‘Renew’ Towns: Taskforce opts for Milton Keynes, Thamesmead to deliver homes within this parliament but where’s the money?

The big surprise in the New Towns taskforce report? Of the 12 locations announced several are not ’new’ at all, but extensions of existing projects such as Thamesmead and Milton Keynes – the latter was first designated as a New Town back in 1967. 

“In some of these locations planning and even development is already advanced but, in every case, we are convinced that designation as a New Town accompanied by energetic government action can increase both the scale of development and the speed of delivery,” Sir Michael Lyons, chair of the taskforce, writes. 

The ‘Renew’ Town approach has been welcomed by built environment professionals as pragmatic: The fact that some of these projects are well underway will see homes delivered within this parliament while also unlocking fresh opportunity on adjacent and in-fill sites. 

The caveat? The report is adamant that even on existing sites, government must make a significant upfront investment in the necessary infrastructure to support its New Town ambitions and make projects viable: 

In a damning statement on the lack of infrastructure investment, it reads: “the taskforce has been concerned to learn the extent to which sufficient water and power infrastructure has not been put in place or planned over the last twenty years or more,” the report reads. “The taskforce notes that government must continue to take steps to resolve them.”

Infrastructure is highlighted in the 10 ’placemaking principles’ outlined in the report, which names walkability (“ambitious density”), environmental sustainability and transport connectivity as three of the 10 principles intended to inform all New Town development policies and plans. 

The report also asks government to work quickly to prevent land speculation following the announcement of the 12 locations. The taskforce recommends the government “immediately commit” to a call-in and reject planning policy in the 12 New Towns to prevent any project “which could compromise the potential of New Towns by blocking the opportunity for comprehensive planning as result of speculation.”

As for funding, the taskforce “recognises that [intense funding pressures] will constrain the progress that can be made with some New Town opportunities” and suggests the use of long-term loan funding, guarantees and tax funding instruments to secure long-term investment as possible solutions.

For some developers already at work in the announced New Towns, transport investment is their top request, too. 

Not-for-profit housing association Peabody, which is the main landowner and is delivering the Thamesmead project in a joint venture with Lendlease and The Crown Estate, supports the report’s call for a new station to unlock the site: “Thamesmead Waterfront offers one of the largest and most deliverable opportunities for housing and economic growth in the UK,” says John Lewis, Executive Director Sustainable Places at Peabody. 

Lewis says: “The right transport infrastructure has to be in place to make this scheme a reality. We will continue to work with TfL, partners and stakeholders progress the business case to government for the Docklands Light Railway extension to Thamesmead – a link that would also unlock 10,000 homes north of the river. TfL estimates that this would have a total economic impact of around £15.6 billion.”

In its report, the taskforce is aligned with Peabody: “There would need to be confirmed government support for the DLR extension before it can move forward to delivery. Without this being the case, Thamesmead Waterfront’s opportunity cannot be realised.” 

We Made That, an architecture practice working on Thamesmead, says, “The taskforce has rightly highlighted the need to unlock inaccessible land and improve connectivity – including proposals like the Docklands Light Railway extension – to ensure these new communities thrive.”

Over in Milton Keynes, the taskforce is keen to boost ambitions by the council for an electric Mass Rapid Transit system: “Government investment in infrastructure could… completely reshape the way people travel in the city by building a Mass Rapid Transit system.” This would ‘correct’ the car dependency designed into the original New Town and complement the new East-West rail link. 
  

Mixed-use developer Socius, which is working on MK Gateway, a project to deliver offices and build-to-rent flats in Milton Keynes, sees the New Town designation as an “obvious next step” for the place: 

“As one of the UK’s original New Towns, Milton Keynes has been designed and built for the future and today it is at the cutting-edge of technologies such as AI and autonomous vehicles,” says Barry Jessup, managing director at Socius. 

Jessup says the expansion of the city, “will deliver much-needed homes, workspaces and transport infrastructure allowing Milton Keynes to continue to attract and retain leading companies and talent, and to develop further as a hub for innovation within the Golden Triangle, and one of the primary beneficiaries of the new East-West rail link.” 

Other New Towns dependent on infrastructure investment include Adlington in Cheshire, which has a mainline train station with infrequent service and a proposed site that’s not served by the local bus network: “A comprehensive sustainable transport strategy will be required to mitigate the current high risk that the site becomes car dependent.” Improvements to the station, increased capacity on the whole line and increased frequency are cited as necessary investments.

A New Town for Brabazon and the West Innovation Arc in South Gloucestershire north of Bristol, is located in an area with one of the highest employment rates in the country. But the report warns that unless the government invests to resolve transport and energy issues, growth in the area will be severely limited: “Without intervention the rest of the West Innovation Arc is likely to continue to gradually deliver car-dependent, low-rise developments which would not provide the amount or type of housing this region so desperately needs… government departments would need to jointly prioritise infrastructure investment in this area to ensure sufficient energy and transport provision.”

Considerable transport planning and forward funding infrastructure would also be required for Heyford Park in Oxfordshire, a rural site, and for the delivery of a New Town in East Devon. At the Leeds South Bank site, infrastructure is also needed to unlock the viability of various sites constrained by transport connectivity: There are plans for a Mass Transit System, but proposals are at an early stage.

Other sites are more oven-ready. Crews Hill and Chase Park in Enfield and Manchester Victoria North are well placed in terms of existing transport infrastructure. Worcester Parkway is a greenfield site based around an existing train station that will benefit from the development of the Midlands Rail Hub. Tempsford is already getting an EWR station, which will give residents quick access to Cambridge and Milton Keynes – but the greenfield site would require other significant upfront infrastructure which could make the project unviable. 

The taskforce was established by the government in July 2024 to identify locations for a new generation of New Towns in England, with instructions that work must begin urgently. It has recommended that each New Town should contain at least 10,000 homes.

As for delivery, the taskforce recommends development corporations as the best instrument, especially those that are “focussed single-mindedly on creating New Towns”. 

The industry awaits to learn whether government will provide enough money given the “significant upfront funding” needed for New Towns identified by the taskforce: “This includes providing long‑term loans to development corporations to cover the costs of development and prioritising the infrastructure needs of new towns in a timely fashion.”

In response to the report, the government has claimed funding will be found in previously announced pots: The £39 billion Social and Affordable Housing Programme, grant from the National Housing Delivery Fund and additional capital funding by the National Housing Bank. 

Published on 25 September, the government statement says New Towns will be factored into future spending plans to ensure sufficient utilities, transport and social infrastructure is delivered. A working group has been convened with local leaders and the Treasury to look at tax and other special levers. 

“To prepare the ground, the government’s New Towns Unit is joining forces with Homes England in a new delivery partnership to lead on discussions with places and work across government departments to stress-test spending and delivery plans for the vital economic and social infrastructure that each new town will require. The Housing Minister will oversee this work, reporting directly to the Home and Economic Affairs (Infrastructure) Cabinet Committee. The government will also ensure that valuable expertise and direction from outside of government is continuously fed in, with the establishment of an advisory group, to provide expert advice on delivery, placemaking, quality and design.” 

The government named Tempsford, Crews Hill and Leeds South Bank as “looking particularly promising as sites.” 

Christine Murray is founder and editor-in-chief of The Developer, host of The Developer Podcast and director of the Festival of Place

Placemaking Principles of New Towns
The Taskforce has developed the following principles as “the framework or foundation that every new town must be built on”:

Vision-led – Each new town should have a clear long‑term vision for creating a well‑designed and distinctive place, supported by a town‑wide strategic masterplan and design code to ensure placemaking quality. 

Ambitious density – New towns should be built at a density sufficient to enable residents to walk to local amenities, support public transport, unlock better social infrastructure, and create active and liveable neighbourhoods, with the government establishing clear minimum density thresholds. 

Affordable housing and balanced communities – New towns should provide a diverse range of high‑quality housing, with a range of housing types and tenures to suit the needs of a balanced community. This should include a minimum target of 40% affordable housing, of which at least half to be available for social rent.

Social infrastructure – New towns should support thriving communities by ensuring access to schools, cultural, sporting and healthcare facilities, and other social infrastructure that meets new residents’ needs from the outset. 

Healthy and safe places – New towns should be healthy and safe places which promote active lives for residents, with easily accessible green spaces and recreational facilities. 

Environmental sustainability – New towns should be designed and delivered to embrace environmental principles, with buildings and neighbourhoods that are low carbon, climate resilient and which help to protect, restore and enhance biodiversity. 

Transport connectivity – New towns should connect people to skills, jobs, services and amenities. This should include high‑quality public transport, walking and cycling networks within each town and convenient connections into wider transport networks. 

Business creation and employment opportunities – New towns must be places that provide jobs for residents and enable businesses to grow, supporting the government’s economic growth mission. 

Stewardship – A sustainable stewardship model for new towns should be in place from the outset, including clear governance and funding structures to manage and maintain communal assets over the long term. 

Community engagement – New towns should establish clear and effective ways to engage the local community in shaping the vision and proposals for their town, and empower residents to build social capital and help define the town’s cultural identity.