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New Towns 2026-01-15
15 January 2026
Lead MP
Katrina Murray
Debate Type
General Debate
Tags
Housing
Other Contributors: 31
At a Glance
Katrina Murray raised concerns about new towns 2026-01-15 in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
The New Towns Act of 1946 aimed to address severe housing shortages, overcrowding, and poor living conditions post-war by planning whole communities with homes alongside jobs, schools, services, and green space. The debate highlights the successes and shortcomings of new towns like Cumbernauld, emphasising the need for long-term stewardship and sustained investment in infrastructure and housing.
Katrina Murray
Lab
Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch
The debate reflects on the legacy of new towns like Cumbernauld, which was designated to meet urgent housing needs, provide better living conditions, access to work, and a strong sense of community. It also addresses issues related to ageing infrastructure and the importance of long-term investment in such communities.
John Lamont
Con
Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
Acknowledges the significance of new towns like Cumbernauld and questions how successful marketing campaigns were in bringing people to the town and new employers to the area.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Suggests that with a growing population, new towns should be established in areas with space. Emphasises the importance of a working group looking at this issue UK-wide to provide communities rather than just houses.
Anna Dixon
Lab
Shipley
Calls for new towns to be built and designed for all ages and abilities as inclusive communities, reflecting on intergenerational care services and housing needs.
Richard Fuller
Con
North Bedfordshire
The hon. Member for North Bedfordshire highlighted concerns about the proposal to develop Tempsford into a new town, citing issues such as flood risk management, water resources pressure due to nearby Universal Studios’ theme park, and provision of local services like GP access. He also raised questions about housing requirements, preservation of village identity, nature conservation, road networks, employment types, and proposed scale of development.
Erith and Thamesmead
The hon. Member for Erith and Thamesmead provided a strong critique of the Government’s plans for new towns, emphasising the need to address housing shortages effectively while considering local community needs and environmental impacts.
Katrina Murray
Lab/Co-op
Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch
The hon. Member for Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch (Katrina Murray) opened the debate, highlighting the importance of bringing communities along on the journey of new towns to prevent division. She also emphasised that there are opportunities and responsibilities in shaping places for the long term.
Richard Fuller
Con
North Bedfordshire
The hon. Member for North Bedfordshire (Richard Fuller) agreed with the importance of bringing communities along on the journey and highlighted the need to engage local residents from the start, ensuring that new towns are built with existing communities in mind.
Gareth Bacon
Con
Orpington
The hon. Member for Orpington (Gareth Bacon), as Shadow Minister, acknowledged and supported the argument that the DLR infrastructure would stimulate the regeneration of Thamesmead. He expressed regret that the site in the constituency of Ms Oppong-Asare is not included among the three new towns scheduled to begin work before 2029.
Florence Eshalomi
Lab/Co-op
Vauxhall and Camberwell Green
The hon. Member for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green (Florence Eshalomi), Chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, highlighted the importance of listening to experiences from existing new towns to ensure that current and future new towns receive necessary support from Government.
Tim Roca
Lab
Macclesfield
Opposed the proposed Adlington new town site due to concerns over green belt land loss and environmental impact, emphasising that local community opposition is widespread and supported by Cheshire East council. Highlighted the importance of proper planning and infrastructure considerations.
Shaun Davies
Lab
Telford
Acknowledged Telford's experience as a second phase new town, praised the Housing Minister for his understanding of housing issues, and called for learning from previous experiences to improve future developments.
Katrina Murray
SNP
Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch
New towns such as Telford, Cwmbran and East Kilbride embody hope and opportunity. They provided affordable housing and enabled home ownership away from big cities for people who had never dreamt of it before. New towns need to learn from past successes and continue offering unique opportunities. The community in Telford is thriving due to good transport links, industry presence, and green spaces.
Chris Curtis
Lab
Milton Keynes North
Building on the comments about new towns, Chris Curtis highlights the impact of Milton Keynes on his life. He acknowledges concerns from constituents but emphasises the positive changes brought by new town development such as affordable housing, good jobs and public services. He also mentions potential challenges including infrastructure costs and financing options.
Kevin Brennan
Lab
Cardiff West
The MP expresses concerns about the lengthy consultation process for setting up new towns, suggesting that further delays will hinder progress. He emphasises the need to streamline the process and criticise the current approach of going back to a 'begging-bowl culture' with local councils. He also highlights the importance of building communities that are not dependent on cars and criticises the Department for Transport's reluctance to fund necessary infrastructure despite the government’s ambitious plans.
Chris Bloore
Lab
Redditch
The MP congratulates Katrina Murray on securing the debate and discusses Redditch, a west midlands new town established 62 years ago. He praises the innovative masterplan of Redditch and emphasises its focus on public transport rather than private cars. The MP highlights how Redditch's manufacturing-led economy helped it grow significantly but notes that cheap imports later hollowed out traditional industries. He concludes by urging for long-term investment, integrated planning, and political will to ensure the success of new towns.
Chris Vince
Lab/Co-op
Harlow
The MP thanks Katrina Murray for securing the debate and speaks about Harlow, which was designated a new town in 1947. He discusses Harlow's sense of community, its masterplan by Sir Frederick Gibberd, and the decline in manufacturing impacting places like Harlow. Chris Vince emphasises that creating new towns is not just about infrastructure but also about fostering communities and encourages the government to look at what worked well in Harlow when considering future new town projects.
Chris Vince
Con
Harlow
The Government’s commitment to Harlow being the permanent home of the UK Health Security Agency is a significant one. The decline of manufacturing in Harlow has been detrimental, although we still have important businesses like Raytheon. There is a need for continual investment in new towns to ensure their survival and growth. Harlow has an excellent cycle network and green areas which are crucial for community cohesion.
Kevin Bonavia
Lab
Stevenage
Stevenage, the UK’s first new town, celebrates its 80th anniversary this year. It demonstrates the benefit of planning ahead for homes, schools, jobs, and parks. Stevenage has major companies in defence and aerospace sectors such as MBDA and Airbus. The challenge now is to rejuvenate existing new towns, as seen with Stevenage’s reduction from 38,000 council homes to 8,000. A £1 billion regeneration project for the town centre aims to tackle these issues.
Richard Baker
Lab
Glenrothes and Mid Fife
The establishment of Glenrothes as a new town aimed at economic growth and renewal in central Fife faced setbacks but managed to attract high-tech companies. Despite challenges, Glenrothes remains an important centre for technology and manufacturing. The town’s ageing infrastructure needs investment, especially its housing stock which is not energy-efficient, leading to heating costs that are too expensive for low-income households.
Chris Hinchliffe
Lab
North East Hertfordshire
The development of new towns in this country grew out of the garden city movement. The land on which those towns will be constructed should be brought into common ownership, and development corporations for future new towns must be empowered to purchase all the land they need at current use value. New towns need a purpose, not just a housing target. Future new towns must follow the garden city model of development in harmony with nature.
Andrew Lewin
Lab
Welwyn Hatfield
Every town needs to evolve and renew for the future. In Welwyn Garden City, planning permission has been granted for a 578-home development which will maintain the history of Shredded Wheat silos and create a sky bar and restaurant at the summit. The new public play area in Hatfield's market place and an ambitious regeneration programme for White Lion Square are examples of investment needed for towns to thrive.
John Slinger
Lab
Rugby
Paid tribute to the hon. Friend's comments about community and highlighted the importance of first-class links to essential facilities in new towns. Emphasised the success of Rugby’s Houlton urban extension, which provided early investment in amenities, working with local stakeholders, and demonstrating tangible benefits of large-scale developments.
Sam Rushworth
Lab
Bishop Auckland
Welcomed the Government's plan to build 12 new towns but emphasised the need for sustainable building practices such as modern district heating networks. Highlighted examples from Denmark and Germany where district heating systems are more energy-efficient and less costly.
Gideon Amos
LD
Taunton and Wellington
The hon. Member for Taunton and Wellington praised the debate's focus on community investment and expressed support for the Government's ambitions for new towns, albeit with caveats regarding their implementation. He highlighted the Liberal Democrats' commitment to 150,000 social homes per year and emphasised the need for environmental ambition, affordability, and long-term financial investment in new town projects.
Richard Fuller
Con
North Bedfordshire
The Government's plan for a new town in Tempsford will negatively impact the small villages there. Proper full consultation with local people is vital, rather than continuing a top-down approach against the countryside.
Gareth Bacon
Lab
Dover
It would be tragic if the Government pushes forward with their new towns policy without addressing brownfield delays and greenbelt preservation. The Government must look further into proper development of brownfield land to avoid losing the green belt.
Richard Fuller
Con
North Bedfordshire
Concerned about local housing need and how it interacts with the new towns programme, suggesting that new towns should deliver above standard housing targets.
Gideon Amos
LD
Taunton and Wellington
Asked for clarification on long-term loans available similar to those used in post-war new towns programmes. Also raised issues around affordable housing and funding details.
Vauxhall and Camberwell Green
Emphasised the importance of affordable housing, including social rented homes, within new towns and questioned the delivery models proposed by the Government.
MP expressed gratitude for the debate and acknowledged both the love for towns, garden cities, and villages while also addressing real concerns. She highlighted personal experiences from her hon. Friends and invited more MPs to hear about her mother's experience in Glenrothes new town. She encouraged inclusion of town artists in development corporations.
Government Response
The Minister emphasised the post-war new towns programme as an ambitious effort that transformed lives by providing affordable homes in well-planned communities. The Government will continue to invest in regenerating existing new towns, referencing investments currently being made. The Minister responded to concerns raised about local housing need, affordable housing, funding details, and public engagement. He affirmed the commitment to the target of 40% affordable homes in new towns, including social rented homes where viable. He also mentioned ongoing processes such as SEA and consultations before final decisions on locations will be made.
Shadow Response
None
Shadow Response
The hon. Member for Orpington (Gareth Bacon), as Shadow Minister, acknowledged and supported the argument that the DLR infrastructure would stimulate the regeneration of Thamesmead but expressed regret that the site in Ms Oppong-Asare's constituency is not included among the three new towns scheduled to begin work before 2029. The hon. Member for Orpington acknowledged the Backbench Business Committee and thanked the lead MP for initiating the debate. He recognised contributions from other Members but did not provide detailed policy or opposition statements.
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Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy
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