Prince William is attempting to save the UK high street by building a new town worth hundreds of millions of pounds. Nansledan, on the outskirts of Newquay in Cornwall, is a new town that started construction more than a decade ago. It is being developed by the Duchy of Cornwall, the private land portfolio run by the Prince of Wales.
A new approach to town planning
It is set to be home to 8,000 residents one day, along with a high street that could stop the decline of British town centres. Prime Minister Andy Burnham named regenerating the country's high streets as a top priority in August, saying they have "become unrecognisable over decades of decline" with "the rise of vape shops, betting shops and rogue operators".
Prince William's Nansledan is attempting to show the way forward for councils and the government with an innovative architectural approach, reports The Economist. It involves building all shop floors at the same level, so businesses can start from a small shop and move sideways if they flourish.
Design features and local amenities
Two larger central units — a Tesco supermarket and market hall — will also remain within walking distance so Nansledan locals can walk to the shops they need, developers say. The food hall is being modelled on Altrincham Market, which helped revive the Greater Manchester town and is now being copied up and down the country.
Nansledan welcomed the first of its nearly 2,000 residents 11 years ago, when King Charles controlled the Duchy of Cornwall. His Majesty has previous experience with building new towns in the form of Poundbury in Dorset 30 years ago.
Potential for wider adoption
Many of the architectural tricks, like spreading affordable homes among general market housing and hiding cars in courtyards, are becoming common in new suburban estates, The Economist added.
There is reason to believe Nansledan-style high streets could pop up across Britain in the coming years, given the Duchy's influence on planning and the government's commitment to building new towns to meet housing demand. King Charles showed Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner around when they announced funding for new towns across the country last year, a pledge Andy Burnham remains committed to by backing Labour's 2024 manifesto.
