Labour unveils 12 new towns plan to revive home ownership amid Reform surge
Plan would deliver up to 300,000 homes, with at least 40% affordable housing; initial sites include Tempsford, Leeds South Bank and Crews Hill
LONDON — Labour leader Keir Starmer unveiled plans for 12 new towns across Britain that could deliver up to 300,000 homes, as the party faces a Reform UK surge in opinion polls and seeks to restore the prospect of home ownership for young families.
Three sites were identified to begin work before the next general election: Tempsford in Bedfordshire, Leeds South Bank in West Yorkshire, and Crews Hill in Greater London. Housing Secretary Steve Reed is set to announce the plans on the opening day of the Labour Party conference. Each town would include at least 10,000 homes, with a minimum of 40% affordable housing and half of that for social rent. In total, 12 sites across Britain have been earmarked, including locations in Cheshire, Manchester, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Plymouth and London, which could collectively yield up to 300,000 houses.
The initiative is a centerpiece of Labour's conference agenda, with the party pledging to begin work on about 1.5 million new homes over the life of the current Parliament. The plan would be backed by a proposed new towns unit to coordinate funding for transport links, GP surgeries, schools and green spaces in the settlements, aiming to speed up construction and deliver accompanying infrastructure alongside housing.
The plan arrives amid a contested political environment in which Reform UK has shown growing strength in recent polling. A new mega-poll suggested Reform could win the most seats in a general election scenario, potentially offering a path to the premiership if the party falls short of a majority. The projections also indicated Labour would lose hundreds of seats, while the Conservative tally would shrink further, with the Liberal Democrats and other groups close behind in the race for influence. Labour officials said the focus remains on delivering durable policy solutions rather than being distracted by shifts in the polling landscape.
Locals in some communities identified as potential sites have raised concerns about consultation and scale. In Tempsford, parish council chair David Sutton said residents had yet to be briefed on the scope of the plan, and described the village as lacking vital services. He stressed the need for clarity on how development would unfold, noting past experience with infrastructure promises and the reality on the ground. Tempsford already faces challenges such as limited services and recurring flood-related issues, and residents worry about the impact on historic sites and local green spaces.
The government has signaled that the new towns would be built with sustainability at the core, including protections for green space and plans to integrate climate-resilient infrastructure. Officials say the new towns unit would mobilize both private and public capital to fund transport improvements, healthcare capacity and schools alongside housing. In Tempsford, planners have previously discussed a rail connection that would link the East Coast Main Line with East West Rail as part of the broader growth strategy, though local residents say they need clearer timelines and assurances about the scale of development before they can assess the project’s impact on their community.
Labour has framed the towns project as part of a broader commitment to widening homeownership and stabilizing family finances. The party’s manifesto has highlighted a target of delivering substantial housing growth over the current Parliament, arguing that creating new communities can help address affordability and access to services while supporting economic revitalization in regions that have faced years of underinvestment. Supporters say the towns could deliver modern infrastructure and generate jobs, while critics worry about urban sprawl, the strain on local services and the potential erosion of local character.
As Labour prepares for its conference, party officials stress that the 12 sites are a starting framework, with the precise scale and timing to be refined through local engagement and planning processes. They say the emphasis is on delivering homes alongside essential infrastructure, and that the plan would pursue quality, sustainable development rather than speculative growth. Outside observers will watch how authorities balance housing delivery with community concerns, funding commitments, and the practicalities of delivering new towns in multiple regions.
The government and Labour officials did not provide a definitive timetable for groundbreaking at each site, but stressed that work would accelerate as plans move from concept to delivery. The policy underscores a broader debate about how to expand housing supply in ways that are affordable and accessible while maintaining local input and environmental stewardship. In the long view, supporters argue that well-planned new towns could restore confidence in government-led renewal and provide a template for addressing housing shortages that many families view as a persistent obstacle to achieving stable home environments.