A town named after Queen Elizabeth II and another after post-war Prime Minister Clement Attlee are among seven new towns being built in Britain under Labour plans.
‘Elizabethtown’ and ‘Attleetown’ were named by the government and are set to see between 15,000 and 40,000 new homes built in each location.
It comes amid Labour plans to deliver 1.5 million new properties by the end of this parliament, with sites ranging from south Gloucestershire in the west, to Thamesmead and Enfield in London, and Manchester and Leeds in the north.
One of the seven news towns is set to be named after Athelstan, the first King of England, while other titles will be inspired by suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst, as well as Jamaican-British nurse Mary Seacole.
Each neighbourhood will feature vibrant high streets, green spaces, schools, access to healthcare and public transport links, according to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
The seven new locations were narrowed down from 12 initially proposed by a government taskforce.
The five that did not make the cut were deemed suitable for development but not as fully formed new towns.
Each location will consist of 40 per cent ‘affordable’ housing, of which at least half will be designated for social rent.
The seven locations are Tempsford, Bedfordshire; Leeds’ South Bank; Crews Hill and Chase Park in north London; Manchester’s Victoria North; Thamesmead, south-east London; Brabazon, south Gloucestershire and Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.
Steve Reed, the Housing Secretary, said: ‘People want real change – homes they can afford, infrastructure that works and good jobs in thriving communities.
‘Our next generation of new towns marks a turning point in how we build for the future.
‘We’re planning whole communities with homes, jobs, transport links and green spaces designed together – so we can give families the security and opportunities they deserve.’
The Government considered other areas – Adlington, Cheshire; Heyford Park, Oxfordshire; Marlcombe, Devon; Plymouth; South Barking, east London and Wychavon Town, Worcestershire – but they will not be taken forward.
Andy Burnham, Mayor for Greater Manchester, said he was pleased by the announcement, branding it ‘one of the UK’s most ambitious regeneration projects right at the heart of its fastest-growing city-region’.
‘We believe it is the model of what a new town should be, with modern homes linked to high-quality public transport. Only this week we agreed to invest £60m in a new tram connection for Victoria North from our ground-breaking Good Growth Fund,’ he said.
On Sunday, the Government also confirmed the National Housing Bank will be launched on April 1.
The institution will aim to deliver more than 500,000 new homes, backed up with up to £16billion in financial capacity.
