Work on a number of new towns will begin before the next general election after more than 100 locations across England were put forward, Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook has pledged. The government says most proposals are to extend existing towns or cities, alongside a “smaller number” of new standalone settlements. The aim is for each new town to have at least 10,000 homes, contributing towards Labour’s 1.5 million five-year housebuilding target. Each should include infrastructure like public transport and schools, alongside affordable housing, ministers say.
A visit to Milton Keynes by the PM to promote the policy was cut short earlier when farmers driving tractors staged a noisy protest. The tractors’ musical horns could be heard blaring across the building site shortly after Sir Keir Starmer arrived. It is the latest in a series of protests mounted by farmers against changes to inheritance tax on farms announced at October’s Budget.
Creating a new generation of new towns is a key element of the government’s long-term plan for housebuilding, and part of its efforts to unlock economic growth. More than 100 potential sites across England have been suggested to a special taskforce set up to examine the options, after the government asked for expressions of interest from councils, housing developers and landowners.
The sites have not been revealed, but London, the South East, the South West and the east of England have proved the most popular – though there were expressions of interest from every region. The taskforce will identify specific locations – as well as funding options – by the summer, with a view to construction on the first sites beginning by the time of the next election.
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