The British Government plans to build a new generation of towns across England from Tempsford to Thamesmead* and are presenting it as a major step toward solving the housing crisis. Each site is expected to deliver between 10,000 and 40,000 homes, forming part of a wider pledge to build 1.5 million homes over this parliament.
For working people, the ambition is welcome. Britain and as such England as a whole need homes. (although these towns are only in England). But Trade Unions must ask a harder question, are these new towns a real solution, or an attempt to keep pace with pressures that are not being addressed?
The scale of demand is impossible to ignore. Net migration is currently adding around 700,000 people per year to the UK population. Projections suggest that by 2036 the population will grow by 6.6 million, with over 90% of that increase linked to immigration. That is the equivalent of building five cities the size of Birmingham.
At the same time, a Centre for Policy Studies estimate suggests 5.7 million new homes will be needed within 15 years just to keep up with this growth. Against that backdrop, even large developments of 40,000 homes begin to look limited in their impact.
This raises a fundamental issue, if demand continues to outstrip supply, will these new towns actually improve affordability, or simply slow the rate at which it worsens?
4 questions instantly come to mind:-
- Who are these homes for?
- Are we building fast or building right?
- Why England and not the whole UK?
- Who benefits, workers or developers?
There are also serious concerns about who these homes are for
The Home Office has already secured around 16,000 properties for asylum accommodation, contributing to a system now housing over 58,000 asylum seekers across the UK, a figure that has doubled in the past decade. In London, nearly half of social housing is allocated to non-UK-born households. So, workers and families across England need to know exactly, what percentage of these new houses will be for asylum seekers? Estimates at the moment are ranging from 10% to 40%?
Without transparency on allocation, many working people, particularly younger generations, will question whether they will benefit at all from these developments.
Infrastructure is another critical concern.
Ministers have promised that these will be fully planned communities, with transport, services and green spaces built in from the start. But existing evidence suggests otherwise. Across England, housing has often been delivered ahead of GP surgeries, schools and hospital capacity, leaving public services overstretched.
If these new towns are built without binding guarantees on infrastructure, particularly NHS provision, they risk placing further strain on already struggling systems.
There is also the question of fairness across the UK. As mentioned earlier, this programme applies to England alone. While housing is devolved, population pressures are not confined by borders. Concentrating development in England risks placing disproportionate strain on its infrastructure, services and workforce.
Finally, quality must not be sacrificed for speed. These developments are being described as “well-designed communities,” but without strong oversight and Trade Union involvement, there is a real risk of rushed construction and poor standards. This means that repeating mistakes seen in previous large-scale housing programmes is a real risk.
As Stephen Morris, speaking for workers across England’s general sector, puts it:
“Building homes is essential but building them without proper community involvement regarding demand, infrastructure and who they serve risks storing up the next crisis, not solving this one.”
Trade unions should support building. But that support must come with clear demands:
- Homes for working people first
- Binding infrastructure guarantees (NHS, transport, education)
- Local employment and Trade union involvement in construction
- Transparency on allocation policies
- A serious national debate on demand, not just supply
Because the real issue is not just how many homes are built. It is whether working people can actually live in them!
*The seven sites proposed are Tempsford; Leeds South Bank; Crews Hill and Chase Park; Manchester Victoria North; Thamesmead; Brabazon and West Innovation Arc as well as a site in Milton Keynes.
References
(UK Government – New Towns Draft Programme, UK Government Housing targets and new towns announcement, Centre for Policy Studies Housing demand projections, Migration Advisory Committee Housing and population impact data, UK Home Office Asylum accommodation statistics, National reporting (BBC, The Times, The Guardian) on new towns and housing policy)
This Article is Tagged under:
Crisis, Housing, Immigration, Investing in English industry
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