eco-towns

Eco-towns will be new towns which are exemplar green developments of up to 20,000 homes. They will be designed to meet the highest standards of sustainability, including low and zero carbon technologies and good public transport.

On 24 July 2008 Housing Minister Caroline Flint set out the latest proposals for the UK's toughest ever green standards for new housing in a progress report on eco-towns. Further details can found in Eco-towns: Living a greener future - progress report and in News release: Eco-towns set to face toughest ever green standards - 24 July 2008.

A panel of leading figures from the worlds of design, the environment, transport and sustainability - selected by Housing Minister Caroline Flint - signed up to provide expert advice and support to bidders and to inject new thinking on how eco-towns could best be delivered in each of the 15 short-listed potential locations. The first round of meetings were held on 19 and 20 May and 3 June 2008. Further information can be found in:

The Eco-towns Prospectus, launched on 23 July 2007, set out the vision and outline criteria for eco-towns. They will be expected to deliver outcomes against the following criteria:

zero carbon and environmental standards
sustainable transport
design quality
community involvement
employment
health
use of land.

The launch of the Prospectus was accompanied by an invitation for local authorities and other stakeholders to respond with their views on potential sites.

Further information is available in the Eco-towns Prospectus.