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Could new Garden Cities solve housing crisis?

Thursday, 24 November 2011 12:28 PM

The government's growth strategy must include plans to build new cities and allow expansion of existing urban areas, according to a report by the influential think-tank Policy Exchange.

Cities for Growth says cities hold the key to growth and most people want to live in city suburbs, but since the early 50s the share of the UK population living in cities has gone down by 22.5 per cent.

The report says developers should be able to bid to create new "Garden Cities" close to existing ones by holding a referendum with the local community that is affected. If they say yes, then the government should help.

They would be privately developed and reflect what local people want to enable creation of homes and jobs in areas where demand is highest. This would help form a British "brain belt" to rival Silicon Valley and allow existing successful areas to grow.

Alex Morton, the author of the report, said: "We need to end the 'we know best' bureaucratic culture that opposes letting local people decide what is built near them, often imposing shoddy homes.

"New and attractive Garden Cities and planning reform can solve our housing crisis and drive economic growth."

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