Call for Evidence

Overview

The House of Lords Built Environment Committee has launched a modular inquiry into new towns and expanded settlements.

This modular format will allow us to explore the topic of new towns in depth, looking at the full breadth of issues involved in delivering attractive, economically viable new towns where people will actually want to live, both now and in the decades ahead. The first module will be entitled Building New Towns: Practical Delivery and will focus on the fundamental, practical considerations for delivering towns, answering the basic question: is the construction of new towns and expanded settlements practicable and achievable?

If the answer to that initial question is “yes”, subsequent modules will then explore the “how”, looking at the themes of Enabling Infrastructure, Social Infrastructure, Housing Delivery, and Creating Communities. The specific subject matter of these modules will, necessarily, be subject to change and adaptation as policy develops, and to respond to what we learn in the course of our inquiry.

We are now inviting interested individuals and organisations to submit written evidence for our first module, Practical Delivery. The Committee intends to take oral evidence between April and July 2025 and will publish its report on this module later in the year.

Background

The Government aims to have up to 12 new towns under construction by the next election. More than 100 potential locations in England have already been identified and submitted to the New Towns Taskforce, the majority of these being urban expansions in London, the South East, and the South West.

This first module, focused on practical delivery, will seek to understand the legal, political, and economic channels through which new and expanded settlements can be successfully delivered. It will consider the role of local, regional, and central Government, and examine what effect devolution might have on delivery. We will also explore the role of the private sector and public/private partnerships, considering alternative funding models and looking to contemporary success stories both nationally and internationally. Strategic master planning and long-term support will be highlighted, questioning how the Government can learn from previous new town policies to ensure successful delivery. The inquiry will also examine the practical implications of building on such a scale, considering the capacity of the construction sector, what legal challenges could be faced, and the role of robust community consultation.

Values

The Committee has identified five key values which will guide the course of this inquiry. These values reflect the popular consensus on what make a good new town that both meets existing needs and is likely to endure. We would ask that submitted written evidence considers these values, and where possible incorporates them into discussion.

1. Wellbeing: is this good for the health and wellbeing of people who live here?
2. Accessibility: is this accessible and affordable for people with different needs?
3. Connectivity: is this development easy and safe to travel within, and to/from?
4. Sustainability: is this good for the local and global environment?
5. Longevity: is this going to stay functional for future generations?

Questions

General

1.What do you anticipate will be most significant impact(s) of the Government’s proposed new towns?

   a. Over what timescale do you expect this(/these) to be realised?

2. How do the proposed new towns and expanded settlements differ from previous initiatives over the last 80 years?

3. What, if any, are the barriers to the development of good quality new towns?

4. What current policy channels exist to delivery new towns, and are they sufficient? If insufficient, what policy changes would facilitate their development?

5. What do you think future modules in our inquiry should examine when considering what makes a successful new town?

The Role of Government

6. What should be the respective roles and responsibilities of local and regional government in the delivery of new towns?

7. How can central Government support the planning and delivery of new towns?

8. What is the most effective economic model for building and managing a new town?

9. What role should community engagement play in developing and planning new towns?

Strategic Master Planning

10. What elements should be prioritised in the strategic master planning of new towns?

    a. In what ways can master plans support the long-term economic viability of new towns?

11. On what basis, and using what metrics, should the location and size of new be decided?

    b. In which types of locations and in which parts of the country would you prioritise the development of new towns and why?

12. To what extent can the proposed new towns act as a model for general housing development across the UK?

Legalities, Economics, & Skills

13. What long-term support will new towns need to ensure that their delivery is efficient and successful?

14. Does the construction sector have sufficient capacity and skills to deliver new towns?

    a. If not, what should be done to ensure that it is, and over what timeframe can capacity be made?

    b. Is there sufficient capacity in the English workforce?

ANNEX: GUIDANCE FOR SUBMISSIONS

Written evidence should be submitted online by clicking the “Start” button below. This page also provides guidance on submitting evidence.

Please do not submit PDFs (if you do not have access to Microsoft Word you may submit in another editable electronic form). If you have difficulty submitting evidence online, please contact the Committee staff by emailing builtenvironment@parliament.uk or by telephoning 020 7219 3616.

UPDATE:

Due to the level of interest in this inquiry, the volume of submissions, and the number of requests for extensions to the original deadline, we are pleased to announce that we are extending the deadline for written evidence submissions for our inquiry “New Towns: Practical Delivery”. The deadline for written evidence is now 00:01 on Friday, 23 May 2025.

Short submissions are preferred. A submission longer than six pages should include a one-page summary. Paragraphs should be numbered. Submissions should be dated, with a note of the author’s name, and of whether the author is making the submission on an individual or a corporate basis. All submissions made through the written submission form will be acknowledged automatically by email.

Submitters who use generative AI to produce their work should disclose this to us and accept that they have taken ownership and responsibility for the contents of their submission. 

Evidence which is accepted by the Committee may be published online at any stage; when it is so published it becomes subject to parliamentary copyright and is protected by parliamentary privilege. Submissions which have been previously published will not be accepted as evidence. Once you have received acknowledgement that the evidence has been accepted you will receive a further email, and at this point you may publicise or publish your evidence yourself. In doing so you must indicate that it was prepared for the Committee, and you should be aware that your publication or re-publication of your evidence may not be protected by parliamentary privilege.

Personal contact details will be removed from evidence before publication but will be retained by the Committee Office and used for specific purposes relating to the Committee’s work, for instance to seek additional information.

Persons who submit written evidence, and others, may be invited to give oral evidence. Oral evidence is usually given in public at Westminster and broadcast online; transcripts are also taken and published online. Persons invited to give oral evidence will be notified separately of the procedure to be followed and the topics likely to be discussed.

We will handle the personal data you give us in line with the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018, as set out in our privacy notice: https://www.parliament.uk/site-information/data-protection/privacy-notice-for-house-of-lords-select-committee-witnesses/

Substantive communications to the Committee about the inquiry should be addressed through the clerk of the Committee, whether or not they are intended to constitute formal evidence to the Committee.

This is a public call for evidence. Please bring it to the attention of other groups and individuals who may not have received a copy direct.

Diversity comes in many forms and hearing a range of different perspectives means that committees are better informed and can more effectively scrutinise public policy and legislation. Committees can undertake their role most effectively when they hear from a wide range of individuals, sectors or groups in society affected by a particular policy or piece of legislation. We encourage anyone with experience or expertise of an issue under investigation by a select committee to share their views with the committee, with the full knowledge that their views have value and are welcome.

You may follow the progress of the inquiry at https://committees.parliament.uk/work/9016