Wednesday, July 15, 2009
First published : BBC News
The locations of four new "eco-towns" have been announced as part of scaled-down government plans.
They are Rackheath, Norfolk; north west Bicester, Oxfordshire; Whitehill Bordon, East Hants; and the China Clay Community near St Austell, Cornwall.
Gordon Brown had announced plans to create hundreds of thousands of homes in 10 "carbon neutral" communities.
But the zero-carbon developments - some earmarked on open countryside - have caused protests and a legal challenge.
Schemes at the four confirmed sites are proposed or broadly supported by local authorities, the government said.
However, the developments - including 4,000 homes on the disused airfield at Rackheath, near Norwich, and 5,000 in the Cornwall town - must still go through the planning process.
Construction would be under way by 2016, later than originally envisaged.
Housing Minister John Healey wants to see a second wave of at least six eco-towns and is making up to £5m available for councils to conduct further planning work on proposals.
Rossington near Doncaster and North-East Elsenham in Essex are still developing proposals for their sites.