The UK government is preparing to unveil plans for 12 new towns across England in a major effort to address the country’s deepening housing shortage. The initiative will be announced on Sunday by Housing Secretary Steve Reed at Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer calling it “national renewal in action.”
The programme follows the work of the New Towns Taskforce, established in September last year, which will release its report alongside the announcement. Early recommendations suggest the developments could collectively deliver up to 300,000 homes over the coming decades.
A Modern Echo of Postwar Ambition
Reed is expected to draw parallels with Clement Attlee’s postwar Labour government, which built more than one million homes between 1945 and 1951. Like that effort, the new towns project will combine public and private funding, though the overall cost remains unclear.
In his speech, Reed will pledge to “restore the dream of home ownership” and criticise previous Conservative governments for failing to act decisively. He will declare:
“We’ve got to build, baby, build… not just homes, but communities, and not just communities but entire towns.”
Building Communities, Not Just Houses
Each town is expected to feature at least 10,000 homes alongside essential infrastructure such as GP surgeries, schools, green spaces, and transport links. Early proposals suggest around 40% of the new homes will be classed as affordable, with 20% allocated for social housing.
Potential locations under consideration include Tempsford in Bedfordshire, Crews Hill in north London, and Leeds South Bank. Final decisions on sites will be made after further consultation.
A Housing Crisis at Scale
The UK currently faces a shortage of around 4.3 million homes, according to academic research. Record numbers of people are now living in temporary accommodation, intensifying pressure on the government to act.
Labour has pledged to deliver 1.5 million homes before the next general election, although some analysts question whether the ambitious target is achievable. Nonetheless, the new towns initiative signals a bold commitment to long-term solutions rather than short-term fixes.
