The New Towns Taskforce

1 Introduction to the taskforce
2 Purpose and scope of the taskforce
3 Key activities of the taskforce
4 Outputs of the taskforce
5 Current members of the taskforce
6 The work of the taskforce
7 Related articles on Designing Buildings
8 External links

[edit] Introduction to the taskforce

The New Towns Taskforce is an independent expert advisory panel which was first mentioned in the New Homes Accelerator and Taskforce announcement in July 2024. The Taskforce was finally established in September 2024 to support the new Labour government in delivering the next generation of new towns. In February 2025 the Taskforce published its interim report "Building new towns for the future".

[edit] Purpose and scope of the taskforce

The main goal of the taskforce is to increase housing supply, promoting economic growth and creating strong communities with new homes and opportunities. The intention is that these towns will have at least 10,000 homes, and that they will contribute hundreds of thousands of new residences by 2050. Most will be urban extensions, with some standalone towns and redeveloped areas, with locations to be well-connected, sustainable, and offering the necessary infrastructure, to foster desirable and liveable communities.

The Taskforce’s purpose is to advise ministers on the locations and development of new towns. It has been instructed to deliver a final shortlist of recommendations within a year. It has the flexibility to report specific site findings earlier and to collaborate with local leaders and communities, whilst prioritising sites that serve the national interest.

[edit] Key activities of the taskforce

The taskforce will act independently from government, but will have support from Government officials to undertake the activities set out below, to determine its recommendations:

Define criteria for selecting sites that align with government goals, such as economic growth, sustainability, and affordability.
Identify locations that meet these criteria.
Develop a “New Towns Prospectus” outlining standards for housing, design, and infrastructure.
Identify infrastructure needs for well-connected towns.
Build business cases that highlight economic and social benefits.
Explore delivery mechanisms for planning, land acquisition, and development approaches.
Recommend long-term stewardship for town success.
Guide engagement strategies with stakeholders, including local communities, investors, and landowners.

[edit] Outputs of the taskforce

The Taskforce and supporting officials aim to provide a progress report by year’s end, with a final report due in July 2025. In shaping its recommendations, the Taskforce will:

Engage with diverse stakeholders.
Coordinate with central and local governments.
Commission relevant studies and critically assess results.

In February 2025 the New Towns Taskforce published its interim report as a policy statement, updating the government on progress in its first six months. The policy paper 'Building new towns for the future, see New Towns Taskforce interim policy statement.

[edit] Current members of the taskforce

[edit] Sir Michael Lyons (Chair)

Sir Michael Lyons is the Chair of the New Towns Taskforce. Sir Michael is the non-executive Chairman of the English Cities Fund, a joint venture set up by three partners – including Homes England – which has large scale regeneration developments in London, Liverpool, Plymouth, Salford and Wakefield.

He is also the non-executive Chairman of SQW Ltd and has spent 26 years in local government, including 17 years as Chief Executive of three major UK local authorities including Birmingham City Council. He has been a member of the boards of Redrow homes and Sage Housing as well as a strategic adviser on public asset management and regeneration to the commercial real estate and investment firm CBRE. He was also a former Chair of the BBC.

He previously chaired the Housing Commission in 2014 established by Ed Miliband, which set out how the UK can boost housing supply. He also led the national ‘Lyons Inquiry into Local Government’ in 2007 about workings and funding of local government which argued for greater devolution and emphasised the local authority’s role in ‘placeshaping’.

[edit] Dame Kate Barker (Deputy Chair)

Dame Kate Barker is the Deputy Chair of the New Towns Taskforce. Dame Kate chairs the trustee for the Universities Superannuation Scheme, and is also a Church Commissioner for the Church of England. She chairs the Governing Council of the Productivity Institute.

She was a former non-executive director at Taylor Wimpey plc, at Man Group plc and at the Yorkshire Building Society. She was an external member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee between 2001 and 2010.

During that time, she was commissioned by the government to conduct a major independent policy review of UK Housing Supply in 2004 followed by a review of Land Use Planning in 2006. She has also authored a book titled ‘Housing: where’s the plan’ and was previously a Commissioner for the National Infrastructure Commission.

[edit] Bill Hughes

Bill is Global Head of Real Assets and Co-Head of Private Markets at Legal & General. He plays an active role in the wider infrastructure and housing industry, having been Chair of the Property Industry Alliance since 2016. Bill is also a Global Governing Trustee of the Urban Land Institute and is on the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard (NZCBS) Governance Board. Previously, Bill was CEO at RREEF UK and Deputy Managing Director at Schroder Property Investment Management.

[edit] Dame Diane Coyle

Dame Diane Coyle is an economist and Bennett Professor of Public Policy at the University of Cambridge. She is also a Director of the Productivity Institute, a Fellow of the Office for National Statistics, and an academic adviser to the CMA. Dame Diane was awarded a DBE for her contribution to economic policy in the 2023 King’s Birthday Honours.

[edit] Eamonn Boylan

Eamonn Boylan has over 40 years of expertise in local government, including Chief Executive of Stockport, Greater Manchester CA and Transport for Greater Manchester. Eamonn is currently interim CEO of Manchester City Council and Chair of Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation. Eamonn has significant experience in leading large regeneration projects, including Ancoats and Hulme in Manchester.

[edit] Helen Gordon

Helen is the CEO of Grainger, the UK’s largest publicly listed residential landlord and Build to Rent developer. Helen has been in position since 2016, having previously working at RBS and Legal & General. Helen has a wealth of experience developing new towns, working on the development of Milton Keynes early in her career. Helen was also formally the president of the British Property Foundation and is Vice Chair of the European Public Real Estate Association.

[edit] Kate Henderson

Kate is the Chief Executive of the National Housing Federation, the voice of England’s housing associations. Kate is currently a member of several government panels including the Rough Sleeping Advisory Panel and the Social Housing Quality Expert Challenge Panel. Kate was previously Chief Executive of the Town and Country Planning Association.

[edit] Nick Raynsford

Nick is the current President of the Town and Country Planning Association and author of the 2018 Raynsford Review of Planning. Nick was an MP from 1986 to 2015 and held multiple ministerial positions including Minister of State for Housing and Planning, Minister for London and Minister of State for Local and Regional Government. Since leaving Parliament he has held a number of positions including Deputy Chairman of Crossrail, Chair of CICAIR and a Director of Pocket Living.

[edit] Sowmya Parthasarathy

Sowmya is an architect and urban designer at ARUP, with over 30 years of global experience. She has been involved in award-winning masterplans, strategic plans, and urban design guides, such as London’s 2012’s Olympic Legacy Masterplan. Sowmya is also a UK Design Council Ambassador, serves as a Design Advocate for the Mayor of London and sits on the London Design Review Panel.

[edit] Dr Wei Yang

Dr Wei is a town planner and urban designer. She is CEO of the Digital Task Force for Planning and Chairman of Wei Yang & Partners. Dr Wei currently serves as the Chair of the Construction Industry Council and a member of the UN Habitat World Urban Campaign Steering Committee. Previously, Wei was President of the Royal Town Planning Institute for 2021.

[edit] The work of the taskforce

The Taskforce Chair is asked to commit at least four days per month, the Deputy Chair two to three days, and members two days. Monthly meetings will be held with agendas set by the Secretariat and approved by the Chair. Key government officials, experts, and stakeholders may attend. Members are encouraged to attend all meetings and inform the Chair if unable to join. Additional work sessions, stakeholder engagements, and regional visits are also anticipated.

Members are expected to work collaboratively, maintain independence, and exercise discretion on sensitive matters. Any press inquiries should be routed through the Department and Chair to avoid market-sensitive disclosures. Members should consult with the Chair before commenting publicly on government policy to prevent conflicts of interest.

New personal or business conflicts of members must declared to the Chair, especially those involving financial interests linked to the new towns program, to maintain transparency. A dedicated MHCLG secretariat will support the Taskforce, backed by other agencies and policy teams.

The Taskforce advises but doesn’t make final decisions or manage funds directly; MHCLG officials assist ministers using Taskforce recommendations. Their budget is managed by MHCLG, with expenditures approved by the New Towns Senior Responsible Officer and a final report will be submitted within 12 months, with a review scheduled for early 2025.

This article is based on information published by the UK government under an Open Government license.