Milton Keynes Development Partnership (MKDP) has published the findings of its wide-ranging public consultation about Station Square.
MKDP carried out the work to discover what the people of Milton Keynes thought about the open space outside MK: Central Station and how it could be developed to meet the city’s changing future needs.
There were more than 2,700 comments from the online survey while other interested parties such as community groups, commuters and businesses took part in stakeholder workshops, face to face interviews and exhibitions at Middleton Hall and the station.
Some praised the landscape of the square and its integrated transport links while others highlighted layout; traffic flow; safety; the square’s appearance and it being an unimpressive gateway to the city as issues that needed to be addressed. Respondents also identified a lack of varied activities and experiences.
In response to the feedback MKDP is now looking at introducing initiatives to make the square a more welcoming and interesting place. The first being explored is the introduction of temporary ‘pop-up’ spaces this summer.
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These could be used for a variety of different purposes that will bring something new to the square; ranging from a coffee caravan or independent food outlet to a bicycle repair shop or exhibition space. MKDP is now looking for people interested in participating in the scheme.
Charles Macdonald, MKDP’s Chief Executive, said: “It shows how important the square is to the people of Milton Keynes that so many participated in the consultation process and were keen to share their thoughts and suggestions.
“Station Square is the first impression of the city that many visitors get and by introducing new initiatives we want to help make it an exceptional gateway to Milton Keynes that is welcoming, interesting and makes the most positive impact possible.
“While we have some thoughts about what might work well in the pop-up spaces, we are very much open to all suggestions.”
To find out more about the Station Square consultation findings visit www.mkdp.org.uk.
Anyone interested in occupying one of these new pop-up spaces should click here for more information and details about how to apply.
