Councillors have approved a new strategy that is set to see the city grow to a population of 410,000 people by 2050.
But the much-debated Strategy for 2050, which one councillor saw as making Milton Keynes better than the beautiful capital of Denmark, did not achieve total consensus.
The council’s opposition Conservative group voted three ways, with its leader Alex Walker and others voting for, with six abstentions, and four being opposed.
Copenhagen-baiting Liberal Democrat Cllr Paul Trendall (Campbell Park and Old Woughton) praised the strategy for its ambition to be carbon negative, planting more more trees, and to create lakes and green landscapes.
“Nearly half of Milton Keynes will be blue or green space,” he said.
“Copenhagen, which is a lovely place, often tops the polls of the world’s greenest cities, but it is not as lovely as here,” he said.
“If Copenhagen’s councillors saw our strategy and our limitless ambition for where we live, they would be jealous.
“So I’m sorry Copenhagen, it’s time to move over.
“There’s a new kid on the block. We’re 54 years old this Saturday and we are called Milton Keynes.”
But some Conservative members did not share his vision.
Representatives of the Olney and Newport North & Hanslope wards objected, saying the strategy didn’t offer benefits for 70 per cent of the borough which is rural.
Cllr Keith McLean (Olney) said a thin orange line on strategy maps represented an Olney Western bypass that the town did not want.
That bypass would have to be paid for by developer contributions from building lots of houses, he said.
“I cannot support this on the basis that we can’t allow another MK East to happen, being pushed through without consultation,” he said.
Tory leader Alex Walker (Stantonbury) said compromise on issues had helped him change his mind from wanting to put the strategy “in the bin” to one where he could support it as a “young and proud resident of Milton Keynes.”
Labour’s Cllr Pete Marland (Wolverton), the council leader, urged opponents to get over the hurdle of opposing housing growth and see it as an opportunity.
The Government has a strategy to increase growth in the Oxford-Milton Keynes-Cambridge Arc, which gives the city a chance to get the things it wants as the price of accepting more growth, he said.
“It is easy to turn around and say we’d like all the good things but we don’t want to accept it,” he said.
“Once you step past that threshold you say what sort of growth makes that acceptable.”
Cllr Marland added: “If we do not get on board with that it will be done to us for the benefit of Oxford and Cambridge.
“MK is double the size of both of those places.
“MK is the bowling ball on the trampoline of this region and we should grasp that and take that forward.”
Wednesday’s meeting of the council voted by 42 votes in favour, with four against, and six abstentions.
