Patrick Comerford
I was writing last night about the threatened demolition of the former Jaipur restaurant in the centre of Milton Keynes, and with that the loss of one of the architectural landmarks and unique buildings in the heart of the city.
The proposals to replace the Jaipur building, modelled on the Chandra Mahal, the palace of the Maharajas of Jaipur, and to replace it with a 33-storey high-rise tower block, would mean the loss of a unique building that has never been recognised for its distinctive design. But the plans have also raised concerns that Milton Keynes ‘is fast becoming a city of skyscrapers.’
Is it ironic, or a sign of hope, that at the same time, Grafton Park, a little-known and almost-hidden park beside the former Jaipur restaurant, is part of an interesting plan to make Milton Keynes ‘the greenest city in the world’?
Plans were announced last year (2023) to transform this hidden and overgrown site in the middle of one of the busiest areas in the centre of central Milton Keynes into an attractive urban park and a new haven for wildlife.
At the moment, Grafton Gate Park is a seldom-visited, little-used and overgrown space between Lower Second Street and Lower Fourth Street. It is to the left of the former Jaipur restaurant and the Premier Inn, a few hundred metres from Milton Keynes Central rail station and close to the former bus station in Elder Gate.
The park is a hidden gem with five ponds and a number of waterfalls. The ponds and waterfalls are prone to flooding, but work is being carried out to remedy this. Landscaping work is aimed at cutting back overgrown bushes and trees, removing ivy, clearing litter, and making the park a more attractive space for both people and wildlife.
Milton Keynes City Council is working on the transformation in partnership with MyMiltonKeynes and the landlord, MKDP.
The project is part of a longer-term aim to create a masterplan for Grafton Park and make the 9,000 square metre site a premium city park. It is also hoped that Grafton Park will achieve green flag status, recognising well-managed green spaces.
Councillor Jenny Wilson-Marklew (Labour) has said: ‘Grafton Park is a hidden gem in the middle of the city centre that deserves to be maximised to its full potential. She describes the development of Grafton Park development as a critical flagship project that will help Milton Keynes become ‘the greenest city in the world.’
The proposals include refurbishing public art and sculptures in the park – including the bird tower that is earmarked to become a central attraction – upgrading pathways upgraded, installing benches and bins and improving the signage.
Grafton Park is in the south-west quarter of Milton Keynes, between CBX and the former Bus Station. Its style contrasts with the more formal layout of the Fred Roche Gardens. To the north-east stand Witan Gate House, with more recent office developments to the north and south, while Premier Inn and the former Jaipur Restaurant are beside the south-west corner.
The park featured as a major green space in early plans prepared for Milton Keynes Development Corporation, and from about 2000 it was named on plans and maps as Grafton Park.
The long, narrow rectangular site slopes east to west and is surrounded by shrubs and hedging. The ground has been sculpted into interesting landforms and the north and south sides have been planted with birch and pines.
A large informal pool at the east end is surrounded by bamboo and birches. This feeds into a small stream or rill that flows down the site through waterfalls to a more formal, central round pond. From there, the stream flows gently to disappear at the garden’s west boundary.
The stream interconnects with the main path running east-west, with metal grids to act as pedestrian bridges. The path is lined with ornamental grasses and sedges and the garden is laid to lawns leading up to the boundary shrubbery.
If Grafton Park is successfully transformed into attractive urban park and a new haven for wildlife, is all that work going to be fruitless if it falls under the shadow of a 33-storey high-rise tower block on the site of the beautiful but fading and decaying former Jaipur restaurant?
Ninety seconds by a water feature in Grafton Park (Patrick Comerford)
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