Government proposes seven new towns across England

The government has named the locations of seven proposed new towns, having cut five from the list of 12 sites that were put forward for consideration by the New Towns Taskforce in September.

Each proposed location expected to deliver at least 10,000 homes and will aim to have a 40 per cent affordable housing target, with at least half for social rent. 

The proposed locations are: 

• Tempsford, Bedfordshire — up to 40,000 homes built around a new East West Rail station, linking residents to Cambridge, Oxford, London and Milton Keynes 
• Crews Hill and Chase Park, Enfield — up to 21,000 homes helping to meet London's acute housing need 
• Leeds South Bank, West Yorkshire — up to 20,000 homes capitalising on the city's economic momentum and the government's £2.1 billion local transport investment 
• Manchester Victoria North, Greater Manchester — at least 15,000 homes regenerating the heart of Greater Manchester, with a new Metrolink stop connecting residents to jobs across the city 
• Thamesmead, Greenwich — up to 15,000 homes unlocking inaccessible riverside land in London, enabled by the planned Docklands Light Railway extension 
• Brabazon and the West Innovation Arc, South Gloucestershire — up to 40,000 homes at the heart of a world-class research and advanced engineering economy 
• Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire — building on its history as one of the original new towns, to take forward the ‘renewed town’ vision to expand the city by around 40,000 homes and reinvigorate the centre with a new local transport system, boosting connectivity in the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor.

To drive forward delivery, four interim advisers have been appointed to support the New Towns Unit: 

• Lyn Garner, former chief executive of the London Legacy Development Corporation
• Ian Piper, former chief executive of the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation
• Emma Cariaga, chief operating officer of British Land;  
  David Rudlin, founding principal of Rudlin & Co and principal author of the UK Government's National Model Design Code. 

Building on the success seen in Stratford through the London Legacy Development Corporation and elsewhere, some new development corporations will also be stood up to support the delivery of these new towns. 

Alongside the new towns consultation, the government has also confirmed that the National Housing Bank will launch on 1 April, chaired by Peter Vernon, with Simon Century as its chief executive. It will be backed with up to £16 billion of financial capacity and will aim to deliver over 500,000 new homes.  

The government has also confirmed additional support worth up to £400 million over the next decade for subsidised products. This will enable both the National Housing Bank and regional mayors to issue loans and investments at lower interest rates and unlock housebuilding across the country.

'Radical action'

Responding to the announcements, CIH chief executive Gavin Smart said: “We know that properly addressing our national housing crisis requires radical action. CIH supports the government’s ambition to bring forward seven new towns and recognises the progress made since the initial proposals for a larger number of sites. The focus on well-planned communities and a strong commitment to affordable housing, including social rent, is essential.

"The launch of a National Housing Bank, alongside additional subsidy to support lower-cost lending, is also a very positive step that could help unlock delivery at scale."

He added: “Success will depend on effective delivery — ensuring ambitions are supported by sustained investment, strong partnerships, and a clear focus on genuinely affordable homes. We look forward to engaging with the consultation to help ensure these proposals deliver high-quality homes and thriving, inclusive communities.”