Senior figures behind Britain's celebrated post-war new towns have issued a stark warning over the government's flagship housing programme, branding it unambitious and insufficiently focused on social housing.
Lack of Ambition and Social Focus
In an exclusive critique, veteran planners who shaped developments like Milton Keynes argue the current plan for 12 new towns and 1.5 million homes fails to match the vision and commitment of past projects. Lee Shostak, former director of planning at the Milton Keynes Development Corporation (MKDC) in the 1970s, said the scheme may not help those in greatest need.
He highlighted that while Milton Keynes was explicitly designed to ease London's housing burden with a large council housing stock, the new proposals risk doing little for city waiting lists. "There's talk about 40% of the homes as affordable housing, most of which will not be social housing," Shostak stated. He questioned the fundamental premise: "No one is addressing the question: if you can't afford to buy, will you be able to move to a new town?"
Calls for Powerful Development Corporations
Both Shostak and John Walker, who became MKDC planning director in 1980, emphasised that success hinges on recreating the powerful, government-backed development corporations of the past. These bodies had the land ownership and planning powers to deliver homes and infrastructure at the necessary scale and pace.
"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 asserted. Walker, who arrived when the area was "mainly mud and building sites," warned: "There's very little point in talking about doing more new towns if all you're going to do is draw a big blob on a plan."
They expressed concern that many of the 12 potential locations identified by the government's New Towns Taskforce in September are merely expansions of existing communities, not standalone projects of transformative scale.
Local Backlash and Strategic Concerns
The plan has already sparked significant local opposition. In Adlington, Cheshire, proposals for 20,000 new homes have been formally opposed by Cheshire East council. Resident campaigner Aysha Hawcutt described a community feeling "traumatised," arguing the plans "don't fix any problem, they just make money for a private company."
Katy Lock, director of communities at the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA), criticised a lack of strategic approach and public engagement. "There is such mistrust in planning... and I feel that opportunity has been missed," she said.
The government has rejected the criticisms. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: "We welcome the Taskforce recommendation that 40% of the homes in our new towns should be affordable housing... We continue to work closely with local leaders to ensure these towns will be in the right places and have the necessary infrastructure."
Despite the government's commitment, the warnings from those who built the iconic new towns of the 20th century suggest the current plan may fall short of solving the profound housing crisis it aims to address.
