Interview with John Wardley, part 2

John worked as engineer in North Milton Keynes from about 1974. He describes early issues in grid road planning, referring to the ‘blue book’ of about 1946 setting out designs for residential roads, junctions and fast roads like the M1. An updated road design document was produced in about 1967; John says it was ‘the basis on which we started to design the city roads… for Milton Keynes’. John worked on Heelands and Heelands III, using the Ministry of Transport Highway Design Suite; he remembers Malcolm Grant, computer expert, who introduced his: ‘digital ground model’, first used on Heelands III. John discusses speed limits, traffic signals and junctions, noting that David Jamieson originally suggested a 40mph limit for grid roads, combined with signals at junctions; John expresses concern at the current high speeds allowed and explains some oddities in the grid road layouts. Don recalls problems getting approval from Executive Management Committee (EMC) for the redways; a keen cyclist, he enjoyed trips on them with Don Perkins.

He recalls the building of the A5 (Diversion) and battles with authorities about cost; he and Don Perkins walked the whole length of the planned route to iron out potential problems. He describes the first few years at MKDC as ‘wonderful… approvals without Executive Management Committee (EMC) were much easier. He praises his own team. What gives him most pride is to see MK residents with smiles on their faces ‘…it gives me an enormous buzz’. He also praises the beauty of grid road landscaping. John has memories of many contracts he was involved with, recalling some disagreements with architects. While criticising some road layouts in CMK, he names many people he would like to compliment for their work: Stan Creer, David Jamieson, Les Davis, Digby Woods and many others. Finally John says: ‘What I do regret … is that I wish I had gone on and qualified as an architect as well’.