Interview with Allen Duff part 1

In 1970, Allen was offered a post as commercial surveyor at MKDC. His role was in Land Acquisition: buying up land for the development of MK, something of which he had no experience. Working in a team led by Brian Brookman, he ‘immediately enjoyed the job’. Land was first purchased from large estates for the sewage works; this caused difficulties for tenant farmers, who received very little compensation, but the team were motivated by the need to develop the city. Allen recalls that Alan Ashton sought increased compensation for tenants from the government. Allen says: ‘The MKDC team were all intent on delivering the plan: There was a determination to do it well …it was an extraordinary place to work’; but he recalls the great pressures on all Directors; he discusses the two conflicting characters of Derek Walker and Alan Ashton and his views of them both. Allen moved to the Commercial Section to work on the Brunel Centre, Bletchley, which he viewed as ‘architecturally disappointing …but it achieved its purpose’ (of making Bletchley initially the principal shopping area).

Alan Ashton appointed Allen as Deputy to Bill Jowett on the CMK Shopping Building project. He was first involved in negotiating with the Post Office Staff Superannuation Fund (POSS Fund) who agreed to provide the major funding. He recalls that MKDC Board and Fred Roche ‘rejected doubts [about CMK] out of hand’, effectively saying: ‘We’re going to hit the marketplace between the eyes’. In Allen’s opinion the building is a masterpiece. Main risk factors were rising costs and insufficient rental income; it was his responsibility to renegotiate the agreement with POSS Fund, to ensure MKDC received a sufficient share of rental income. He recalls that when MKDC’s 22% share of the building was sold by Commercial Director Bob Hill, (Allen’s successor), it raised some £56 million. Allen recalls his feeling of pride when the building was opened: ‘it was flooded with people’. They discuss further the high risks of the project but Allen says that the government accepted it ‘as a sensible and secure investment’. He comments on the building’s unique design, filled with daylight, and its size, and gives credit to both Derek Walker and Stuart Mosscrop for this.