Local MP fears planners are “Missing the Point”.
Emily Darlington, Member of Parliament for Milton Keynes Central, has welcomed the decision of the Labour-ran City Council in Milton Keynes to consider a legal challenge against the decision of the Planning Inspectorate to permit the demolition of The Point in Central Milton Keynes.
Opening its doors for the first time in 1985, The Point was the United Kingdom’s very first multiplex cinema, becoming a hub for entertainment and nightlife in the early years of the New City, with the iconic red light from the top of the pyramid structure allegedly being visible from as far as five miles away in Sherington. Though the site has fallen derelict in recent years, the complete demolition of the structure would be a considerable loss to our local heritage offer. Whilst The Point has not been formally listed, it sits right besides our Grade II listed Shopping Centre, as well as sitting pride of place on our recently-launched New Town Heritage Register – it holds a special place in our New Town story, and in the memories of those who moved to Milton Keynes in the early years.
Emily Darlington MP said… “The Labour Council rejected the proposals for re-development of The Point because it failed to adequately preserve our New Town history. The decision by the Planning Inspectorate to overturn that unanimous, cross-party decision shows that they’re simply Missing the Point – urban history is history too, and we can look to the future without turning our back on what set Milton Keynes apart in those formative years of our New City.”
The local Labour council in Milton Keynes has worked hard to protect local heritage sites even whilst maintaining a steadfast commitment to a forward-thinking strategy around growth, economic development, and housing. In 2019, Labour councillors on Milton Keynes City Council, including Emily Darlington MP, successfully fought to ensure the beloved Bicycle Wall in Stantonbury was restored by Aldi when a new supermarket threatened the landmark.
Emily Darlington MP continued… “There is no trade-off between ambition for our future and respect for our past; we have consistently outstripped national housing targets in Milton Keynes, all whilst acting to protect those heritage assets most important to our communities. Nobody is saying that The Point should be left untouched and unchanged – that isn’t how we do things in our city – but any plan for the site must respect our unique urban history in Milton Keynes and preserve the memory of The Point. Proposals that fail to do that are quite literally Missing the Point, and when proposals also fail to provide affordable housing, it just adds insult to injury for local residents”.
