Housebuilding: Starmer to reveal vision for new towns across UK
Sir Keir Starmer will reveal the government’s vision for new towns to be built across the UK.
The Prime Minister is expected to unveil the government’s plans for the next generation of communities, including homes, doctors’ surgeries, schools, nurseries and public transport, at a visit to a new housing development on Thursday.
Over 100 proposals for new towns across England have been submitted, the government said, with each settlement having the potential for at least 10,000 homes.
It comes as the government’s previously launched New Towns Taskforce has set out the principles for what the new areas should be, with stipulations for homes to be affordable, and people to have access to vital infrastructure, open green spaces and nature.
Efforts to speed up planning will see the government broker disagreements between bodies such as National Highways, Natural England and the Environment Agency, it has been announced, while new tall buildings are set to be signed off faster to provide more homes.
Starmer said: “For so many families, homeownership is a distant dream. After a decade of decline in housebuilding, the impact is a disconnect between working hard and getting on.”
He added: “We’re urgently using all levers available to build the homes we need so more families can get on the housing ladder.
“We’re sweeping aside the blockers to get houses built, no longer accepting no as the default answer, and paving the way for the next generation of new towns.”
Ministers also said they are working to unblock delays to planning applications for homes already in the system, with some 20,000 homes, alongside schools and health services, now progressing thanks to government intervention, known as the ‘new homes accelerator’.
Housing secretary and deputy prime minister Angela Rayner said: “While our vision for the next generation of new towns is setting the stage for a housebuilding revolution, urgent action is needed now to build homes and infrastructure local communities are crying out for.
“That’s why our new homes accelerator is working at pace to find solutions and remove blockages in the system, executing long-lasting solutions to get spades in the ground.”
And she stressed: “Today we are embarking on the next chapter in our plan for change to build 1.5m new homes, deliver the biggest boost in social and affordable housing in a generation, and raise living standards for working people and families across the country.”
Areas officials say have been unblocked include a 1,000 home development in Liverpool and a 1,100 home project in Devon – while more than 350 sites have been put forward for acceleration by housebuilders and councils, which could amount to 700,000 new homes.
Ministers have also announced an overhaul of the UK’s planning system, including publishing a growth-focused national planning policy framework, and developing the Planning and Infrastructure Bill which will be introduced to Parliament next month.
Additional government funding is also being announced, including £3m in grants for local authorities to boost planning capacity, and more than £50m going towards developing grey belt and brownfield land.
Councils will also be able to use a ‘clearing’ service to speed up the sale of unsold affordable homes, the government said.