At least 13 local councils in England have applied for government support to build a new settlement under the “garden villages” programme.
Under the scheme, councils submit interest in building a settlement of between 1,500 and 10,000 homes.
To be eligible a proposed development must be a new separate settlement and not an extension of a town. They must also be of good design, while making best use of brownfield or public sector land is encouraged.
In return, the Government has promised a tailored support package which “could include a limited amount of funding” for items such as staffing costs or to pay for studies or assessments in 2016/17 and 2017/18.
Rugby Council plans to build a 1,500-home village with a primary school on a site in open countryside.
Bids were also received from Bolton, Carlisle, Cornwall, Huntingdonshire, North Tyneside, Rotherham, Sevenoaks, Sheffield, Stratford-on-Avon and Waverley councils, as well as a group of four West Midlands authorities.
The Government, which aims to support up to 12 garden villages, will now assess the bids.
The Government is also supporting garden towns or cities with over 10,000 homes. Aylesbury Vale and Shepway councils have submitted garden town bids. Shepway plans to build 12,000 homes and wants to start them in 2020.
They will need more than one primary school for 1500 houses. What about local shops, a couple of play areas for young kids and older ones, a community centre and open spaces with seating for older folk. Then roads need to be improved in the surrounding areas as the congestion caused will have a knock on effect. I know all of this because I live on The Great Park in Newcastle and we have all of these problems over the last twelve years.
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