Since the demolition was completed in February 2023 – Milton Keynes City Council (MKCC), in partnership with TOWN, have appointed Willmot Dixon as preferred contractors for the scheme. Since then, we have been undergoing a rigorous review of costs and design of the scheme with Willmott Dixon in what is known as Pre-Construction Services Agreement (PCSA).
Various other pieces of work have also been underway to progress the project towards construction. This includes technical and statutory matters such as discharging planning conditions and a ‘minor material amendment’ planning application to reflect technical design changes to the scheme.
The PCSA continues to progress and has been affected by the harsh inflationary environment we are facing at present – this has had a significant impact on construction cost for the project. We continue to work through the cost with Willmott Dixon and whilst this is developing positively, it is taking longer than previously anticipated. As such, this has caused some delay in the construction start date and is now estimated to commence in early 2024 which we know will be disappointing to local residents and businesses, and the wider community.
Despite the current conditions, which are resulting in delays or scaling back of developments across the U.K., Milton Keynes City Council and TOWN remain committed to delivering the Love Wolverton Agora Regeneration project. This is reflected by the inclusion of the project in the Council’s Delivery Plan. In sharing the reasons for this delay, we hope you understand the circumstances we are facing and appreciate that everything possible is being done to minimise delay and ensure successful delivery of the project.
