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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| New question marks over eco-towns | New question marks over eco-towns |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Nearly all the locations earmarked for new eco-towns have question marks about them, ministers have acknowledged. | Nearly all the locations earmarked for new eco-towns have question marks about them, ministers have acknowledged. |
| Of the 12 sites identified as having development potential, only one - Rackheath near Norwich - is currently regarded as "generally suitable". | Of the 12 sites identified as having development potential, only one - Rackheath near Norwich - is currently regarded as "generally suitable". |
| The site in Weston Otmoor, Oxfordshire, is the most unlikely to be pursued. | The site in Weston Otmoor, Oxfordshire, is the most unlikely to be pursued. |
| Ministers have stiffened the rules so every town must have at least 40% of its area as "green space". But the Tories called eco-towns "an eco-con". | |
| Ministers have said any new towns will be subject to the "toughest ever green standards" but MPs have still urged ministers to rethink the economic and environmental implications of the policy. | Ministers have said any new towns will be subject to the "toughest ever green standards" but MPs have still urged ministers to rethink the economic and environmental implications of the policy. |
| I do not expect all of these locations to go forward Margaret Beckett | I do not expect all of these locations to go forward Margaret Beckett |
| In a recent report, the Environment Audit Committee expressed concerns about what job opportunities and public transport services would be available to residents of any new towns. | In a recent report, the Environment Audit Committee expressed concerns about what job opportunities and public transport services would be available to residents of any new towns. |
| The government initially set its sight on 15 new eco-towns across England as models for future sustainable development. | The government initially set its sight on 15 new eco-towns across England as models for future sustainable development. |
| Residents close to several of the proposed developments fiercely oppose the plans. | Residents close to several of the proposed developments fiercely oppose the plans. |
| Sustainability | Sustainability |
| Announcing the second phase of its public consultation, ministers said 12 sites would be taken forward for consideration. | Announcing the second phase of its public consultation, ministers said 12 sites would be taken forward for consideration. |
| Of these, ten have been deemed "potentially suitable" subject to them meeting specific planning and design requirements. | Of these, ten have been deemed "potentially suitable" subject to them meeting specific planning and design requirements. |
| They are: | They are: |
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| Following a study into their likely impact on the environment and local community, Western Otmoor was given the lowest "grade C" rating, meaning that it is extremely unlikely to proceed. | Following a study into their likely impact on the environment and local community, Western Otmoor was given the lowest "grade C" rating, meaning that it is extremely unlikely to proceed. |
| On the other hand, the site at Rackham, on the outskirts of Norwich, has been classified as "grade A" - meaning it faces fewer potential obstacles than any other location. | On the other hand, the site at Rackham, on the outskirts of Norwich, has been classified as "grade A" - meaning it faces fewer potential obstacles than any other location. |
| Rackham was proposed as an alternative to a nearby site at Coltishall which has been dropped. A proposed site in Leeds has also been dropped from the list. | Rackham was proposed as an alternative to a nearby site at Coltishall which has been dropped. A proposed site in Leeds has also been dropped from the list. |
| Housing minister Margaret Beckett has said that some of the remaining sites could fall by the wayside. | Housing minister Margaret Beckett has said that some of the remaining sites could fall by the wayside. |
| "I believe it is vital we get the locations for these eco-towns right and the shortlist has been refined to reflect the results of the most detailed assessment to date on these potential locations," she said. | "I believe it is vital we get the locations for these eco-towns right and the shortlist has been refined to reflect the results of the most detailed assessment to date on these potential locations," she said. |
| "I do not expect all of these locations to go forward - the eco-town standards are tough and I think some of these shortlisted schemes could struggle to meet them." | "I do not expect all of these locations to go forward - the eco-town standards are tough and I think some of these shortlisted schemes could struggle to meet them." |
| Eco-towns, expected to sustain between 5,000 and 20,000 homes, will be required to go through the same planning processes as other major developments. | Eco-towns, expected to sustain between 5,000 and 20,000 homes, will be required to go through the same planning processes as other major developments. |
| Shadow housing minister Grant Shapps, said: "It is no wonder that the government has published the long-awaited small print on eco-towns on the day of the US elections. | |
| "Labour ministers have admitted that many of their so-called eco-towns will be built on green fields. | |
| "Conservatives have always said that we will lend our support to genuinely environmentally friendly housing schemes. But Gordon Brown's so-called eco-towns have become an eco-con." |