Labour unveils plan for 12 new towns across England
At Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool, housing secretary Steve Reed is scheduled to unveil a bold plan to build 12 new towns across England as part of a broader drive to tackle the housing crisis. The initiative, framed as a revival of a postwar housing boom and a rejection of quick-fix politics, would combine public and private funding to deliver communities with homes and services.
A postwar blueprint for renewal
Reed frames the project as a modern echo of Clement Attlee’s government, which oversaw the construction of more than one million homes between 1945 and 1951. He says the plan aims not just for housing but for communities, with schools, GP surgeries, green spaces and transport links integrated into each town. The effort relies on mobilising the full power of the state to accelerate construction and restore the dream of home ownership for thousands of families.
Scope, sites and affordable housing
Under consideration are several locations, including Tempsford in Bedfordshire, Crews Hill in north London, and Leeds South Bank, with final decisions yet to be announced. Each new town is proposed to include at least 10,000 homes, alongside essential facilities and infrastructure. The taskforce is understood to suggest that around 40% of the dwellings would be affordable, with roughly 20% earmarked for social housing.
Funding, costs and a long horizon
Officials emphasise the plan would use a mix of public and private funding, but the total cost remains unclear. The taskforce’s report is expected to provide a framework for financing new towns and milestones for building, potentially delivering up to 300,000 homes over the coming decades. Analysts note that Britain currently faces a shortage of about 4.3 million homes, and the country has record numbers of people in temporary accommodation, underscoring the scale of the challenge.
Political context and reaction
Labour has pledged to deliver 1.5 million new properties before the next general election, though analysts have questioned whether that target is achievable. The plan has been pitched as a ‘national renewal in action’ and a counterpoint to what Labour describes as the Conservative government’s blockers and short-termism. The leadership frames the initiative as a long-term project that could reshape housing and regional development in England.
What happens next
The new towns taskforce will publish detailed recommendations, and final site selections will follow as planning processes unfold. If pursued, the towns would be built over many years, with construction timelines shaped by funding decisions, planning approvals and supply chains. In the meantime, supporters argue the proposals mark a serious, long-range response to the housing crisis that prioritises sustainable communities and long-term affordability.
