New Towns: Balancing Ambition with Quality
The drive for new towns continues, but there are some important lessons to be learned if they are to prove successful…
The government’s recent announcement of an expert taskforce to identify potential locations for new towns marks a renewed ambition to tackle the housing challenge through large-scale planned growth.
The New Towns Taskforce will explore options across England, including Milton Keynes and Central Bedfordshire – areas already central to the long-term vision for the Oxford-Cambridge Arc. It says each new town should have at least 10,000 homes with a minimum of 40% affordable housing and half of which will be for social rent.
The Taskforces has already recommended 12 locations, including a ‘Renewed Town’ in Milton Keynes, which aims to reinvigorate the city centre and expand to the north and east while reshaping the way people travel, by delivering a Mass Rapid Transit system. Another identified possibility is a new settlement in Tempsford, Central Bedfordshire, which is designed to maximise the benefits of East West Rail by building a well-connected new town in the heart of the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor.
A New Towns Unit will also be established by the government to progress development on these new towns. The Unit will work with departments and agencies to ensure new towns are a test bed for innovation, and to unblock any barriers to delivery.
This initiative signals a welcome focus on strategic planning, reminiscent of the post-war New Towns programme. However, as the House of Lords Built Environment Committee recently noted in its New Towns report, creating successful new communities is not just about quantity. It is also about quality of place – ensuring that new towns are well-designed, sustainable, and supported by the infrastructure and services that make them thrive.
Lord Gascoigne, chair of the Committee, 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.’’
The Committee’s report underlines the importance of long-term stewardship, coherent governance, and funding mechanisms that prioritise community building over short-term delivery. The question is not simply where we build new towns, but how we ensure they become great places to live.
Infrastructure before Expansion
A local example demonstrates what this can look like in practice. To the east of Milton Keynes, between M1 (J14) and Newport Pagnell, lies the Milton Keynes East Strategic Urban Extension – a planned development in the Council’s adopted Plan: MK. It will eventually provide around 5,000 homes alongside employment land and community facilities.
Although housing construction has only just begun, essential infrastructure is already in place. A new primary school and medical centre are built and ready to serve new residents in due course – a clear case of ‘I before E: infrastructure before expansion!’. This ensures that the new community has a foundation of services from the outset, supporting both new and existing residents.
The Milton Keynes East example illustrates what can be achieved when infrastructure delivery is integrated into the planning and phasing of major developments. It shows that strategic urban extensions – when properly planned and coordinated – can align with the government’s vision for new towns that are both ambitious and livable.
A Joined-up Approach
As the government’s taskforce begins to shape its recommendations, it will need to balance national ambition with local experience. The success of future new towns will depend not only on where they are located, but on how early investment, partnership working, and community-focused planning are prioritised.
For both planners and developers, the message is clear: sustainable growth relies on foresight and collaboration. Delivering the homes needed must go hand-in-hand with creating places where people genuinely want to live.
The renewed focus on new towns is an opportunity to learn from both history and current practice. If the powers that be combine ambition with quality, and planning with delivery, it’s entirely possible to create a new generation of places that stand the test of time.
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