New Towns Taskforce Formed
On Tuesday 17 September last week, the government announced the formation and membership of the promised New Towns Taskforce, made up of eight seasoned experts, who held their first meeting in Milton Keynes, the largest of the 1960s new towns.
Secretary of State Angela Rayner said that it ‘marks a momentous step in our journey to deliver the next generation of new towns and transform the lives of millions of working people in every part of the country.’
We want to see new communities with real character –providing genuinely affordable, safe and secure homes, much-needed infrastructure and well-paying jobs.’
Headed by Sir Michael Lyons, a man with a with great deal of experience in the sector as Chair of the English Cities Fund and on the board of Redrow Homes, the taskforce confirmed working arrangements and will be reporting back to Rayner on a monthly basis.
Their work will include identifying suitable sites for new towns across the country and creating a New Towns Code.
At the Labour Conference, Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook touched on the identification of new town sites, saying many of the sites they find will ‘probably [be] well known and would not be a surprise’.
To coincide with the formation of the taskforce, we will be hosting an online roundtable with Rt Hon Nick Raynsford on 5th December, one of the eight expert members on the taskforce.
Nick is Matthew Pennycook’s predecessor as MP for Woolwich and Greenwich and was Tony Blair’s Minister for Housing and Planning between 1999 and 2001; he has a long career as a proponent for housing and is currently the TCPA (Town and Country Planning Association) President.
If you would like to sign up for either this roundtable or any other, please contact Edward Poynton at edward@spbroadway.com.
If you would like to see the full press release for the New Towns Taskforce, click here.
