PM: 10 new 'eco-towns' for UK

Monday, 24 September 2007 12:00 AM

Prime minister Gordon Brown today announced plans to build ten new 'eco-towns' in the UK.

Building on an existing commitment to build five new towns - made during his successful campaign to assume leadership of the Labour Party - Mr Brown doubled the number of promised towns during his keynote speech to the party conference in Bournemouth today.

Each town will contain 100,000 homes and will be powered by energy from sustainable resources.

The new developments will be built on existing brownfield sites and will be designed to reduce Britain's carbon footprint.

The new properties will also increase the supply of affordable housing in the market, allowing those seeking their first step on the housing ladder to make a purchase, according to Mr Brown.

Speaking today the PM said: "So we plan to help first-time buyers and we will increase house-building to 240,000 new homes a year - in places and ways that respect our green spaces and the environment.

"My aim by 2010 is two million more homeowners than in 1997.

"And for the first time in nearly half a century we will show the imagination to build new towns - 'eco-towns' with low and zero carbon homes.

"And today because of the response we have received we are announcing that instead of just five new eco towns, we will now aim for ten 'eco-towns' - building thousands of new homes in every region of the country.

"And for affordable housing and for social housing we will now invest eight billion pounds. This will mean a 50 per cent increase in funds for social housing."

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