3rd Report - New Towns: Creating Communities

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government welcomes the report and says it is "closely considering" it as it develops the proposed New Towns Programme, while deferring many of the recommendations to a fuller response "later in the year".

• The government "agrees with the Committee" that the programme should be grounded in a clear long-term vision, and says each new town will deliver "at least 10,000 homes".
• On placemaking, "subject to the outcomes of the current consultation", it intends to incorporate the proposed principles into planning policy, and it will publish Design and Placemaking Guidance for new towns (no date given).
• The Department will establish a New Towns Place Review Panel to provide "impartial advice" on the design and placemaking quality of emerging masterplans, design codes and development proposals.
• No final decisions on locations or delivery will be made until the Strategic Environmental Assessment is complete; locations are to be confirmed "later this year", and the detail of the government offer is to follow in the response to the Taskforce report "later in the year".

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error