Tag: Housing and Communities

The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 31 July 2024.

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

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.

Further information

Policy statement on new towns can be read in full here.

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.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 16 July 2024.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner will today (16 July 2024) pledge to kickstart a new devolution revolution to transfer more powers out of Westminster and into the hands of local people.

In her first letter to local leaders, Rayner will urge regions without devolved power to “partner with the government to deliver the most ambitious programme of devolution this country has ever seen”.

She will invite local leaders in devolution deserts – those with local knowledge and skin in the game – to work together to take on powers in areas like transport, adult education and skills, housing and planning, and employment support. These new agreements will mean local leaders can make decisions that benefit their communities better, while boosting economic growth and opportunity.

Devolution is central to the government’s mission to boost economic growth, but only around half of the people in England currently benefit from these arrangements. The letter from the Deputy Prime Minister makes clear that the government’s door is open to areas who want to take on devolution for the first time, with the government committed to encouraging more local authorities to come together and take on new powers.

In the letter, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said:

For too long, Westminster government has tightly gripped control and held back opportunities and potential for towns, cities, and villages across the country.

Last week, with the Prime Minister, I had the pleasure of meeting the metro Mayors in England. We discussed how to have a proper, grown up conversations around economic growth, and how to deliver that through better housing, skills, and jobs for local people.

I want to work with more places to help them use these enhanced powers and role – because I want to drive growth in every part of the country. For any area considering it, now is the time to take the plunge and speak to us about how we can work with you to transform your regions.

Greater Manchester, one of the places where devolution has existed for the longest and powers are deepest, has been one of the UK’s fastest growing areas over the last 20 years and is forecast to grow by more than the national average in coming years.

This has been driven by powers allowing the Greater Manchester Mayor to encourage investment into the city, boost skills, and work towards an integrated transport system.

In other parts of the country, Mayors have played a crucial role in attracting new investment – with major manufacturers such as Boeing and McLaren bringing new jobs to South Yorkshire, while West Yorkshire is now home to the UK’s fastest growing digital industry outside London.

OECD research suggests that if the autonomy of UK cities was to increase to the same level as Helsinki, then productivity would increase significantly.

Agreeing new devolution deals will mark a monumental shift of power away from Westminster into communities – giving those with skin in the game the power to make the best decisions for their people and make a difference to their lives.

The letter comes ahead of the King’s Speech on 17 July 2024, which will build on the momentum of the government’s first week, by setting out how it will make a difference to the lives of working people.

Further information

Last week, the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister convened a mayoral roundtable at Number 10 with the 12 current metro mayors to discuss to discuss a new partnership approach and how the government can scale up devolution which will help to unlock economic growth and tackle regional inequality.

The Prime Minister announced that the government will establish a Council of Nations and Regions bringing together the Prime Minister, the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales, the First and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, and the Mayors of Combined Authorities. New Mayors established through this process would be eligible to sit on the Council of Nations and Regions.

The Deputy Prime Minister has also pledged to introduce Local Growth Plans across the country. As part of this, mayors will be asked to identify local specialisms, and contribute to work on a national industrial strategy.

The Deputy Prime Minister is writing to all council leaders of County and Unitary councils not currently subject to a devolution deal. Read the Deputy Prime Minister’s letter.