No other city can lay claim to our past and we want more people to be involved in our future. With new growth comes new challenges and new opportunities.
The arrival of the MK Dons, now starting their second season at MK's National Hockey Stadium, have added a major new dimension. Work is due to start shortly on their permanent home: a state-of-the-art 30,000 capacity stadium, arena and associated activity at North Denbigh.
Work has now started on the first major development scheme for five years in Central Milton Keynes (CMK): two hotels, a conference centre, apartments and business space including a World Trade Centre at the Central Business Exchange (CBE.) A large extension to CentreMK shopping and commercial activity in Central Milton Keynes has been approved. CMK is to be more than just a regional commercial centre: it is to be home to a community of 10,000 residents in the heart of the centre.
Milton Keynes' joint commitment to future growth was marked in July by the first meeting of the Milton Keynes Partnership Committee, a predominantly local arm of national agency English Partnerships, that will oversee development of the green field areas allocated for growth. They will also help to steer regeneration of the older parts of Milton Keynes, particularly the centre of Bletchley, home of Bletchley Park, and the centre of Wolverton with its unrivalled canalside industrial heritage. Milton Keynes is no ordinary place.
During 2005 we are continuing to focus on wide-ranging corporate improvements under the banner
ChangingMK...always for the better. We already provide benchmark services for children and the youth of Milton Keynes and our recycling performance is among the best in the country. We are well into the second year of our 12 year-year partnership with
HBS to deliver the majority of our back-room services. April sees the implementation of two milestone partnership projects: Milton Keynes Direct, a state-of-the-art One Stop Shop, is transforming the customer experience of those using our services; behind the scenes we are introducing new systems and SAP software to make everything run more smoothly.
We still have considerable challenges, not least from those services that are not yet above average. Not everybody has a universally positive experience using our services, and we can constantly improve. Making sure that growth brings real advantages, rather than underfunded or overstretched services, remains a high priority.
I see my role to provide clear leadership and to support all of the staff who work for Milton Keynes Council to drive forward our performance, not least in promoting electronic government.
Milton Keynes Council was among the first authorities to develop an internet portal and since then
www.mkweb.co.uk has gone on to become one of the best web facilities in the country. We are constantly updating our information and we will continue to develop our own websites to provide greater information about our services, to provide greater access to our services and ultimately to be able to use our services electronically.
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