Last edited 07 Feb 2021

New Town Development Corporation

A New Town Development Corporation is a type of development corporation – a government-established organisation responsible for urban renewal and development. In the UK, the New Towns Act 1946 introduced the corporations as a means of developing new towns to cater for populations living in poor or demolished housing after World War II.

A New Town Development Corporation is distinct from an Urban Development Corporation which is responsible for regeneration and redevelopment in already built-up areas.

New Town Development Corporations were given responsibilities by the New Towns Act to oversee and supervise the development of New Towns on designated areas of land that had been identified by the government. By 1955, ten New Towns had been developed, the first of which was Stevenage, to manage the population overspill from London. Other New Towns such as Milton Keynes were also developed. The Corporations were later disbanded.

In June 2018, the government introduced to Parliament, new regulations which could lead to councils having the power to establish New Town Development Corporations as a means of completing new urban developments and delivering thousands of new homes. The Corporations will be accountable to the councils and will be expected to consult and involve the local communities in their proposed projects, in addition, they will:

Draft proposals for the new developments which the oversight authority can approve.
Masterplan and develop projects.
Bring on board private investment.
Partner with developers.
Oversee completion.

The Corporations’ borrowing cap of £100 million has been removed.

The legislative changes are to occur in the New Towns Act 1981, which will shift powers from the Secretary of State to local councils. The regulations will be subject to further Parliamentary debate and may come into force by the end of 2018 if approved.