Civils contractors today welcomed the UK Government’s initial response to the New Towns Taskforce report, which has proposed a shortlist of 12 locations for new towns with the potential of supporting up to 300,000 new homes.
The proposed locations are:
- Adlington, Cheshire East (standalone settlement)
- South Gloucestershire – Brabazon and the West Innovation Arc (corridor of connected development)
- Chase Park and Crews Hill, Enfield (expanded development)
- Heyford Park, Cherwell (redevelopment of former airbase)
- Leeds South Bank (urban development)
- Manchester Victoria North (inner-city development and densification)
- Marlcombe, East Devon (standalone settlement)
- Milton Keynes (renewed town and city expansion)
- Plymouth (densified development)
- Tempsford, Bedfordshire (new settlement)
- Thamesmead, Greenwich (riverside settlement)
- Worcestershire Parkway, Wychavon (expanded development).
Commenting, Director of Policy and Public Affairs for the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) Ben Goodwin said: “The proposed next generation of new towns offer a long-term, infrastructure-led framework for economic growth that will tackle the UK’s housing gap and support thriving communities.
“We believe this framework will present considerable opportunities for our members provided it is backed by investment certainty and effective delivery mechanisms.
“Projects of this magnitude will require major civil engineering works across all phases, from strategic transport and utilities, land remediation and groundworks, to highways, drainage, and connectivity.
“This aligns with CECA’s long-standing position that successful infrastructure delivery must involve co-operation between industry, government at all levels, and all stakeholders, and that pipelines of investment provide certainty to our members, enabling them to plan training and deploy resources in a cost-effective manner.
“The creation of a New Towns Unit within government to coordinate delivery and remove obstacles is particularly welcome, and we look forward to working with the new body, our members, and industry partners, to streamline delivery, mitigate risk, and share best practice.
“For CECA members, the ability to commit resources over multi-phase programmes requires clarity on funding, risk allocation, and long-term contracts, and CECA calls on government to engage with industry to structure frameworks that reward innovation and build resilience into delivery.
“By bringing forward at least three new towns during this Parliament the Government will provide a horizon for immediate work. But the full twelve recommended locations create a longer horizon of development certainty, enabling firms to invest in capacity, skills, and supply chains with confidence. CECA urges that project pipelines, sequencing, and timetables be published in as much detail as possible, to allow firms to plan and scale appropriately.”