Responding to the New Towns publications today, the chief executive of the Town and Country Planning Association, Fiona Howie, said:
‘As the Prime Minister acknowledged this morning, new new towns are part of the government’s efforts to secure more homes. As the initial response from the Government to the Taskforce report recognises, however, more work will have to be undertaken before locations can be confirmed. Public engagement to get support for individual schemes will need to be part of those next steps.
‘There is much detail to consider, but the emphasis in the initial response on new towns being well-connected, well-designed, sustainable and healthy, where people want to live, is welcome. So too is the emphasis on delivering mechanisms, as those will be crucial. The Association continues to believe that public sector led Development Corporations are essential, with the private sector working in partnership with them, to make these places a reality.
‘We recognise there may be some frustration that places cannot be progressed immediately. But new large scale sustainable communities present an important opportunity. They will however take time if they are going to be done well. ‘
