Parts of some new estates are having to be redesigned because they are not fit for purpose.
On Friday Milton Keynes Partnership announced a new layout for Tanfield Square in Broughton.
In a letter to businesses in the central square, it admitted the existing design ‘has not been satisfactory’.
The new layout includes pedestrian crossings, parking spaces, road markings, and the separation of cars and pavements.
The changes follow a feature by MK NEWS in which parish councillor Kat Deacon showed the impracticalities of the five-yearold square.
Over in Easby Grove, Monkston, the council is piloting a scheme whereby grass verges are being turned into car parking spaces. It could be rolled out to other new estates with insufficient parking.
Theo Chalmers, founder of pressure group Urban Eden, said: “They should’ve got the design of these estates right in the first place.
“What they’ve built is instant slums. This isn’t only about convenience, it’s about safety.
“The more you think about it, the more illogical it becomes. To think that their still doing it and doing more of it - it’s an insult to the original design of Milton Keynes.” Ward councillor John Bint said the alterations to Broughton and Monkston are an admission that the estate had been poorly designed.
“This a giant leap forward. But they should have got it right first time. Now they’ve admitted how badly this was originally designed, I think we should knowwhat steps they’re taking to ensure future areas are designed better.”
Fellow ward councillor Sam Crooks added: “InTanfield Square it’s one of those cases where public intuition is far better than expert engineering. A number of us knew it was wrong, we were told it wasn’t. And now, rightly, it’s being changed.”