MK COUNCIL

Pete Marland Leader of Milton Keynes Council

New figures have revealed that Milton Keynes has beat the Government’s housebuilding targets for the fourth year in a row

Good news for local charities Milton Keynes is made up of many brilliant local charities, and the Council supports them wherever possible, so I am pleased that we have taken the first steps towards creating a new permanent charity hub.

Last year, local charities such as MK Foodbank Xtra, Baby Basics MK and St Marks Meals were located at a temporary warehouse funded by the Council. The pandemic has caused increased demand on charities such as these, meaning a larger, more suitable space is needed. That is why the Council has allocated £1m for the relocation to a new facility in Granby, which will be transferred to us on a twenty-year lease.

This decision means charities will have a spacious, secure home to continue offering their vital services – including handing out thousands of food parcels, baby packs, and meals to people in need. We will be working alongside the MK Community Foundation to bring even more charities together under one roof, so they can work together to help the people of Milton Keynes.

Eco upgrades to council homes Rising energy costs are expected to have a big impact on families this year, with energy bills potentially increasing by up to 75%. The Council is doing all that we can to support residents under financial strain, and one recent example of this is how we plan to provide over 300 Netherfield homes with some of the greenest efficiency upgrades available in the UK.

The multi-million-pound project, partly funded by a Government grant, will see hundreds of council homes have their external walls insulated, windows and doors upgraded, and roofs replaced with high-performance insulation. It is part of the estate’s renewal programme, and will save families a lot of money on energy bills – all while benefiting the environment. The green project will create around 50 jobs and apprenticeships when it starts later on this year.

Milton Keynes Council is also in the process of developing similar proposals on other housing estates, and will continue to help families reduce their carbon footprint and energy spending. Those who are interested in finding out more about the Council’s support for residents in need can visit www.miltonkeynes.gov.uk.

MK smashes housebuilding targets New figures have revealed that Milton Keynes has beat the Government’s housebuilding targets for the fourth year in a row, as nearly 6,000 homes have been built over the past three years.

It is important that the Council meets housebuilding targets to ensure we maintain our planning powers, rather than losing control to the Government. This means we can continue to ensure new homes reflect the unique character of our city.

Around 25% of the homes that have been built over the past few years are classed as ‘truly affordable’, meaning the house price reflects average income rather than the market value. And although this is good news, the Council wants to see even more affordable housing in MK, so we will continue to use our influence to make this happen.

Hundreds of council homes will have their external walls insulated, and windows and doors upgraded

IainStewart MP for Milton Keynes South

Firstly, I want to take this opportunity to offer my congratulations to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as she celebrated her Platinum Jubilee on the 6th of February. The Queen has been an outstanding figurehead and role model for the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, and I want to send my best wishes as she continues her reign. I look forward to the upcoming year as we celebrate Her Majesty’s wonderful achievement.

It has been another busy month of being active in the constituency and I want to update you with some of the things I have been doing in Milton Keynes.

Santander – I met with Santander UK CEO, Nathan Bostock, to see the latest progress on the business’ new headquarters in MK. Santander is currently building a new £150m state-of-the-art campus near the train station in Central Milton Keynes which will become their new UK headquarters.

I was joined by CEO Nathan Bostock on the construction site to see how work was coming along and discuss Santander’s role within the Milton Keynes community.

It was an amazing experience to walk around the new UK Headquarters of Santander and see the progress of the construction, as well as learning what each area of the building is going to become.

The highlight of the tour was going to the top level and looking over the skyline, a view I am jealous of Santander’s employees having.

YMCA – Also, I visited the Milton Keynes YMCA which is located in Central Milton Keynes. I met with Simon and Lisa from the MK YMCA to hear about what they do and see the new facilities since its renovation.

The MK YMCA offer a pathway for homeless youngsters to get into work and receive support, and I learned about the various stages along the route. On the campus, the MK YMCA has a café, nursery and meeting rooms, all of which offer opportunities for residents to gain experience and employment. Having a tour of the MK YMCA, I saw the facilities on offer for residents including a music room, communal areas and seeing the range of rooms available. I was pleased to hear about some of the success stories of residents getting into their dream jobs and residents responding well to support and services that are on offer.

MK College and Careys Partnership – Recently, I visited Careys’ training facility in Bleak Hall. Careys have been in Milton Keynes for 40 years, contributing to the completion of over 100 projects across the city. In partnership with MK College, Careys are offering apprentices the opportunity to receive training in the construction industry and receive a qualification to recognise this.

The training facilities at Bleak Hall provide apprentices a hands-on approach to learning the various aspects of construction in an inside and outside environment, and I was pleased to see some brilliant examples of what the apprentices have built. Also, I welcomed the news that the materials used for training are reusable, limiting waste and the impact on the environment.

As ever, if my office or I can be of any help, please do get in touch with us on the contact details provided.

Iain outside the YMCA with Simon

Iain with Ben Everitt MP and Nathan Bostock Iain at Careys looking at examples of bricklaying

BenEveritt MP for Milton Keynes North

It has been absolutely brilliant meeting so many businesses and community groups across Milton Keynes North so far in 2022. At this stage last year we were only just about to begin easing lockdown so it’s wonderful to have been able to get back to doing what I love and meeting people.

Just one of the groups I’ have met recently is Campbell Park Parish Council and it was great to hear their passion for improving the local area. We discussed issues such as knife crime and local policing and I will continue to listen to issues raised by local people.

I know the cost of living is also a concern for many of my constituents so I welcome the Government’s announcement that it will provide a £150 Council Tax rebate for households in tax bands A-D in April.

Supporting Electric Car Businesses In Milton Keynes Protecting our environment has rightfully been at the top of the political agenda and I am so pleased that Milton Keynes is continuing to lead the way when it comes to going green.

Recently I have met with businesses who are playing an important role in the switch to green transport and this includes Volkswagen UK, where I test drove their new all-electric ID.3 after hearing about their short-term and long-term plans to move to electric vehicles in the UK.

I have also recently been shown around bp pulse’s headquarters in Linford Wood where they assemble both public and home charging points for electric cars. The Government is committed to building a greener future for the United Kingdom with plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 and I am delighted businesses based locally are engaging with that.

And one of my favourite facts is Milton Keynes has more publicly available rapid electric car charging points than anywhere else in the UK and this has been helped by more than £10 million of Government funding in recent years. More Officers On The Way For Thames Valley Police Thames Valley Police will be able to recruit an extra 244 police officers over the next year thanks to the latest Government allocations as part of plans to hire 20,000 new officers across the country. There are currently 273 more officers on the streets of Thames Valley since the plan was announced back in 2019. Thames Valley Police will also receive an extra £15 million in grant funding from the Government compared to 2021, taking the total to £285 million.

Ben visits Volkswagen UK to hear about the company’s plans to move to electric vehicles in the UK

Ben visited bp pulse’s HQ in Linford Wood where they assemble both public and home charging points for electric cars

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latest Cities Outlook Report 2022.

MK was ranked 7th in the UK for productivity, 6th for the number of business start-ups and 5th for business stock which is fantastic. And I am glad the Government has supported our local businesses throughout the pandemic and has now provided in excess of £600 million to MK businesses. This is through schemes such as the Small Business Grants Fund, Additional Restrictions Grants, Local Authority Discretionary Grants, Restart Grant Scheme, Local Restrictions Support Grant, Christmas Support Payments, Business Rate Relief, Eat Out To Help Out, Self Employment Income Support Scheme, Bounce Back Loans and the Coronavirus Business Interruptions Loan Scheme.

This number does not even include the unprecedented funding provided to support the more than 52,000 people who’s jobs were protected by Furlough throughout the pandemic.

Milton Keynes Ranks Highly In Centre For Cities Report It is encouraging to see Milton Keynes is on track to continue to be at the front of the UK’s economic recovery from COVID, according to the Over the last month I also… ▸ I wrote a joint letter with Iain Stewart MP to Cabinet Office Minister Steve Barclay backing Milton Keynes’ bid for city status as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations; ▸ I’ve supported Dr Liam Fox MP’s landmark

Down Syndrome Bill as it passes through

Parliament and aims to improve the lives of people living with Down Syndrome; ▸ I am continuing my campaign with Iain

Stewart MP to bring the new Great British

Railways headquarters to Milton Keynes.

CONTACT DETAILS: Tel: 01908 686830 Email: ben.everitt.mp@parliament.uk www.beneveritt.com | Facebook: beneverittmk CONSTITUENCY OFFICE: Suite 102, Milton Keynes Business Centre, Foxhunter Drive, Linford Wood, Milton Keynes MK14 6GD