Big changes planned for traditional outdoor market at Milton Keynes city centre

The traditional outdoor market that has run for more than 40 years at MK city centre is to undergo changes with a new operator.

Today (Monday) the Milton Keynes Development Partnership (MKDP) has announced its intention to take over management of the market from existing operator Bray Associates in April.

MKDP, which is the business arm of MK City Council, plans to transform the market into a stronger retail, leisure and food destination and make it more of a “dynamic and modern” experience for customers.

The move comes after months of work by a specialist regeneration company, which was recruited last year to come up with a plan to make the traditional facility more vibrant.

The company, called ‘Activate, Workman’, advises on the regeneration of town centre locations nationally, along with the “repurposing of specific assets”.

Their spokesman Esther Worboys said when they were recruited: “Milton Keynes Market is an essential element of Milton Keynes’ civic fabric, and retail offer. The market is centrally located on Midsummer Boulevard and immediately adjacent to the centre:mk shopping centre which attracts 23.4mn visitors per year.

"We are keen to find a partner who will work with MKDP on both operating the market as it is in the short-term, but also developing it in the medium to long-term into a destination for local residents and visitors.”

But it seems the ideal partner was hard to find, as today MKDP announced they would be taking over the running of the market themselves.

Adam Sciberras, MKDP’s Special Projects Director said: “During 2022 we started looking for potential development partners to define the future of Milton Keynes Market and work with us to create a stronger retail and food destination for Central Milton Keynes, with a more dynamic and modern customer experience.

“Having explored this in great detail, we believe that an in-house team who work in the city and, in the main, live in the area too, is best placed to manage the market and evolve the existing offer.

"This has the potential to bring great social value and improve what is an essential resource for a significant proportion of Milton Keynes’ residents, particularly those with lower incomes.”

MKDP has yet to reveal what changes will be made.