Ministers have confirmed the locations for seven new towns in England, in what is being billed as the most ambitious housebuilding project for half a century. The programme, led by the Department for Housing and Communities, aims to construct between 15,000 and 40,000 homes in each location, with coordinated planning for schools, healthcare, transport, and green spaces.
The new towns will be built on a mix of under-developed inner-city land, a historic village, and an existing new town. Only one site, Tempsford in Bedfordshire, will be created around a small existing community, with up to 40,000 homes planned on a former RAF base. The development will include a major station interchange linking the east coast mainline with a new east-west link between Cambridge and Oxford.
Five of the projects are within or on the edges of major cities. In London, two new towns are planned: Crews Hill and Chase Park in Enfield (up to 21,000 homes) and Thamesmead in south-east London (15,000 homes), aided by an extension of the Docklands Light Railway. Other urban projects include Victoria North in Manchester (15,000 homes), Leeds South Bank (20,000 homes), and the Brabazon and West Innovation Arc in north Bristol (40,000 homes). The final site is Milton Keynes, itself a postwar new town, which will see 40,000 additional homes.
The seven locations were selected from a shortlist of 12 unveiled in September. The five other places—Adlington in Cheshire, Heyford Park in Oxfordshire, Marlcombe in East Devon, Plymouth, and Wychavon Town on the edge of Worcester—will not become new towns but are eligible for support through other means. A 13th location, South Barking in east London, also qualifies for alternative support.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed said the plan “marks a turning point in how we build for the future.” He added: “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.”
