Ambitious Plans for New Towns

The New Towns Taskforce (NTT) set out an ambitious vision for the next generation of large-scale development, first identifying 12 locations across England for potential growth, with the number now whittled down to seven…

While framed as a revival of post-war ‘new towns’, the reality is more nuanced – and for planning professionals, far more complex.

The proposed seven locations include two close to Apex Planning Consultants:

• Tempsford, Bedfordshire: up to 40,000 homes built around a new East West Rail station, which will link residents to Cambridge, Oxford, London and Milton Keynes.
• Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire: a plan to expand the city by about 40,000 homes and a new local transport system for the centre, improving connectivity in the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor.

At first glance, the list blends genuinely new settlements – such as Tempsford – with urban extensions, regeneration schemes, and densification projects. Locations such as Thamesmead in London are not ‘new towns’ in the traditional sense, but rather strategic intensifications of existing urban areas. This signals a clear shift in how government is interpreting large-scale delivery: it’s less about standalone settlements, more about maximising existing economic hubs, and for the cynics, simply a way of speeding up the delivery of desperately needed new housing which is otherwise faltering.

For planners, this hybrid model raises important questions. The traditional new town approach offered a blank canvas for infrastructure, land assembly, and placemaking. By contrast, regeneration-led schemes must contend with existing land ownership patterns, infrastructure constraints, and community integration challenges. While these sites may benefit from established economic ecosystems, they are inherently more complex to deliver.

Geographically, the recommendations also reveal a southern bias, with a concentration of sites in London and the South East, which may prompt debate around regional equity and the alignment with broader ‘levelling up’ ambitions. However, many of the chosen locations are closely tied to existing or emerging economic corridors, suggesting that productivity and growth potential have been prioritised over spatial balance.

The new towns plan to offer:

• A design for modern life – vibrant high streets, shared green spaces, and the ability to get around neighbourhoods without a car.
• The aim of at least 40% affordable housing – making them more affordable for those on an ‘ordinary’ income.
• At least half of affordable homes available at social rent – usually owned by a housing association or local council.

Delivery mechanisms will be significant. Decision-making may be streamlined, but may also create tensions with local authorities, particularly around housing targets and land-use priorities.

Compulsory purchase powers, including the use of the ‘no scheme principle’, will play a pivotal role in land assembly. While this may help control costs and accelerate delivery, it introduces further complexity around valuation, viability, and stakeholder engagement – areas where planning professionals will need to exercise both technical expertise and careful judgement.

“well-connected, well-designed, sustainable and attractive places where people want to live with all the infrastructure, amenities and services necessary to sustain thriving communities”

The recent Strategic Environmental Assessment report states that good planning, upfront investment, and high-quality design will be the best way to achieve development at this scale.

The government aims for: ‘’well-connected, well-designed, sustainable and attractive places where people want to live with all the infrastructure, amenities and services necessary to sustain thriving communities’’.

Ultimately, the NTT’s recommendations underline a key reality: there is no single solution to the UK’s housing crisis. New towns – whether genuinely new or strategically reimagined – will contribute to long-term supply, but they are unlikely to meet short-term delivery targets in isolation.

For the planning industry, the message is clear. Success will depend not just on scale, but on quality. Placemaking, connectivity, and sustainability must remain central to these developments. If the next generation of new towns is to succeed, they must be about more than housing numbers – they must be places where people genuinely want to live, work, and stay.

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