Residents in Wolverton are angry at the 'rubble eyesore' that now fills the space left when the Agora Centre was demolished more than two years ago.
Work to raze the centre was completed in early 2023, to make way for a major redevelopment of the area - plans included 86 new homes for rental, and eight new shops.
But work has yet to start, and residents and businesses are becoming increasingly frustrated.
“It is so depressing to look at and fills me with rage that people with money can just rip things like this out of a community on the promise of making it into something better,” said Pip Akers, “How has this been allowed to happen? I was indifferent about the Agora going, as I knew it was dated so probably time to go, but I'd rather that than a pile of rubble for years!”
Another said: “I have the absolute best childhood memories of skating at the Agora! And I feel everything good and for the community seems to be getting ripped down for housing and profit these days. It’s very sad.”
The land is owned by Milton Keynes City Council, which announced it would invest more than £40 million to deliver the 'Love Wolverton' scheme, and appointed developers TOWN.
Andrea Clark MBE, Town Clerk with Wolverton & Greenleys Town Council, said: 'Milton Keynes City Council (MKCC) are the landowners and TOWN work for them as their contractor managing the development.
“At the Town Council we are working with MKCC to understand the current situation and any updates are on our website.”
A spokesperson for MKCC told MKFM: “We remain committed to delivering high-quality regeneration for Wolverton. The multi-million pound scheme is complex due to site constraints, changing regulations and significant rises in construction costs, which have impacted viability across the development sector.
“We continue to work within the approved TOWN scheme and have now entered commercial dialogue with a new potential construction partner.
“We are optimistic that this will result in a viable cost plan, enabling a formal contract award and council decision later this year. If successful, work could begin next year.
The spokesperson added: “In the meantime, updates are being shared through the Town Council, the Love Wolverton website and the Agora Working Group, made up of local representatives.
“We recognise the frustration at the pace, but this project balances very real challenges while keeping regeneration of the site moving forward.”
