Are good communications key to delivering new towns?
Why are good communications essential to the success of new towns? We explore public perceptions, competing narratives and the need for long-term engagement.
by
Alisha Lad
14 Oct 2026
The New Towns programme is one of the most ambitious housing projects many of us will see in our lifetime. The scale of development means these long-term, transformational projects will have an impact on their surrounding areas for years to come.
What is the new towns programme?
Each of the proposed seven locations is expected to deliver at least 10,000 homes, with several delivering 40,000 or more in the decades ahead.
The stakes are high. Two million children in the UK currently cannot access the housing they need, and the programme is a central part of the government's plan to deliver 1.5 million homes.
Key to the success of any New Town project will be the ability to inspire, engage and harness support from the local community.
Good communication is essential to reduce friction, avoid delays and manage costs; alongside an understanding of how messaging is received and interpreted by different audiences. And there will be many more hurdles to overcome.
The stakes are high. Two million children in the UK currently cannot access the housing they need, and the programme is a central part of the government's plan to deliver 1.5 million homes.
Key to the success of any New Town project will be the ability to inspire, engage and harness support from the local community.
Good communication is essential to reduce friction, avoid delays and manage costs; alongside an understanding of how messaging is received and interpreted by different audiences. And there will be many more hurdles to overcome.
The new towns timeline so far
At the time of writing, we await the final announcement of the new town locations. This was originally expected in September 2026 but was pushed back to the end of the year.
Meanwhile, Enfield Council withdrew its support for one of the proposed new towns following a change in political leadership after the May 2026 local elections.
The communications we analysed in our latest report, Communicating New Towns: A story in the public interest, announced the seven locations being considered for new towns, but the New Towns Taskforce was established in 2024.
Previously, the government had pledged 12 new towns…
These projects represent huge commitments over long time horizons, and we are only at the beginning. The timeline set out above shows just how complicated the journey has already been.
Meanwhile, Enfield Council withdrew its support for one of the proposed new towns following a change in political leadership after the May 2026 local elections.
The communications we analysed in our latest report, Communicating New Towns: A story in the public interest, announced the seven locations being considered for new towns, but the New Towns Taskforce was established in 2024.
Previously, the government had pledged 12 new towns…
These projects represent huge commitments over long time horizons, and we are only at the beginning. The timeline set out above shows just how complicated the journey has already been.
Communications cannot be a one-off exercise
Once building starts, we could be looking at decades of construction with multiple generations of stakeholders.
In this context, communications cannot be a one-off exercise.
With such a significant programme affecting so many lives, communications teams will face considerable external pressure. Public narratives will shift and may not follow expectations. Preparation will be essential to avoiding misunderstandings and untangling competing narratives that could quickly derail progress.
In this context, communications cannot be a one-off exercise.
With such a significant programme affecting so many lives, communications teams will face considerable external pressure. Public narratives will shift and may not follow expectations. Preparation will be essential to avoiding misunderstandings and untangling competing narratives that could quickly derail progress.
Our latest new towns report found a significant divergence between message and response.
In our latest report, we analysed the communications landscape since the New Towns announcement in March 2026.
We have already found a significant divergence between official messaging and public response.
In one instance, while the government announced a new generation of towns built for the future, members of the public were already linking the need for housing to anti-immigration sentiment. Meanwhile, the media were quick to dig deeper into the narrative, uncovering previous iterations of the programme.
A simple press release won't overcome this kind of response, particularly with a story so firmly in the public interest. A long-term, sustained communications strategy operating across multiple channels will be essential across the full lifecycle of a project.
In our latest report, we analysed the communications landscape since the New Towns announcement in March 2026.
We have already found a significant divergence between official messaging and public response.
In one instance, while the government announced a new generation of towns built for the future, members of the public were already linking the need for housing to anti-immigration sentiment. Meanwhile, the media were quick to dig deeper into the narrative, uncovering previous iterations of the programme.
A simple press release won't overcome this kind of response, particularly with a story so firmly in the public interest. A long-term, sustained communications strategy operating across multiple channels will be essential across the full lifecycle of a project.
By Alisha Lad
14 Oct 2026
