The government has earmarked Crews Hill and ‘Chase Park’ as being suitable for up to 21,000 homes

A House of Lords committee has published its latest report following an inquiry into the government’s ‘new towns’ programme.

The built environment committee has today (Thursday 26th) published New Towns: Creating Communities, its second report stemming from an inquiry into the government’s new towns programme.

At the start of this week, Crews Hill and ‘Chase Park’ (Vicarage Farm) was named as one of seven new town locations shortlisted by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

A public consultation on the proposal for 21,000 homes to be built on a swathe of Green Belt land in the north-west of Enfield borough is now open.

In its report the committee repeats its calls for the “establishment of a single, autonomous central body”, reporting to a dedicated cabinet-level minister, to “co-ordinate departments, steward quality and manage new town assets over the long term”.

The committee is urging the government to set out and champion a “clear, galvanising vision, rooted in opportunity and quality of life”, so that the programme can sustain “public, political and investor support over the decades to come”.

One of the report’s conclusions is that new towns should drive “inclusive growth, reduce spatial inequalities and act as exemplars of modern, healthy, sustainable living”. It states that the continued emphasis on delivering housing units is “not enough to give the programme meaning and create thriving and successful communities”.

Among those giving evidence to the inquiry was Brett Leahy, Enfield Council’s director of planning and growth. He said that a “lack of clarity around the vision and the programme for achieving delivery” was “the biggest challenge”.

Leahy told the committee he thought that there was a need for “one voice and one point of reference to navigate the complexities but, critically, to get and maintain momentum”.

The committee warns that new towns must “avoid homogeneity”. In addition to prioritising “walkable neighbourhoods, high-quality public spaces, and biodiversity”, they must “incorporate diverse plot sizes and reuse existing structures as much as possible”, drawing on the local landscape and heritage to “create distinct identities”.

Launching the latest report Lord Gascoigne, chair of the built environment committee, said: “The new towns programme needs a compelling national vision. There has to be strong national leadership, clear coordination across government, all supporting delivery on the ground at the local level to create sustainable, flourishing communities for the decades ahead.

“The purpose of the new towns programme must go beyond just meeting housing numbers. People need to be able to thrive, rather than simply survive, in these new towns; that means that these new towns have to be accessible, age-friendly and safe.

“Now that the government has set out the locations of seven new towns that will be considered and confirmed the launch of the National Housing Bank, it needs to tell the country how it is going to deliver these new places.”

The report also emphasises that there must be “adequate funding up-front for social, health, and green infrastructure”.

The House of Lords report on new towns is available to read online:
Visit committees.parliament.uk/work/9016/new-towns-practical-delivery/publications

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