19 June 2008
Local authorities have withdrawn their support for an eco-town in Yorkshire, following strong opposition from residents.
Council leaders in the Leeds city-region threw out proposals by independent consultants to build the town on a former mining site at Gascoigne Wood, near Selby, on June 12. Three other locations were also rejected.
Instead, the council leaders told the Department for Communities and Local Government it should focus on providing more affordable housing across the 11 local authorities that make up the region.
The decision is a major blow for housing minister Caroline Flint, who must come up with a final shortlist of eco-town sites later this year. Most of the 15 sites on the initial short list, published in April, have been promoted by private developers or landowners and enjoy limited – if any – council support.
The Leeds region bid was seen by the DCLG as an opportunity to show that at least some eco-towns had council backing. Four potential locations were identified in the Selby area, but each provoked protests from residents.
Flint, whose Don Valley seat is less than 20 miles from Selby, has pledged that eco-towns will not be allowed to by-pass local plans drawn up by councils and other bodies. But residents in Yorkshire remain concerned that one could still be imposed on the region against the wishes of local planners.
Robert Light, chair of the regional leaders' board, said: 'If the government imposes an eco-town after the detailed analysis we have gone through, it will mean that it's not interested in local views or local democracy.'
A DCLG spokesman said the regional partnership had earlier recognised that an eco-town would bring real benefits and requested the opportunity to select a site. 'We are disappointed that they appear unable to do this so far,' he said. 'Clearly, we need to build more affordable homes in the area and we would be looking for an alternative proposal that meets the real level of housing need.'
PFjun2008
