Executives want to block demolition of iconic The Point building.
Milton Keynes City Council is considering a legal challenge to the recent Planning Inspectorate decision to allow the demolition of the iconic Milton Keynes landmark The Point and replace it with a new housing development.
Builders Galliard Holdings Ltd say they want to create a new ‘mixed-use’ development including homes, shops and leisure facilities.
An original application was previously refused unanimously by the council’s planning committee due to the failure of the new design to reflect the historic status of the famous red pyramid and concerns over the quality of the new design within the area of the Grade 2 listed Centre:MK shopping centre.
The council says the application includes no affordable housing and is unlikely to provide any financial contribution for infrastructure and community facilities. But following an appeal, permission has now been granted by the Planning Inspector to go ahead with the controversial plans.
Cllr Peter Marland, Labour Leader of Milton Keynes City Council has suggested that the council may launch a legal challenge to the appeal outcome and is reviewing the decision for legal errors.
Cllr Marland has called parts of the decision ‘irrational’, having contempt for the unique heritage of Milton Keynes as a New Town and diminishing the strong cultural significance of The Point to a generation of people who grew up in the city.
“The decision by the Planning Inspector to overturn the unanimous decision of the cross-party planning committee is very disappointing,” said Cllr Marland. “While, on occasion, appeals do succeed and that is the way things are, on this occasion we will be asking for legal advice on if the inspector has made any legal errors in their decision.
“It is hard to understand the legal reasoning behind many of the conclusions the inspector has reached. A number appear to be very irrational. However, I am most annoyed by the fact that the inspector gives almost no consideration to the heritage of culture of Milton Keynes.”
“The site of The Point is next to the Grade 2 listed Centre:MK shopping centre and the building itself is locally listed on our New Town Heritage Register. We asked the developer to incorporate the iconic red pyramid frame into the development, but they did not listen.
“In their appeal decision the inspector calls asking for the new building to incorporate this iconic Milton Keynes structure into the new development 'tokenised', which is outrageous and shows a complete disregard for the unique New Town heritage of the city. I doubt if this was a proposal to demolish a cultural landmark near some Regency-era listed buildings we would see the same snobbish attitude.
“A generation of people, often the first generation to be born in Milton Keynes, grew up with The Point being the symbol of the city, and that is every bit as valid as what the Liver Buildings mean to the people of Liverpool or St Pauls to Londoners.”
In a statement, Galliard says: ‘Our plans will transform this prominent site, which has been vacant for nearly 20 years, into a dynamic mixed-use destination. The scheme delivers up to 500 new homes, including Build to Rent and private sale, along with flexible ground floor leisure and retail space’.
‘At the heart of the proposals is a commitment to celebrating the legacy of The Point. The development will include landscaped public spaces such as ‘The Setting Space’ and ‘The Gateway Garden’ to encourage community activity and connection. Feature lighting will recreate Milton Keynes’ iconic beacon, paying homage to the site’s heritage while ushering in a bold new chapter for the city centre’.
Opened in 1985, The Point was the UK’s first ‘multiplex cinema’ but films were stopped in 2015. The building’s distinct architecture and pointed appearance give it a pyramid look. Plans to demolish the landmark have been unveiled for years and there have been several petitions to save it, attracting thousands of signatures.
