Today, the House of Lords Built Environment Committee published
‘New Towns: Creating Communities'. This is the second report of
the committee's inquiry into the Government's new towns
programme.
In its report the committee repeats its calls for the
establishment of a single, autonomous central body, reporting to
a dedicated Cabinet-level minister, to coordinate departments,
steward quality and manage new town assets over the long term.
The committee is urging the Government to set out and champion a
clear, galvanising vision, rooted in opportunity and quality of
life, so that the programme can sustain public, political and
investor support over the decades to come.
One of the report's conclusions is that new towns should drive
inclusive growth, reduce spatial inequalities and act as
exemplars of modern, healthy, sustainable living. The continued
emphasis on delivering housing units is not enough to give the
programme meaning and create thriving and successful communities.
New towns must avoid homogeneity. In addition to prioritising
walkable neighbourhoods, high quality public spaces, and
biodiversity, they must incorporate diverse plot sizes and reuse
existing structures as much as possible, drawing on the local
landscape and heritage to create distinct identities.
, Chair of the Built
Environment Committee, said:
“The new towns programme needs a compelling national vision.
There has to be strong national leadership, clear coordination
across government, all supporting delivery on the ground at the
local level to create sustainable, flourishing communities for
the decades ahead.
“The purpose of the new towns programme must go beyond just
meeting housing numbers. People need to be able to thrive, rather
than simply survive, in these new towns; that means that these
new towns have to be accessible, age-friendly and safe.
“Now that the Government has set out the locations of seven new
towns that will be considered and confirmed the launch of the
National Housing Bank, it needs to tell the country how it is
going to deliver these new places.”
Other findings and recommendations include:
- The new towns must embed opportunities for active travel,
green/blue infrastructure and social spaces that support physical
and mental wellbeing and proactively support access for all. New
towns should embed the principles of the NHS 10‑Year Health Plan,
co‑locating care in community settings and enabling green and
social prescribing to improve outcomes and reduce demand on acute
services.
- The committee recommends delivering at least one flagship
intergenerational housing pilot within the programme. Each new
town should appoint an Accessibility Champion to oversee the
design and construction process and avoid costly retrofitting.
There should also be a central Accessibility Champion to provide
oversight across all schemes.
- There must be adequate funding up-front for social, health,
and green infrastructure (including temporary, flexible community
spaces). This requires all stakeholders to take a whole life view
of each new town: good design and stewardship reduce costs and
increase value in the medium- to long-term; speculative, low-cost
delivery ultimately only leads to failed communities and far
higher remedial costs. The Government and delivery bodies should
use digital twins and whole‑life value metrics, including the
Construction Innovation Hub's Value Toolkit and robust
social‑value measures, to track outcomes, demonstrate value for
money, and share best practice.
- Engagement needs to start even before any sites are formally
designated and it must empower communities, especially young
people, to make an active contribution to the planning process.
Done well, such engagement will enhance the masterplans, reduce
delays and build local pride and stewardship. Each new town
should adopt a youth engagement strategy for every stage of
development, using proportionate digital tools to broaden
participation.
- Delivering any new towns at all while local planning capacity
is so constrained will be an enormous challenge; delivering high
quality, sustainable, and thriving communities of the kind the
committee calls for in this report will be almost impossible
under such constraints.
