Expert Taskforce To Spearhead A New Generation Of New Towns

31st July 2024

A new generation of new towns to kickstart economic growth and get Britain building again.

Long-term vision to deliver largescale new communities of at least 10,000 new homes each set out.

Housing expert Sir Michael Lyons to lead an independent New Towns Taskforce, supported by Deputy Chair Dame Kate Barker.
Appropriate locations for new towns to be recommended within 12 months.

The largest housebuilding programme since the post-war period will begin today through a new generation of new towns, as part of the government's work to kickstart economic growth and get Britain building again.

The programme of new towns will create largescale communities of at least 10,000 new homes each, with many significantly larger. These places could deliver hundreds of thousands of much-needed affordable and high-quality homes in the decades to come, tackling the barriers to growth and helping more working people across the country own their own home.

The new towns will help unlock the economic potential of existing towns and cities across the country, and the government will continue to drive growth and regenerate areas that have been held back by constraints on their expansion for far too long. While the programme will include large-scale new communities that are separate from existing settlements, a far larger number of new towns will be urban extensions and regeneration schemes that will work with the grain of development in any given area.

These new communities will be governed by a ‘New Towns Code' - a set of rules that developers will have to meet to make sure new towns are well-connected, well-designed, sustainable and attractive places where people want to live. They will have all the infrastructure and public services necessary to support thriving communities. The towns will also help meet housing need by targeting rates of 40% affordable housing with a focus on genuinely affordable social rented homes.

The Deputy Prime Minister has asked regeneration expert Sir Michael Lyons to spearhead a new independent New Towns Taskforce as its Chair. The group will work to make this vision a reality and present a final shortlist of recommendations on appropriate locations to ministers within 12 months, supported by top housing economist Dame Kate Barker as Deputy Chair.

Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner said, "Our new towns will deliver housing fit for the future, shaping new communities with real character that people can be proud to call home.

"With Sir Michael in the driving seat, I know his Taskforce will work together with local people to help us decide on the right places for these new towns, delivering more homes, jobs and green spaces.

"We are getting Britain building again and our long-term vision for a new generation of new towns will enrich the lives of working people in the years to come."

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves said, "Getting Britain building is at the heart of our mission to grow the economy and make every part of the country better off.

"Alongside our landmark reforms to the planning system, this programme of new towns will kickstart economic growth and give businesses the confidence to invest."

New towns will also spread opportunities for every walk of life - creating good jobs and delivering the transport links, access to public services like GP surgeries and schools, and high quality green spaces that communities need - which will be part of the New Towns Code. This aligns with the government's new golden rules to ensure development improves existing green spaces and creates new ones.

Sir Michael’s team will work in lockstep with mayors, local leaders and communities to advise on the right places for new towns, listening to those who know their areas best.

Their mission to accelerate the vision of new towns over the next year includes:

Meeting with new and existing communities to hear first-hand about the design of desirable developments.

Recommending locations for new towns within the next year.
Publishing a final report within 12 months following engagement with local communities.

New Towns Taskforce Chair, Sir Michael Lyons said "A new generation of new towns and largescale urban extensions could play a significant role in the government’s plans for economic growth as well as offering new homes on an ambitious scale.

“I am proud to lead the New Towns Taskforce to make sure new towns deliver on the government’s vision and meet the needs of local people.

“Our mission begins today and we will work closely with local leaders and their communities as well as the wider development and investment sectors to make sure these new towns are built in the right places."

New Towns Taskforce Deputy Chair, Dame Kate Barker said, "I am enthusiastic about working with Sir Michael on proposals for the new towns badly needed to enable more households to live in homes where they can flourish. It will be vital to ensure the locations will also support economic growth over coming decades.”

Government is also taking immediate action to increase housing supply and work towards building 1.5 million homes over this Parliament – recognising every city, town and village has a role to play in boosting growth – by bringing in mandatory housing targets for councils through a new growth-focused National Planning Policy Framework. This also includes a focus on prioritising brownfield and ‘grey belt’ land for new development and setting a gold standard aim for more affordable and social housing.

Local leaders are also receiving new powers from Whitehall over planning, skills, transport, employment and streamlined funding settlements, backed by a new English Devolution Bill announced in the King’s Speech. Through delivering local growth plans, this greater devolution of decision making will ensure every part of the country is driving economic growth.

Sir Michael Lyons biography

Sir Michael is the non-executive Chairman of the English Cities Fund, a joint venture set up by three partners – including Homes England – which has large scale regeneration developments in London, Liverpool, Plymouth, Salford and Wakefield.

He is also the non-executive Chairman of SQW Ltd and has spent 26 years in local government, including 17 years as Chief Executive of three major UK local authorities including Birmingham City Council.

He has been a member of the boards of Redrow homes and Sage Housing as well as a strategic adviser on public asset management and regeneration to the commercial real estate and investment firm CBRE. He was also a former Chair of the BBC.
He previously chaired the Housing Commission in 2014 established by Ed Miliband, which set out how the UK can boost housing supply. He also led the national ‘Lyons Inquiry into Local Government’ in 2007 about workings and funding of local government which argued for greater devolution and emphasised the local authority’s role in ‘placeshaping’.

Dame Kate Barker biography

Dame Kate Barker chairs the trustee for the Universities Superannuation Scheme, and is also a Church Commissioner for the Church of England. She chairs the Governing Council of the Productivity Institute.

She was a former non-executive director at Taylor Wimpey plc, at Man Group plc and at the Yorkshire Building Society. She was an external member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee between 2001 and 2010.

During that time, she was commissioned by the government to conduct a major independent policy review of UK Housing Supply in 2004 followed by a review of Land Use Planning in 2006. She has also authored a book titled ‘Housing: where’s the plan’ and was previously a Commissioner for the National Infrastructure Commission.

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Sir Michael Lyons, Chair of the New Towns Taskforce.