Milton Keynes

[flecc]

Thanks to CycleZee, the UK's eZee electric bike agent being based there, Milton Keynes gets quite few mentions in this forum. I've just listened to an interesting program by Deborah Meaden of Dragon's Den fame on BBC Radio 4:

"Doing it the Milton Keynes Way"

in which, after seemingly non-stop praise for the city's way of doing things, she did trip over the one flaw. For anyone else interested in how one of the UK's most successful cities achieves what it does, and how it could do even better, the program will be available shortly on the BBC's i-player on this link
.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Milton Keynes is as bad as Telford. Give me Basildon any day.

 

[Cyclezee]

Hi Tony,
Thanks for the heads up, I have listened to program.

As you will be aware it was mainly looking at MK from a business perspective, not as a place to live.

Most people move here for employment and a better quality of life for them and their families, this was my reason for doing so 28 years ago and I have lived here ever since apart from a year working in Canada.

Personally speaking, I like Milton Keynes and so do most of the people that I know. No it is not perfect, but where is Utopia?

I have travelled quite a bit in my life and moved several times within the UK and abroad.

The places I have lived for any length of time are quite varied, the English Lake District, Newcastle, Fife, Kinrossshire, Nordrhein Westfalen, South West London, Surrey and Newfoundland. Milton Keynes has everything that I need and I don't see myself moving again anytime soon.

MK does come in for a lot of criticism, but mainly from people that don't live here and haven't even visited or if they have it has only been to the main shopping centre.

 

[flecc]

I've never lived there, but I like the fact that it dares to be different in so many ways and pulls that off successfully. That combination isn't common.

 

[shemozzle999]

Not such a rosey picture that has been painted.

For example, all Milton Keynes parking problems have been contracted out to NCP and are no longer under Council control. They don't seem to want to do anything unless it effects their cash cow parking system, areas outside that are left alone.

Police will only get involved after a serious accident has occurred before action can be taken, even if numerous previous complaints have been received.

Unfortunately commonsense policies don't seem to apply, just like other parts of the country.

 

[Cyclezee]

Not such a rosey picture that has been painted.

For example, all Milton Keynes parking problems have been contracted out to NCP and are no longer under Council control. They don't seem to want to do anything unless it effects their cash cow parking system, areas outside that are left alone.

Police will only get involved after a serious accident has occurred before action can be taken, even if numerous previous complaints have been received.

Bike parking is free so not a problem for me and as for car parking, even if it was doubled it would still be cheaper than London. Doubling the price could lead to more people getting on their bikes
Maybe you should move to Basildon, apparently it is paradise.........think it was closed for the day last time I went there

As for the Police in MK it's Thames Valley Constabulary, so I guess they need to be telepathic

 

[Deleted member 4366]

I've heard Cumbernauld is quite nice too, but I think I'll stick with Basildon. Maybe I'll stretch it a bit to Pitsea.

 

[JohnCade]

The first time I went there back in the eighties I found it hard to navigate the place at all.

It seemed like an infinite sphere with its centre everywhere and its circumference nowhere.

Though actually it was more the other way around as I couldn't find the bloody centre anywhere.

 

[flecc]

For example, all Milton Keynes parking problems have been contracted out to NCP and are no longer under Council control. They don't seem to want to do anything unless it effects their cash cow parking system, areas outside that are left alone.

As you say, just like elsewhere. It's hardly surprising though, central government hold local authority funds under a stranglehold of continuous reductions. When NCP turn up and show them how to get more money yet do less, who could resist, my Croydon council certainly couldn't.

The blame lies completely with central government for crippling local administrations. We really need something like the autonomy that comes with the US system, where they have federal taxation funding national expenditure and local sales tax funding local authorities.

For at least two reasons we cannot have exactly that system, but surely we could find a model giving a similar outcome.

 

[Cyclezee]

I've heard Cumbernauld is quite nice too, but I think I'll stick with Basildon. Maybe I'll stretch it a bit to Pitsea.

Cumbernauld now I know you are joking Dave.

Personally, it's more about people than their environs.

I know many people moved from London to MK in the early days expecting to make a new start, but they brought all their social problems with them.