New Towns Taskforce
Applies to England
Call for evidence description
Section A: Overview of new towns
The primary aim of new towns is to create new and expanded sustainable places to boost economic growth and the supply of new homes – as well as spreading opportunity and supporting strong communities. The role of the independent New Towns Taskforce is to advise ministers on appropriate locations for significant new communities, including large-scale urban extension and regeneration schemes, recommending locations to ministers by July 2025.
The Taskforce is interested in proposals that are regionally significant for both housing numbers and economic growth. The unifying principle will be that each of the new settlements will contain 10,000 homes, at the very least, and that most, if not all, will be far larger in size. We are aiming for a gold standard of 40% affordable housing. A core part of the Taskforce’s work will be to consider how to fund and deliver new settlements.
In new towns, exemplary development will be the norm not the exception. The next generation of new towns must be well-connected, well-designed, sustainable and attractive places where people want to live and have all the infrastructure, amenities and services necessary to sustain thriving communities.
More information on the government’s expectations for new towns and the New Towns Taskforce is available in the Policy statement on new towns.
Section B: Submission criteria
This call for evidence is designed to capture initial information for the Taskforce to explore the opportunities of a place for significant development. This is about ensuring the Taskforce are aware of all potential opportunities across the country as part of our evidence gathering and submissions will not be formally scored as they would in a bidding process. The Taskforce will also be drawing on other data, including undertaking its own spatial analysis, to inform its recommendations about new towns.
We expect many potential developments of this size will already be known to the Taskforce through the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government or Homes England. Please email the team on NewTownsEvidence@communities.gov.uk to advise you before making a submission.
There is no limit on the number of potential developments containing 10,000 or more homes you may submit. Please set out in your submission the extent of local support for each potential development. Please limit your submissions (covering the 4 questions) to a maximum of 1,000 words (2 pages). Please indicate in your submission if any of the information you have submitted is sensitive and should not be shared outside the Taskforce / MHCLG.
In keeping with published propriety on planning casework decisions, government support for developments which have yet to secure planning permission should not be taken as an indication of likely approval of applications should they come before MHCLG ministers in the future. All planning casework decisions are made in accordance with propriety guidance.
This call for evidence will be open until Friday 13 December 2024.
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Questions:
1. Please give information describing the location including (where known):
a. Working contact name, job title, and contact details of submission author.
b. Name of organisation this submission is from and its type (e.g. combined authority / local authority / property developer / landowner).
c. Location details, including (if possible) postcode and National Grid coordinates of the location: Ordnance survey guidance on National Grid coordinates.
d. Details of local authority / ties in this location (indicating whether the development crosses local authority boundaries) and the level of formal or informal local support for this development, if known.
e. Details of the land ownership and development promotion arrangements.
f. Stage of planning process (if commenced) and stage of master-planning process (if commenced).
g. Potential start date (if known).
2. How does this location meet the Taskforce’s research remit as set out in Section A?
If known, your answer could include:
a. Proposed number of homes and jobs, including opportunities for expansion / densification.
b. Type of development (greenfield / urban extension / urban regeneration), confirming that homes proposed form a single/contiguous development.
3. What would be the barriers to creating a new town in this location and what would be needed to overcome them (if known)?
Examples of barriers include infrastructure delivery, land assembly, local planning authority capacity, viability, planning status, affordable housing provision.
4. Has this prospective development previously received government support (if known)?
If yes, please give brief details of the programme and the support received.
Section C: Next steps
Please email your submission to NewTownsEvidence@communities.gov.uk. You will receive an email confirming receipt of your submission and we will contact you if we require more information about the evidence you have submitted.