Town Board earmarks projects to enhance inward investment opportunities and boost growth
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A TRAINING and skills hub, town centre improvements and a new entrance to Bletchley railway station will form a major £25 million investment proposal for Bletchley and Fenny Stratford.
A Town Deal Board of local representatives from the two towns 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 throughout this year and has agreed a number of projects which the £25 million investment could support, including:
Transport hub The creation of a new eastern entrance at Bletchley Station, improving access from the town centre;
Tech Park Bletchley Based at the Milton Keynes College campus in Sherwood Drive, the new skills and training hub will provide better learning and development opportunities;
Town centre improvements Enhancing the appearance, attractiveness and safety of Bletchley and Fenny Stratford town centres;
New redway links Improved 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.
Tracey Aldworth, deputy chief executive of Milton Keynes Council, will present the plans in more detail at the November meeting of the Business MK Club tomorrow evening (Wednesday, November 11), starting at 6pm. She has worked closely with the Town Deal Board to finalise the plan. To find out more and to join the Business MK Club, click here.
Boosting inward investment is a key part of the Town Investment Plan which has been submitted to government, including the promotion of development sites to attract new businesses.
Town Deal Board chair 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.”
Mr Cove urged businesses, residents and community groups to have their say as the proposals develop.
Milton Keynes was among 101 places eligible to submit a bid as part of the Towns Deal. The council decided to focus the bid on Bletchley and Fenny Stratford in order to make best use of current and future growth prospects and the opportunities created by 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 through local transport or digital connections.
Council leader Cllr Pete Marland said: “I am 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.”