2nd Report - New Towns: Laying the Foundations
- HC No.
- Not recorded
- Published
- 25 Oct 2025
- Items
- 0
- Government response
- Government response published 28 January 2026 (deadline 25 December 2025). Read the government's response ↗
Select committee: Built Environment Committee
New Towns: Practical Delivery
Closed
Opened 19 Mar 2025
Closed 10 Jun 2026
Built Environment Committee Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Inquiry scope (the committee's words)
The report New Towns: Laying the Foundations was published 25 October 2025. The Government response was published 28 January 2026 and the report was debated 10 June 2026.
Where it stands
The inquiry is closed, opened 19 March 2025.
The committee has published 1 report, most recently 2nd Report - New Towns: Laying the Foundations on 25 October 2025.
The government's response
Published 28 January 2026. The deadline was 25 December 2025.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government welcomes the Committee's inquiry and says it will address many of the recommendations in more detail in the Spring, following the necessary consultations and assessments.
- On locations, the government will carry out a Strategic Environmental Assessment, consult on it early next year, and confirm locations in the Spring. It has "committed to have spades on the ground in at least three new towns within this Parliament".
- On design and placemaking, the government "supports the placemaking approach" recommended by the Taskforce. Final selection of principles is "subject to environmental assessment and consultation", and it "will consider" which design review mechanisms to use.
- On delivery vehicles, the government "agrees with the Taskforce" that the preference should be the development corporation model, while recognising "the need for flexibility". It "will assess" delivery vehicle options for each place.
- On funding and financing, the government points to existing housing programmes and says it "will respond fully to the Taskforce recommendations on funding and financing new towns in the Spring".
Reports
- 2nd Report - New Towns: Laying the Foundations25 October 2025
Evidence
- 11 oral evidence sessionsLatest 17 July 2025
- 31 witnesses
Recent activity
- New Towns Laying the Foundations - Letter from Lord Gascoigne to Matthew Pennycook MP, Minister of State for Housing and Planning21 May 2026, Correspondence
- Government Response to the Committee's report "New Towns: Laying the Foundations"28 January 2026, Report published
- 2nd Report - New Towns: Laying the Foundations25 October 2025, Report published
Reports
Oral evidence sessions
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| Date | Session and witnesses | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 17 Jul 2025 |
Built Environment Committee
Joanna Key · Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities,
Lise-Anne Boissiere · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government,
Matthew Pennycook · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
|
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| 8 Jul 2025 |
Oral Evidence Session
Dr Hugh Ellis · Town and Country Planning Association,
Paul Thomas · Milton Keynes City Council,
Tom Chance · Community Land Trust Network
|
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| 1 Jul 2025 |
Public session
Ian Woodcroft · Construction Industry Training Board (CITB),
Robbie Calvert · Royal Town Planning Institute
|
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| 17 Jun 2025 |
Built Environment Committee
Anne Ogundiya · Beyond the Red Line,
Kathryn Firth · Arup,
Katja Stille · Tibbalds
|
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| 10 Jun 2025 |
Public session
Maurice Lange · Centre for Cities,
Steve Quartermain CBE,
Vincent Goodstadt
|
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| 3 Jun 2025 |
Public session
Caroline Foster · Urban & Civic PLC,
Charlotte Neal · Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors,
Melanie Leech CBE · British Property Federation (BPF)
|
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| 20 May 2025 |
Public session
Dr Edward Shepherd · Cardiff University,
Kathryn Jump · Shoosmiths,
Miles Gibson
|
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| 13 May 2025 |
Oral Evidence Session
Elizabeth Bundred Woodward · Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE),
Kane Emerson · YIMBY Alliance,
Professor John Sturzaker · University of Hertfordshire
|
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| 6 May 2025 |
Built Environment Committee
David Lunts · Old Oak Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC),
Paul Richards · Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation
|
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| 29 Apr 2025 |
Built Environment Committee
Dr Maya Singer Hobbs · The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR),
Ike Ijeh · Policy Exchange,
Millie Mitchell · The Institute for Government (IfG)
|
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| 22 Apr 2025 |
Oral evidence session
Dr Susan Priest · District Councils' Network (DCN),
Professor Tony Travers · London School of Economics,
Stephen Kelly · Greater Cambridge Shared Planning
|
View ↗ |
Who gave evidence
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| Witness | Organisation | Sessions |
|---|---|---|
| Anne Ogundiya · Director of Development and Masterplanning | Beyond the Red Line | 1 |
| Caroline Foster · Development Director | Urban & Civic PLC | 1 |
| Charlotte Neal · Director of Surveying Practice | Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors | 1 |
| David Lunts · Chief Executive | Old Oak Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) | 1 |
| Dr Edward Shepherd · Senior Lecturer | Cardiff University | 1 |
| Dr Hugh Ellis · Director of Policy | Town and Country Planning Association | 1 |
| Dr Maya Singer Hobbs · Senior research fellow | The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) | 1 |
| Dr Susan Priest · Member | District Councils' Network (DCN) | 1 |
| Elizabeth Bundred Woodward · Planning Policy Manager | Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) | 1 |
| Ian Woodcroft · Head of Policy and Government Relations | Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) | 1 |
| Ike Ijeh · Head of Housing, Architecture & Urban Space | Policy Exchange | 1 |
| Joanna Key · Director General, Regeneration, Housing and Planning | Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities | 1 |
| Kane Emerson · Head of Housing Research | YIMBY Alliance | 1 |
| Kathryn Firth · Director in Cities, Planning & Design | Arup | 1 |
| Kathryn Jump · Partner | Shoosmiths | 1 |
| Katja Stille · Director of Planning & Urban Design | Tibbalds | 1 |
| Lise-Anne Boissiere · Co-Director for New Towns, Infrastructure and Housing Delivery | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | 1 |
| Matthew Pennycook · Minister of State for Housing and Planning | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | 1 |
| Maurice Lange · Analyst | Centre for Cities | 1 |
| Melanie Leech CBE · Chief Executive | British Property Federation (BPF) | 1 |
| Miles Gibson | Not recorded | 1 |
| Millie Mitchell · Researcher | The Institute for Government (IfG) | 1 |
| Paul Richards · Chief Executive | Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation | 1 |
| Paul Thomas · Director of Planning and Placemaking | Milton Keynes City Council | 1 |
| Professor John Sturzaker · Ebenezer Howard Chair of Planning | University of Hertfordshire | 1 |
| Professor Tony Travers · Director of LSE London and Associate Dean of the School of Public Policy | London School of Economics | 1 |
| Robbie Calvert · Head of Policy | Royal Town Planning Institute | 1 |
| Stephen Kelly · Joint Director of Planning and Economic Development | Greater Cambridge Shared Planning | 1 |
| Steve Quartermain CBE | Not recorded | 1 |
| Tom Chance · Chief Executive | Community Land Trust Network | 1 |
| Vincent Goodstadt | Not recorded | 1 |
Correspondence
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| Published | Direction | Letter |
|---|---|---|
| 21 May 2026 | To committee | New Towns Laying the Foundations - Letter from Lord Gascoigne to Matthew Pennycook MP, Minister of State for Housing and Planning |
| 28 May 2025 | To committee | Letter from Dr Susan Priest to Lord Gascoigne, Chairman of the Built Environment Committee, 1 May |
Meetings & visits
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| Date | Type | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Apr 2025 | Formal meeting (private meeting) | Private meeting · Room 4A, Palace of Westminster | |
| 25 Mar 2025 | Formal meeting (private meeting) | Private meeting · Committee Room G |