Rebuilding public trust around new towns

In the North West, the well-publicised 1.5m national housing target means the development industry is expected to deliver around 38,000 homes annually over the next five years. The levels of scrutiny and expectation from the general public have never been higher, writes Danny Hope of Stantec.

It’s certainly an ambitious goal, especially considering our chronic need for more affordable and social housing, as well as people’s expectations for well-planned and well-designed new communities. But this ambitious goal is resulting in even more ambitious plans being brought to the fore.

New towns, new opportunities?

Communities around Cheshire East and Manchester are already feeling the impact of the New Towns Taskforce’s inclusion of Victoria North and Adlington in their recommendations for the first locations for England’s next generation of new towns. The somewhat sudden news that 20,000 new homes may be coming quickly to Cheshire has drawn some recent negative headlines focusing on public scepticism. Victoria North, meanwhile, seems to be continually and broadly hailed as a positive development for the region.

The truth is that, if designed and delivered properly, guided by a clear vision that works for communities, new towns hold an incredibly transformative potential for regional and national economic growth, for public wellbeing, for connectivity, and for addressing our housing crisis. But getting communities more on board with this agenda is a must.

When you ask someone what a ‘new town’ means to them – what do we think they picture in their head? Is it a beautifully designed, thriving, and connected community? Or is it a soulless, poor quality, housing estate?

To answer this question, we’ve worked with YouGov to create a new report looking at the public’s perceptions around new towns nationally, asking what they want from them, what they really don’t, and what would make a new town more appealing.

Our findings do paint a picture of uncertainty. Just one in four people find the idea of moving to a new town an appealing prospect. Two in three actively find the concept unappealing. At the same time, people recognise the need for more housing. They understand the rationale behind the new towns programme. But still…unsurprisingly they don’t want these new towns in their own back yards.

Image credit: Stantec/Roswitha Chesher

Bridging the gaps in belief

Interestingly, we’ve found that Manchester is one of the urban areas that trends more positively in terms of new town appeal, alongside other cities where housing affordability is felt more acutely. However, there is a significant gap that needs to be bridged between what the public perceives as a new town, and what we in the industry believe we will deliver.

Our report has identified several key characteristics that will boost the appeal of new towns. These won’t be necessarily surprising for us in the development industry. But they are major factors likely to shift negative perceptions when considered. People want their towns to feel like home. They want access to healthcare, jobs, and amenities. These provisions can’t be just nice-to-haves – these are critical selling points that determine success.

Image credit: Stantec/Roswitha Chesher

In our report we’ve included practical recommendations that can be embedded into plans, designs, and delivery mechanisms. These have been developed by our interdisciplinary teams working on transformative residential projects across the country.

At Stantec, we’ve been deeply embedded in the planning, design, delivery, and maintenance of new communities for decades, both in the UK, and around the world. From Pendleton to Pennsylvania.

To see behind the curtain of the public’s mindset, take a look at our report, launched on 19th November, which is available to download for free, here.

• Dany Hope is regional director – North West at Stantec