How to make sure New Towns are successful?

We're currently awaiting a major announcement from the New Towns Taskforce. It was set up by the Government to explore the potential for developments, and to narrow down prospective locations. The expectation is we will soon get their first report, including confirmation of 12 areas, as well as the Government's response to the findings. Before that though, the House of Lords is warning there needs to be a proper vision for the programme and individual projects. We want to have a closer look here, then if you want to design high end residential architecture in London, you can trust us.

What do we already know?

There is already a lot of information about the New Towns plans. Firstly, the aim is that every one will be a significant development with the potential to provide at least 10,000 new homes. Some will be mega-projects with even more housing, new infrastructure, parks and public space.

Secondly, we already know that the policy is to favour expanded settlements. The Taskforce already made this recommendation, specifying it is likely there will only be a small number of proposals for entirely brand new towns. In fact, the Government could decide not to progress with any of them.

What don't we know?

There are many questions about the programme to answer. This includes the locations, governance, the amount of affordable housing, and the financial side of things. The hope is we'll get these details in the full report. It will then be interesting to see how things move forward. We'll be especially interested to see the areas and the potential for new residential architecture in London.

House of Lords concerns

The Built Environment Committee (BEC) began an inquiry into the New Towns proposals earlier this year. There have been multiple sessions to discuss key issues, including the need for central government responsibility on projects and managing affordable housing.

Recently, the BEC revealed their findings from the inquiry. Chair Lord Gascoigne said the programme, and each individual project, needs a "clear, engaging vision". Crucially, the goal should be to achieve housing targets as well as ensuring sustainable growth. There is also an opportunity to redress inequalities between regions.

The BEC also has several other recommendations for the New Towns programme. This includes ensuring community involvement "in a meaningful way". They believe masterplans should be flexible. Plus, there should be mandated design standards. Finally, there was a call by Lord Gascoigne to take an "infrastructure first approach". This should include infrastructure delivery plans early, ensuring they are agreed before any construction begins on housing.

What does your dream residential architecture in London look like?

The potential for New Towns, including urban expansions, could provide significant benefits for the UK. However, it is important to get all the various ducks in a row. As top architects, we also understand how important it is to ensure exceptional design standards. New housing should be high quality and sustainable.

If you're thinking about residential architecture in London, we'd love to see what matters most to you. Even more, it would be our pleasure to help you create it. We specialise in high end homes, ensuring they are luxurious and maximise wellbeing. At the same time, we can make sure they are energy efficient and great for the environment.

So, get in touch today and let's see what we can create together; we'll work to exceed all expectations.