of mixed development being introduced to it, high end offices or some sort of independent shopping (which is definitely lacking in the centre), such as in the Pallasades in Birmingham, above New Street Station.
 
#87 ·
Station Square work begins in April. Neither of the original two designs the council came up with were used - instead one proposed by a member of the campaign group I'm in has ended up being used. AFAIK the bus station isn't going yet, but it's looking pretty forlorn now.



As for the Point, yeah I agree entirely. It needs refurbishment after the neglect it suffered when the Xscape took most of its patronage away. But I'd oppose any attempt to get rid of it; it's a crucial part of MK's history in my opinion. Also, apropos Station Square, taxis and cars will be separated from bus traffic under the new layout. I'll endeavour to get you more information when I get a chance.
 
#88 ·
Thats good to hear, surprised to see how many developments are still going ahead during this national slump, but its also good to see that there is still investment out there for it happen! I a little astonished that the council hasn't released more info about station square, such as those points in the shopping centre and in the station concourse; detailing future plans for the City.

I agree with you absolutely over the Point though, it would be a huge blow to the unique collection of modernist buildings in the city centre, the Point is such an interesting building in itself, but I would love for the nearby Odeon building to have something done it though, its just a massive grey monolithic box atm, but its better than its Orange monstrosity of EasyCinema not so long ago I suppose!
 
#89 ·
EasyCinema was a joke... Yeah I'll go factfinding about Station Square and post my findings here. The city's economy has been named one of the five best in Britian to recover from the recession... which is why massive developments like Network Rail, the ExtraCare centre at Shenley Wood, Oakgrove and largest of all the Eastern Expansion Area are all pushing ahead. I'm very keen to see the results of the 2011 census because our population should hopefully be a number that ranks us in Britain's 25 largest cities. On a more personal level I just want to beat Northampton...

Another thing that should go ahead soon is phase 2B of the Hub. That's a rather glorified name for a clone of the existing building on the southeast of the site that'll go right next to it. Still I think filling the hole behind Winter Gardens, which is a bit war-zoneish at the moment, is a top priority.

Any questions please do ask! The more people who are here contributing to discussion the better!
 
#94 ·
I'm very keen to see the results of the 2011 census because our population should hopefully be a number that ranks us in Britain's 25 largest cities. On a more personal level I just want to beat Northampton...
MK probably overtook Northampton in population terms in the middle of the decade, I'd say. What will be most interesting is just how big the divide is come the result of the census. Though even St David's will at that time be a bigger city than either.... :tongue4:
 
#90 ·
I had heard that but I just thought it was the Council bigging Milton Keynes up, but I mist admit that there are far fewer empty shops in MK than in the Bullring in Birmingham that's for sure!
I didn't know there was second phase to the hub, ive noticed that there is an empty plot behind it surrounded by a fence but never gave it a second thought. But I do enjoy the Hub, feels very urban around there, even though I agree with a past comment that they built too close to the road and I really don't like the removal of the Porte Couchees at the crossings, think they are very unique feature for the city centre that I haven't seen anywhere else in the UK.
Oh I have lots of questions, don't worry about that, just a shame that its just the two of us atm!
 
#91 ·
There is a third guy called Aldredd who contributes from time to time, and other people have chimed in now and again. All of the threads start out like this though; this one is still in its infancy. Your arrival is a very positive development!

Porte Cocheres are something I'm very keen to retain; almost to the same degree as the underpasses. They are a very important element of the city's character. Seeing as there is still a [badly positioned] unguarded flat crossing over Avebury Boulevard between the Hub and Vizion, I don't think it would be a massive leap to install the middle section of one there. Aside from anything it would provide protection from the rain that the underpasses at the Witan/Avebury junction can't anymore.

More Network Rail progress:

 
#92 ·
Also, a little bit of news: Work has finally begun on the £27 million remodeling scheme for Bletchley station. At the moment it's just enabling works but the finished scheme will enable more train movements, including the reversal of Bedford services to MK Central.




Hopefully won't be sitting still in that platform too much longer... Mind you I think 'Stratford via Shirley' might be pushing it.
 
#93 ·
Ah right porte cocheres, not couchees, which i remember is something to do with sleep in french, woops! Nice too see the network rail building going up so quickly, has been quite a time since i've been back home so i can really see the progress going on there.

At last some progress on the Marston line, I used to take that line to school (went to school and sixth form in Bedford, one place I hope never to go back to), it would have been useful for it to go all the way to CMK back then, but these things time take I spose. And yeh, Shirley is up here in the Midlands, that would definitely be a push.
 
#95 ·
It'll be very interesting to see whether MK has overtaken Northampton, I've always seen Northampton and Luton as being bigger than Milton Keynes, but I'm sure MK is growing at a much faster rate than either of the two, especially Luton. City status in the UK is such a joke, to think that Canterbury is a city of the same political prowess (taxation, planning power etc) as Birmingham is ludicrous!
 
#96 ·
Agreed, agreed and agreed. We've definitely overtaken Luton - whether we've overtaken the gestalt entity that is Luton and Dunstable is another matter. I've always given Luton itself the same status as Bedford, minus the fact that it's not county town. Plus Bedford's a nicer place I think. Out of all the towns that neighbour MK my favourite is easily Aylesbury. I went to school there and it'll always have a place in my heart! I'd agree with majabl about when we overtook Northampton population wise. However there're issues with MK's population as to whether or not you include Newport Pagnell and so on.

majabl, would you be interested in starting a Northampton thread? It's where I go to uni and there's a fair amount going ahead there that's worthy of discussion! It is the obvious absentee from the East Midlands forum. Believe it or not there is actually a Kettering thread buried deep down in the forum's history.
 
#97 ·
majabl, would you be interested in starting a Northampton thread? It's where I go to uni and there's a fair amount going ahead there that's worthy of discussion! It is the obvious absentee from the East Midlands forum. Believe it or not there is actually a Kettering thread buried deep down in the forum's history.
Since Avon's new UK headquarters were finished last year, there's not a great deal going on. Just the usual speculation and pictures of stuff that might one day happen if someone actually pulled a finger out: new railway station, Franklin's Gardens expansion, etc.

(That said, I'd be happy to partake of such a thread.)
 
#98 ·
I might leave it a little longer then! According to what I've heard the improvements to the station are definitely going ahead, and the expansions to Franklin's Gardens aren't (hence Saints playing at Stadium:MK which my Northampton friends are a little unhappy about).

Speaking of station improvements and having already spoken of Bletchley, it seems sensible to mention that the new building at Wolverton station is also funded and going ahead.
 
#101 ·
Hmm Old Stratford is definitely in Northamptonshire, it's on the otherside of the Great Ouse, probably the ancient country boundary between Bucks at Stony and Northants at Old Stratford. So what would that area become, around Olney? Like the Non-Metropolitan area?

MK is definitely the largest city between London and the Midlands proper, and between Oxford and Cambridge, probably one of the best strategic positions in the region, is probably one of the major reasons for it's economic success. But there is a lot of resentment among the older generation aimed towards Milton Keynes, there certainly is among ppl from Bletchley, which I'm not surprised, it's soul has literally been sucked from it. Its quite sad. But hopefully, as MK continues to grow, Bletchley will receive more investment from the council!
 
#102 ·
I live down the road in Aylesbury and am really impressed with how Milton Keynes has developed over the past 25 years or so that I have been visiting it. It used to seem a little soulless tbh but now has a nice vibrant urban feel and many distinctive buildings with new ones seemingly springing up almost every time I visit. Certainly a vast improvement on the other local 'new towns' like Stevenage and Hemel Hempstead imho.

Are there still plans to build a casino next to the Xscape building or has that been shelved for good?
 
#104 ·
tlr: I'd rather call it Milton Keynes County, but non-metropolitan area works fine! Old Stratford is in Northants but it's also fairly contingent with the MK urban area I feel. I do however realise how annoyed residents would be to hear that! Also, I'd say the MKDC, given the circumstances, did a pretty good job of keeping Bletchley's soul intact. What MK took from it was its commerce; like you say, let's hope for more investment in that area.

Steve: I went to school in Aylesbury and still maintain a frequent presence there. The Xscape development has encountered massive protests from local people and has stalled a bit. It's one of the three sites in competition for the casino license, the others being the stadium and the leisure plaza (the ice rink).

Thanks london-b. It's good to know people are discovering the thread!
 
#126 ·
Steve: I went to school in Aylesbury and still maintain a frequent presence there. The Xscape development has encountered massive protests from local people and has stalled a bit. It's one of the three sites in competition for the casino license, the others being the stadium and the leisure plaza (the ice rink).
Grammar / Floyd alumnus eh!

I didn't realise there were that many residents living near to the Xscape. Are they opposed to the casino in principle or is it the design they don't like? Would love if MK did get a decent sized casino, as the nearest currently is Luton G which takes almost twice as long to get to from Aylesbury.

Construction update time! Took advantage of yesterday's weather to do a walk over to the EEA...

All in all a pretty enjoyable walk!
Nice photos there Tom :cool:
 
#108 ·
Hi everyone, newbie here! I am hoping to move to Milton Keynes in the future (if I can get a job). I live in Harrow (Greater London) it is so boring here nothing to do, not child friendly. I just love Milton Keynes, all the green spaces, the parks, the lakes, the shopping and the grid road system. I don't understand why some people criticise the place. I'm glad to hear the hub is being developed further, it reminds me of a mini canary wharf!!! Does anyone know if the A421 will be widened to Fen roundabout? Seems a bit silly to leave that section single carriageway.
 
#110 ·
I don't understand why some people criticise the place.
They are usually narrow-minded and mis-informed.

Most people still take the 1980s-style Mike Harding (comedian) 'viewpoint' of it being all caged tower blocks, motorways everywhere and people suffering new-town blues as gospel, whereas it is quite the opposite.
 
#109 ·
Hi, welcome to the forum! Nice to hear that not all London-area people have the wrong idea about MK. Apropos the A421 the main issue there is that it crosses the MK/Bedfordshire border, so it requires a collusion between the two councils. The next stage will be dualling from Fen roundabout to a new roundabout near where the road turns to align with the M1. That'll leave the mile between that and the new bit at Junction 13, which will follow when the EEA starts paying for itself. The dualling is part-funded by the land sales at Magna Park, so when it happens is sort of dependent on the uptake of unit space there. That bit of road has been a death trap since it opened; IMHO it should have been built as a dual carriageway from the outset.
 
#111 ·
Thanks for the info. What about the centremk? I know there was plans for expansion, was this put on hold indefinitely? I know they only proceeded with queens ct redevelopment. I think they should definitely expand. With all the other developments in other parts of the country especially westfield stratford, MK should not be left behind.
 
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