Agora redevelopment gets green light

The long-awaited redevelopment of the 1970s-built Agora Centre in Wolverton is set to begin before the end of the year after Milton Keynes Council’s planning committee gave the £45m project the go-ahead. The Love Wolverton project will deliver 115 low-carbon homes, new independent shops, extensive public realm and green infrastructure, and a renewable energy microgrid in the heart of Milton Keynes’s original railway town. Planning approval comes shortly after the council’s decision in July to invest more than £36m to acquire the vacant Agora Centre and fund delivery of the project. The council will now work with developer TOWN to implement the scheme. Councillor Rob Middleton, Milton Keynes Council’s cabinet member for budget and resources, said: “Council backing for these ambitious plans is a mark of Milton Keynes Council’s commitment to delivering a fairer and greener recovery from the pandemic and shows what our goal of being a world-leading sustainable city means in practice. “The lessons from across Europe are clear that successful regeneration and development needs a strong civic hand, so it’s right that we throw the council’s weight behind a project that will deliver new, low-carbon, council-owned homes for local people and should be an example of how to breathe new life into established town centres.” Neil Murphy, director of TOWN, said:“Planning permission is a vital milestone in any project. Here, it’s the culmination of years of co-operative work between council officers and elected members, our team and above all the Wolverton community who have campaigned tirelessly to have the Agora replaced by a development worthy of the town. “Reconciling the constraints of the site with demanding policy and community expectations of design, conservation, sustainability and affordability was a huge challenge but, with planning achieved and the council’s investment in place, we’re looking forward to working with partners to make it reality.” Plans for the project, designed by architects Mikhail Riches, were submitted in late 2020. To send feedback, e-mail samantha.mcclary@eg.co.uk or tweet @samanthamcclary or @EGPropertyNews Photos: TOWN