52°00′18″N0°45′50″W / 52.005°N 0.764°W /52.005; -0.764
Furzton is a district in south-westMilton Keynes,Buckinghamshire, England and in thecivil parish ofShenley Brook End[1][2] The man-made Furzton Lake is abalancing lake that covers approximately half of the district. The district lies just north ofBletchley, and roughly 2 miles (3.2 km) south ofCentral Milton Keynes.
The housing in South Furzton was built sometime around the early to mid-1980s, with the Parkside/Favell Drive housing to the East coming first – development then moved West along Blackmoor Gate. The shops were constructed after 1984 – prior to this time, the nearest local shops were at Melrose Avenue, in Bletchley.
Prior to the construction of North Furzton, the land on the northern side of the brook in the linear park was farmland – thus, residents of South Furzton had only a short walk to reach open countryside. When plans were announced for North Furzton, in particular the extension of Dulverton Drive to form the link between the two sides, residents' meetings were held in protest at what residents expected would be a significant increase in traffic. Most of the South Furzton housing was complete when the construction of the lake started.
North Furzton housing and shops were built between 1990 and 2004.
Because of its clay soils and relatively flat topography, thedesigners of Milton Keynes had to make provision for flood control. A key element of this strategy is to restrain floodwater from reaching theRiver Great Ouse lest it create problems for downstream settlements, using balancing lakes and managedflood plains.[3] Loughton Brook, which rises inWhaddon (just beyond Tattenhoe) and joins the Ouse atNew Bradwell, is usually a very minor tributary, little more than a metre wide here. It has quite a large catchment area, added to by the hard surfaces of the surrounding developments. Built in the 1980s,[4] and with an area of 70 acres (28 hectares),[5] Furzton Lake is the first major balancing lake it encounters. The flood plain of the brook forms alinear park about 200 metres wide that runs through the district west to east. The lake and its surroundings provide an important local leisure facility.[6][5]
TheChurch of the Servant King, Furzton is anecumenicalchurch located in Furzton. The church forms part of theWatling Valley Ecumenical Partnership. The congregation of the church started meeting in a community house in the local area, led by aChurch Army sister. As numbers grew, they moved first to the Meeting Place in South Furzton, then to Coldharbour School. The present church building was used from June 1992 onwards, with the official opening in September 1992. The building, on Dulverton Drive, is shared with theRidgeway Community Centre.