Seclow Gate closure

Overview: My current understanding with regard to this is that the elevated section of Seclow Gate north of the junction with Midsummer Boulevard as far as the deliveries accesses is to be closed in 2008 and demolished to make way for new retail space. This will also involve the conversion of the Midsummer junction into an at-grade partially pedestrianised area and the relocation of the market to north of the food hall directly adjacent to MB.

Problems: The traffic from Seclow Gate will be diverted onto Saxon Gate. This will cause serious congestion on the V7, more so as the city grows. However, MKP plans to downgrade Saxon Gate into a bus and pedestrian priority street. Logistically the two simply cannot go together. Niether road has the capacity to take the traffic of the other in addition to its own.

West End Developments

Overview: The West End CMK developments will involve a primarily residential estate filling all of the area between Grafton Gate, Witan Gate, Avebury Boulevard and Childs Way. The buildings will front straight onto all bar the H6 of those roads. Plans and the new developments at One:MK suggest they will also proceed to within twenty yards of the edge of H6.

Problems: The H6 is a 70mph dual carriageway. A few years ago a public survey opposed any lowering of the speed limit here by clear majority. However developments should never proceed to be that close to a 70mph road. In addition to this, homes will front directly onto the formerly 40mph V6, giving residents homes that have one of the city's busiest dual carriageway north-south arteries running straight past thier front doors. Not to mention tree loss, which Urban Eden have already calculated (http://www.urbaneden.org) and the potential lack of noise mitigation measures and parking provision.

Any questions, pictures or information? E-mail me at virtual_xi_bayleyAThotmail.com (note spam trap, replace AT with @).