17 February 2025The government has outlined its plans (but not proposed locations) for the next generation of new towns.
The New Towns Taskforce (the government sponsored body leading on this exercise) has set out principles on what the next generation of new towns will deliver: affordable housing, vital infrastructure and access to open green spaces and nature. They have also announced that over 100 sites in England were submitted by housebuilders and others for consideration by the taskforce.
The government has also announced plans to fast stream planning through brokering disagreements between the agencies and expert bodies, which by law must be consulted within the planning process. Bodies including National Highways, Natural England and the Environment Agency will need to bring planners and housebuilders to the table and iron out concerns that have been holding back development. This work will be bolstered by extra government funding announced, including:
- £1m for government agencies, including National Highways, Natural England and the Environment Agency, to speed up the planning approval of new homes and improve feedback to local authorities and industry where required
- £2m to support the Building Safety Regulator to continue improving the processing for new-build applications
- Over £3m of grants for local councils to bolster planning capacity, alongside direct advice and navigate through some of the more complex issues holding up new development
Further information can be found here.
