Building of three new towns will start before election, Labour pledges

"The construction of three new towns will begin before the next general election, Labour has pledged. A taskforce has recommended 12 locations in England for development, with three areas - Tempsford in Bedfordshire, Leeds South Bank, and Crews Hill in north London - identified as the most promising sites. Housing Secretary Steve Reed is expected to announce the plans in a speech on the opening day of Labour's annual party conference."

"Labour has put housebuilding at the centre of its vision of how to get the economy growing, promising to build 1.5 million new homes by 2029. The promise of a "new generation of new towns" was included in Labour's election manifesto last year. The 12 proposed developments range from large-scale standalone new communities, to expansions of existing towns and regeneration schemes within cities."

"Labour said each new town would have at least 10,000 homes and they could collectively result in 300,000 homes being built across England over the coming decades. The government has welcomed a recommendation from the New Towns Taskforce that at least 40% of these new homes should be classed as affordable housing. A New Towns Unit will be tasked with bringing in millions of pounds of public and private sector funding to invest in GP surgeries, schools, green spaces, libraries and transport for the new developments."

Labour plans to start construction on three new towns before the next general election, following a taskforce recommendation of 12 potential sites across England. Tempsford in Bedfordshire, Leeds South Bank and Crews Hill in north London are the leading candidates. Each new town would contain at least 10,000 homes and the programme could yield about 300,000 homes over coming decades while contributing to a wider 1.5 million homes-by-2029 target. The taskforce recommends at least 40% affordable housing, delivery via development corporations with special planning powers, and a New Towns Unit to secure public and private investment. Sites will face environmental assessments and public consultation, with final locations and funding confirmed next spring.

Read at www.bbc.com