MK City Plan 2050 – Submission and Examination 

Milton Keynes City Council has been preparing a new Local Plan to guide development in the city over the plan period. Once adopted, the Local Plan will play a central role in shaping Milton Keynes’ future, including where new homes and jobs are located, how infrastructure is delivered, how the natural and historic environment is protected and enhanced, and how sustainable travel is supported. 

Local Plan Submission 

We are now at the stage where the final draft Milton Keynes City Plan 2050 Plan (also known as the Proposed Submission Plan) has been submitted for examination in accordance with Section 20 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004; and Regulation 22 of the Town and Country Planning Regulations 2012. 

Submission Documents 

The main submission documents consist of: 

• Milton Keynes City Plan 2050
• Milton Keynes City Plan 2050 Policies Map
• Regulation 22 Consultation Statement
• Supporting documents, including the evidence base, impact assessments, topic papers and previous consultation material
• Regulation 20 representations submitted during the Publication consultation 

Please note that the views expressed in representations and their associated summaries do not represent the views of Milton Keynes City Council. 

All submitted documents are listed in the Core Documents List and are available to view in the Examination Library. 

Independent Examination 

The examination is the final stage of plan preparation before adoption. An independent Planning Inspector, appointed by the Planning Inspectorate on behalf of the Secretary of State, will examine whether the MK City Plan 2050: 

• has been prepared in accordance with legal and procedural requirements, including the Duty to Cooperate; and
• is sound, in line with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). 

What does “sound” mean? A Local Plan is sound if it is: 

• Positively prepared – based on a strategy that seeks to meet objectively assessed needs and reflects effective cooperation
• Justified – based on proportionate evidence and the most appropriate strategy when considered against reasonable alternatives
• Effective – deliverable over the plan period and based on effective joint working
• Consistent with national policy – enabling the delivery of sustainable development in line with the NPPF 

Examination Hearings 

As part of the examination, the Inspector will hold public hearing sessions to explore key issues arising from the MK City Plan 2050 and the representations made. 

The Inspector will consider: 

• the submitted Local Plan
• all representations made at Regulation 19 consultation stage
• written and oral evidence presented during the examination 

The Inspector will decide the number, format and timing of hearing sessions. 73 representors have indicated that they wish to participate in the hearings. Hearing dates, agendas and matters for discussion will be published on this page and the Examination website once available. 

Programme Officer 

An independent Programme Officer has been appointed to administer the examination under the Inspector’s direction and all correspondence relating to the examination must be sent to the Programme Officer. The details of the selected Programme Officer can be found below: 

Programme Officer 
Ian Kemp 
Address: PO Box 241, Droitwich, Worcestershire, WR9 1DW 
Email: ian@localplanservices.co.uk 
Telephone: 07723 009166 

Examination website 

All information about this process can be found at the independent Examination website. This is hosted by Local Plan Services and includes examination updates, key dates and documents: https://www.localplanservices.co.uk/mkcp2050examination  

Next Steps 

Following the examination, the Inspector will produce a report setting out whether the MK City Plan 2050 can be adopted and whether any main modifications are required, which will be published on this webpage. Details on previous stages of the local plan process can be found below.