Milton Keynes city centre to be made more 'vibrant, welcoming and appealing' in unique new partnership

The UK’s first formal council and retail partnership has pledged a host of improvements for Central Milton Keynes.

This week Milton Keynes City Council and centre:mk entered into the partnership this week, signing an agreement called a Memorandum of Understanding to make the city centre more welcoming and appealing.

The document sets out how the council and centre will work together to create livelier and vibrant public spaces in and around the centre:mk, and also provide greater support to cultural, community and entrepreneurial groups.

It further vows to secure better integrated future transport links within Milton Keynes.

Already the council and centre:mk bosses are in early discussions about how to improve number of areas and communal spaces that welcome visitors into the centre.

The council values centre:mk as a key part of the city. It has over 21 million footfall every year, attracts crowds of visitors from other areas and ranks among the top ten national retail and leisure destinations in the UK.

MK City Council leader Cllr Pete Marland said: “We’re fortunate to have one of the UK’s best shopping offers in the heart of our city. Milton Keynes has a significant draw across the wider region and beyond, and it’s important that we capitalise on these opportunities and keep our city centre feeling fresh and interesting for visitors and residents alike.

"This partnership signals our wider ambitions for the city centre and will bring knock-on benefits far beyond high street retail, such as continuing to attract major investment in Milton Keynes, maintaining local jobs and connecting community groups to the public.”

Kevin Duffy, centre:mk Centre Director, said “Since inception our ambition for centre:mk has been to go beyond the normal experience of a retail environment, creating a meaningful, vibrant and worthwhile city centre.

"At the heart of one of the fastest growing economies in the UK we believe that we can play a major role in attracting and showcasing initiatives that are unexpected and rarely experienced within traditional city centres. We are confident this initiative will help support that ambition.”