Lords warn plan for New Towns lacks ‘clear, engaging vision’

This is why the inquiry believes the government must set a vision for both the entire programme and for each individual project, and consistently communicate it to secure investor, local authority, and public support for the programme.

The plans should go beyond housing targets and drive inclusive, sustainable growth, improve life chances and reduce regional inequalities. This can only be done with “clear ministerial leadership with a cross-government focus”.

Lord Gascoigne, chair of the BEC, said: “The government has a major opportunity to deliver high-quality, affordable and sustainable New Towns and expanded settlements at scale. 

“However, as it stands, the government’s programme lacks a clear, engaging vision that provides a rationale for these New Towns. It needs to explain to the communities that will be impacted and the wider public what New Towns are designed to achieve and why they matter.

“New Towns and expanded settlements have the potential to prompt huge public opposition so, before announcing the selected sites, the government must set out a clear engagement and consult the community in a meaningful way.”

Other recommendations from the inquiry include a robust and funded delivery plan for early infrastructure, put in place by the time the first houses begin construction.

This is in addition to flexible masterplans providing certainty to stakeholders and developers, with phased plans reviewed every five years.

Mandated design standards, overseen by the government, should include community engagement and co-design to ensure buy-in, with development corporations as the default delivery vehicle.

BEC members believe these New Towns will only be possible with significant amounts of private investment, but public lending and guarantees will be essential to fund early infrastructure and sustain ambitious levels of affordable housing. 

Plus, the government must ensure that it maximises land value capture and reinvests the proceeds in infrastructure and the community, sequencing policy and site decisions to prevent value leakage.

The sector is currently awaiting the findings of a separate inquiry into land value capture, which seeks to capture the value uplift on land when it is granted planning permission, contributing to the delivery of the government’s housebuilding plans and helping fund affordable housing and public infrastructure.

Lord Gascoigne added: “The common approach of only providing physical, commercial and social infrastructure once houses are built needs to change. An ‘infrastructure first’ approach should be adopted.

“Our committee has taken a high-level and strategic approach to assessing and scrutinising the government’s New Towns programme and we look forward to publishing our full report next month.”

These preliminary findings are being released in anticipation of the imminent publication of the New Towns Taskforce’s report regarding where the government should locate the initial phase of up to 12 New Towns.