The Government has announced seven locations proposed for a new generation of new towns, describing the programme as the most ambitious housebuilding initiative in more than half a century. Each proposed location is expected to deliver at least 10,000 homes, with several earmarked for up to 40,000 homes over the coming decades. The seven sites named are: Tempsford, Bedfordshire (up to 40,000 homes, built around a new East West Rail station); Crews Hill and Chase Park, Enfield; Leeds South Bank; Manchester Victoria North; Thamesmead, Greenwich; Brabazon and the West Innovation Arc, South Gloucestershire; and an expansion of Milton Keynes.
The new towns are intended to be built from the ground up as fully integrated communities, with homes, jobs, schools, green spaces, and transport links all planned together from the outset. A public consultation on the seven proposed locations opened on 23rd March 2026 and will run until 18th May 2026, with final decisions expected in late Summer 2026. The Government has pledged to get spades in the ground on at least three new towns within the parliament once final proposals are confirmed. Alongside the announcement, the National Housing Bank - backed by up to £16 billion of financial capacity - launching on 1st April 2026, aims to unlock over £53 billion of private investment and supporting the delivery of more than half a million new homes.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed stated the ambition is to plan "whole communities" rather than simply building homes, with neighbourhoods designed around walkability, public transport, and shared green spaces. The programme is seen as the Government's most significant response to the UK's chronic housing shortage, though industry commentators have noted that delivery at this scale will take many years to achieve, and that land assembly, infrastructure, and planning certainly remain the primary challenges ahead.