A new training and skills hub, town centre improvements and a new entrance to the railway station will form a major £25m investment proposal for Bletchley and Fenny Stratford.
A Town Deal Board made up local representatives from Bletchley and Fenny Stratford, and the council has agreed a funding proposal which could see a multi-million-pound investment in the area. The Board has been working with the community to develop the proposals over the course of the year and agreed a number of projects which the £25m investment could support, including:
- Transport Hub – creation of a new eastern entrance at Bletchley Station, improving access from the town centre
- Tech Park Bletchley – based at MK College, the new skills and training hub will provide better learning and development opportunities to improve life chances
- Town Centre improvements – improvements to the appearance, attractiveness and safety of Bletchley and Fenny Stratford town centres
- New redway links – better connections between Newton Leys and the Lakes Estate to Central Bletchley
Other projects include improvements at Bletchley Park to maintain its attraction to visitors and the full roll out of fibre connectivity.
Chair of the Town Deal Board, John Cove said: “This submission has been shaped by the community in Bletchley and Fenny Stratford where residents experience issues in raising their quality of life, including limited access to good quality jobs.
“The Towns Fund and the projects set out in the plan provide a real opportunity to start to ‘level-up’ this inequality by tackling the challenges, so that residents and businesses can take full advantage of new possibilities presented by the area’s important strategic location.
“My thanks to all those that have contributed, and I would urge everyone to continue to contribute to the process as we go forward.”
Leader of MK Council, Cllr Pete Marland, said: “I’m confident this plan will help us deliver a brighter future for Bletchley and Fenny Stratford. We want this area to go places and while the funding would only be a starting point, it would help us capitalise on the significant growth opportunities here.
“My thanks go out to the Board and the community for helping us shape this proposal. I look forward to working with everyone involved to deliver these much-needed improvements in Bletchley and Fenny Stratford.”
Boosting inward investment is a key part of the Town Investment Plan which will be submitted to government today, including the promotion of development sites to attract new businesses.
A decision to approve the MKC sponsored projects was made earlier this week.
Last year MK was announced as one of 101 places eligible to submit a bid as part of the Towns Deal. MK Council decided to focus the bid on Bletchley and Fenny Stratford, so it can make best use of current and future growth prospects, and the opportunities that will flow from East-West Rail.
The Towns Fund aims to improve the economic sustainability of towns with a focus on creating jobs, supporting town centres, boosting businesses and connecting people to where they live and work either through local transport or digital connections.
© MKFM News 2020
