It said that over 100 sites across England have come forward to be considered for next generation of New Towns. Every New Town will have the potential to deliver 10,000 homes or more.
It added that it is ‘on track to create beautiful communities, provide affordable homes, and deliver much needed infrastructure, including schools and nurseries, GP surgeries, and bus routes’.
The New Towns project is a long-term one but in the short-term, the government is taking on ‘the blockers’ – a reference to those opposing new developments. It said that 20,000 homes, along with new schools and health facilities, will move forward following government action. It also plans to ‘unblock’ a further 700,000 homes across 350 sites with major planning reforms.
Principles for new towns
The New Towns Taskforce has today set clear principles on what the next generation of new towns will deliver: affordable housing, vital infrastructure and access to open green spaces and nature, to transform the lives of working people.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “This is about more than just bricks and mortar. It’s about the security and stability that owning your own home brings. I know what this means for working people – the roof above our head was everything for our family growing up.”
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Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Angela Rayner, added: “While our vision for the next generation of new towns is setting the stage for a housebuilding revolution in the years to come, urgent action is needed now to build the homes and infrastructure that our local communities are crying out for.
“That’s why our New Homes Accelerator is working at pace to find solutions and remove blockages in the system, executing long-lasting solutions to get spades in the ground.”
Nathan Emerson, CEO of Propertymark, welcomed the New Towns proposal.
He said: “We look forward to hearing further details on precise locations, as they must fully enhance and complement the regions where they will be built.
“It is encouraging to hear that sustaining infrastructure, such as education and health facilities, will be closely integrated within the master plan for each proposed town, as all too often sizable developments can be built without reasonable supporting arrangements.”