Why my new towns plan brings hope to Generation Rent
Britain's New Towns movement was one of the most exciting and ambitious projects in our country's history. It was a huge and lasting achievement. But I can boil down the secret of its success in four words: it put people first.
The vision was Clement Attlee 's, inspired to act and rebuild after the devastation of World War II. His Labour government stepped up to create entire towns from scratch – homes, jobs and communities to transform the lives of millions of working families and the economy. Now we're bringing that energy back, to create new towns of the future.
It's high time – in fact, it's long overdue given the housing crisis that's squeezing people to breaking point. So today we're taking an early and important step: publishing draft placemaking principles for the design of new towns anyone would be proud to call home.
Drawn up by the independent New Towns Taskforce, they are in the best tradition of the originals – enduring success stories like Stevenage and Crawley, Welwyn and Hale. As their first residents realised, they could look forward to a better quality of life. The designers had sat down and thought: What did people need, day to day? What are the building blocks that make a great place to live? Airy green spaces, decent transport links, amenities, and services on the doorstep – and of course affordable homes. Everything you'd want, rolled into one.
I didn't grow up in a new town, but in Stockport my family did benefit from the kind of tight-knit communities we want to see grow up again. We had shops, schools and a GP close by, and parks and woodlands free for all to enjoy. We could walk everywhere we had to – no need for a car – but there was public transport right there when you wanted to go further afield.
And like our own New Towns Programme, the post-war movement was about so much more than putting roofs over heads – although for me that is mission critical. It was about spotting the vital link – still there now - between quality, affordable housing and ensuring the nation's good health and education, and robust growth. About bringing people hope, opportunities and renewed ambition. And let's not forget the economic benefits – new jobs and a boost for industry.
Unlike the last government, we will avoid the curse of the missed opportunity: failing to take advantage of creating steady jobs; building modern infrastructure, and all the social opportunities that flow from new settlements.
As part of our Plan for Change to improve living standards right across the country, we are delivering 1.5 million homes over the next five years. It's to restore hope to people who cannot afford to buy or rent. To give hope to ' Generation Rent,' the young people stuck living with their parents because there is nowhere else for them to go, and for whom home ownership is out of reach.
Decent housing is not a privilege – it's a right. And in our New Towns, our aim is for at least 40% of homes to be affordable, including social housing. The post-war towns weren't perfect, but they showed what can be achieved when you put people first. Today, millions of people live in New Towns, and they remain a crucial driver of growth. Our ambition is that our new generation of New Towns will provide hundreds of thousands more homes.
By the end of its year-long mission, the independent Taskforce under its experienced chair Sir Michael Lyons will come up with a list of possible locations for new towns. Our ambition is to create well-designed and sustainable communities – good for the environment and cost-effective for residents.
Let's be clear – this isn't just a pipe dream. The original new towns repaid the £4.75 billion of government loans provided to build them. They made economic sense – and we know about the huge social upside. And by learning the lessons of the past and what worked well, we will make sure residents of our new towns want to build their lives there for generations to come.
By investing in a 21st century new towns movement we are tackling the housing crisis head-on while also creating long-term growth and jobs. We aren't just building homes and infrastructure but hope and a vision of a better future. That's the kind of forward-thinking we need today, and it's what this government is delivering by putting people first.
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