Labour’s plans to build new towns across England will help more first-time buyers across the country get a foot on the housing ladder, Angela Rayner said on Thursday.
Writing for The Independent, the deputy prime minister vowed to offer “hope” to “generation rent” and those forced to live with their parents because they cannot afford to buy their own home.
More than 100 potential sites for one of the new towns are being considered by the government, with a decision expected in six months time with an expectation 10 to 12 will be selected and development start before the next election in 2029.
Rayner wrote: “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 per cent of homes to be affordable, including social housing.”
The towns will be a mixture of social and private housing and have been inspired by the ones built under Labour’s post Second World War government led by Clement Atlee.
Rayner said: “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.”
The new towns then included Milton Keynes, Crawley, Stevenage and Welwyn Garden City.
“The post-war towns weren’t perfect, but they showed what can be achieved when you put people first,” said the deputy prime minister.
“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.”
Rayner promised that the new towns will have full amenities, transport links and parks while the government insists that they will be community led in design and “look good”.
She explained: “Britain’s new towns movement was one of the most exciting and ambitious projects in our country’s history.
“A huge and lasting achievement. But I can boil down the secret of its success in four words. It put people first.”
She added: “It’s high time – in fact, it’s long overdue given the housing crisis that’s squeezing people to breaking point.
“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.”
Responding the government’s proposal of building new towns across England, Nathan Emerson, CEO of Propertymark, said: “Propertymark welcomes the proposal to deliver housing in the format of building new towns across England. We look forward to hearing further details on precise locations, as they must fully enhance and compliment the regions where they will be built.
“It is encouraging to hear that sustaining infrastructure, such as education and health facilities, will be closely integrated within the master plan for each proposed town, as all too often sizable developments can be built without reasonable supporting arrangements.
“The UK government must work closely with key stakeholders to ensure each new town brings a diverse mix of properties, all capable of delivering the right combination of homes to meet the needs of household and age demographic requirements in the areas they will be placed.”
