Approval nears for mixed-use Milton Keynes scheme

Revised plans to build a seven-storey mixed-use scheme in Milton Keynes look set to secure the green light. The original proposal was turned down last year.River Street Asset Management, All Saints Living and Grainger are behind the project, which is earmarked for Silbury Boulevard.The site currently comprises two disused buildings which were last used as office space and a job centre. These two-storey properties would be demolished as part of the application.In their place would be a seven-story building made up of 5,000 sq ft of commercial space and 139 apartments.The property would form a u-shaped block with a principal frontage to Silbury Boulevard. While the tallest part would be seven storeys, a series of step downs and set-backs would be employed to provide varied heights throughout the development.In a bid to secure approval, a number of changes have been made to the application which was refused permission in August 2016.These includeReducing the overall height from eight to seven storeysReducing the number of apartments from 144 to 139Increasing the number of parking spaces from 102 to 122Reducing the amount of commercial space by 538 sq ftGiven the changes made to the scheme, which recognise and address the reasons why it was initially refused permission, councillors have been recommended to approve the application on 2 February 2017.