A city MP has demanded answers about the future expansion of Milton Keynes.

Mark Lancaster, member for Milton Keynes North, called a debate on housing growth after it was announced that government-dictated targets would be scrapped.

The Labour government designated Milton Keynes as one of Britain’s main growth areas as set out in the south east’s ‘regional spatial strategy’.

But in May councils received a letter from Communities and Local Government Secretary of State, Eric Pickles, stating that such strategies would be scrapped.

Mr Lancaster has strongly campaigned for infrastructure before expansion with the slogan ‘I before E’ and called for residents to determine the size and shape of their city.

During the debate in the House of Commons on Wednesday he pushed minister Bob Neill for answers about how the powers would be returned to local people.

He went on to question the future powers of Milton Keynes Partnership, set up when the then minister John Prescott put the city in line for 70,000 new homes.

This unelected quango has ‘dictated the amount, direction and speed of growth in Milton Keynes, not the democratically elected local council’, Mr Lancaster told Westminster Hall.

After the debate he said: “I’m delighted that after years of campaigning, we are finally seeing an end to housing targets imposed on us. But as I said, we need to know how this power is going to be returned to the residents of Milton Keynes.”

Fellow city MP Iain Stewart, who represents Milton Keynes South, called for a local debate on not only the number but types of new houses.

Afterwards he said: “I am very much in favour of letting local people have a say on not just the number of new houses that are built, but also the density and style of new housing, and the infrastructure and services that should be provided. That way we can avoid too many homes being crammed into a small space with insufficient parking or open space.”