Government announces proposed locations for seven new towns
The government has set out proposals for the locations of seven new towns, with each delivering at least 10,000 new homes.
The announcement says that the new towns will create well-connected new communities comprising homes, jobs, schools, green space and transport links.
Each proposed location is expected to deliver a minimum of 10,000 homes, with several delivering 40,000 or more in the decades to come.
The proposed locations are:
- Tempsford, Bedfordshire – up to 40,000 homes built around a new East West Rail station, linking residents to Cambridge, Oxford, London and Milton Keynes
- Crews Hill and Chase Park, Enfield – up to 21,000 homes helping to meet London’s acute housing need
- Leeds South Bank, West Yorkshire – up to 20,000 homes capitalising on the city’s economic momentum and the government’s £2.1billion local transport investment
- Manchester Victoria North, Greater Manchester – at least 15,000 homes regenerating the heart of Greater Manchester, with a new Metrolink stop connecting residents to jobs across the city
- Thamesmead, Greenwich – up to 15,000 homes unlocking inaccessible riverside land in London, enabled by the planned Docklands Light Railway extension
- Brabazon and the West Innovation Arc, South Gloucestershire – up to 40,000 homes at the heart of a world-class research and advanced engineering economy
- Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire — building on its history as one of the original new towns, to take forward the ‘renewed town’ vision to expand the city by around 40,000 homes and reinvigorate the centre with a new local transport system, boosting connectivity in the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor
Housing secretary, Steve Reed, said: “People want real change – homes they can afford, local infrastructure that works, and good jobs in thriving communities.”
“Our next generation of new towns marks a turning point in how we build for the future.”
“From the ground up, we’re planning whole communities with homes, jobs, transport links, and green spaces designed together — so we can give families the security and opportunities they deserve.”
To drive forward delivery, four interim advisers have been appointed to support the New Towns Unit. These are Lyn Garner, former chief executive of the London Legacy Development Corporation, Ian Piper, former chief executive of the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, Emma Cariaga, chief operating officer of British Land and David Rudlin, founding principal of Rudlin & Co and principal author of the UK Government’s National Model Design Code.
To ensure that new towns are built in a holistic way, that meets communities’ growing needs, the government is taking a cross-government approach to ensure the utilities, health, education and digital infrastructure to underpin new towns from the outset.
Alongside the new towns consultation, the government has also confirmed today that the National Housing Bank will launch on 1 April, backed with up to £16billion of financial capacity and aiming to deliver over 500,000 new homes.
The government has also confirmed additional support worth up to £400million over the next decade for subsidised products. This will enable both the National Housing Bank and regional Mayors to issue loans and investments at lower interest rates and unlock housebuilding across the country.
The Bank will be chaired by Peter Vernon, with Simon Century as its chief executive, and will aim to respond flexibly to market needs, unlocking over £53billion of private investment and providing developers with more financial stability and certainty to support the delivery of over half a million new homes.
Chancellor of the exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said: “For decades this country’s planning system has been a direct obstacle to building new homes, ramping up costs and pricing young people out of the housing market.”
“Two years ago, I promised that we would grasp the nettle of planning reform. Now we’re planning to build a new generation of new towns, opening up the expansion of our most dynamic cities and raise up new communities.”
“Our economic plan is the right one. Through stability, investment and reform we are building a stronger and more secure economy.”
Melanie Leech CBE, chief executive of the British Property Federation, said: “Today’s announcement is a welcome next step for this 21st century new towns programme. The sites identified will only be delivered with a combination of public and private sector expertise and given the current viability crisis, will require a laser focus on creating the right conditions to deliver housing at scale and unlock the full economic benefits that will flow from this. We call on the government to work with all key partners and representatives to identify and remove barriers to delivery, including infrastructure provision and connectivity, and actively promote those housing tenures, such as Build to Rent and Single-Family Housing, which will accelerate delivery.”
Source: Showhouse
