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.

If you would like to discuss your own new project with us, or just find out more about what we do, please continue to browse the website or drop us an email to: info@apexplanning.co.uk without obligation.

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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.

If you would like to discuss your own new project with us, or just find out more about what we do, please continue to browse the website or drop us an email to: info@apexplanning.co.uk without obligation.

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