The UK’s premier green space management charity, the Land Trust has responded to the New Towns Taskforce Report to Government.
Alan Carter, Chief Executive at the Land Trust said: “The New Towns Taskforce Final Report places a strong emphasis on placemaking as a foundation for the next generation of new towns.
“However, in order to realise these plans, government needs to make some firm decisions on stewardship, defining how it will operate, and in turn offering assurance to new and existing communities across the country.
“The Taskforce’s vision aligns closely with the Land Trust’s mission to ensure that everyone has access to well-maintained, high-quality green spaces that support health, wellbeing, and community cohesion.
“The Land Trust is uniquely positioned to help deliver on the report’s recommendations, drawing on decades of experience in managing parks, woodlands, nature reserves, together with the numerous green spaces and wider public realm across many significant landscape led residential developments across the country.
“New towns must be about more than houses – they must be about thriving communities with accessible, well-managed green spaces at their heart, and importantly, developed in partnership with local communities.
“Well-designed and managed green spaces don’t just look good – they improve health, wellbeing, and bring communities together, as the Taskforce rightly recognises. They can play a significant part in delivering ongoing social, environmental and economic benefits for local communities.”
The Land Trust calculates that 300,000 new homes across the proposed 12 new towns could deliver an estimated £1billion a year in social value*. However, this will not just happen by chance. The Land Trust stands ready to work in partnership with government, developers, and local communities to design and deliver sustainable stewardship models that guarantee these benefits endure for generations to come.
Carter continued: “The potential is significant, but good quality stewardship only works if it is properly planned and managed in a fair and equitable way. Our own research has shown that transparency, value for money, accountability, quality of service and good communication** are the five most important factors for residents when it comes to the management of residential development.”
Building on a proven track record of delivering long-term stewardship solutions, the Land Trust has positioned itself at the forefront of driving improvements across the stewardship sector – providing fairness, transparency, involvement and control for residents.
Carter concluded: “We are keen to work with government to help shape plans and to ensure that the report’s objectives are truly met, and benefits maximised. The report poses a once in a generation opportunity to design these new towns to meet the needs of our communities and environment for generations to come.”
The Landscape Institute warmly welcomes report
The report’s focus on thriving communities, early masterplanning for high-quality placemaking, and places where people and nature thrive strongly aligns with the Landscape Institute’s ethos.
Members of the Landscape Institute are well placed to deliver these, providing they are engaged early in the design process.
To succeed, new towns must move beyond merely hitting housing targets. The quality design of the public realm is paramount to avoid the unfavourable perceptions of some existing new towns. Adopting a ‘landscape-led approach’ is an investment that yields significant benefits: it boosts public health and wellbeing through accessible green spaces, and provides economic value by attracting investment and reducing long-term “grey” infrastructure costs. Integrating nature-based solutions not only enhances nature but also underpins efficient and affordable long-term management and maintenance.
The institute is urging the Government to empower local delivery bodies to create quality places, with long-term stewardship in mind, based on effective community engagement.
Carolin Göhler FLI, Landscape Institute President, said: “The building of New Towns is a golden opportunity to create places that work now and for future generations. The Taskforce report highlights how, by prioritising the design of the public realm and strategic green infrastructure, we will unlock immense returns. To do this, it is essential to adopt a ‘landscape-first’, Landscape-led approach – with landscape architects, landscape planners and other landscape professionals involved early in site selection, design and delivery. We encourage the Government to adopt this approach – and our members stand ready to help deliver it.”
