Delivering new homes is crucial  

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has welcomed the government’s plans to build a new generation of new towns and invest £350 million in the supply of affordable and social housing.

A funding top-up promises to deliver 2,800 affordable homes, with half designated for social rent, plus 250 more council homes.

It was also announced that over 100 sites in England have come forward to be considered for the development of new towns, and the New Towns Taskforce has set out principles for new towns to deliver affordable housing, infrastructure and access to green spaces.

RIBA President Muyiwa Oki said: “The government has made no bones about its ambition to address the housing crisis, and this week’s announcements put positive intentions into action.

“We welcome the focus on ensuring new towns are well-designed and provide communities with both affordable housing and essential infrastructure and amenities.

“Delivering new homes is crucial to the government’s growth agenda.

“While we’re pleased to see funding committed to this, notably for affordable housing and unlocking brownfield and council-owned sites, it will take innovative solutions to meet the scale of need.

“We outlined one way to deliver a pipeline of new social housing in our Foundations for the Future report.

“Our model could reduce the cost of delivering social housing by using public land to build mixed-tenure developments and reinvesting profits.

“It’s time to try ideas like this to secure the future of our housing.

“We look forward to continuing our work with the government to achieve this shared goal.”