Title

HOUSING

New towns strategy faces critical test of local consent

John Gregory examines how the Government's new towns programme prioritises speed over scale and why securing local buy-in will determine whether ambition translates into delivery.

© richardjohnson / Shutterstock.com.

Last week, the Government announced which sites would progress from the shortlist of 12 proposed new towns locations. The chosen locations reveal a deliberate preference for urban regeneration and settlement extensions over standalone new communities.

Sites like Leeds South Bank, Manchester Victoria North, Thamesmead and Milton Keynes are moving forward, while standalone settlements in Devon and Cheshire, and transport-led opportunities like Worcestershire Parkway and Heyford Park, have been deprioritised.

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