Ministers have confirmed the locations for seven new towns in England, billed as the most ambitious housebuilding project in half a century. The programme aims to construct between 15,000 and 40,000 homes in each location, with integrated schools, healthcare, public transport, and cycling paths.
Only one site, Tempsford in Bedfordshire, will be built around an existing small community. Up to 40,000 homes are planned on a former RAF base near the A1, with a major station linking the east coast mainline to a new east-west rail link between Cambridge and Oxford.
Five projects are within or on the edges of major cities. In London, Crews Hill and Chase Park in Enfield will see up to 21,000 homes, while Thamesmead in south-east London will get 15,000 homes, supported by an extension of the Docklands Light Railway. Other urban sites include Victoria North in Manchester (15,000 homes), Leeds South Bank (20,000 homes), and Brabazon and the West Innovation Arc in north Bristol (40,000 homes).
The final project is in Milton Keynes, itself a postwar new town, with 40,000 new homes planned. The seven locations were chosen from a shortlist of 12 unveiled in September; the other five will not become new towns but remain eligible for support.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed said the plan “marks a turning point in how we build for the future”, adding: “From the ground up, we’re planning whole communities with homes, jobs, transport links, and green spaces designed together – so we can give families the security and opportunities they deserve.”
