UK government unveils slimmed-down plans for seven new towns in England

The government has announced seven potential sites to build new towns in England each of which ie expected to contain at least 10,000 homes in the coming decades. The seven sites, which stretch from Greenwich to Yorkshire, will help "ease the housing crisis”, create more affordable house for first-time buyers and those on lower incomes and create thousands of jobs in communities supported by well-connected transport links and green spaces.

The announcement follows earlier recommendations from a UK government taskforce that almost double the number of sites earmarked for development as part of the government’s drive to build more than one million new homes by 2029.

In September 2025, a report (PDF, 135 pages/6.7MB) indicated that as many as 12 potential sites were under consideration for potential development as new towns. However, each site has been subject to further assessment by government based on a number of objectives, strategic environmental assessments (SEA) and now consultation, which may ultimately impact the decision on whether they are included in the government’s final new towns list.

Town and communities expert Rebecca Warren said the latest plans signalled the government’s increasingly targeted approach to new towns’ development in England. “This announcement to reduce the number of new towns is unsurprising as the government looks to focus its resources,” she said. “It’s clear that the government retains a commitment to long-term delivery of housing and addressing the housing crisis. The accompanying consultation includes assessment of the 127 submitted proposals and concludes that 13 projects meet the government’s objectives including five of the original 12 new towns proposed by the New Towns Taskforce which do not make the short listed seven new towns, although the consultation provides scope to influence the final line-up and related new towns policy for the New Towns Programme to be adopted later this year.”

The goal for each chosen settlement remains to generate at least 10,000 homes with some expected to deliver at least 40,000 homes over the coming decades. It is unclear whether the current whittled-down list of sites will still deliver the government’s ambitious target of a minimum of 40% affordable housing.

The government has said that six additional locations – Adlington, Heyford Park, Marlcombe (East Devon), Plymouth, South Barking and Wychavon Town – have been assessed and may receive further government support through existing housing programmes. Five of these were included in the Taskforce’s list of 12 proposed new towns.

“We are pleased to hear that those sites are seen by government as credible development opportunities and would hope that alternative government support will be forthcoming to enable them to come forward if they are not reinstated into the new towns programme,” said Warren.

The government has also published a public consultation on the new towns draft programme and its environmental implications, which will close on 19 May 2026. It intends to publish a full response to the taskforce’s report and says it will confirm the final list of new town locations “later in summer 2026”.

Towns and communities expert Richard Ford said there was still considerable potential for development in other areas not identified in the government’s most recent plans. “We look forward to continuing to work on the recommended and other locations to progress the important development opportunities they present,” he said. “The various new communities’ programmes, whether new towns, garden communities or major strategic sites, all represent great opportunities for quality design, place-making and stewardship.”

However, Warren said there now needs to be greater clarity on funding opportunities to drive forward housing development across the country. “Continued commitment to garden communities and alternatively sized developments and other routes to delivering housing and employment opportunities at pace will also be crucial to address need, whether through funding opportunities such as government-backed grants and loans, planning decision-making, addressing utility infrastructure capacity challenges and importantly, cross-government coordination.”

The government says an additional £234 million in grant funding will support Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) across England to unlock 8,000 new homes on derelict brownfield land. A new National Housing Bank will also launch on 1 April and is expected to unlock at least £16bn financing to help to deliver over 500,000 new homes. 

Robbie Owen, an infrastructure planning and government affairs expert at Pinsent Masons, said that further government support would be vital to ensure that delivery bodies, including development corporations, are able to support a new generation of large-scale communities across England. “Government support as far as possible, including in quickly establishing development corporations in a streamlined way as powerful delivery bodies, where necessary, remains key throughout.” The new towns taskforce has said previously that development corporations should play a role in virtually every form of new town scheme.