Milton Keynes was earmarked as a 'target growth area' by the government back in 2003, but since the beginning of this year, the proposals to swell the town's population by 160,000 have been hamstrung. Milton Keynes Partnerships had hoped to deliver 1,700 new homes this year, but that number is closer to 800. All the big housebuilders sought projects in Milton Keynes, with the likes of Taylor Wimpey, Barratt and Crest Nicholson putting forward proposals. However, as the financial downturn has accelerated, a host of projects have been put on hold. 'We're not immune,' says Milton Keynes Partnerships chief operating officer John Lewis. 'We've seen the immediate effect the financial situation has had. New business has quietened down, with the large housebuilders no longer bidding for sites. But where they're already on site they are committed to completing.'
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