Politicians Respond to High Court Ruling

On 27 January the BARD Campaign lost its High Court challenge over the Government’s eco-town project.

Mr Justice Walker rejected the complaint that there had been a failure to consult the public properly over the policy to build “environmentally-friendly” towns to meet housing shortages and stressed the project was “at a relatively early stage and there would be future opportunities for consultation”.

However, despite this ruling, political opponents of the eco-towns programme were not deterred.

Shadow housing minister Grant Shapps said after the ruling:

"The very fact that this has gone to the High Court demonstrates how out of touch the Government are with local communities.

"To build the environmentally-friendly homes that the country needs, we need to work with local people not against them.

"Yet, with eco-towns, ministers seem intent on trampling over local communities as they arrogantly plough ahead with another of Gordon Brown's botched initiatives."

Liberal Democrat housing spokeswoman Sarah Teather said:

"This ruling may well turn out to be irrelevant as only one of the proposed eco-town sites appears to be suitable by the Government's own criteria.

"Gordon Brown's flawed eco-town proposals seem to be falling apart at the seams.

"Instead of a handful of isolated new developments that are eco-friendly in name only, ministers should make sure all new houses are of the highest environmental standards."