New towns need digital foundations, not digital afterthoughts 

With the government now confirming the seven locations earmarked for its new towns across England, attention has understandably focused on housing numbers, transport links and environmental design.

These are vital considerations, but there is one foundational element that risks being overlooked – digital connectivity. 

For these new towns to succeed economically and socially, digital infrastructure must be treated as core infrastructure from the outset. This is particularly important given that several of the proposed sites are semi-rural or on the edges of existing urban areas, locations that already face connectivity challenges. 

Digital connectivity is no longer a luxury or a lifestyle perk. It is fast becoming the UK’s fourth utility. Work, education, healthcare, banking and local services increasingly rely on reliable high speed connections. Remote and hybrid working is now mainstream. Schools depend on digital learning platforms. GP appointments, hospital systems and social care services increasingly operate online. Poor connectivity undermines all of this. 

If these new towns are to attract residents, businesses and long term investment, they must be digitally functional from day one. Retrofitting connectivity once people have moved in is more complex, more expensive and far less effective than embedding it into planning and design at the earliest stages. 

Rural and edge of city developments are particularly exposed to the risk of poor digital connectivity. Without clear planning requirements and delivery mechanisms, new homes can be built faster than the networks that support them. The result is frustrated residents, reduced productivity and a weaker proposition for employers deciding where to invest. Connectivity gaps can quickly erode confidence in a place, even if everything else has been delivered well. 

This matters at a national level too. The UK has slipped down the global rankings for mobile and broadband performance, and at a time when we are trying to attract domestic and international investment into housing and infrastructure. Strong digital foundations support economic growth, job creation and innovation, particularly in new communities that are intended to thrive for decades. 

Cluttons looks at the UK’s approach to digital connectivity on a regular basis, and one consistent theme keeps emerging. While there is broad recognition across government that good connectivity underpins economic growth and modern living, confidence in delivery is persistently low. There remains limited assurance that local authorities fully understand the benefits of high-quality digital infrastructure or that it is being prioritised alongside more traditional forms of infrastructure. 

This points to a wider structural issue. Digital infrastructure still too often sits between departments, without clear ownership or accountability. Planning teams are frequently under resourced and under pressure to move schemes forward at pace. Engagement between local authorities, network operators, developers and communities is inconsistent, which can slow deployment or push connectivity down the priority list altogether. Meanwhile, national ambitions for gigabit broadband and 5G continue to outpace what is being delivered on the ground in many locations. 

There are signs of progress. Recent changes to national planning policy have begun to acknowledge the importance of digital connectivity in supporting sustainable development, which is a positive step. But recognition in policy is only the starting point. Unless this is consistently prioritised and acted on at local level, particularly within stretched planning departments, the risk is that digital infrastructure remains acknowledged in principle but sidelined in practice. 

Local authorities should be supported to appoint a Digital Champion or Placemaker, someone with the mandate to coordinate across planning, housing and infrastructure teams and to engage proactively with operators and communities.  

Alongside this, a government led information campaign on the benefits of enhanced digital connectivity would help close knowledge gaps, address local concerns and build support for infrastructure that benefits everyone. 

If we want these new places to deliver on their promise of well connected, resilient communities, digital infrastructure cannot be an optional add on. It must be embedded into planning from the very beginning, as a fundamental building block of modern life.