Senior figures behind Britain's celebrated post-war new towns have launched a stinging critique of the government's modern housing strategy, warning it lacks the scale, vision, and commitment to social housing needed to make a real impact.
Lack of Ambition and Social Housing Focus
The criticism comes as the government pushes forward with plans to build 1.5 million homes and establish 12 new towns, a key pledge from Prime Minister Keir Starmer. In September, a dedicated taskforce identified potential locations for this "fourth generation" of developments.
However, Lee Shostak, former planning director for the Milton Keynes Development Corporation in the 1970s, argues the current plan fails to address the core issue it was meant to solve. "There’s talk about 40% of the homes as affordable housing, most of which will not be social housing," he stated. He highlighted that the original new towns, like Milton Keynes, were explicitly designed to relieve pressure on cities like London with substantial council housing stock.
"No one is addressing the question: if you can’t afford to buy, will you be able to move to a new town?" Shostak added, questioning whether the programme will help those on lengthy waiting lists.
Concerns Over Scale and Execution
John Walker, who later became chief executive of the Commission for the New Towns, echoed these concerns, describing the current proposals as not ambitious enough. He pointed out that many of the suggested sites are merely expansions of existing communities, not standalone towns on the scale of Milton Keynes.
Both veterans emphasised that the success of the post-war programme hinged on powerful, government-backed development corporations with compulsory purchase and planning powers. "Milton Keynes didn’t just happen because it was a good location. We made it happen because we were given the powers and the resources to make it happen," Shostak explained.
Without a similar model, they fear the new projects will lack momentum and struggle to attract the private investment needed for comprehensive infrastructure.
Local Backlash and Strategic Doubts
The programme has already sparked significant local opposition. In Adlington, Cheshire, plans for a 20,000-home standalone development have been met with fierce resistance from residents and formally opposed by Cheshire East Council. One campaigner described the village as "traumatised," arguing the development seems profit-driven rather than needs-based.
Katy Lock, director of communities at the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA), criticised the selection process, stating "there was no strategic approach to identifying locations" and that a chance for greater public transparency had been missed.
In response, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government rejected the claims. "We welcome the Taskforce recommendation that 40% of the homes in our new towns should be affordable housing, and our New Towns programmes will restore the dream of homeownership for families across the country," they said, adding that they are working with local leaders on infrastructure and location.
The warnings from the architects of Britain's most successful urban experiments suggest that without a radical shift in ambition and mechanism, the current new towns plan may fall short of its goal to fix the nation's deep-rooted housing crisis.
