Archive for April, 2008
Potential eco-town sites revealed
The top 15 proposals for the new low-carbon, environmentally friendly developments will be revealed by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).
Over the next six months the shortlist will be whittled down to up to 10 successful bids – which will then have to go through a full planning process, the department said.
The department said all 15 sites have excellent potential to be eco-towns. Affordable homes will make up between 30% and 50% of the houses built.
According to the Government, the bids make significant use of cutting edge green technologies and brownfield land – including former Ministry of Defence sites, disused airfields and industrial sites.
While some of the more than 50 proposals received for the eco-town scheme were for green belt land, DCLG said none of those shortlisted would involve building new homes on the green belt.
Housing Minister Caroline Flint said: “Eco-towns give us a unique opportunity to tackle two of the greatest challenges facing the country in tandem – the pressing need to confront climate change and deliver more affordable housing.”
She will tell potential developers who have made it on to the shortlist that she wants to see proposals improved even further, and that they must provide green technology, affordable housing and key infrastructure, safeguard wildlife and promote green spaces.
The eco-town scheme was the first major policy announcement made by Gordon Brown as he began his campaign to succeed Tony Blair as Prime Minister last year.
There were originally due to be up to five eco-towns, which aim to provide zero-carbon homes, businesses and schools and be “exemplars” in at least one area of environmental sustainability. But at last year’s Labour Party conference, the Prime Minister announced that a positive reaction to the project had spurred him to expand the plans to up to 10 towns, providing up to 100,000 green homes.
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