MK Digest – 90-home plan, pickleball, bus links & a £28m deal

Here’s what’s worth knowing in Milton Keynes this week.

YMCA South Midlands is planning up to 90 additional affordable homes for employed young people in Milton Keynes, with two potential sites now in advanced negotiations – one near Central Milton Keynes and one in Bletchley.

The proposal is part of the charity’s new five-year Here for Good strategy. YMCA says its Central Milton Keynes campus helps young people move out of homelessness and towards employment, but finding an affordable home afterwards can remain a major barrier because private rents and deposits can take up much of a young person’s income.

If both proposed sites go ahead, the homes would be reserved for employed young people and would expand YMCA’s move-on housing offer in Milton Keynes. The charity’s existing Your Next Move scheme launched 38 newly built homes in 2025 for young people who had experienced homelessness, developed independent-living skills and moved into sustained employment.

The 90-home figure is a potential capacity rather than a completed development. YMCA says negotiations are advanced, but the two sites have not yet been publicly identified, and further details about planning, rents and delivery timescales have not yet been announced.

Simon Green, CEO of YMCA South Midlands, said:

“The proposed 90 homes are an important next step in our ambition to create more affordable housing for working young people in Milton Keynes.”

“We want young people to have real choice about where they live, with affordable homes available across the city’s estates and villages so they can stay connected to their jobs, families and communities.”

“It’s an ambitious five-year plan, and community support will be vital. A regular gift of £12 a month can help us create more opportunities for young people to live independently and thrive.”

Read more about YMCA South Midlands’ five-year strategy, including ways to support its work, at the link below.

🏠 Potential new homes: up to 90
📍 Proposed locations: near Central Milton Keynes and in Bletchley
👷 Intended residents: employed young people
📅 Status: two sites in advanced negotiations

Read YMCA South Midlands’ five-year strategy →

Milton Keynes City Council has agreed to explore the potential for a bus service linking Stony Stratford, Fairfields, Whitehouse, Hazeley, Oxley Park and Westcroft.

A motion approved on 23 September asks the Cabinet Member for Environment, Waste, Highways and Transport to raise the proposal with relevant bus operators through the council’s existing Enhanced Partnership arrangements. If operators are interested, the council may share available information on previous contracted services, Demand Responsive Transport use and other relevant data.

No new route has been approved or funded. The council decision says any future service would still need to be considered alongside passenger demand, commercial viability, available funding, the wider bus network and other priorities for supported services.

Separately, Stagecoach East is encouraging people who may qualify for concessionary travel to check whether they are entitled to a free bus pass. In a 24 September press release, the operator said it is publishing regular advice to raise awareness of passes available to eligible older and disabled people. Milton Keynes residents can check eligibility and apply through Milton Keynes City Council.

The Stagecoach campaign is separate from the council’s western-Milton-Keynes proposal; the council decision does not identify Stagecoach, or any other operator, as the provider of a future route.

🚌 Western MK proposal: exploration only – no new route has been approved
📍 Areas named: Stony Stratford, Fairfields, Whitehouse, Hazeley, Oxley Park and Westcroft
🎫 Concessionary travel: eligible Milton Keynes residents can apply through the City Council
📅 Council decision: 23 Sep 2026 | Stagecoach release: 24 Sep 2026

Read the council decision →

Milton Keynes bus-pass information →

Chancerygate has acquired Canon Industrial Park in Wolverton, adding the established multi-let industrial and trade-counter estate to its investment portfolio.

The site covers around 192,000 sq ft across 29 units and is occupied by 22 tenants. DTZ Investors, which managed the estate for Strathclyde Pension Fund, said the sale to Chancerygate was worth approximately £28 million. Chancerygate’s own announcement described the transaction terms as undisclosed.

The estate, off Old Wolverton Road, includes national and local occupiers such as Howdens, Travis Perkins, Bath Depot and Eurocell.

Chancerygate says it sees opportunities to increase the value of the estate through future rental growth and refurbishment. Simon Cowley, its Head of Investment Management, described Canon Industrial Park as a well-established industrial and logistics estate with strong tenant demand.

💷 Sale price: approximately £28m
📍 Canon Industrial Park, Wolverton
🏭 29 units across 191,971 sq ft; 22 tenants

Read more about the acquisition →

Xscape Milton Keynes has joined a Retail Trust initiative providing extra support and training for people working at the centre who face abuse or difficult behaviour from customers.

The support has now been expanded to Xscape following an earlier pilot at four Landsec shopping destinations. Free training is designed to help workers build resilience, de-escalate difficult situations and recover after challenging interactions.

The programme is not limited to shop staff. Retail workers, cleaners, security teams and guest-services staff at Xscape will be able to access the support. New online tools will also be available through the Landsec Protect app, covering situations including antisocial behaviour, being filmed without consent and being targeted after a shift.

The partnership comes against a backdrop of high levels of abuse across UK retail. The British Retail Consortium’s latest Crime Report recorded an average of 1,617 incidents of violence and abuse against retail workers each day during 2024/25, including about 43,000 physically violent incidents over the year. Those figures were lower than the previous year, but remained well above pre-pandemic levels.

The Retail Trust says its wider support for retail workers includes training, counselling and a 24-hour wellbeing helpline. Let’s Respect Retail campaign materials will also be displayed at Xscape for the remainder of 2026.

📍 Xscape Milton Keynes, 602 Marlborough Gate, MK9 3XA
🛡️ Free resilience and de-escalation training for people working at Xscape
📱 Online safety and wellbeing resources available through Landsec Protect

Find out about Let’s Respect Retail →

MK Smashers Pickleball Club is planning a 24-hour pickleball festival at Woughton Leisure Centre on Friday 30 and Saturday 31 October to raise funds and awareness for MK Foodbank.

The community-interest club launched in January and says it now has close to 130 members aged from 8 to 74. It runs sessions at Woughton and Brooklands, as well as community sessions, school and college activity, and demonstrations for older residents.

The club says the Mayor of Milton Keynes has asked MK Smashers to work with him in support of his chosen charity, MK Foodbank. The festival is looking for players, teams and sponsors, with people able to register through the club’s QR code or contact the club directly.

Anyone interested in playing, sponsoring the event or finding out more can contact MK Smashers using the email link below. Exact start and finish times across the two dates have not yet been supplied to MK Digest, so readers should confirm their slot with the organisers.

🕒 Fri 30-Sat 31 Oct 2026 - exact playing slots to be confirmed with organisers
📍 Woughton Leisure Centre, Milton Keynes
🤝 Players, teams and sponsors wanted; use the email link below

✉️ Email MK Smashers to enquire →

Looking for something to do locally? Here are a few ideas for the week ahead:

🕒 Mon 5 & Tue 6 Oct, 8pm:

Wishbone Ash: The Time Was Tour 2026
Wishbone Ash plays a special two-night engagement at The Stables, with a different set each evening. Both shows include well-known songs, while the first night also features the album Argus in full.
📍 Jim Marshall Auditorium, The Stables, Wavendon
🎟 £37.50; booking required
More information →

🕒 Tue 6–Sat 10 Oct:

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
The touring stage production comes to Milton Keynes Theatre for five days. The show runs for about 2 hours 25 minutes including an interval, with performance times varying by date.
📍 Milton Keynes Theatre
🎟 From £17.50; booking required
⚠️ Age guidance: 10+. Contains strong language, themes of death, family illness and loss, emotional distress, flashing lights, sound effects and heightened sensory moments. Under-16s must be seated next to an adult (18+).
More information →

🕒 Tue 6–Thu 8 Oct, 11am & 2:30pm:

🚀 World Space Week at the National Radio Centre
Radio Society of Great Britain volunteers introduce satellite communications, with demonstrations covering satellite tracking, receiving amateur-radio signals and sending a signal into space. Sessions last around 90 minutes.
📍 National Radio Centre, Bletchley Park
🎟 Included with Bletchley Park admission; NRC talks are free, with limited first-come places
More information →

🕒 Wed 7 Oct, 8:45pm:

John Shuttleworth: It’s Nice Up North
A 20th-anniversary screening of Graham Fellows’ comedy documentary, followed by a Q&A with Fellows and previously unseen footage. The film is rated U and the event lasts around two hours including an interval.
📍 Jim Marshall Auditorium, The Stables, Wavendon
🎟 £18.50; booking required
More information →

🕒 Fri 9 Oct, 10:30am:

Great Linford Manor Park Guided Walk
Friends of Great Linford Manor Park volunteers lead a roughly 90-minute walk through the park’s history and restored features, including the Veteran Lime Tree, Doric Seat and Ha-ha. No booking is needed.
📍 Great Linford Manor Park; meet in the car park off Parklands, St. Leger Drive, MK14 5DZ
🎟 Free; donations welcome
More information →

🕒 Sat 10 & Sun 11 Oct:

🚂 The Great Electric Train Show 2026
Arena MK hosts more than 30 hand-picked model railway layouts, over 50 trade stands and expert modelling demonstrations across the weekend.
📍 Arena MK, Stadium MK, Stadium Way West, Bletchley, MK1 1ST
🎟 Advance day tickets: £18 adults / £9 children on Saturday; up to two children free with each paying adult on Sunday
🎟 Weekend ticket: £36, includes a £10 Key Model World Shop voucher
🎟 VIP Weekend ticket: £55, includes VIP lounge access and other extras
💷 Parking costs extra
More information →

🕒 Sat 10 Oct, 10am–6pm & Sun 11 Oct, 10:30am–5pm:

BEYOND Menopause: Real Women – Real Stories – Real Support
A two-day event focused on women’s health, hormones, menopause and midlife, with expert talks, panel discussions, wellbeing brands, movement, mindfulness, creative workshops and practical advice.
📍 Middleton Hall, centre:mk
🎟 Free entry; optional bookable Sanctuary and Creative workshops from £6.50
More information →

Explore more events and activities at MK Libraries.

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See you next issue.

Toby
MK Digest