MK City Council leaders and MP voice opposition to approval to demolish Point

One of Milton Keynes’ MPs and leaders of Milton Keynes City Council have voiced opposition to approval of plans to demolish the Point complex in Central Milton Keynes.

MK City Council had previously voted to reject plans to demolish the Point in July 2024, with the Council receiving plans from developers Galliard Holdings Ltd to replace the site with four buildings that would include retail units and over 480 flats.

In their 2024 rejection, MK City Council said they felt the proposals were too dense and that destroying the now 40-year-old landmark would destroy a part of the heritage of Central Milton Keynes.

However, in a report earlier this month, planning inspectors overruled MK City Council’s rejection and said the proposals should be allowed to go ahead.

The Point opened in 1985, with the mirrored red Pyramid featuring a nightclub, bingo hall, restaurant and pizzeria. The site also featured a 10-screen multiplex cinema, billed as the first of its kind in the UK.

The cinema closed in 2015, with operators Odeon moving to a new multiplex adjacent to the MK Dons stadium, while other primary uses of the site had already shut down. The bingo hall shut down in 2020, with the pyramid’s main use in recent years including a charity shop.

MK City Council leader Cllr Pete Marland said in a statement that he was severely disappointed by the inspector’s decision.

He said, “The decision by the Planning Inspector to overturn the unanimous decision of the cross-party planning committee is very disappointing. While, on occasion, appeals do succeed and that is the way things are, on this occasion we will be asking for legal advice on if the inspector has made any legal errors in their decision.

“It is hard to understand the legal reasoning behind many of the conclusions the inspector has reached. A number appear to be very irrational. However, I am most annoyed by the fact that the inspector gives almost no consideration to the heritage of culture of Milton Keynes.”

“The site of The Point is next to the Grade 2 listed Centre:MK shopping centre and the building itself is locally listed on our New Town Heritage Register. We asked the developer to incorporate the iconic red pyramid frame into the development, but they did not listen.

“We understand the current building is no longer fit for purpose and more could be done with the site, but this proposal is terrible in almost every single way. No affordable homes, bad design, identikit flats and dismissive of the cultural importance to the current building to the people of this city.

“Milton Keynes is pro-housing, pro-development, and pro-growth. We have a housing crisis and want to build the homes that local families so desperately need but, it should not be at the expense of quality design, affordable housing, or the unique heritage of Milton Keynes. Favourable appeal decisions on poor quality schemes like this, on behalf of developers who only pay lip service to the local community, only undermine our effort. However, what it does do is clearly demonstrate and strengthen our argument for CMK to again to designated as a New Town so we can properly plan the high quality, affordable homes people need and ensure they are built.”

Another figure in Milton Keynes politics to criticise the move was Milton Keynes Central MP Emily Darlington, whose constituency includes the Point.

She said, “When it comes to local landmarks in Milton Keynes, the Planning Inspectorate is literally Missing the Point. There’s no trade-off between ambition for our future and respect for our unique urban heritage. Any plans for redeveloping The Point should appreciate the place it holds in our New Town story, and I welcome the Labour Council’s consideration of a legal challenge.”

Galliard said in a statement, “Our plans will transform this prominent site, which has been vacant for nearly 20 years, into a dynamic mixed-use destination. The scheme delivers up to 500 new homes, including Build to Rent and private sale, along with flexible ground floor leisure and retail space.”