Why won’t we build new towns?

20 comments

1. Massive capital investment, need for new infrastructure, pollution, destruction of natural habitat (where are you going to PUT these new towns?)…

   I don’t know whether it’s a good idea or not, but it’s definitely not “obviously a good idea”

2. To be fair, the last time we tried that it ended up as Milton Keynes 🤣

3. I think Spain tried that and failed, they have ghost towns now.

4. Massive, massive investment needed.

   Not just building the houses, but you have to get the infrastructure there. The schools, doctors, shops, pubs, cinemas, and all the stuff that makes life liveable.

   Then you need to decide where it’s going to go.

   Then you need to build the roads to link it to places broadband, gas, electricity and all that stuff.

   Essentially it’s far easier to expand an existing town or suburb.

5. – Extremely, extremely expensive. This is probably the main reason.

   – Where do we put them? Environmental damage and loss of habitats will need to be mitigated, landowners will need to be compensated, and legal battles may need to be fought against people/organisations opposed to the construction of the new town.

   – Infrastructure also needs to be built. Schools, hospitals, pubs, police and fire stations, transport links etc all need to be built, staffed, and up and running before people can move in. This is expensive and requires staff in a time where we have a shortage.

   – Businesses won’t want to move there until the city is firmly established, so initially business will need subsidies and tax incentives to move to the new towns so that the people living there have jobs, supermarkets etc. All of which is extremely expensive.

6. Highly expensive, slow to go as businesses will not move there till there is potential staff, and people won’t move till there are jobs. Now town’s would have to be built on current farmland which we can ill afford to lose if people want to eat

7. Yes lets further remove more fields and forests…

8. We are? There are several town sized developments going up in the south east near me

9. Building a new town just randomly in part of the UK would be a disaster and wouldn’t get past the discussion phase for developers. As others have said, the infrastructure costs alone would be exponential. Getting people to move and work in a town would also be extremely difficult, because older people will have already settled somewhere and younger people will want to be where the action is (city’s, suburbs, etc.) and their jobs so going to an empty town sounds ridiculous.

   That being said, if done correctly and in the right place it could be helpful. I live in Nottingham, and on the Eastern side of the city, where there is a loop road, a new town/suburb has been built, with shops, a doctors office and a new primary school (there is a secondary school on minutes away also on the loop road) and it is close to a major retail park and links to the city centre. So, if a town/suburb is made close to city with great transport links, I agree with you, it can alleviate a lot of issues (can cause major issues as well mind), but these kind of chance occurring are few and far between, and money makes the world go round.

10. We do, I live in one in Devon.

11. All the comments giving reasons who we won’t build new towns are quite amusing given however SEVERAL new towns are under construction.

12. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/37-million-to-fund-5-new-garden-towns-across-the-country

13. Because the towns we already have are slowly turning to rack & ruin. Also..what left is there for nature? You can expand forever.

14. It usually has a higher ROI by building on brown sites and building infrastructure that connects and improves current infrastructure.

15. It kinda makes sense seeing as whenever you get news of a new development happening near to your own town it is always met by negativity.

    Everyone wants new houses, just not near them appears to be the general consensus. In my town even when they built a new school and doctors to go with the new builds people still took issue with the development. If you take random green space it is protested to no end, so honestly I’m not even sure what the best solution to the problem is.

16. Cambourne was started in the late 90s so id say we still are creating new towns

17. Imagine the amount of people that would have to have their say and agree with others

18. Cranbrook and sherford two new towns going up in devon there are others

19. Because if there were enough houses for us common plebs to buy there would be less competition, making them less valuable, and reducing the profit they make for the non-working class who own them. The housing crisis is by design. Tldr: capitalism.

20. Check out sherford near Plymouth. 26,000 new homes is pretty town like to me