Following the General Election in July 2024, a think tank report suggested that, to meet the Labour Government’s target of 1.5 million new homes, Britain’s next ‘new town’ should be built at Tempsford. The Government then commissioned a New Towns Taskforce that September to identify sites. In January last year, the Chancellor announced plans to expedite construction of a new railway station at Tempsford by three to five years, and the Taskforce published its interim update a month later.
In response, Richard wrote to National Highways urging them to include a potential Tempsford development in plans for A1 improvement funding, and has continued to raise the issue in subsequent meetings, raising the lack of clarity about this with the Transport Secretary. Richard has also been clear that, given the area’s above‑average housing growth and the increasing strain on local services, any development must be backed by a firm commitment to infrastructure first, an argument he underlined in a Westminster Hall debate on Planning and Development in Bedfordshire.
Richard also met with both CPRE Bedfordshire and the national CPRE team to discuss the potential impact of a Tempsford development on the area, including concerns about the significant flood risks any such development would face and alerted the Housing Minister of the flood‑plain issues relating to Tempsford.
Amid growing speculation of an announcement, Richard met with the Chair of Tempsford Parish Council to understand local concerns, and invited residents to share their comments on the Taskforce’s proposed principles.
In September, after months of speculation, the Taskforce shortlisted Tempsford as one of twelve potential new town locations, indicating a scale of “over 40,000 homes”. In response, the Government confirmed its plan to build a New Town in Tempsford describing it as one of the “most promising” sites.
Since the formal announcement, Richard has been working to ensure that residents’ views are represented in the Government's decision making process. Immediately after, he wrote to the Housing Minister, Steve Reed, inviting him to a public meeting once a proposal is confirmed. At the end of last year, he met with Government officials to seek clarity on the process and timescales of when a proposal might be published. Officials have advised that they are still in the investigative stage and intend to coordinate this work with other major infrastructure projects in the region.
In January, along with the Chair of Tempsford Parish Council and the Leader of Central Bedfordshire Council, Richard held a meeting with residents in Tempsford to hear their ideas and concerns about such a development and these have been collated and shared with the Department for consideration in their assessment period. Following this, Richard also raised these concerns in a parliamentary debate on New Towns.
At present, no final decisions have been taken about Tempsford’s status, its boundaries, the number of homes, or the delivery vehicle that might be used to develop it, should the project be given the go ahead. These details will not be confirmed until the Strategic Environmental Assessment is completed, and formal proposals are published by the Government. In the recent New Towns debate, the Minister advised that the Government would consult on the New Towns programme in the coming weeks. This consultation should offer greater clarity on the proposed boundaries and scale of any potential settlement.
Should this development go ahead, it will represent a huge change in the way of life for residents not only in Tempsford, but also in neighbouring villages like Everton and the nearby towns of Sandy and even Potton.
The report is sparse in detail but identifies the need for "supporting health infrastructure" and “significant upfront infrastructure investment”. Since the announcement, Richard has met with Anglian Water to discuss the impacts of a development at Tempsford. The North Bedfordshire Water Management Partnership also provides a basis for creating a comprehensive plan for water resource preservation, flood risk mitigation and environmental improvement based on the impact of the new town and of Universal Studios.
Richard will continue to press for residents’ views to be properly reflected in the Government’s process, and to insist on an infrastructure‑first approach. He will also keep calling for clear plans on water management and flood‑risk mitigation, relief from local housing targets where the Government proposes large‑scale development, and the protection and conservation of the area’s rural character in any future proposals.
You can read more about Richard's work on this below.
