Post by Campbell Park on May 11, 2009 15:00:25 GMT
www.mk-news.co.uk/mknews/displayarticle.asp?id=412456
Casino on the line
A last-ditch attempt has been made to stop planners bidding for a Las Vegas style casino in the city centre.
Developers from the Xscape centre were given the all-clear on Thursday after successfully responding to objections at a special planning meeting held at Milton Keynes Council on Thursday.
The decision meant that the city centre was one step closer to having its own casino which could dominate the skyline, house more than a hundred slot machines and offer cash prizes of up to £4,000.
But yesterday Cllr Catriona Morris announced that she has called-in the decision and taken the drastic measure of resigning from the Park's Trust so that she is clear to vote if the council decides that the application needs to be re-considered.
"I'm doing it for the residents of Campbell Park," Cllr Morris said.
"I feel passionately that this is the wrong building and the Development Control Committee didn't have the right information."
The committee's decision was tightly contested and the votes were initially tied at four each way but Chairman Brian White used his casting vote to grant outline planning permission for Xscape's project.
If successful, Xscape Milton Keynes Limited would face a bidding war for the city's first major casino but is expected to face stiff competition from developers keen to use other areas, including the Denbigh stadium site and the Leisure Plaza.
However, objectors have managed to place some restrictions on the proposals which include a casino, high rise hotel with 168 bedrooms, and shops, on the Xscape car park at Avebury Boulevard.
Original plans for the hotel to be 61 metres tall, towering above Xscape (44m) and Milton Keynes Theatre (31m), were rejected and developers subsequently reduced the height to a maximum of 49.5 metres.
They were also forced to increase car parking provisions by an additional 147 spaces.
Councillor Isabella Fraser, ward member for Central Milton Keynes, said: "The car parking will not be adequate and it will overspill into Campbell Park and Fishermead."
Concerns have also been raised about protecting roadside trees and the new route which pedestrians would take across the road.
A representative for thecentre:mk, Peter Jones of Turley Associates, argued that the casino could set back the expansion of the shopping centre.
He said: "The council's key policy to expand on thecentre:mk and Midsummer Place as a priority.
"The key to attracting investment of the right type is to have a strong and robust policy.
"We believe the Xscape plans are the wrong plans, in the wrong place and they come at the wrong time."
However, Andrew Russell, from Xscape, said the development would bring £30-40 million to Milton Keynes' economy.
"It will provide a safe place to dwell, shop and enjoy leisure time," he said.
"We've put in more than double the car parking, reduced the height by 20 per cent and we hope to retain the trees."
Xscape now awaits the verdict from a full council meeting, before it can bid for a casino and then it would still need to convince councillors to grant detailed planning permission
Casino on the line
A last-ditch attempt has been made to stop planners bidding for a Las Vegas style casino in the city centre.
Developers from the Xscape centre were given the all-clear on Thursday after successfully responding to objections at a special planning meeting held at Milton Keynes Council on Thursday.
The decision meant that the city centre was one step closer to having its own casino which could dominate the skyline, house more than a hundred slot machines and offer cash prizes of up to £4,000.
But yesterday Cllr Catriona Morris announced that she has called-in the decision and taken the drastic measure of resigning from the Park's Trust so that she is clear to vote if the council decides that the application needs to be re-considered.
"I'm doing it for the residents of Campbell Park," Cllr Morris said.
"I feel passionately that this is the wrong building and the Development Control Committee didn't have the right information."
The committee's decision was tightly contested and the votes were initially tied at four each way but Chairman Brian White used his casting vote to grant outline planning permission for Xscape's project.
If successful, Xscape Milton Keynes Limited would face a bidding war for the city's first major casino but is expected to face stiff competition from developers keen to use other areas, including the Denbigh stadium site and the Leisure Plaza.
However, objectors have managed to place some restrictions on the proposals which include a casino, high rise hotel with 168 bedrooms, and shops, on the Xscape car park at Avebury Boulevard.
Original plans for the hotel to be 61 metres tall, towering above Xscape (44m) and Milton Keynes Theatre (31m), were rejected and developers subsequently reduced the height to a maximum of 49.5 metres.
They were also forced to increase car parking provisions by an additional 147 spaces.
Councillor Isabella Fraser, ward member for Central Milton Keynes, said: "The car parking will not be adequate and it will overspill into Campbell Park and Fishermead."
Concerns have also been raised about protecting roadside trees and the new route which pedestrians would take across the road.
A representative for thecentre:mk, Peter Jones of Turley Associates, argued that the casino could set back the expansion of the shopping centre.
He said: "The council's key policy to expand on thecentre:mk and Midsummer Place as a priority.
"The key to attracting investment of the right type is to have a strong and robust policy.
"We believe the Xscape plans are the wrong plans, in the wrong place and they come at the wrong time."
However, Andrew Russell, from Xscape, said the development would bring £30-40 million to Milton Keynes' economy.
"It will provide a safe place to dwell, shop and enjoy leisure time," he said.
"We've put in more than double the car parking, reduced the height by 20 per cent and we hope to retain the trees."
Xscape now awaits the verdict from a full council meeting, before it can bid for a casino and then it would still need to convince councillors to grant detailed planning permission