Last month, the government published 12 recommended locations for new towns across England, which included Victoria North, Manchester. Early phases of the North of England’s biggest urban regeneration project are already underway, but ‘new town’ status has put a fresh spotlight on the development, with other proposed sites spanning urban extensions, brownfield regeneration zones and standalone greenfield settlements.

Creating vibrant new communities will require significant investment in essential infrastructure, from utilities and transport networks to environmental considerations such as green infrastructure and biodiversity net gain. This is alongside social and economic infrastructure including schools, healthcare facilities, leisure amenities and places to work, all of which lie at the local level. So, in an era of strained public sector budgets and rising costs, it’s important to consider how local authorities can ensure central government’s plans deliver long-lasting benefits.

Recent new community projects have been smaller and mostly promoted by private developers viewing the scheme, its infrastructure needs and associated costs within the red line of their site. But the reality is that new developments don’t exist in isolation, and the potential for positive interaction between established and new........

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