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| 'Eco-towns' shortlist is revealed | 'Eco-towns' shortlist is revealed |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| The 15 locations shortlisted for the first new towns in England in 40 years have been revealed by the government. | |
| Bordon, Coltishall, Curborough, Elsenham plus Ford in West Sussex have made the list, as well as Hanley Grange, Imerys, Leeds and Manby. | Bordon, Coltishall, Curborough, Elsenham plus Ford in West Sussex have made the list, as well as Hanley Grange, Imerys, Leeds and Manby. |
| Marston Vale and New Marston in Bedfordshire, Middle Quinton, Pennbury, Rossington, Rushcliffe and Weston Otmoor make up the 15. | |
| The 10 sites for the "eco-towns" will be finalised in the next six months. | |
| The plans have proved controversial in some areas with campaigners saying the idea is a way to evade planning controls. | The plans have proved controversial in some areas with campaigners saying the idea is a way to evade planning controls. |
| Among 42 rejected locations were controversial sites in Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Derbyshire. | Among 42 rejected locations were controversial sites in Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Derbyshire. |
| Micheldever Station, Grovewood in Derbyshire national forest and Shipton Quarry were some of the areas which failed to make the shortlist. | Micheldever Station, Grovewood in Derbyshire national forest and Shipton Quarry were some of the areas which failed to make the shortlist. |
| It's tackling both the challenge of climate change and the need for more families to have a future in a home of their own Caroline Flint, housing minister | It's tackling both the challenge of climate change and the need for more families to have a future in a home of their own Caroline Flint, housing minister |
| Most were on greenbelt land, threatened wildlife or were similar to projects previously denied planning permission. | Most were on greenbelt land, threatened wildlife or were similar to projects previously denied planning permission. |
| The new environmentally-friendly towns - low-energy, carbon-neutral developments built from recycled materials - will be the first new towns since the 1960s. | The new environmentally-friendly towns - low-energy, carbon-neutral developments built from recycled materials - will be the first new towns since the 1960s. |
| The housing minister, Caroline Flint, said the new towns would help to tackle climate change, as well as providing affordable new housing. | The housing minister, Caroline Flint, said the new towns would help to tackle climate change, as well as providing affordable new housing. |
| Diagram of an eco-house | Diagram of an eco-house |
| "We have a housing shortage in this country and that's why we need to build more homes," she told BBC News 24. | "We have a housing shortage in this country and that's why we need to build more homes," she told BBC News 24. |
| "But we also need to think about sustainable homes in sustainable communities." | "But we also need to think about sustainable homes in sustainable communities." |
| 'ECO-TOWNS' SHORTLIST Bordon, HampshireColtishall, NorfolkCurborough, StaffordshireElsenham, EssexFord, West SussexHanley Grange, CambridgeshireImerys, CornwallLeeds city region, West YorkshireManby, LincolnshireMarston Vale and New Marston, BedfordshireMiddle Quinton, WarwickshirePennbury, LeicestershireRossington, South YorkshireRushcliffe, NottinghamshireWeston Otmoor, Oxfordshire Source: Department of Communities and Local Government | |
| The shortlisted locations would have the potential to provide affordable housing and "the highest green standards we can expect for the way we want to live our lives in the future", she added. | The shortlisted locations would have the potential to provide affordable housing and "the highest green standards we can expect for the way we want to live our lives in the future", she added. |
| "It's tackling both the challenge of climate change and the need for more families to have a future in a home of their own." | "It's tackling both the challenge of climate change and the need for more families to have a future in a home of their own." |
| The government plans to form a panel of experts who will subject potential developers to tough tests before they win the right to build the towns. | The government plans to form a panel of experts who will subject potential developers to tough tests before they win the right to build the towns. |
| Ms Flint said: "Bidders will have to meet the highest standards for sustainability, affordability and creativity. This expert panel will challenge developers to the limits." | Ms Flint said: "Bidders will have to meet the highest standards for sustainability, affordability and creativity. This expert panel will challenge developers to the limits." |
| The government is stressing that any new towns proposed will have to go through the normal planning process, and that local people and other interested bodies will have the right to challenge the plans. | The government is stressing that any new towns proposed will have to go through the normal planning process, and that local people and other interested bodies will have the right to challenge the plans. |
| According to BBC environment analyst Roger Harrabin, eco-towns are a way of increasing housing in areas of England where demand outstrips supply. | According to BBC environment analyst Roger Harrabin, eco-towns are a way of increasing housing in areas of England where demand outstrips supply. |
| They will also go some way to satisfying the demands of the powerful house-builders lobby, and will provide a laboratory for the sort of environmentally-conscious homes that ministers want to become the norm, our correspondent added. | They will also go some way to satisfying the demands of the powerful house-builders lobby, and will provide a laboratory for the sort of environmentally-conscious homes that ministers want to become the norm, our correspondent added. |
| But there are concerns among environmental campaigners that most of the proposed eco-towns will increase car pollution because they will not be big or diverse enough to sustain viable public transport. | But there are concerns among environmental campaigners that most of the proposed eco-towns will increase car pollution because they will not be big or diverse enough to sustain viable public transport. |
| Back to link | Back to link |
| To be properly sustainable, any community needs to be large enough to sustain jobs, homes, health centres, libraries and cinemas, and to discourage commuting to nearby towns for these facilities, Roger Harrabin adds. | To be properly sustainable, any community needs to be large enough to sustain jobs, homes, health centres, libraries and cinemas, and to discourage commuting to nearby towns for these facilities, Roger Harrabin adds. |
| The developments are to be built over the next decade as part of the government's plans to build three million new homes by 2020. | The developments are to be built over the next decade as part of the government's plans to build three million new homes by 2020. |
| In September last year Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced that the number of towns to be built would be doubled from five to ten, because of the positive response to the original announcement. | In September last year Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced that the number of towns to be built would be doubled from five to ten, because of the positive response to the original announcement. |
| He said it would help boost house-building to 240,000 homes a year. | He said it would help boost house-building to 240,000 homes a year. |
| The towns have proved controversial and most of the planned sites are expected to face local opposition, something thought to be worrying Labour strategists. | The towns have proved controversial and most of the planned sites are expected to face local opposition, something thought to be worrying Labour strategists. |