23 July 2009
The sites of the first four eco-towns have been announced and councils have been urged to help identify locations for six others.
The first towns, to be built between 2011 and 2016, will be at northwest Bicester, Oxfordshire; Rackheath, Norfolk; St Austell, Cornwall; and Whitehill-Bordon, Hampshire. The zero-carbon developments will house 30,000 people, and developers will be able to bid for £60m to support local infrastructure. An additional £5m is available for councils to conduct feasibility studies into other locations. Northeast Elsenham, Essex, and Rossington, near Doncaster, are among the favourite sites for the second wave of towns, which should be well under way by 2016.
Announcing the government’s decision on July 16, housing minister John Healey said eco-towns would set the standard for every town and community. ‘The standards are high but I am confident of wider interest from developers and councils,’ he added.
The sites of the first four eco-towns have been announced and councils have been urged to help identify locations for six others.
The first towns, to be built between 2011 and 2016, will be at northwest Bicester, Oxfordshire; Rackheath, Norfolk; St Austell, Cornwall; and Whitehill-Bordon, Hampshire. The zero-carbon developments will house 30,000 people, and developers will be able to bid for £60m to support local infrastructure. An additional £5m is available for councils to conduct feasibility studies into other locations. Northeast Elsenham, Essex, and Rossington, near Doncaster, are among the favourite sites for the second wave of towns, which should be well under way by 2016.
Announcing the government’s decision on July 16, housing minister John Healey said eco-towns would set the standard for every town and community. ‘The standards are high but I am confident of wider interest from developers and councils,’ he added.
