December 2025
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This conference examined progress, practicalities and next steps for implementation of government plans for delivering new towns in England, following the publication of the New Towns Taskforce’s final report and initial Government response.
Delegates assessed next steps for progressing new towns, with the locations of the 12 proposed sites in England recently announced by the Taskforce - including identification of three sites that government feels are most promising, at Tempsford, Leeds South Bank and Crews Hill in London - as well as draft proposals and Strategic Environmental Assessments expected to be published by government for confirmed sites in spring, with each site expected to deliver at least 10,000 homes.
Policy & considerations for implementation
The discussion brought stakeholders and policymakers together to assess the way forward for the programme, including sequencing considerations, phasing of infrastructure, and the capacity of local delivery bodies to support developments at the scale envisaged. Discussion drew on insights from previous programmes, as well as international examples.
We expected delegates to assess implications of findings from the House of Lords Built Environment Committee’s New Towns: Laying the foundations inquiry report. Areas for discussion included governance arrangements needed to support delivery, such as a proposed agency to oversee the programme, and the balance between central direction and local consent. Recommendations for infrastructure funding models and sequencing were also examined, with the Committee highlighting funding as a critical issue. Timelines for delivery - and the Committee’s call for government to set out a clear long-term vision and rationale for new settlements - were considered. Practical considerations for what adopting an infrastructure-first approach would mean in practice were also assessed, including issues for coordination of transport and utilities investment, timing of public services, and the potential impact on costs and delivery schedules.
Sessions also looked at the way forward for establishing delivery bodies and structuring of partnerships, looking at priorities for stewardship frameworks, priorities for long-term strategy, and how timelines can support early proof-of-concept delivery.
Infrastructure, long-term planning & impact on communities
The agenda included discussion on how planning processes can be adapted to support faster and more coordinated delivery of new towns - taking place within the wider context of changes to housing and infrastructure policy, including measures in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill currently progressing through Parliament - and reform to the National Planning Policy Framework.
Considerations for additional legislation were looked at, to support long-term infrastructure planning, strategic land acquisition and assembly, and the alignment of the new towns programme with broader aims relating to governance, devolution, and industrial strategy.
Sessions also explored approaches to planning for future expansion and development of sites, including approaches for both green belt sites and urban extensions. Best practice approaches for community engagement were also assessed, with discussion expected on community review mechanisms, co-design and addressing potential local opposition to developments.
We also expected discussion on the strategic role of new towns in unlocking regional economic growth, including jobs opportunities and skills needs for the programme.
Placemaking, housing & funding
Further sessions focused on placemaking, with the launch of the second module of the Built Environment Committee’s inquiry into new towns and expanded settlements inquiry, New Towns: Creating Communities. Support for access to amenities, nature and public transport was also considered, as well as priorities for addressing environmental impact and integration with existing communities.
Housing mix, density, affordability and financial viability were discussed, including how land value capture, public-private investment and the Affordable Homes Programme can best support ambitions for significant proportions of affordable homes. Findings from the Housing, Communities, and Local Government Committee’s report on land value capture were discussed. Best practice in building design and performance was examined - in the context of proposed reforms to the Future Homes Standard, as well as construction products regulation and issues around the cost of construction.
Discussion also looked at early infrastructure investment - such as transport, utilities, health, education and green space - and how they are being embedded in the first wave of sites, as well as approaches to structuring long-term funding for social and community infrastructure.
Delegates considered how public-private funding and other bespoke models might be adopted, assessing approaches to contract allocation for development, as well as how public capital can best be deployed to de-risk and support social ambitions.
All delegates were able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those who attended include parliamentary pass-holders from the House of Commons and officials from the Cabinet Office; Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government; Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Department for Energy Security and Net Zero; Department for Transport; Department for Education; Department for Infrastructure, NI; Department for Business and Trade; HM Treasury; Homes England; House of Commons Library; National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority; Office for Investment; Ofwat; Active Travel England; and the Welsh Government.
