Labour must build “a new generation of New Towns” if it gets into government, according to one of its most prominent parliamentary candidates.
Chris Curtis, who is standing for election in Milton Keynes North, says that his party should build more places like his constituency and home town in a new essay for the Social Market Foundation think tank. “The solution to Britain’s housing crisis is a vast endeavour, building the next generation of New Towns will be critical”, he said.
The essay is the latest part of a new collection from the Social Market Foundation, ‘Class of 2024: future MPs on the social market’, which showcases ideas from some of the most interesting thinkers across the major parties, hoping to be elected to parliament following the next election.
Soaring mortgage rates, increasingly expensive rents, and a shortage of suitable homes are just some of the repercussions of the UK housing crisis. In the latest essay, Curtis argues why New Towns could be the solution to the issues facing homeowners and renters in the UK. “Britain is not building enough genuinely affordable new homes, and we are all facing the consequences. It’s time for a new generation of New Towns”, Curtis said.
“The scale of New Towns means that we can build hundreds of thousands of affordable houses at scale and at pace. The longer we leave it, the worse our housing shortage becomes”, Curtis said. The government should bring in a range of partners to single sites to ensure that towns are build quickly, minimising the delays that come with smaller projects.
Curtis also argues that while areas like Milton Keynes have in the past been labelled simply as “commuter towns”, there is an opportunity for New Towns to become “their own economic powerhouses: new, exciting places that companies invest in, talent flocks to, and economies boom”.
The New Towns model means that homes and the infrastructure needed to support them can be built simultaneously. Profits made from selling the new houses can fund new transport networks, pedestrian and cycling routes, and services such as schools, hospitals and GP surgeries, Curtis said.
Notes
- Labour PPC Chris Curtis’ blog will be published at https://www.smf.co.uk/commentary_podcasts/new-generation-of-new-towns/ on Monday 8th April 2024, 5 AM
- The blog is published by the Social Market Foundation. The author retains full editorial independence.
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