RICS responds to MHCLG New Towns Consultation

RICS has submitted its response to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) consultation on the New Towns Draft Programme, broadly supporting the initiative and raising concerns about the practicalities of delivery.

RICS welcomes the draft programme’s ambition to address the housing shortages and drive economic growth, but there are questions over the timescales and in particular, the 2-3 years needed to set up Urban Development Corporations.  RICS encouraged the government to explore options for establishing delivery vehicles more quickly to unlock development.

On finance, greater clarity is needed on government funding for proposed New Towns – currently the position is insufficiently clear to provide strong market signals and given the size and complexity of the projects the development community will need greater certainty.  With respect to planning, RICS highlighted the differing layers of government engaged in the delivery of the New Towns as a risk to delivery, exacerbated by the policy formulation process across Spatial Development Strategies and Local Plans and the broader reorganisation of local government.

RICS also responded that there is a substantial geographic imbalance with New Towns, noting that Leeds is the programme’s most northerly location and therefore leaving much of the north of England without similar government investment.

RICS further highlighted the need for government to address some of the challenges facing the broader housing market, including the need for residential retrofit to improve the quality of homes in northern England’s older industrial communities.