Press Releases

Commenting on the recent appointments of Sir Michael Lyons as Chair and Dame Kate Barker as Deputy Chair of the New Towns Taskforce, our Chief Executive Melanie Leech CBE said: 

"Sir Michael Lyons and Dame Kate Barker are hugely experienced and are excellent appointments to lead the New Towns Taskforce. New towns are a vital part of not just delivering growth and homes but of creating the places of the future. They will take time to deliver and that's why it's positive to see Government acting so soon after being elected. 

"BPF members have been building and managing places for decades, in some cases centuries, and are keen to play their part in building professionally managed homes for long term rent, mixed use developments for modern town centres, and the logistics and other critical national infrastructure that makes places work. 

"I hope the New Towns Taskforce will take into account Monday's announcement on reviewing the business case and funding for infrastructure projects, and that new town locations will align with the sites able to absorb new communities. This would make the measures announced this week, when viewed as a whole,  one of the most significant statements of intent on housing and placemaking we've seen in years."