This FAQs page provides answers to questions that have been raised about the Agora Regeneration development proposals, particularly by local residents and businesses in Wolverton.
If your questions aren’t answered below, please go to the ‘Get in Touch’ page to send us a message.
Construction queries
What are the alternative routes from the Square to Church Street?
You can either go via Cambridge Street, or the ally way just before Cambridge Street, or through the Church Yard. MKCC are looking into what improvements may be possible to the church path and lighting, however this will be constrained owing to the church (and its grounds) being listed. Please see this letter sent out to local residents and businesses.
Will the access besides 56 Buckingham Street be closed off?
It will be necessary to close off access to the back way/ally that is accessed adjacent to 56 Buckingham Street for a period of time. This is owing to the proximity of new foundations to the site boundary. GRAHAM Construction have applied for and received the relevant permits for this. We will however work to keep any closure to a minimum.
Where can residents of St. George’s Way park whilst their car park is closed?
An area in the former Agora car park has been designated for them; the residents do not need a permit to park in this area. New parking close to the flats will be available from September 2026.
Where will contractors park?
There is specific parking for contractors at the Gables further up St. George’s Way. All contractor’s will be advised of this as part of their onsite induction and GRAHAM will eject anyone employed on the site should they fail to follow this. Please note we are aware there are a number of trade vehicles in the existing car park and surrounding roads, these do not belong to any of the on-site team.
Will the memorial trees at the front of St. George’s Way be retained?
Yes.
What will happen to the access and fences to rear of 30-36 St. George’s Way?
Access to the rear of properties will be re-provided and where necessary new fences will be installed. The project team is liaising directly with these residents on this.
We’ve noticed rodents since the works begun at St. George’s Way, can something be done about them?
The presence of rodents is a longstanding issue and not a result of the works. MKCC are working with colleagues to see if this can be addressed.
Delivery process and timescales
Why is Milton Keynes Council investing in the project?
The Council’s rationale for investing in the regeneration of Wolverton town centre is set out in a Council decision on 18th March 2026 and associated reports available here.
In summary, the Council has long-term policy commitment to regenerating the Agora site. The Agora Regeneration scheme represents a high-quality place-making proposal with significant social value benefits but, as with previous proposals for the site, cannot be realised by the private sector.
Investment by the Council will secure delivery of the scheme and these benefits, as well as producing a long-term rental income stream for the Council.
Why has there been a delay between securing planning and the Council decision to progress the scheme?
There have been two factors that have delayed the scheme. The first is changes to the regulatory environment following Grenfell. Time was needed to work through this and ensure compliance with new regulations had to take place. The second is the impact of inflation on the UK construction industry, particularly during 2022 - 2024. This required some design revisions, for example changes to the structural design, so as to achieve an affordable construction cost.
What stage is the project at, and what happens next?
You can read a timeline here. Construction started in May 2026 and will conclude in November 2028. Highways improvements to Church Street will follow that.
Will the development be built in phases or all in one go?
Will the existing pedestrian access across the site be disrupted during construction?
Unfortunately, access will not be possible for a significant period of time. The project team has explored this extensively and it has been determined that this is no safe way of creating access across the site. The existing access that runs adjacent to 22 Buckingham Street will be closed from May 2026 – October 2028. The existing access the runs adjacent to 4 Buckingham Street will be closed from September 2026 – November 2028. Residents will need to take alternative routes via Cambridge Street or the church yard during this time.
Will the construction cause a lot of hassle for town centre residents and businesses?
Construction invariably generates additional vehicle movements, noise, dirt and dust. These impacts will be limited by control measures that will have to be approved by the Council acting as a local planning authority, and there will be strict controls on hours of working and traffic movements specifically.
GRAHAM Construction will be sharing regular updates on the scheme progress here. This will include information on any local traffic disruption. You can sign-up to receive email update here.
Should you have concerns you can also contact Samantha Swain at GRAHAM Construction samantha.swain@graham.co.uk
The construction process should also create opportunities locally: construction projects bring a lot of workers into town who will use local cafes and shops, and builders often require local labour.
What consultation will there be with residents living close to the site and most affected by the work?
The Wolverton Town Centre Regeneration Group has been retained and re-established with resident representation to ensure full discussion of issues arising from the construction works. The project team has also been liaising directly with neighbours immediately adjacent to the site.
GRAHAM Construction will be sharing regular updates on the scheme progress here and via the Wolverton & Greenleys Town newsletter. This will include information on any local traffic disruption. You can sign-up to receive email update here
Should you have concerns you can also contact Samantha Swain at GRAHAM Construction:
Email: samantha.swain@graham.co.uk
Tel: 07391185430
What is Milton Keynes Development Partnership’s (MKDP) role?
MKDP will lease the completed residential rental homes from the Council, let them to tenants and manage the development as a whole. This utilises the capability of MKDP to manage assets on the Council’s behalf.
What is TOWN’s role in the scheme?
TOWN are development manager on behalf of the Council, providing continuity from its previous role as co-developer in which it conceived and designed the scheme. In TOWN’s development manager role, it provides day-to-day support to the Council on all aspects of the scheme.
Homes and residents
Why is the majority of the housing going to be for rent?
Renting is the fastest-growing sector of the housing market and, with affordability to buy a challenge for many people in Milton Keynes, renting provides an important choice for people who don’t want to, or can't buy a home at a particular stage of their life. As well as the rental homes, there are 29 homes for sale as part of Still Green Cohousing.
How do I express interest in renting a home here?
The rental homes will be advertised opportunities in due course – please register to keep in touch.
How does Still Green Cohousing fit into the project?
Still Green Cohousing will occupy Block C of the development comprising 29 for-sale apartments with generous shared facilities.
Cohousing is a form of development that enables residents to live in a neighbourly, supportive way. In additional to their own private dwellings, residents have the benefit of shared facilities including space to cook, dine and socialise together, and work together to manage the community themselves. Still Green Cohousing is an over-50s cohousing group in Milton Keynes. Cohousing is particularly suitable for older people, meeting challenges of isolation and loneliness through the network of mutually supportive neighbours it creates.
If you are interested in buying a home and being part of the Still Green community, please contact Still Green through their website.
Business, community and public services
What difference will regeneration make to the local economy?
- £2.3m in increased economic output from the commercial uses within the development, creating 46 direct new full-time-equivalent jobs;
- £2.2 million per annum of additional resident expenditure within local shops and services, supporting a further 26 new full-time equivalent jobs directly and 21 supply chain jobs indirectly;
- over £1.8 million of new revenues to the public purse in the first four years after completion, including £752,000 of New Homes Bonus payments alongside Council Tax and Business Rates income.
Additionally, over £50m of additional output and over 300 full-time equivalent jobs will be created or sustained during the construction period.
What will the social impact of the regeneration be?
The social impact of the scheme go beyond simply improving the appearance of the town centre, and have been assessed to include: reduced anti-social behaviour; additional opportunities for neighbourly contact; space for recreation as a result of the new car-free streets being built; and reduced risk of loneliness and isolation on the part of older people living in the proposed cohousing community.
The social impact has been assessed by experts Greengage, they’ve determined the social value associated with the development will be in the order of £22.8 million. This value assess the economic, environmental and social benefits that will be experienced by people as a result of the regeneration, both now and in the future.
What new shops and services will be provided by the development?
Nine new shop units ranging from 64 square metres to 240 square metres in size will be provided along Church Street, on the reinstated Radcliffe Street and the Square. A small convenience supermarket is proposed to replace the former Co-op. Several units will be equipped to allow for restaurant or café use, with others for general retail use. The aim is to attract a mix of occupiers to build on the independent, community-oriented ethos of Wolverton’s retail offer.
How do I express interest in renting a retail unit here?
The retail units will be advertised opportunities in due course – please register to keep in touch.
Is a new public toilet going to be provided?
A new public toilet is included as part of plans for new public car parking at St George’s Way. Once built, this toilet will be handed to Wolverton & Greenleys Town Council to manage.
Streets and access
What changes are proposed to Church Street and when will these be delivered?
Through delivery of the Agora Regeneration scheme, a new modern bus shelter will provided on Church Street with buses stopping on-street rather than pulling into the existing bay, which will be filled in to provide a continuous pavement.
MKCC Highways have been developing plans for further improvements to Church Street which you can see here. These plans reflects feedback from public consultation.
Why aren’t the streets within the development to be adopted by the Council? How will they be managed, and what rights of access will the public have?
The streets within the development have been designed so that they function as spaces for people, with vehicles as guests. In order to make the environment nicer for people, aspects of their design, including paving and landscaping, vary from Milton Keynes City Council’s normal highways standards. This means it is better for the development, and easier for the Council, for the streets to be managed and maintained under the same estate management arrangements as the rest of the development. This also allows on-street parking within the development to be allocated and managed for residents.
Existing public routes will be reinstated once construction completes. Pedestrian routes through the site will be dedicated as permissive path to ensure that public access is maintained across the site.
Parking
How will parking for new residents be managed to prevent parking spilling over into surrounding streets?
The scheme provides 86 parking spaces for the new homes. As a professionally-managed rented development, there will be mechanisms for ensuring that the scheme does not generate more demand for car parking than there is space for. Larger homes, including all houses, will be able to lease a parking space as of right, with a pool of spaces available for smaller flats.
Limitations on car parking, which are to be expected in a highly sustainable scheme, will be made clear upfront to prospective tenants. This will be backed up with provisions in tenancy agreements to stipulate that storing vehicles on public land, such as neighbouring streets, is prohibited and constitutes a breach of tenancy. Unlike most new developments, the scheme will be actively managed, including allocating and enforcing on-site parking restrictions and ensuring tenant’s obligations aren’t breached.
What is happening about parking for town centre visitors’ with the Agora car park being built on?
New car parking is being provided adjacent to St. George’s Way. This will include the demolition of underused garages, the provision of new residents’ car parking spaces closer to the homes they serve, and the provision of new parking area for new town centre visitors. This will provide over 60 spaces for town centre visitors.
When will new town centre parking be delivered and how will it be allocated and managed?
The Council has committed that the new town centre parking at St George’s Way will be made available for public use before the Agora car park is closed for redevelopment. This is expected to be in September 2026.
Formal consultation on the parking management arrangements for the new town centre car parking will take place prior to any controls being implemented.
