Bakery set for site where protected oak tree stood

A bakery and coffee shop chain is set for a city centre site where a protected oak tree once stood.

Gail's has submitted a planning application to Milton Keynes City Council to open a store in the centre of Oak Court in Midsummer Place.

The shopping centre was built around the protected tree in 2000 but it was confirmed to have died in 2015 and was cut down.

As part of the plans, preserved timber from the original oak tree will be reused within the planting areas to form natural structures.

The application stated that it would be a fitting way to provide "the community with a link back to the previous space".

It said the proposed development was designed to serve as a focal point in Midsummer Place offering "a welcoming space where people can meet, gather and connect with one another", as first reported in the Milton Keynes Citizen.

"In addition to fostering social interaction, it will encourage visitors to spend more time in this part of the shopping centre," the applicant said.

The plans for the single-storey bakery involve removing the existing flooring and altering the seating around the circular site.

There will also be an open courtyard seating area with an overhead timber canopy and new planters.

It was claimed the oak tree drowned as a result of poor drainage.

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