Eco Town debate to be raised at Grand Designs Live

Wednesday, 15, Apr 2009 11:29

A debate on whether eco-towns are a good idea will be taking place at the Grand Designs Live show.

The show, which will be held from April 25th and presented by Channel Four's Kevin McCloud, will see a series of industry professionals taking part in a Big Debate, including one on the future of eco-towns.

Sunand Prasad, Royal Institution of British Architects (RIBA) president, David Lock, adviser and planner, Andy Von Bradsky, PRP Architects, Ian Dowdle, architect and Whitehall Borden eco town councillor will debate whether government plans for eco-towns, put forward by 45 councils, are still popular and worth continuing with.

The debate will cover whether there is an alternative, whether new towns should be built or old ones made more sustainable and whether the scheme is a good move for the green agenda.

Following the 45 councils putting forward their proposals for eco-towns, ministers are now considering them within the Growth Points scheme, which will make the best use of brownfield sites.

As some of the plans have been met by fierce local opposition, this is another issue which will be addressed by the debating panel.

The debate is scheduled to take place at 2.30-3.30pm on Saturday April 25th, in the Grand Seminar Theatre, sponsored by the Electrical Safety Council, at the ExCeL centre in London's Docklands.

Grand Designs Live will host five sessions every day, including a Big Debate between leading politicians, peer groups and opinion makers on issues such as eco and sustainable interior design, zero carbon homes and the legacy of London's 2012 Olympics.