Labour’s town development plans must protect farmland, industry warns
5th October 2025
British farming leaders expressed “serious concerns” over how the building of new towns will impact rural communities. This follows the recent government pledge to start construction on three new towns before the next general election.
The New Towns Taskforce has published its final report, recommending 12 sites for the building of new towns in England. The proposals will first need to be accepted by housing secretary Steve Reed, with up to 201,000 homes due to be built under the plans.
Once the minister accepts sites for development, a round of development corporations will be set up for each site. The quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations will have full planning powers while the towns are built out, acting as temporary local planning authorities.
Along with the new housing, infrastructure and commercial developments will be planned and built to support the new communities. As with the model of development in this country, building will be carried out majorly by private firms, which will fund the development of the new towns.
The new towns will be a mixture of greenfield developments and urban extensions as well as brownfield redevelopments.
Calls for transparency and protection
Responding to the plans, NFU vice president Rachel Hallos said: “As we have previously pointed out to the ministry of housing, communities and local government, the NFU has serious concerns that the construction of these new towns will have a significant impact on the great British countryside and rural communities.
“That’s why we are calling for transparency and for productive farmland to be protected wherever possible. We will continue to engage with government to ensure the needs of farmers and landowners are being heard.”
The NFU said it will continue to raise the concerns of farmers and rural communities to ensure that their wishes and needs are met by the drive to deliver greater housing supply.
A spokesperson for the union added: “The NFU will be engaging with the government, as well as national and regional stakeholders, to strive for the best outcomes for agricultural and rural communities.
“Though detail remains limited, the NFU is urging members who believe they may be affected – particularly those near expanding urban centres or holding large parcels of undeveloped land – to contact CallFirst or their local NFU representative.
“The NFU will continue pushing for clarity and a commitment to protect productive farmland wherever possible.”
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