UK PM vows 'new towns' to alleviate housing crunch

PRIME Minister Keir Starmer pledged on Thursday (Feb 13) to deliver Britain’s “largest housebuilding programme” since the post-World War II era as he announced plans for several new towns in England.

The initiative takes inspiration from the Labour government of the late 1940s, which built new urban areas to alleviate housing shortages that followed the defeat of Nazi Germany.

The government has vowed to build 1.5 million houses by the next general election in 2029, mostly by expanding existing towns or cities.

But it also says it will start work on the “next generation” of new towns, which could host 10,000 homes each.

“We’re urgently using all levers available to build the homes we need so more families can get on the housing ladder,” Starmer said before a visit to a housing development that was disrupted by protesting farmers.

“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,” Starmer added.

The government said in a press release that it was considering more than 100 sites across England for the new urban areas.

The towns will be “well-designed, beautiful communities with affordable housing, GP (doctor’s) surgeries, schools and public transport where people will want to live,” the government added.

Britain has been gripped by a national housing crisis for several years, with supply failing to keep up with demand as migration soars and people live longer.

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Prices have skyrocketed, and coupled with a lack of affordable housing mean home ownership is out of reach for many young people.

Experts generally agree that more than 300,000 homes need to be built in England every year to keep up with demand, a target that has not been met in recent years.

Starmer has set about overhauling planning laws to make it easier for developers to override environmental regulations and build more homes.

In power since July, Starmer often references Clement Attlee’s Labour government of 1945-1951, which famously set up the National Health Service and welfare state.

Its new town project paved the way for the construction in the 1960s of arguably Britain’s most famous new town – Milton Keynes, just north of London.

Starmer’s visit to Milton Keynes on Thursday was cut short after farmers blocked a nearby road with their tractors.

They blared the vehicles’ horns in the latest protest against changes to inheritance announced in the last budget. AFP