City of Milton Keynes
City, borough, unitary authority area
Motto(s): 
By knowledge, design and understanding
City of Milton Keynes, shown within Buckinghamshire and England
City of Milton Keynes, shown within Buckinghamshire and England
Coordinates: 52°07′N 0°46′W / 52.117°N 0.767°W / 52.117; -0.767
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
RegionSouth East
Ceremonial countyBuckinghamshire
Incorporated1 April 1974
Government
 • TypeUnitary authority
 • Governing bodyMilton Keynes City Council
 • MPsIain Stewart (C) (Milton Keynes South)
Ben Everitt (C) (Milton Keynes North)
Area
[1]
 • Total119.2 sq mi (308.6 km2)
Population
 (2021)[2]
 • Total288,201
 • Rank53rd
 • Density2,420/sq mi (934/km2)
Postcode
MK
Area code01908
GSS codeE06000042
Websitemilton-keynes.gov.uk

The City of Milton Keynes is a unitary authority area with both borough and city status, in Buckinghamshire.[3] It is the northernmost district of the South East England Region. The borough abuts Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and the remainder of Buckinghamshire.[a]

The principal built-up area in the borough is the Milton Keynes urban area, which accounts for about 20% of its area and 90% of its population. The borough also includes many rural areas surrounding the Milton Keynes urban area (especially to the north), containing several villages and the town of Olney. At the 2021 census, the population of the unitary authority area was just over 287,000.[4]

History

See also: History of Milton Keynes

The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the whole area of four former districts and part of a fifth, which were all abolished at the same time:[5]

The new district was named Milton Keynes (after its largest settlement).[6] The district was given borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.[7]

As established in 1974, the borough of Milton Keynes was one of five non-metropolitan districts of Buckinghamshire, with Buckinghamshire County Council providing county-level services to the area. On 1 April 1997, Milton Keynes became a self-governing unitary authority by being redefined as its own non-metropolitan county, independent from Buckinghamshire County Council.[8] Milton Keynes remains part of the ceremonial county of Buckinghamshire for the purposes of lieutenancy.[9]

On 15 August 2022, letters patent were issued giving the borough the status of a city, allowing the council to change its name to Milton Keynes City Council.[3]

Local government

Main article: Milton Keynes City Council

See also: Milton Keynes local elections and 2021 United Kingdom local elections

Arising from the local government elections of May 2021, the borough is governed by a Labour and Liberal Democrat coalition administration. The Conservative Party is the main opposition group.

As of January 2023, political composition of the council is as follows.

Affiliation Councillors
Conservative Party 17
Labour Party 25
Liberal Democrats 15

The 2022 local election did not change the status of the council from 'no overall control'. No political party has had an 'overall majority' on the council since 2006.

Economy

According to data from the Office for National Statistics for 2017, the borough was the highest performing NUTS3 region in the UK outside inner London (which takes the first five places), on the basis of gross value added per head.[10]

Education

See also: List of schools in Milton Keynes

Further education in the borough is provided by Milton Keynes College. For higher education, the Open University's headquarters are in Milton Keynes – though, as this is a distance education institution, the only students resident on campus are approximately 200 full-time postgraduates. A campus of the University of Bedfordshire located in Central Milton Keynes, provides conventional undergraduate courses.

Cranfield University is the academic partner in project with Milton Keynes City Council to establish a new university, code-named "MK:U", on a reserved site in the city centre.[11] As of January 2022, the project is stalled pending assurance of government funding.[12]

Demographics

Population

Population trend of borough and Urban Area 1801–2021.[13]
Population of City of Milton Keynes (unitary authority area) in 2021[14]

At the 2021 census, the population of the borough was 287,060.[4] This was an increase of 15.3% from the 2011 census, when the population of the borough was 248,821.[15] By 2050, the City Council projects that the borough's population will reach 410,000.[16]

Education

At the 2021 census, of residents aged 16 and over, 15.8% had no qualifications, 10.9% had a level 1 qualification, 14.2% had level 2, 4.7% were in apprenticeship, 15.7% had level 3, 35.8% had level 4 and 2.9% had other qualifications.

Ethnicity

In the 2021 census, almost 71.8% of the population described their ethnic origin as white, 12.3% as Asian, 9.7% as black, 4% as mixed, and 2% as another ethnic group.[17]

(click "show" to expand)
Ethnic Group Year
1991[18] 2001[19] 2011[20] 2021[17]
Number % Number % Number % Number %
White: Total 166,101 94.2% 187,852 90.7% 199,094 80% 206,114 71.8%
White: British – – 179,694 86.8% 183,934 73.9% 178,568 62.2%
White: Irish – – 2,918 2,498 2,382 0.8%
White: Gypsy or Irish Traveller – – – – 72 156 0.1%
White: Roma 578 0.2%
White: Other – – 5,240 12,590 5.1% 24,430 8.5%
Asian or Asian British: Total 5,982 3.4% 9,406 4.5% 22,782 9.2% 35,645 12.3%
Asian or Asian British: Indian 2,861 1.6% 3,967 1.9% 8,106 3.3% 15,348 5.3%
Asian or Asian British: Pakistani 822 0.5% 1,682 0.8% 3,851 1.5% 7163 2.5%
Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi 694 0.4% 1,072 0.5% 1,989 0.8% 3189 1.1%
Asian or Asian British: Chinese 667 0.4% 1,835 0.9% 2,722 1.1% 2913 1.0%
Asian or Asian British: Other Asian 938 0.5% 850 0.4% 6,114 2.5% 7,032 2.4%
Black or Black British: Total 2,869 1.6% 4,986 2.4% 17,131 6.9% 27,851 9.7%
Black or Black British: African 523 2,596 13,058 5.2% 21,502 7.5%
Black or Black British: Caribbean 1,665 1,956 2,524 2,975 1.0%
Black or Black British: Other Black 681 434 1,549 3,374 1.2%
Mixed or British Mixed: Total – – 3,716 1.8% 8,235 3.3% 11,725 4%
Mixed: White and Black Caribbean – – 1,347 2,243 2,997 1.0%
Mixed: White and Black African – – 477 1,597 2,551 0.9%
Mixed: White and Asian – – 1,037 2,228 2,973 1.0%
Mixed: Other Mixed – – 855 2,167 3,204 1.1%
Other: Total 1,378 0.8% 1,097 0.5% 1,579 0.6% 5,725 2%
Other: Arab – – – – 565 1349 0.5%
Other: Any other ethnic group 1,378 0.8% 1,097 0.5% 1,014 0.4% 4376 1.5%
Ethnic minority: Total 10,229 5.8% 19,205 9.3% 49,727 20% 80,946 28%
Total 176,330 100% 207,057 100% 248,821 100% 287,060 100%

Religion

At the 2021 census, 62% professed a religious belief. Christianity is the largest denomination, with almost 43% of the total.[4]

(click "show" to expand)
Religion 2001[21] 2011[22] 2021[4]
Number % Number % Number %
Holds religious beliefs 145,983 70.5 154,444 62.1 178,107 62.0
Christian 135,715 65.5 131,352 52.8 122,935 42.8
Buddhist 747 0.4 1,246 0.5 1,404 0.5
Hindu 2,596 1.3 6,918 2.8 12,911 4.5
Jewish 466 0.2 427 0.1 383 0.1
Muslim 4,843 2.3 11,913 4.8 20,484 7.1
Sikh 795 0.4 1,372 0.6 1,959 0.7
Other religion 821 0.4 1,216 0.5 1,558 0.5
No religion and Religion not stated 61,074 29.5 94,377 37.9 125,426 43.7
No religion 44,633 21.6 77,939 31.3 108,953 38.0
Religion not stated 16,441 7.9 16,438 6.6 16,473 5.7
Total population 207,057 100.0 248,821 100.0 287,060 100.0

Housing and home ownership

Household tenure breaks down to 60.8% of dwellings owner-occupied, 21% of homes privately rented and 18% are socially rented.[4] Due to the borough's fast-growing population, the City Council plans for a minimum of 26,500 dwellings across the borough over the period between 2016 and 2031, with development primarily focused on city estates, expansion areas and strategic land locations in the south and east of Milton Keynes, Campbell Park (in CMK) and the three "Key Settlements" outside of the 1967 "designated development area" of Milton Keynes: Newport Pagnell, Woburn Sands and Olney.[23]

Public health

According to Public Health England, "The health of people in Milton Keynes is generally similar to the England average. About 15.1% (8,680) children live in low income families. Life expectancy for both men and women is similar to the England average."[24]

Settlements

Milton Keynes urban area

Main articles: Milton Keynes and Milton Keynes urban area

The urban area accounts for about 20% of the borough by area and 90% by population. This is a partial list of the districts of the Milton Keynes urban area.

The City of Milton Keynes is fully parished. These are the parishes, and the districts they contain, that are now elements of the Milton Keynes built-up area as defined by the Office for National Statistics.[25][b] Bletchley, Fenny Stratford, Woburn Sands, Central Milton Keynes, Newport Pagnell, Wolverton and Stony Stratford are all towns.

Rest of the borough

The rural area accounts for about 80% of the borough by area and about 10% by population. Olney is a town. These are the extra-urban civil parishes:

Neighbourhood Plans

As of December 2023, the borough has 28 designated Neighbourhood Areas, of which 22 have made/adopted Neighbourhood Development Plans approved by the City Council, spanning both urban and rural parishes.[26]

Freedom of the City

The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the City (from 2022) or Freedom of the Borough (1982–2021).

Individuals

Military Units

Organisations and businesses

References

  1. ^ "Mid-Year Population Estimates, UK, June 2021". Office for National Statistics. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  2. ^ "Mid-Year Population Estimates, UK, June 2021". Office for National Statistics. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Crown Office | The Gazette". www.thegazette.co.uk. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – Milton Keynes Local Authority (E06000042)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  5. ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 25 April 2023
  6. ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 25 April 2023
  7. ^ "District Councils and Boroughs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 28 March 1974. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  8. ^ "The Buckinghamshire (Borough of Milton Keynes) (Structural Change) Order 1995". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 15 July 2020. (2) A new county shall be constituted comprising the area of Milton Keynes and shall be named the county of Milton Keynes.
  9. ^ "Lieutenancies Act 1997", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1997 c. 23, retrieved 26 April 2023
  10. ^ Statistical bulletin: Regional gross value added (balanced), UK: 1998 to 2017 (table 7) (Report). Office for National Statistics. 12 December 2018.
  11. ^ "Project Two: MK:U A new University for Milton Keynes". MK2050 Futures Commission. October 2017. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  12. ^ "Milton Keynes: New university project for 2023 delayed". BBC News. 7 January 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  13. ^ Source: Vision of Britain, Office for National Statistics
  14. ^ "Sex by age - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  15. ^ "Census: East of England has biggest population rise since 2011". BBC News. 28 June 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  16. ^ "STRATEGY FOR 2050 NEW DESIGN" (PDF). MK2050 Futures Commission. March 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  17. ^ a b "Ethnic group - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  18. ^ Data is taken from United Kingdom Casweb Data services of the United Kingdom 1991 Census on Ethnic Data for England, Scotland and Wales (Table 6)
  19. ^ "Office for National Statistics; 2001 Census Key Statistics". webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  20. ^ "2011 Census: Ethnic Group, local authorities in England and Wales". webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  21. ^ "KS007 - Religion - Nomis - 2001". www.nomisweb.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  22. ^ "KS209EW (Religion) - Nomis - 2011". www.nomisweb.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  23. ^ "Plan:MK 2016-2031" (PDF). Milton Keynes City Council. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  24. ^ "Local Authority Health Profile 2019: Milton Keynes". Public Health England. 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  25. ^ UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – Milton Keynes Built-up area (E34005056)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 29 March 2019. (includes map of the built-up area).
  26. ^ "Neighbourhood Plans in Milton Keynes". Milton Keynes City Council. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  27. ^ a b c d e f David Tooley (15 May 2020). "Tories want key workers in Milton Keynes to be awarded freedom of the borough". Milton Keynes Citizen. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  28. ^ "Football boss 'overwhelmed' by award". BBC News. 22 August 2015.
  29. ^ "Proud city centre military march to commemorate Freedom of the Borough - Milton Keynes Council". www.milton-keynes.gov.uk.
  30. ^ "Congratulations to MK's Leah Williamson and The Lionesses". Milton Keynes Council. 1 August 2022.
  31. ^ Sally Murrer (28 February 2023). "England captain Leah Williamson awarded Freedom of the City of Milton Keynes". Milton Keynes Citizen. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  32. ^ "Rifles squadron rewarded for service with 'Freedom of Milton Keynes' honour". ITV News. 11 March 2018.
  1. ^ The remainder of Buckinghamshire is also a Unitary Authority and is controlled by Buckinghamshire Council.
  2. ^ This list excludes the civil parishes of Aspley Guise and Aspley Heath which, despite being in the contiguous built-up area, are in Central Bedfordshire and thus outside the City of Milton Keynes.

External links

Ceremonial county of Buckinghamshire
Districts of South East England
Unitary authorities of England
Authority control databases
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