Eco-towns

Green overhaul to planning system announced

On 9th March 2010 Housing and Planning Minister John Healey a triple boost for councils tackling climate change by updating planning rules, granting nearly £10million to improve green skills and backing further progress by the “second wave” of eco-towns.

Three planning policies have been overhauled so that councils have the very latest targets and guidance to address climate change, putting them in the driving seat of change.

Combined, the new policy statements (Climate Change, Natural Environment and Coastal Change) will give councils a “green planning rulebook” so new sustainable developments are planned and built with the aim of reducing carbon emissions and with the future climate in mind.

Proposals for the new climate change planning policy will ensure new developments are built in the right places, utilising sustainable sources of energy and encouraging the installation of electric car charging points.

Read CLG's full press release

Find out more about the funding allocations and the demonstrator projects 

Funding announced for first wave eco-towns to deliver new green facilities

Housing Minister John Healey has this week announced a share of £60m for each of the first four pioneering eco-towns. The cash is a major boost for the country’s biggest ever green home building programme and will fund over 600 new eco-show homes as well as community facilities and green transport initiatives.

Among the innovative community projects are plans to create an “eco-station” from a converted military fire station in Hampshire, which will provide training facilities and display local and natural history. In Cornwall, a multi-functional community hub will be provided, in partnership with the Eden Centre, offering educational projects and showcasing new technologies.

More detail on these and other projects below.

• A new community hall will be developed at North West Bicester, featuring modern off site construction methods and delivering attractive useable space that will be efficient to run and low-impact on the environment.
• A new Education Centre at Rackheath, near Norwich, will encourage people of all ages to learn about sustainable living.  And, through an award of £200,000 match funding from DCSF, the Centre will work with schools on behaviour change and making the most of the school’s sustainability. 
• A multi-functional community hub, to be run jointly with the Eden Project, will offer community education projects and be a showcase for new environmental technologies, local materials and resources in St Austell, Cornwall. The hub, which will attain ‘Bream Excellent’ rating, will be a showcase for environmental technologies and low carbon innovation, such as a “phase change board”, which absorbs heat during the day and then releases it overnight. 
• An ‘eco-station’ will be created out of a dis-used military fire station in Whitehill-Bordon, Hampshire, for exhibitions and community use, run from a biomass powered boiler that will also have the potential to power up to 25 homes. This eco station will provide community and training facilities and offer information on local and natural history. New eco-show homes will also be built nearby as part of an international architectural competition.

For more details see:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/1459501 

Planning Policy Statement: eco-towns and potential locations published

On 16 July 2009  Housing Minister, John Healey announced the publication of the Planning Policy Statement: eco-towns and supporting documents. The Planning Policy Statement: eco-towns sets out the highest ever standards for green living and includes the locations which have been assessed as having the potential for an eco-town.

These locations are: Whitehill-Bordon in Hampshire, St Austell (China Clay Community) in Cornwall, Rackheath (Norwich) in Norfolk and North West Bicester in Oxfordshire (see the eco-towns location map). All eco-town schemes brought forward at these locations will have to go through the usual local planning process.

Eco-towns are an initiative of the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG). The proposed development of Eco-towns would provide between 5,000 and 15,000 new, affordable, well-designed, environmentally sustainable homes at each site. They will be located in places with good links to existing towns for ease of transport encouraging journeys by non-car means (with an aim of 50% fewer car journeys). The towns will also have facilities such as schools, health centres, parks and allotments - everything you would expect to find in a similar sized town.

As well as relieving the need for new housing eco-town homes will meet high standards in ‘green’ building design and provide exemplar developments for combating climate change. The location and layout of the towns will help facilitate more sustainable lifestyles.

Timeline 

The process to date has been:

July 2007             

June 2008            

• Conclusion of initial consulation 

April 2009             

• Conclusion of consultation on Planning Policy Statement, Sustainability Appraisals and narrowed down list of locations
• Roadshow events in areas near to proposed locations were undertaken in the months before

July 2009          

• final short-list of locations with the potential for an eco-town and final standards published

living places and Eco-towns

living places partners believe that the Culture and Sport Planning Toolkit (CSPT) provides a means to support eco-town developers use culture and sport to build sustainable communities, particularly to fulfil the ambitions of PPS 12.

Eco-towns can have cultural and sporting facilities embedded within them from the beginning of development. Culture and sport are important attributes of any sustainable community. The CSPT is a valuable resource for ensuring their provision and can assist developers in their planning.

For more information

• You can download the Eco-towns prospectus to find out more.
• Read the living places response to the Eco-towns consultation.
• Visit http://ecotownsyoursay.direct.gov.uk/
• For more information on Eco-towns see: http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingsupply/ecotowns/