NALC demands a community-first approach to new towns

We have urged the government to ensure that new towns are developed as unique communities of place, rather than just collections of houses, in our submission to the House of Lords Built Environment Committee's inquiry into new towns and expanded settlements.

In our response, we have emphasised the need for careful planning around previously developed land. While potentially valuable, these sites can pose significant challenges if they're too small to support the infrastructure needed for a sustainable community. The government must prioritise development that is genuinely viable in the long term.

We also stressed that any urban growth strategy must align with the government's broader devolution agenda, especially within metropolitan combined authority areas. With many proposed new developments lying close to or straddling green belt boundaries and local authority borders, meaningful cross-border cooperation will be essential from the earliest planning stages.

Crucially, all new homes and businesses in these towns should have high-speed fibre-optic broadband infrastructure built in as standard. We raised concerns about the increasing use of poorly regulated private estate management companies, calling for greater oversight to ensure residents are not burdened with unworkable schemes.

Finally, we called for every new town to be given a voice. Where no parish or town council exists, a community governance review should be carried out as soon as the town is established. Where parish and town councils exist, they should be fully engaged and empowered throughout the process.