A public consultation on the proposals is open, with final locations to be confirmed later this year…

The locations of seven new towns being considered to deliver at least 10,000 homes each have been named, with some delivering up to 40,000 homes.

The government says the new towns named for consideration will encompass homes, jobs, schools and transport links planned from the start, creating neighbourhoods that people can easily get around without a car with shared green spaces and vibrant high streets.

The proposed locations are:

• Tempsford, Bedfordshire — up to 40,000 homes built around a new East West Rail station, linking residents to Cambridge, Oxford, London and Milton Keynes
• Crews Hill and Chase Park, Enfield — up to 21,000 homes helping to meet London’s acute housing need
• Leeds South Bank, West Yorkshire — up to 20,000 homes capitalising on the city’s economic momentum and the government’s £2.1 billion local transport investment
• Manchester Victoria North, Greater Manchester — at least 15,000 homes regenerating the heart of Greater Manchester, with a new Metrolink stop
• Thamesmead, Greenwich — up to 15,000 homes unlocking inaccessible riverside land in London, enabled by the planned Docklands Light Railway extension
• Brabazon and the West Innovation Arc, South Gloucestershire — up to 40,000 homes at the heart of a world-class research and advanced engineering economy
• Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire — building on its history as one of the original new towns, to take forward the ‘renewed town’ vision to expand the city by around 40,000 homes and reinvigorate the centre with a new local transport system, boosting connectivity in the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor

Housing Secretary Steve Reed said: “People want real change – homes they can afford, local infrastructure that works, and good jobs in thriving communities.

“Our next generation of new towns marks a turning point in how we build for the future. From the ground up, we’re planning whole communities with homes, jobs, transport links, and green spaces designed together — so we can give families the security and opportunities they deserve.”

A cross-government approach is being taken to ensure the utilities, health, education, and digital infrastructure to underpin new towns from the outset.

Four interim advisers have been appointed to support the New Towns Unit and drive delivery:

• Lyn Garner, former chief executive of the London Legacy Development Corporation;
• Ian Piper, former chief executive of the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation;
• Emma Cariaga, chief operating officer of British Land;
• David Rudlin, founding principal of Rudlin & Co and principal author of the UK Government’s National Model Design Code

Alongside the new towns consultation, the National Housing Bank will launch on 1 April, backed with up to £16bn of financial capacity and will aim to deliver over 500,000 new homes.

The Government also assessed six further new town locations — Adlington, Heyford Park, Marlcombe (East Devon), Plymouth, South Barking and Wychavon Town — which will not be taken forward as new towns at this stage but are deemed to be credible development opportunities and may continue to be supported through existing housing programmes.

A public consultation on proposed locations and draft planning policy is open until Monday 18 May and will be published shortly. Final locations will be confirmed later this year after the consultation and Strategic Environmental Assessment and any further required environmental assessment.