Sector responds to New Towns Taskforce recommendations

Kate Henderson, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, who was also a member of the taskforce, welcomed the recommendations.

She said: “It’s [the report’s] strong commitment to ensuring 40% of the new homes are affordable housing, with half being for social rent.

“Boosting affordable and social housing through the new town programme is key to solving the housing crisis and provides significant wider benefits, driving economic growth, increasing jobs, improving living standards and saving the taxpayer money.

“Housing associations are ready to work with the government and local leaders as key partners in building new towns and creating sustainable homes and thriving mixed communities.”

Mark Washer, chief executive of Sovereign Network Group, said: “The proposed new towns offer a huge opportunity to deliver homes and places that are the foundation for generations of people. For them to be a success, we must see long-term investment at the heart of these places.

“We’ve learnt over the last 50 years of providing homes within the last set of new towns that multi-decade approaches are essential for a legacy of success. Housing associations, which think long term, must be at the heart of delivery.

“The use of urban extensions that harness existing infrastructure is very welcome and will speed up delivery. It’s also essential that existing towns and town centres are revitalised and connected.

“New and regenerated housing, alongside sustainable transport, will unlock economic growth, support thriving town centres, and build communities that thrive for generations. This should be a priority for new funding routes enabled by the government.”

Tom Copley, London’s deputy mayor for housing, said he was delighted that London has been chosen as the location for two new towns. “An expanded development bringing together Chase Park and Crews Hill in Enfield, plus the creation of a riverside settlement in Thamesmead, Greenwich.”

Mr Copley added: “With the right infrastructure, these sites could deliver tens of thousands of homes between them.”

Jonathan Seager, policy delivery director at BusinessLDN, said: “It’s positive to see the government earmarking two sites in London for the development of new towns, following our recommendations to the taskforce last year.

“London’s acute housing need, political frameworks and infrastructure potential make it the ideal place for getting shovels in the ground quickly on new 10,000-home settlements.

“Delivering a thriving new town in Thamesmead depends on extending the Docklands Light Railway to the area – the private sector stands ready to work with the public sector to make the project happen, learning lessons from innovative financing models that have had success in other parts of the city.

“The bodies established to deliver new towns must be given the powers and funding needed to make projects a success.”

Bev Craig, leader of Manchester City Council, also welcomed the recommendation for inner-city development and densification in Manchester’s Victoria North.

She said this regeneration programme in the city will see 15,000 homes built in the next 15 years. 

Ms Craig added: “Having the government’s full backing to deliver the major Victoria North regeneration programme through the New Towns Taskforce is great news for Manchester – and a resounding endorsement for our vision for inclusive, sustainable growth, and a clear sign that this transformational project is a national priority. 

“Victoria North is one of the largest and most ambitious programmes of regeneration in Europe, which is creating a new town in our city – 15,000 new homes across seven distinct neighbourhoods, each connected by excellent green spaces and a new 40-hectare River City Park, all while creating jobs and opportunities for our residents. 

“We are already welcoming residents into the first completed homes, including the first of 130 social rent properties in Collyhurst, and this announcement gives us the key backing to crack on – and a vote of confidence that Manchester, along with our partners, can deliver once-in-a-generation regeneration at this scale.”

Melanie Leech, chief executive of the British Property Federation, said: “The government’s commitment to the new towns programme, and to using all the levers it has to enable investment to be unlocked and public and private sectors to work together, is very welcome. 

“Development viability is under severe pressure across the country because of high materials, construction and capital costs, as well as continuing delays in the planning system and regulatory burdens, and we will need targeted and robust interventions to deliver.

“We share the vision for places that are highly sustainable, have strong connectivity and transport links, are aligned to the wider needs of the national, regional and local economies, drive vibrant and sustainable high streets and offer a broad choice of housing across all tenures and affordability ranges.”

Paul Rickard, chief executive of Pocket Living, said: “This report is welcome at a time when we need to significantly increase the level of new homes.

“The new towns strategy provides both a medium and longer-term housing strategy, something that is to be welcome. More importantly, this is an opportunity to place SMEs at the heart of a national housing strategy by allocating plots within the new towns to local SME developers. This could help reverse the impending extinction of the SME sector and vastly increase the delivery capability of the nation.”

Dr Wei Yang, chief executive of the Digital Task Force for Planning, past president of the Royal Town Planning Institute and member of the New Towns Taskforce, described the policy’s visions as “to create resilient, inclusive, affordable and sustainable communities where people and nature thrive in harmony”. 

She added: “Embedding the highest standards of design, sustainability and well-being is essential to ensuring these places are built not only for today, but for generations to come.

“The next generation of new towns can also be a blueprint for a brighter future, shaping how we plan, finance, build and steward sustainable communities at scale through a holistic approach enabled by the latest digital and technological innovations.

“I am pleased to see the government’s positive response to the report, and encourage them to be bold and draw on the expertise across the sector to turn this vision into reality.”