Tuesday, November 04, 2008
First published : Leicester Mercury
Housing minister Margaret Beckett has rejected claims the national eco-town scheme is to be cut back.
Mrs Beckett said she could deliver thousands of green homes even in a declining housing market.
The Government`s plan called for five eco-towns to be built by 2016, and 10 by 2020.
However, the Commons Communities and Local Government Committee has raised concerns over whether the targets were realistic.
The comments followed national reports that the Government was admitting only two eco-towns would ever get built.
"Those that are directly engaged in the process – the private sector, local authorities and so on – are mindful of the fact we are talking about quite a long time scale."
The Government said the extra homes brought by eco-towns were still needed, and the challenge of climate change was not going to fade, irrespective of economic conditions.
Dr Kevin Feltham, chairman of Campaign Against the Stoughton Co-op Eco Town, said: "The programme is falling apart.
"The original shortlist of 15 has already shrunk to 12 because some developers have withdrawn for political or financial reasons."