Housing estate to be knocked down in the new year

A housing estate plagued by "vandalism, anti-social behaviour" will be demolished in the new year as part of a regeneration scheme, Milton Keynes City Council said.

The Serpentine Court on the Lakes Estate in Bletchley will be pulled down at a cost of £6m, with contractors due on site by Christmas.

The move follows the completion of 183 new modern, energy-efficient council homes earlier this year, which local families started moving into in March 2026.

Cabinet member for housing Ed Hulme said: "We know Serpentine Court holds a special place in the community and many local people raised their families there, but the building has now reached the end of its life."

Residents took part in a community ballot in 2018, and 93% supported the demolition of Serpentine Court and full redevelopment of the estate.

Planning permission for the 183 new homes was approved in 2020, and work began two years ago with almost £70m of city council funding and £15m from Homes England.

Four new children's play parks have been constructed on the estate, and funding has been agreed for a health hub in early 2027. There are also plans for a community cafe that would sell groceries.

The council, which is run by a Liberal Democrat and Labour progressive alliance, said the final leaseholder had accepted an offer to move out of Serpentine Court, and the building would become vacant.

It said the building continues to attract significant management, security and maintenance costs and has experienced escalating incidents of unauthorised access, vandalism, anti-social behaviour and damage to utilities requiring attendance by contractors and statutory undertakers.

Demolition work on Serpentine Court will be carried out by Graham Construction, which also built the new homes on the estate. It has also begun turning a former market in Wolverton into a residential hub.

Hulme said: "Demolishing Serpentine Court would allow us to move this regeneration project forward, improve the area and create the opportunity to deliver even more council homes for local people in the years ahead."

The Lakes and Fullers Slade were among seven areas in Milton Keynes that were part of a £1bn regeneration scheme launched in 2017.

However, the scheme was later scaled back; plans for Fullers Slade were paused, and other remaining council estate stock was earmarked for upgrades instead.

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