Eco-town blasted by opposition parties

Daniel Fawbert Mills
Evesham Journal

THE government’s eco-town programme, which includes plans for a 6,000 home eco-town near Long Marston, has been labelled ‘a sham’ and ‘a gimmick’ in a blistering attack by both main opposition parties this week.

Speaking exclusively to The Journal, shadow housing minister Grant Shapps confirmed the tories would not support the programme should they take office at the next election, and claimed the project would do more harm to the environment than good.

Mr Shapps said: “Gordon Brown’s eco-town programme is in a shambles, with developers abandoning the process, a series of judicial reviews, the timetable being extended and extended, and local opposition growing to these unsustainable and environmentally damaging proposals.

“The Conservatives will not support a programme that has been exposed as a green sham, and which will not help build genuinely eco-friendly homes.”

Mr Shapps’ sentiments were echoed by the Liberal Democrat’s housing spokesperson Sarah Teather, who said the eco-town programme is just another ‘gimmick’.

“Instead of demanding high sustainability standards in all new developments, the government has reverted to type and is attempting to centrally dictate where new homes should be built,” said Teather.

"Eco-towns are just a Gordon Brown gimmick, and they are riding roughshod over the views of local people.”

The government, and the department for Communities and Local Government which is overseeing the eco-town project, refused to comment on the policy of other parties but strenuously denied it had not listened to local people’s views.

A spokesman said: “There have been two rounds of public consultation and any location that is selected for an eco-town would still need to go through the local planning process, so people are being given every chance to make their voice heard.

”We are pressing ahead with this scheme and will be making an announcement on the final list of locations in the coming weeks.”

The BARD Campaign, which has campaigned against the Middle Quinton proposal since it made the government's original 15-site shortlist around two years agao, have welcomed both MP's comments.

BARD's chairman, David Bliss, said: “We are very pleased that the opposition parties remain firmly opposed to Middle Quinton.

"All local authorities have voted against it and the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats plan to take that into account.

"They have recognised what the government so far has not - that it would be disastrous to build new towns in isolated rural locations like Long Marston.

“We still hope that the current government will see sense and reject the proposal but it is a relief to know that should there be a change of government next year, which so many people are predicting, the flawed eco-town programme will finally be eliminated.

"We hope that any future programme takes greater account of the needs of local communities and allows responsible planning and development for the next generation.”