As the UK construction industry prepares for a possible surge in large-scale housing delivery under a future Labour government, including an ambition to build 1.5 million new homes and establish 100 new towns by 2029, the conversation is shifting from whether it can be done to how it can be done well. With delivery timelines tightening and expectations rising, what can past new town projects teach us about building places that are successful, sustainable, and truly liveable? Elle Cass, head of strategic built Environment growth at SLR Consulting, reflects on the lessons the construction sector must take forward.
Nansledan, designed in line with King Charles’ urban design principles, has recently been cited as a blueprint for future sustainable towns. But with an estimated 40-year timeline to deliver just 4,000 homes, how do we take these learnings and accelerate progress? Furthermore, with Nansledan sitting on the edge of Newquay, can we even consider it a new town, or is it simply a large urban extension?
Like many, I’ve been pondering how Britain’s development past can help accelerate our future. The UK has a long history of new town developments, from the post-war boom of Milton Keynes to more recent examples like Dickens Heath in Solihull. Some have thrived; others have struggled. The key differentiator is the level of foresight in planning transport, employment, infrastructure and services.
Milton Keynes, for example, benefited from a clear master plan that prioritised a dedicated central business district, albeit at a time when car transportation was certainly more central to city planning than it is now. In contrast, Dickens Heath in Solihull, which is now a thriving settlement, suffered from delays in delivering and occupying centralised facilities which arrived long after the first houses. Nansledan aimed to avoid these mistakes by integrating schools, shops and workplaces within walkable distances but at its current pace, it risks failing to deliver quickly enough at scale.
Labour’s top-down approach could, in theory, cut through this planning gridlock. However, for it to work, local authorities must still play a role in shaping these communities. A purely top-down approach risks creating developments that feel imposed rather than integrated. It is crucial to create a scalable blueprint for new towns, one that ensures infrastructure, transport and community amenities are delivered in tandem with housing. This is likely to require clever thinking on how investment and planning gain is generated, harnessed and timed.
New towns cannot exist on housing alone. A thriving community needs jobs, services and a sense of place. This is where Nansledan is making some progress despite its phased development. Its mixed-use approach ensures that employment spaces, shops and schools are integrated alongside homes. However, for large-scale new town developments, these need to be delivered faster and at scale, particularly if they are central to the 1.5 million new homes target.
For me, the major challenge is funding early infrastructure. Roads, public transport and high streets need to be in place before communities move in and not set as an afterthought. It has been interesting to read Network Rail’s plan to set up a property company to build 40,000 homes on its estate, unlocking land for housing in transport-linked locations. This kind of public-sector-led development could help accelerate delivery, but the challenge remains in ensuring homes are built with placemaking principles at their core rather than simply maximising numbers.
Another key development milestone for Labour, which ties into the 100 new towns debate, is its proposal to re-examine the Green Belt. While we must push to really question its status as an urban sprawl limiter, we must acknowledge the fact that not all Green Belt land is equal. Some areas are worth protecting for their open countryside, valued landscape or ecological richness, while others are of lower quality with minimal environmental value.
The concept of Grey Belt can take us a little further toward Labour’s goals, unlocking land for development while maintaining genuine conservation efforts. Nansledan is a good example of this but also brings into the spotlight questions of placemaking.
Being built on the edge of an existing town, Nansledan benefits largely from the already existing community. So, is it better to build adjacent to an existing settlement, letting towns grow instead of creating new ones?
Or is the answer to simply build less and bigger? Bigger, more high-quality towns that can fill new schools, provide an array of employment opportunities and unlock open land.
For the construction industry, Labour’s proposed 100 new towns represent more than a policy milestone. They signal a transformation in delivery expectations and a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape communities at scale. But this opportunity will only succeed if early-stage infrastructure is prioritised, if employment and public transport are embedded, and if placemaking remains front and centre.
Nansledan offers valuable insights into design and delivery, particularly around integrating uses and avoiding car dependency, but its pace reminds us that vision alone is not enough. If these new towns are to be truly successful, government and industry alike must collaborate early, plan holistically and ensure that homes are not just built quickly, but built well, as part of communities that endure.
