New Towns Taskforce Report – A report to government

The independent New Towns Taskforce and the Initial Government response is now out. It covers a wide range of policy drivers with a focus on placemaking for the creation of 12 New Towns in England also refers to the growing housing needs of older people, including homes built to accessible and adaptable standards, and a call for genuinely mixed communities.

Cross-referencing the Older People’s Housing Taskforce’s report, recommendation 6 specifically states that New Towns should provide a diverse range of high-quality housing, with a range of housing types and tenures to suit the needs of a balanced community. This should include a minimum target of 40% affordable housing, of which at least half to be available for social rent.

Other items of interest in the report include:

• a long-term vision supported by a town-wide masterplan and design code to ensure placemaking quality. However, disappointingly no specific reference to Part M4(2).
• reference to the work of Homes England and local authorities to deliver affordable housing as part of their placemaking responsibilities, as well as their ties with Mayoral regions.
• New Towns delivery should engage with providers of social infrastructure - this includes the NHS, embedding the government’s vision for neighbourhood health into the design and infrastructure for new towns,
• and linked to the government’s 10 year Health Plan, New Towns should be healthy and safe places which promote active lives for residents to consider ways of exceeding health outcomes, reducing health inequalities.

The Taskforce report and the government’s initial response, including the 12 sites for the New Towns in England, can be found  via the links below.