Greenfield sites will likely feature in proposals for a host of new towns to be built across England, a minister has said.
Some “standalone” areas of undeveloped land could be included in the recommendations of a taskforce advising the Government on its plans to push through “the largest housebuilding programme since the post-war era”, Matthew Pennycook suggested.
Labour has already committed to reclassifying some low-quality areas of greenbelt land such as disused car parks and abandoned industrial sites, which it calls the “grey” belt.
The Government says these changes will help to deliver its pledge to build 1.5 million new homes by the end of the Parliament. Greenfield sites are areas of undeveloped land.
Speaking to broadcasters on Thursday morning, housing minister Mr Pennycook suggested some of these areas could fall within the recommendations of the independent taskforce advising the Government on its new towns plan.
“There will be some, I’m sure, recommended standalone greenfield sites,” he told Sky News.
“There will be a number of other, what are called urban extensions, but big expansions of existing towns and cities where that is appropriate.
“(These have) got to be sustainable places, as I say, they’ve got to be well-connected, well-designed.”
The taskforce will make its recommendations in a report due in the summer and ministers will take the final decision on which sites are approved, Mr Pennycook said.
More than 100 possible locations have been suggested for new towns in England as Sir Keir Starmer promised “the largest housebuilding programme since the post-war era”.
Each new town will have the potential for 10,000 or more residential properties as the Government seeks to sweep away red tape and overcome environmental objections to get housing built.
A separate project to push ahead with stalled housing projects has already unblocked 20,000 homes, Sir Keir said.
The Prime Minister’s push for new towns comes after Sir Keir and his deputy Angela Rayner joined the King for a tour of the Nansledan development inspired by Charles’s views on architecture and planning on Monday.
The move raised concerns about dragging the King into politics, coming just days before Thursday’s announcement about plans to create “beautiful communities” with affordable homes, much-needed infrastructure, GP surgeries and schools.
Sir Keir, who will promote the plans on a visit with Ms Rayner in the South East on Thursday, said home ownership remains a “distant dream” for many, resulting in a “disconnect between working hard and getting on”.
He said: “This is about more than just bricks and mortar. It’s about the security and stability that owning your own home bring.
“I know what this means for working people – the roof above our head was everything for our family growing up.”
Mr Pennycook conceded the new towns plan would not form the “bulk” of the 1.5 million new homes promised by the Government, given construction is expected to start “by the end of the Parliament”.
But he insisted the developments would make a significant contribution towards the end of the term.
“These things take time to get off the ground,” he said. “No-one’s pretending that the new towns programme is going to make up the bulk of that 1.5 million number.
“We’re relying on the other changes we’ve made, including overhauling the national planning policy framework to get new sites coming through.
“But they will make a contribution towards the end of the Parliament, and in parliaments to come, they’ll be making a huge contribution.”
Georgian townhouses and Edwardian mansion blocks are among the inspirations for the kinds of homes Labour would like to build, though the Government has dropped a Tory requirement to build “beautiful” homes from planning guidelines.
Sir Keir cited variation in buildings and “roads that aren’t all straight” among elements he would like to see in the proposed new towns, and said while it is difficult to define beauty, homes that are “well-designed” are a priority for him.
A separate project to push ahead with stalled housing projects has already unblocked 20,000 homes, Sir Keir said.
Highlighting the Government’s “new homes accelerator” project, which aims to overcome problems holding up housing projects, Sir Keir said: “We’ve already made progress in just seven months, unblocking 20,000 stuck homes. But there’s more to do.
“We’re urgently using all levers available to build the homes we need so more families can get on the housing ladder.
“We’re sweeping aside the blockers to get houses built, no longer accepting no as the default answer, and paving the way for the next generation of new towns.
“As part of the largest housebuilding programme since the post-war era, our ambitious Plan for Change will transform the lives of working people, once again connecting the basic principle that if you work hard, you should get on.”
A further three sites – Frome Gateway in Bristol, south of Cayton in North Yorkshire and Beam Park in Dagenham, east London – will receive support from the new homes accelerator scheme.
As part of efforts to regenerate areas and use brownfield land, £30 million will go to Bradford, £1.5 million to a scheme at Manchester Victoria North and £20 million will help transform small-scale council-owned sites around the country.
A plan to broker disagreements between developers and Government agencies which need to be consulted during the planning process has also been set out.
Quangos including National Highways, Natural England and the Environment Agency will need to bring planners and housebuilders to the table to iron out concerns, with £1 million of funding to speed up the planning approval process.
A £2 million package will support the Building Safety Regulator to speed up the process of signing off new high-rise housing blocks.
Councils will share £3 million of grants to boost planning capacity.
