Milton Keynes City Council and centre:mk have just announced the UK's first formal council and retail partnership, with hopes to create a more 'welcoming and appealing' city centre.
The City Council has signed an agreement, a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ (MoU), with Milton Keynes' shopping centre, centre:mk.
The agreement is the first of its kind between a local authority and a major shopping centre. It comes as Milton Keynes City Council plans to work with the centre to 'provide greater support to cultural, community and entrepreneurial groups', 'create livelier vibrant public spaces in and around centre:mk' and 'secure better integrated future transport links within Milton Keynes'
The shopping centre, which has a footfall of over 21 million each year, will be in discussions with the City Council about a number of areas that welcome visitors to its doors.
Leader of MK City Council, Cllr Pete Marland said: “We’re fortunate to have one of the UK’s best shopping offers in the heart of our city. Milton Keynes has a significant draw across the wider region and beyond, and it’s important that we capitalise on these opportunities and keep our city centre feeling fresh and interesting for visitors and residents alike.
"This partnership signals our wider ambitions for the city centre and will bring knock-on benefits far beyond high street retail, such as continuing to attract major investment in Milton Keynes, maintaining local jobs and connecting community groups to the public.”
Kevin Duffy, centre:mk Centre Director commented: "Since inception our ambition for centre:mk has been to go beyond the normal experience of a retail environment, creating a meaningful, vibrant and worthwhile city centre.
"At the heart of one of the fastest growing economies in the UK we believe that we can play a major role in attracting and showcasing initiatives that are unexpected and rarely experienced within traditional city centres. We are confident this initiative will help support that ambition.”
