Garden city prospectus fails to specify locations for new communities

While local authorities with plans for garden cities with at least 15,000 homes, and the backing of local residents, have been urged to come forward to express interest by the CLG in the Locally-led Garden Cities document, no locations for the developments have been confirmed.

It had been rumoured that deputy prime minister Nick Clegg would set out plans for three garden cities between Oxford and Cambridge in a speech today, however a spokesperson for the CLG said the department was not going to ‘impose’ garden cities anywhere.

Mr Clegg said up to three garden cities will be built at his monthly media press conference and promised ‘high-quality homes in thriving new communities’ in sites yet to be identified.

The Conservatives were criticised in January for repressing a report on garden cities which was rumoured to have recommended two new garden cities in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. Tim Farron, Lib Dem president, said at the time that the Conservatives feared provoking an angry response from voters in Tory heartlands.

The report published today sets out what the CLG wants from garden city proposals: local support, scale, connectivity, delivery arrangement, commercial viability and land.

Alongside this it sets out what is on offer in return: brokerage, direct planning support, capacity funding and capital funding.

Councils interested in developing garden cities are to email the CLG at locallyledgardencities@communities.gsi.gov.uk.

Mr Clegg said: ‘Today I’m publishing a new garden cities prospectus, which calls for local areas to submit their plans for garden cities that will provide affordable homes, good schools, and jobs for the next generation, while at the same time preserving the countryside.

‘This is a call to arms for visionaries in local areas in need of housing to put forward radical and ambitious proposals to develop their own garden cities.’

Chancellor George Osborne announced plans for a garden city in Ebbsfleet in May, however he was accused of recycling the announcement by Labour.

Hugh Ellis, head of policy at the Town and Country Planning Association, said: ‘We welcome the deputy prime minister’s announcement setting out the core requirements of proposed garden cities, as well as the support package that the government can offer to facilitate their delivery. 

‘Going forward, we believe it is vital that the key principles of garden cities are embedded into any proposals to deliver these well-designed and inclusive new communities, and not just in the south east.’

The £1 billion large sites infrastructure programme prospectus was also published today. It is for schemes of more than 1,500 homes that are ready to start development but need capital investement to deliver upfront infrastructure. Expressions of interest must be made by 30 May 2014 and applications can be submitted to the Homes and Communities Agency here.