Experts present eco-town challenges

Monday, 23 June 2008 12:00 AM

The panel of experts advising the government with regard to eco-town proposals has launched a set of recommendations for potential builders to follow.

It is hoped the guidelines will improve plans to create sustainable developments.

At present, there are 15 potential sites for development, with ten to be built as part of the government's target to build three million new homes by 2020.

Formed of leading experts from the worlds of the environment, design, transport and sustainability, the panel were tasked with reviewing developers' proposals, providing expert advice on their work and challenging them to meet the highest standards possible.

Developers were grilled on issues ranging from their ability to reduce the carbon footprint of residents and their reliance on cars for the likely "day in the life" of an eco-town resident in 2020.

"I have been clear from the start that only those bids that reach the highest possible standards for sustainability can make it through," said housing minister Caroline Flint.

"The eco-town challenge panel has played an important role in both providing advice and encouragement to developers on what they have done well, but also challenging them to up their game where there is room for improvement," she added.

The proposals include:

• Ensure the vision for how public services will be provided, such as schools, is acceptable to local agencies on whose support it is dependent.

• Assess the viability for the town to become self-sufficient in various ways.

• Describe a 'day in the life' of a household living in the eco-town in 2020.

Consider who will live there and what the town will provide for teenagers.

Tailored recommendations were also provided for each of the proposed eco-towns.

"Our brief was to challenge each proposal in a robust and constructive way, and I think we have done a good job on that front," said

"We have seen much to admire, but in all cases we are challenging the developers to take major steps forward.

"We want the final eco-towns to be better than the best of the current examples that do exist in the UK and the rest of Europe - clearly there is still a lot of work to do."

However, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) has given the proposals short shrift.

"Plans for eco-towns are unlikely to have a significant impact on reducing carbon emissions or meeting government housing targets," said James Rowlands, Rics policy officer.

"Eco-towns run the risk of simply being isolated pockets of housing whose environmental benefits are severely reduced by reliance on private car use.

"The government must start again and consider eco-extensions to existing towns or eco-quarters on large sites within cities. The current proposals run the risk of creating isolated eco-ghettos rather than thriving and sustainable new towns," concluded Mr Rowlands.

Chris O'Toole

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