A £190 million plan to turn former council offices into an iconic mixed use development with 287 new homes in a 27 storey tower block will not come with its own parking spaces, a meeting heard.
The issue was raised at a meeting on Monday where the developers of the 250,000 sq ft Saxon Court site were quizzed in advance of a planning application being submitted to Milton Keynes Council.
Cllr John Bint (Cons, Broughton) said proposals for a commercial operator to use empty spaces at the South Row car parking area was “contrary to conventional readings of our policies.”
He added that when parking returns to normal after covid MK will not have enough spaces to meet its expected needs.
Marc Corbett, project director at First Base, one of the companies behind the MK Gateway scheme, said if the Saxon Court site had to take parking as well “you would destroy the public realm.”
The scheme is set to have open space, and commercial uses such as cafes and shops.
Mr Corbett added: “The analysis has been done and there is the capacity to support the scheme in the car parking.”
But like other developments where offices have been turned into homes, the company will have to provide evidence for why they don’t need to apply the council’s parking standards.
“We are in discussions with the council on this matter,” said Mr Corbett.
And Neil Sainsbury, the council’s head of placemaking, confirmed that First Base will need to provide evidence.
“That’s all a process that’s being worked through and the applicant will need to justify that once it gets to a planning application.
“But they are working very closely with colleagues in planning and highways development management.”
Cllr Bint, a vice chairman of the council’s development control committee, said MK was home to many people who have family elsewhere in the country.
“Although car usage goes down, people often still want to own a car for those trips to the extended family. I look forward to the continued debate.”
Cllr Rebecca Kurth, of Central MK Town Council also raised the question of parking and urged the developers to talk to them as soon as possible.
She called for a residential permit scheme to be considered so spaces are not segregated and lost to employees and shoppers.
Mr Corbett said they will talk to the town council.
The design of the scheme, where the tower block would be a highly visible and iconic “gate post” for the gateway to the city, was welcomed as an exciting project for MK.
After the meeting Olaide Oboh, director of partnerships at First Base added: “Our innovative plans will incorporate a range of initiatives for sustainable modes of transport, including use of underutilised parking provision in the vicinity of the site, which will be retained by the council.”
They have committed to more consultation with the public later this month and say more than 1,500 residents have already taken part with an “overwhelmingly positive response to the proposals.”
