I very much welcome the news that the Department of Education has approved Milton Keynes College's proposal for an Institute of Technology to be based at historic Bletchley Park.
This is an historic moment in the history of Bletchley Park. The home of the codebreakers, where the great Alan Turing cracked the enigma code, and initiated the study of what we recognise today as computer science, will once again be the home of coding. The Institute of Technology will create a new generation of coders that will lead the world in technological innovation.
I congratulate all those involved in making this happen. It is an exciting time for the sector and the substantial investment to make this project a reality underlines the Government's focus on building the skills base that is essential for our future economy. Milton Keynes is one of the fastest growing local economies in the UK with the tech sector playing a major role in our economic output. According to a recent UK Powerhouse report published by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), MK has overtaken Cambridge as the UK’s fastest growing town or city economy with a 2.6% Annual Gross Value Added growth. Cambridge, Reading, Oxford and Ipswich make up the remainder of the top four.
The addition of Institute of Technology to the landscape of our City will be an added boost to our local economy.