Vision for 10,000 homes in city in 'new towns' plan

ALREADY-ANNOUNCED COUNCIL PLAN PULLED INTO GOV'T VISION

- By WILLIAM TELFORD

PLYMOUTH is to have a “dense development” of 10,000 homes under the Government's new “build baby, build” housing plan. The city is one of a dozen sites chosen for the building splurge, with construction on three of them expected to begin before the next election.

The announcement from Housing Secretary Steve Reed doesn't contain details, but Plymouth City Council has already published a “vision” for 10,000 homes in the city centre. The Herald also this month revealed architects had been commissioned to look at placing 30 tower blocks in the centre of Plymouth.

Mr Reed will outline the “new towns” plan on the first day of Labour's annual conference, in Liverpool, and pledge the Government will “do whatever it takes to get Britain building”. Work on the 12 new towns, including Plymouth, will be taken forward, Mr Reed is to announce, as recommended by a report from the Government's New Towns Taskforce, published on Sunday morning. But the priority for construction in the current Parliament will likely be Tempsford in Bedfordshire, Leeds South Bank, and Crews Hill, north London, described by Labour as “most promising sites”.

Each of the dozen new towns will have at least 10,000 homes, and could collectively result in 300,000 houses being built across England. Mr Reed is expected to welcome a recommendation by the New Towns Taskforce that at least 40% of these new homes should be affordable.