Labour's New Towns Plan: what homebuyers need to know

Much has been made over the weekend regarding Labour's pledges to build three new towns before the end of the current Parliament, and more besides, following the publication of an independent report led by Sir Michael Lyons as head of the New Towns Taskforce.

The taskforce was put in place to explore the various approaches that could be adopted to achieve large-scale development. This is encompassed in the election pledge to build 1.5 million homes before the next election in 2029.

According to the government website, the ambition is possibly greater than that with "building at least three new towns" and a willingness to expand on the recommendations and progress work on more of the locations if the initial work proves successful.

A New Towns Unit will be established by the government to progress development. The Unit will work with all departments and their agencies to ensure new towns are a test bed for innovation and to unblock barriers to delivery.

Sir Michael's report has recommended a mixture of large-scale communities including urban extensions, urban regeneration, and standalone greenfield sites. Each new town should have at least 10,000 homes with an ambition for a minimum of 40% affordable housing, half of which will be for social rent.

The Taskforce has also set out a range of recommendations for delivery, including the importance of accountable delivery bodies who are able to provide long-term certainty for communities in new towns.

Despite the buzz around the announcement, timed for the start of the annual Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, no decisions have yet been made. The government's announcement is clear that a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) will be undertaken to understand the environmental implications of developing new towns, which might change the details and locations.

As part of the assessment, the government wants assurance that any location on the list can be effectively and efficiently delivered in partnership with local communities, has a clear economic purpose, and will support economic growth.

Different delivery vehicles will also be tested to learn lessons for how future large settlements are delivered and to contribute to a wider transformation of housing supply, which should make subsequent deliveries smoother and more efficient if the learnings are adopted.

The government will publish the draft proposals and final SEA for consultation next spring, before confirming the locations that will be progressed as new towns soon after. This will be alongside a full government response to the New Towns Taskforce's report.

The proposed sites span urban regeneration, greenfield development, and brownfield redevelopment:

Standalone settlements:

• Adlington, Cheshire East - serving the growing industries in Greater Manchester and Cheshire
• Marlcombe, East Devon - strengthening the region's labour supply and supporting the Exeter and East Devon Enterprise Zone
• Tempsford, Central Bedfordshire - maximising the benefits of East West Rail in the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor

Urban extensions and corridors:

• South Gloucestershire - Brabazon and the West Innovation Arc corridor in one of the country's highest productivity areas
• Chase Park and Crews Hill, Enfield - addressing London's acute housing need
• Milton Keynes - reinvigorating the city centre and expanding north and east with a Mass Rapid Transit system
• Worcestershire Parkway, Wychavon - accelerating delivery around the existing train station as a model for sustainable development

Brownfield and regeneration:

• Heyford Park, Cherwell - redevelopment of the former airbase, connecting to Oxford
• Leeds South Bank - catalysing the city's economic prospects with well-connected homes
• Victoria North, Manchester - inner-city densification supporting continued growth
• Plymouth - evolving Britain's Ocean City and capitalising on investment in HMNB Devonport
• Thamesmead, Greenwich - creating a riverside settlement and unlocking inaccessible land

With such large-scale development planned across different site types, professional property surveys will play a crucial role in protecting homebuyers. Brownfield sites like the former Heyford Park airbase may require additional contamination checks, while urban regeneration projects need careful structural assessment. Even new builds benefit from snagging surveys to identify construction issues before completion.

Understanding what a chartered surveyor will look for in these new developments - and how they will define and verify potential issues - is an important part of the homebuying process. Different development types carry different risks, from ground stability on greenfield sites to historical concerns on regenerated urban land.

Surveyor Local connects homebuyers to professional advice through a nationwide panel of RICS-registered chartered surveyors. Our surveyors work to identify all kinds of problems, including structural concerns, contamination risks, and the impact of prior flooding on properties.

For more information, call or use Surveyor Local's quote generator to get an instant quote for your property survey needs.