Tempsford could receive 40,000 new homes as Government taskforce identifies it as priority location for new town
Tempsford could receive an additional 40,000 new homes after being identified as a priority location for a new town in a report by the Labour Party’s New Town Taskforce.
The announcement, which coincides with the ongoing Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, comes after the taskforce was formed by the party last year with the target of delivering an additional 1.5 million new homes by the end of the Parliament.
In a 135-page report, published on Sunday September 28, the taskforce recommends the Government selects its next generation of new towns from 12 locations, with Tempsford identified as a priority, alongside Leeds and Crew Hill.
The report describes the Tempsford proposal as “a unique opportunity with potential to provide over 40,000 homes in a standalone greenfield settlement at the intersection of the East Coast Main Line and East West Rail, in the heart of the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor.”
It adds that: “The potential scale of development provides the opportunity for Tempsford to not only contribute to the economic growth of nearby centres but also act as an economic hub in its own right, particularly through the provision of lab space for life sciences and other employment opportunities.”
The report cites housing pressures in nearby Cambridge, which it says a new town in Tempsford could help to relieve.
There is an ambition with each new town for a minimum of 40 per cent affordable housing, with half of this for social rent, although in Tempsford’s case the report says “there may also be viability challenges with reaching the 40 per cent affordable housing gold standard in the initial phases.”
Reacting to the news, leader of Central Bedfordshire Council Adam Zerny urged the Government to listen to the people saying: “If these recommendations are accepted, they will have a significant impact on our area.
“Local residents have already raised concerns that Tempsford is surrounded by a large flood plain and I will be urging the Government to listen to the people, before it makes its final decision.”
Meanwhile Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner John Tizard welcomed the news saying: “It will generate economic activity and jobs, as well as providing much needed housing.
“The planning and development of this new town must ensure that our public services including the fire, police and NHS are allocated additional resources from day one of the development.
“This town can be planned to secure social opportunity, inclusivity, environmental sustainability and a vibrant community.”
The Government report writes in conclusion: “A standalone new town in Tempsford provides an opportunity for exemplar development that could provide excellent housing and employment opportunities for people in the region.”