Plans for five new towns have been ditched with only three ‘breaking ground’ before the end of this Parliament, a Government minister has confirmed.

Speaking on Radio 4’s Today programme, the housing and planning minister Matthew Pennycook confirmed that the number of proposed sites has been reduced to seven locations.

It is down from a dozen sites suggested in September last year.

Pennycook explained seven sites had been chosen as they represented the “best growth prospects to tackle the housing crisis at scale”.

Each proposed site is expected to deliver at least 10,000 homes, which is some way off the Government’s manifesto pledge to build 1.5 million homes before the end of the Parliament.

Three sites

Pennycook went on to say that building would begin on only three sites before the end of this Parliament.

These are in Thempsford in Bedfordshire, Crews Hill and Chase Park in Enfield, and Leeds South Bank in West Yorkshire.

He said: “We want to get spades in the ground on at least three of the sites. We want to hit the ground running on all of the final propositions as soon as we can.”

The other four sites are at Manchester Victoria North in Greater Manchester, Thamesmead in Greenwich, Brabazon and the West Innovation Arc in South Gloucestershire, and Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire.

I am still absolutely confident that we are going to get to high and sustainable housebuilding.”

Pennycook said the building programme is currently under consultation and the final locations will be confirmed in the summer.

The Government insists that its pledge to build 1.5 million homes before the end of this Parliament is still on target.

Housebuilding target

Pennycook said the target “is going as broadly as expected, although the headwinds are getting stronger for very obvious reasons”.

He added: “Net housing completions stood, I think, at just over 340,000 as of March 15. But we always expected numbers in the early years of the Parliament to be low.

“We are still aiming for that target. I am still absolutely confident that we are going to get to high and sustainable housebuilding in the latter years of the Parliament.”