What is life in new towns like as government set to unveil more

The government wants to build one and a half million new homes by 2029. It is an ambitious target, given that in 2024, there was a fall in the number of new properties started and completed.

While many towns and villages could see developments of a few hundred homes on their boundaries, the government also wants to build a wave of completely new towns. Areas along the Cambridge-Oxford Arc are likely to be on the list, which is due to be published this summer.

But what can we learn from new towns already under construction?

Eight miles north of Cambridge, Northstowe is set to be the UK's biggest new town since Milton Keynes. With plans for 10,000 homes, it aims to increase the supply and affordability of properties in an area many feel priced out of.

Heather Hoang lived in Ely but wanted to get closer to family in Cambridge.

"The prices in Cambridge are so high," she says.

"Northstowe was the next best thing. We moved here in the pandemic, just after the stamp duty changed, and it made all the difference. We love it here".

Claire Hillyard moved from the nearby village of Swavesey when she was expecting her second child.

She says: "Around here, new builds tend to be cheaper than old houses and need less DIY. We live opposite the park now and it's a brilliant place to be."

Construction began in 2016, and primary schools were among the earliest community buildings delivered.

A "through-school" taking students from nursery to sixth form has also now opened, but residents say other social facilities are lacking.

Mari O'Neill runs craft sessions in the local Tap and Social pub as a way of bringing people together and forging relationships.

"In a new town, there are no existing clubs and groups you can tap into, so you have to work to build a community," she says.

"I would love there to be a dedicated arts centre. Maybe in time there will be. Until then, we have to use any spaces we have to bring life to Northstowe."

A temporary community centre offers a small café and baby groups, but with 1,600 homes now occupied, South Cambridgeshire District Council is building a permanent replacement.

"It'll provide a library, community classes and café," Councillor Henry Batchelor explains.

"It'll be one of the greenest buildings in Northstowe with solar panels, a heat pump, bat boxes and bike racks. We've already spent millions on a sports pavilion, and by 2029, we'll build a civic building as part of the town centre."

The town centre, however, is a source of some frustration for some. Eight years after the first residents moved in, Northstowe still has no shops.

"I think they need to deliver something in the next two or three years," says Ian McCormick.

"Otherwise, concerns will grow and people might start to move out to villages with more amenities".

Hanna Lumley tells the BBC people want information, "even if it's a rough date, we just want to know when things will happen and what the plan is".

Town centres are rarely delivered in the first phase of a major development, because they need enough residents to sustain them, but many in Northstowe feel that plans have stalled.

In July, the government vowed to speed up the delivery of Northstowe, but Councillor Batchelor said "there's no sign of that yet on the ground".

The next phases of Northstowe are being managed by Homes England – the government's housing and regeneration agency.

It is the master developer, responsible for the delivery of homes and the town centre through the companies it appoints.

It says delivery has been affected by one major partner ceasing to trade and another unable to deliver the original town centre scheme because of "financial considerations related to macro-economic factors".

It adds that progress in the last year included "a landmark partnership with Keepmoat and Capital & Centric to deliver the next 3,000 new homes and a vibrant town centre".

The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government says: "Through our New Homes Accelerator programme, we are unblocking planning delays in Northstowe... so we can create a thriving place and support the town's community."

At Alconbury Weald near Huntingdon, where 6,500 homes are being constructed, Master Developer Urban and Civic subsidised a community shop and café in the early stages, to ensure the first residents have amenities.

"We try to focus on the human experience of living here - being able to walk to school and buy a pint of milk in the morning," says spokesperson Rebecca Britton.

"And so, getting some facilities here while we were waiting for the larger stores was important."

The secondary school at Alconbury Weald was delayed because of a lack of demand, but now work is beginning on that.

A temporary GP surgery, which is a priority for many people who move to new towns, is also underway. It will be run by the doctors who manage nearby village surgeries in Alconbury and Brampton.

"We've taken on a lot of patients from the Weald, but our buildings are at capacity now, and so it's time to get this service up and running," says Dr Malav Bhimpuria.

The new facility, which is awaiting final sign-off from NHS England, should offer consulting and teaching rooms as well as blood sample facilities.

"We've been recruiting extra staff for some time, in anticipation of this move," said Dr Bhimpuria.

"We expect to start with two or three GPs here and grow as the community does."

A railway station was also expected by many at Alconbury Weald, but despite the East Coast Mainline running past the site, a stop is still uncertain.

Ms Britton said: "While our transport plan doesn't rely on a station, we've always supported the idea and set aside land and some funding for it.

"We've spoken with Network Rail and other authorities, and it does feel as though there is now momentum."

The Mayor of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, Paul Bristow, also backs the plan.

"The lack of a station is a problem for residents and for its future growth," he said.

"New housing requires new transport infrastructure. We need more frequent trains and new stations at places like Alconbury Weald."

Delivery of new towns is complex, affected by a range of factors from finance to birth rate.

The government has set up a New Towns Taskforce to examine how future developments should be built.

A list of proposed locations for new towns is expected in the summer.

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