Government identifies seven new towns with focus on transport-led design
The UK Government has set out proposals for seven new towns across England as part of a wider housebuilding programme, with developments intended to be planned around modern transport and neighbourhood principles.
image: Brabazon and the West Innovation Arc in South Gloucestershire
The proposed locations include Tempsford in Bedfordshire, Leeds South Bank, Crews Hill and Chase Park in Enfield, Manchester Victoria North, Thamesmead in London, Brabazon and the West Innovation Arc in South Gloucestershire, and an expanded Milton Keynes.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed said each scheme is expected to deliver at least 10,000 homes, with several significantly larger, and aims to support housing supply while linking new communities to existing economic centres.
A central feature of the programme is the integration of transport infrastructure from the outset. Several sites are tied to major or upgraded rail connections, including a new station linked to East West Rail at Tempsford and extensions to urban transit networks such as the Docklands Light Railway in Thamesmead and Metrolink in Manchester.
To support delivery, the Government has appointed four interim advisers to the New Towns Unit: Lyn Garner, Ian Piper, Emma Cariaga and David Rudlin. Some new development corporations are also expected to be established to drive delivery, similar to the model used in Stratford and Ebbsfleet.
The Government said the new towns will be designed as “complete communities”, with an emphasis on reducing reliance on private cars. Plans include walkable neighbourhood layouts, provision for cycling, and access to public transport, alongside local high streets and employment opportunities.
Shared green spaces and community infrastructure are also expected to form a core part of the developments, with housing, jobs and services planned together to support local journeys and reduce travel demand.
Some locations are focused on large-scale regeneration within existing urban areas, such as Manchester Victoria North and Leeds South Bank, while others, including Tempsford, are more standalone settlements built around new transport hubs.
The proposals form part of a broader strategy to deliver new housing alongside infrastructure investment, with further consultation and planning work expected before final decisions are confirmed later in 2026.
Sir Michael Lyons, who previously chaired the New Towns Taskforce, said “The consultation provides an opportunity to reflect on lessons from the past and inform a new generation of new towns that can support sustainable growth and create places of lasting value. This is just the ambitious response we hoped for.”
The proposed locations are:
Tempsford, Bedfordshire — up to 40,000 homes built around a new East West Rail station, linking residents to Cambridge, Oxford, London and Milton Keynes
Crews Hill and Chase Park, Enfield — up to 21,000 homes helping to meet London’s acute housing need
Leeds South Bank, West Yorkshire — up to 20,000 homes capitalising on the city’s economic momentum and the government’s £2.1 billion local transport investment
Manchester Victoria North, Greater Manchester — at least 15,000 homes regenerating the heart of Greater Manchester, with a new Metrolink stop connecting residents to jobs across the city
Thamesmead, Greenwich — up to 15,000 homes unlocking inaccessible riverside land in London, enabled by the planned Docklands Light Railway extension
Brabazon and the West Innovation Arc, South Gloucestershire — up to 40,000 homes at the heart of a world-class research and advanced engineering economy
Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire — building on its history as one of the original new towns, to take forward the ‘renewed town’ vision to expand the city by around 40,000 homes and reinvigorate the centre with a new local transport system, boosting connectivity in the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor