03 October 2008
Government plans to build up to ten eco-towns by 2020 should not be abandoned in the face of strong protests by residents, a coalition of housing and other groups is demanding.
The joint statement by 21 groups, ranging from Shelter to the Trades Union Congress, said the towns were vital to providing more social rented and low-cost housing over the next decade, as well as to meet new standards for energy efficiency.
Since an initial short list was published in April, developers behind four potential eco-town sites have pulled out, leaving ministers with just 12 to choose from. Many other locations face high-profile opposition.
But Gideon Amos, chief executive of the Town and Country Planning Association, said the coalition of housing professionals, environmentalists and bodies that promote social justice was firmly behind eco-towns and reflected the majority view in the country. 'While some sites will need to be further tested against agreed plans, the truth is that the standards already set for eco-towns far outstrip those for any other development,' he said.
Other groups in the coalition include the Chartered Institute of Housing, Help the Aged, the National Housing Federation and the National Union of Students.
The groups' joint appeal to ministers on September 29 followed the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment's publication What makes an eco-town?, a blueprint for the developments that suggested personal car use would be monitored to reduce carbon emissions.
A 'sustainability appraisal' of each remaining site is due to be published by the Department for Communities and Local Government later this month, prior to a final short list being announced early next year.
PFoct2008
