/ 3 April 2008

UK’s ‘eco-towns’ may run into objections

Fifteen potential sites for new ”eco-towns” across England have been published in a drive to tackle a national housing shortage while minimising damage to the environment.

Each site would provide between 5 000 and 15 000 low carbon emission homes in the first new towns since the 1960s.

But the proposals are likely to run into stiff opposition from local residents in many areas.

The 15 candidates will be whittled down after local consultation over the next three months, with a final shortlist published later this year.

The government wants to build five eco-towns by 2016 and up to 10 by 2020 as part of plans to build three million homes over the next 12 years.

It said the candidate sites made significant use of previously developed land including former military depots, disused airfields, former mining pits and old industrial sites.

Each development would have to include high levels of affordable housing and show how they would provide public transport, schools and healthcare while safeguarding local wildlife.

The father of British tennis star Tim Henman told BBC television that the local community was opposed to a proposed site near his Oxfordshire village of Weston Otmoor.

”This site is totally unsuitable … it’s prime agricultural land and it’s green belt, it’s on a flood plain, there is enormous congestion with the A34 and the M40 on a daily basis,” Tony Henman said.

”I’m not against eco-towns in principle … but we are very much against this site which would totally steal the village life from our community.”

The government rejected 42 other proposals for eco-towns but selected the following sites as suitable candidates:

  • Pennbury, Leicestershire: 12 000 to 15 000 homes

  • Manby and Strubby, Lincolnshire: 5 000 homes

  • Curborough, Staffordshire: 5 000 homes

  • Middle Quinton, Warwickshire: 6 000 homes

  • Bordon-Whitehill, Hampshire: 5 000 to 8 000 homes

  • Weston Otmoor, Oxfordshire: 10 000 to 15 000 homes

  • Ford, West Sussex: 5 000 homes

  • Imerys China Clay Community, Cornwall: 5 000 homes

  • Rossington, South Yorkshire: 15 000 homes

  • Coltishall, Norfolk: 5 000 homes

  • Hanley Grange, Cambridgeshire: 8 000 homes

  • Marston Vale and New Marston, Bedfordshire: 15 400 homes

  • Elsenham, Essex: 5 000 homes

  • Rushcliffe, Nottinghamshire: site to be identified

  • Leeds City Region, Yorkshire: site to be identified. – Reuters