Prime minister Kier Starmer has revealed plans for the next generation of new towns, which he says will benefit hundreds of thousands of working people and families.

According to Starmer, every new town will have the potential to deliver 10,000 homes or more, and over 100 proposals from across every region in England have been submitted.

Starmer said: “For so many families, homeownership is a distant dream. After a decade of decline in housebuilding, the impact is a disconnect between working hard and getting on.

“This is about more than just bricks and mortar. It’s about the security and stability that owning your own home brings. I know what this means for working people – the roof above our head was everything for our family growing up.

“We’ve already made progress in just seven months, unblocking 20,000 stuck homes. But there’s more to do.

“We’re urgently using all levers available to build the homes we need so more families can get on the housing ladder. We’re sweeping aside the blockers to get houses built, no longer accepting no as the default answer, and paving the way for the next generation of new towns.

“As part of the largest housebuilding programme since the post-war era, our ambitious Plan for Change will transform the lives of working people, once again connecting the basic principle that if you work hard, you should get on.”

The Secretary of State for Housing, Angela Rayner, said: “Time and again we are seeing too many new homes stuck or stalled that not only act as a barrier to growth but also has real-world consequences for working people and families who see homeownership as nothing more than a distant dream.

“I will not run away from the tough choices to fix the housing crisis we inherited that has left thousands of families on housing waiting lists, allowed homelessness to spiral out of control, and stopped an entire generation from picking up the keys to their first home.

“While our vision for the next generation of new towns is setting the stage for a housebuilding revolution in the years to come, urgent action is needed now to build the homes and infrastructure that our local communities are crying out for. That’s why our New Homes Accelerator is working at pace to find solutions and remove blockages in the system, executing long-lasting solutions to get spades in the ground.

“Today we are embarking on the next chapter in our Plan for Change to build 1.5 million new homes, deliver the biggest boost in social and affordable housing in a generation, and raise living standards for working people and families across the country.”

The government says it is taking on the blockers with major reforms to planning regulation to get Britain building. Apparently, 20,000 new homes have been successfully unblocked by the government’s New Homes Accelerator programme, which deploys planning expertise to speed up the delivery of housing sites held by unnecessary delays.

Areas that have already benefitted include:

• Over 1,000 homes unlocked at Cowley Hill in Liverpool, where an agreement has been reached with the Environment Agency which withdrew its previous objections on both flood risk and biodiversity grounds, subject to planning
• And at Wolborough in Devon, the Accelerator has worked with Natural England to help accelerate this development, whilst ensuring environmental improvements are secured. On top of the 1,100 homes the site is injecting £1.75 million towards off-site pedestrian and cycle improvements, playing pitches, bus services and a local travel plan.

The government says housebuilders and local councils have put forward over 350 housing development sites stuck in the system under the previous government, that together could unlock around 700,000 new homes.

Around a quarter of sites submitted are already receiving government attention since the call for evidence closed in October.

The government has also announced plans to fast stream planning through brokering disagreements between the agencies and expert bodies, which by law must be consulted within the planning process. Bodies including National Highways, Natural England and the Environment Agency will need to bring planners and housebuilders to the table and iron out concerns that have been holding back development, the government says.

Reacting  to the announcement, Places for People’s Group CEO, Greg Reed, said: “Today’s announcement on new towns is incredibly welcome. Building sustainable new housing projects at this scale across the country – just as we are doing with the Gilston Area project in East Herts for 10,000 vital new homes, infrastructure and services – will create jobs, boost the economy and most importantly deliver intergenerational Communities where everyone can thrive.

“Labour’s ambition and strategic approach to tackling the housing crisis continues to impress, but none of this can happen without a sharpened national focus on green construction skills. Our dedicated training academy, PFP Thrive, is driving this agenda forward for our sector but there must be sustained investment from Government to futureproof the workforce and get these homes built at scale and pace. We’ve recently made this recommendation and more to Government and now eagerly await its Comprehensive Spending Review later this year.

“We especially welcome Government’s commitment today to ensuring the right infrastructure is rubberstamped into plans for new towns before spades hit the ground. These projects should put people first and Community engagement, provision of GPs, transport links, shops, schools and green space must be at the heart of any new such project.

“Today is just one piece of the puzzle and the housing crisis remains deep-rooted and multi-faceted. Plans unveiled here must be followed up with a bold, long-term and integrated approach to tackling the housing, health and social care challenges that continue to plague the UK.

“Delivering new towns is no mean feat. There will be bumps in the road and Government needs trusted and experienced partners to realise its vision.

“We are a leading developer with a rich history of planning and building new towns including at Brooklands in Milton Keynes, Tornagrain in Inverness, and now in Gilston. We stand ready to help Labour deliver quality homes, sensible infrastructure, and diverse Communities that can stand as a legacy of a successful approach to partnership and placemaking.”