Tuesday, November 04, 2008
First published : CASCET
The locations for proposed "eco-towns" will be rated on their suitability in an assessment published by the Government today.
The sustainability assessment for the 12 proposals still on the shortlist is being published along with environmental and social standards the towns will have to meet.
The next phase of consultation for the scheme - which has met with resistance from local people concerned about the impact of the new towns in their area - will also be outlined.
The sustainability assessments for the locations, which will look at issues surrounding the sites such as flood risk and transport links, will produce draft grades for how suitable they are as sites.
The draft Planning Policy Statement (PPS) will lay out the standards such as how much green space, the percentage of affordable housing and access to public transport the eco-towns developments will have to meet.
Proposals for the standards for the low-carbon, environmentally friendly developments - which must be separate new settlements of 5,000 to 20,000 homes - were published earlier in the year by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).
The final shortlist for which proposals will get the go-ahead is expected in the New Year, after which they will have to go through the normal planning process, DCLG said.
But the plans, which were scaled up by Gordon Brown last year to up to 10 towns by 2020 because of an initial positive response, have been hit by controversy.
Local communities and countryside campaigners are among those who have raised concerns that the towns will put pressure on infrastructure, public services and the environment, and that local democracy and planning processes are being undermined.
But the Government says the scheme will help provide affordable housing where it is needed, and pioneer new green ways of living that can act as a showcase for all new developments.