Milton Keynes is the last, largest and most ambitious of the all the new towns, the combination of its scale, distinctive grid layout, architectural and landscape driven design will not be seen again in this country. Its architecture, art, planning, green landscapes, public realm and infrastructure all contribute to its unique character and its local, national and international significance.

Some individual new town assets have already been recognised by the government and its advisors, Historic England as being nationally important, being designated grade II listed buildings.

However, beyond these are many buildings, structures, landscapes, artworks and places of local significance that are valued because they contribute to the distinctive identity of Milton Keynes. The MK New Town Heritage Register project seeks to identify, bring together and celebrate those assets to inform planning decisions and positively promote the new town heritage of Milton Keynes, aiding investment and enjoyment of it by residents, visitors and businesses.

Consultants Alan Baxter Limited has been employed by Milton Keynes Council to produce two documents which will underpin the New Town Heritage Register. It is these documents that we are now seeking your feedback on:

1. Statement of Significance (PDF, 8.9MB). Assesses the significance of Milton Keynes new town in the wider context, identifies key themes on which the selection criteria can be based. We are seeking feedback on the factual elements of this document and the themes identified.
2. Selection Criteria (PDF, 4.7MB). These are the criteria that must be met for an asset to be added to the New Town Heritage Register. We are seeking your feedback on the wording of the criteria and the level at which the criteria are set.

The public engagement will run for eight weeks from Monday 24 July until Friday 15 September 2017.

We will hold drop-in sessions upstairs at Central Library in CMK at the following times:

• Tuesday 15^th August, 12.00 – 3.00pm
• Thursday 17^th August, 5.00 – 8.00pm
• Saturday 19^th August, 9.30am – 12.30pm

These sessions are open to everyone, providing the opportunity to speak to officers about the documents and the wider project. Hard copies of the documents will be placed at all the libraries within the Borough.

Please use this word template (DOCX, 63KB) to provide your feedback to:

conservationarchaeology@milton-keynes.gov.uk

MK New Town Heritage Register – additional information

Such schemes have been used widely by local authorities, normally referred to as a ‘local list’. A local list must not be confused with the statutory list of ‘Buildings of Architectural and Historic Interest’, or ‘listed buildings’, as they are more commonly known. The latter are considered nationally significant and designated by the government and Historic England, works to them are controlled under separate legislation.

Adding an asset to a local list does not bring additional consent requirements  or restrictions over and above those already required for planning permission. It can however, help to inform planning decisions in a way that conserves and enhances local character and identity but allows growth. Under the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), the conservation and contribution of heritage assets on a local list is a material consideration in planning decisions that directly affect them or their setting.

A local list does not seek to protect every asset from a theme. For assets to be added to the MK New Town Heritage Register they must meet the selection criteria. The MK New Town Register is aimed at informing balanced development proposals and planning decisions, celebrating the local identity of MK and positively promoting its unique heritage.

New Town Statutorily Listed Buildings

The architectural interest and artistic significance of the following buildings and sculptures has already been identified by government, they are all statutorily grade II listed buildings:

The Shopping Building, Central Library, the former bus station (Elder Gate), houses at Cofferidge Close, Silver Street Stony Stratford, Octo (CMK) and 2MS Series No.1 sculptures (Bletchley).