Housing

Frequently asked questions about eco-towns

Where are the proposed eco-town locations?

The locations, which have been assessed as having the potential for an eco-town were announced on 16 July 2009. These locations are:

Why did you undertake further consultation - what's the purpose? How is the £60million funding being allocated?

As the Housing Minister announced in his statement of 16 July 2009 - £60million is being made available from the Growth Fund to support local infrastructure. Over the summer of 2009 we ran a limited consultation on the process for allocating this start-up funding. This consultation was targetted at local authorities in the four areas identified as having the potential to have an eco-town in the Planning Policy Statement: eco-towns - A supplement to Planning Policy Statement 1, along with the Local Government Association

A further £5m will be available for studies and assessment work for future potential eco-town locations and CLG wrote separately to regional planning bodies seeking expressions of interest by the end of October 2009 in relation to this (although this does not preclude proposals being made at a later date). 

What is the current status of the public consultation on the draft PPS - can I still feed my comments into this?

The consultation on the draft Eco-towns Planning Policy Statement ended on 30 April 2009. 

A summary of consultation responses was published on 16 July 2009.

In relation to Middle Quinton we have received the report of the Panel on the West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy and this is now being considered. We will then publish proposed changes for consultation before setting out the final plan.  No decisions on the West Midlands Plan or the proposals for an eco-town at Middle Quinton will be made until this process is completed.

When in due course a decision is taken on Middle Quinton we will take account of all the responses we have had to the eco-towns consultation as well as the outcome of the panel report on the West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy.

We will also take into account any further representations on any new or additional matters which may arise in relation to Middle Quinton before a decision is taken. People wishing to make such representations should email or post them to the eco-towns team:

email: ecotowns@communities.gsi.gov.uk.

By post:
eco-towns team
Communities and Local Government
Zone 1/J9
Eland House
Bressenden Place
London
SW1E 5DU

Why is there a different approach for the Middle Quinton eco-town proposal?

The eco-town process and the West Midlands RSS process have come together. As the RSS forms part of the development plan and the Middle Quinton issues would have been debated at the RSS public examination in any event, it makes sense to bring the two processes together.

How are you dealing with the Middle Quinton consultation responses received as part of the eco-towns consultation?

Eco-town consultation responses related to Middle Quinton will be taken into account alongside the West Midlands RSS Panel Report, before the Secretary of State issues a revised RSS for consultation.

Why are further locations being announced?

£5m was announced for studies and assessment work for future potential eco-development locations in July 2009, alongside the publication of the PPS. CLG has received expressions of interest for this funding from nine authorities and city regions (comprising 14 potential sites) which have responded to this opportunity. These locations wish to examine eco-developments for different reasons, but they are interested in developing to the standards in the eco-towns PPS. All proposals will undergo feasibility and other studies, to determine their suitability for development to eco-towns standards, prior to local consultation as part of the local planning process.

You can see the full list of further locations in the Map of areas expressing interest in developing to eco-town standard (PDF 1.5 Mb).

What funding is being made available to support the further proposals announced on 1 December 2009?

As announced on 16 July 2009, £5m will be available to support studies and assessment work for these future potential locations. We will be having detailed discussions with the Local Authorities with a view to providing funding to support their work on developing their proposals. The Housing Minister has also announced that he will be making a further £5m available to fund low and zero carbon exemplar schemes at these locations.  

Will local communities have an opportunity to comment on these new proposals?

Yes, local communities will be able to participate in consultations on the local core strategy in the normal way, should these further options get taken forward.

What is the process going to be next for these further locations?  

We will be having detailed discussions with the Local Authorities over the next month or so with a view to agree a programme of work, timetable and funding support for more detailed design and to test feasibility working with partners across Government and Agencies.

What has happened so far and what are the next steps?

Stage 1 - covered the initial consultation from 3 April 2008 to 30 June 2008 for preliminary views on the eco-towns vision and potential locations.

Stage 2 - on 4 November 2008 we published a draft eco-towns Draft Planning Policy Statement (PPS) for consultation together with an accompanying Sustainability Appraisal (SA) and Habitats Regulation Assessment (HRA) of all the potential locations and related documents Non-Technical Summary, Impact Assessment and Financial Viability Study of the eco-towns programme. The consultation closed on 30 April 2009.

As part of this there were a range of exhibition and consultation events in venues close to the sites of potential eco-towns.

Stage 3 - on 16 July 2009 we published the Planning Policy Statement: eco-towns which included a shortlist of locations with the potential to be an eco-town , together with a Location Decision Statement, Summary of consultation responses, Impact Assessment, Sustainability Appraisal and Habitats Regulations Assessment (SA/HRA) Statement and Addendum.

This included an invitation for submissions of expressions of interest for locations which wish to pursue development to eco-towns standards.

Next steps in the process are as follows:

Stage 4 - individual schemes in the first four locations identified as having the potential to have an eco-town will need to submit planning applications, which will be for local authorities to determine through the local planning process. Those expressing an interest in development to eco-towns standards will undertake further studies and develop proposals further.

What standards will eco-towns have to meet?

The eco-towns standards are set out in the Planning Policy Statement: eco-towns  and ensure that these new developments protect the environment whilst providing decent homes surrounded by quality green spaces.

The standards cover - zero carbon, employment, transport, local services, green infrastructure, biodiversity, water, flood risk, waste, transition community and governance, healthy living, landscape and the historic environment.  

The PPS standards include:

  • zero carbon status across the town as a whole, including commercial and public buildings as well as homes - a significantly tougher threshold than any existing or agreed targets
  • 40 per cent of the area within the town to be green space, at least half of which should be open to the public (for example as parks or recreation areas)
  • a minimum of one job per house reached by walking, cycling or public transport to reduce dependence on the car
  • all homes located within ten minutes walk of frequent public transport and everyday neighbourhood services
  • smart, efficient, affordable homes taking their energy from the sun, wind and earth with at least 30% of the homes being affordable

More details about the standards are set out in Planning Policy Statement: eco-towns.

You can see a video about these standards and take a 'walk through' what a town living up to them might look like on the DirectGov website - eco-towns (external link).

Why are you building so much new housing when the housing market is suffering in the current climate?

Despite the current economic conditions the long-term need for more homes remains.

Eco-towns are an important element in our long term strategy to provide the homes this country needs and to tackle climate change.  Our aim is to see the first phase of a number of exemplar projects starting in the next couple of years and up to ten eco-towns under development by 2020.  Without action to increase the supply of housing, first-time buyers and growing numbers of families will continue to struggle to find the housing they need.

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