Eco town comment

2009
*Eco-towns must be genuinely sustainable and the standards that are being proposed for them should be part of all urban development, Natural England, July 20 Natural England, July 20, 2009 topic, topic
*Eco-towns locations welcome but standards fall far short of what is needed, CPRE, July 16 Campaign to Protect Rural England, July 16, 2009 
*Eco-towns planning policy welcomed but the planned eco-towns must have good public transport and not be designed around new roads, Campaign for Better Transport, July 16 Campaign for Better Transport, July 16, 2009 
*Transport in the eco-towns: Government must think again, April 24 Campaign for Better Transport, April 24, 2009 topic
*Eco-towns policy may have unlawful consequences, CPRE, April 6 Campaign to Protect Rural England, April 6, 2009 A legal opinion for CPRE casts further doubt on the legality of the Government’s proposed policy on eco-towns. This policy needs radical revision if the Government is to avoid future legal challenges.
2008
*Scale back eco towns programme, urge Campaign to Protect Rural England, November 4 Campaign to Protect Rural England, November 4 
*Reacting to the Government’s draft eco towns planning policy statement, Campaign for Better Transport welcomed the commitment to at least 50% non-car travel, but warned that the commitment would be undermined if the Government did not ensure that the towns had high quality public transport and good local services provided from Day 1, November 4 Campaign for Better Transport, November 4 
*CPRE welcomes testing of eco towns in the High Court, September 12 Campaign to Protect Rural England, September 12 place.
*Higher standards for Eco towns - s step in the right direction, CPRE, July 24 Campaign to Protect Rural England, CPRE, July 24 
*Nature protection should be at the heart of eco-town guidance, say The Wildlife Trusts, July 23 The Wildlife Trusts, July 23 Eco-towns need to be sensitively sited and designed, with nature at their heart, so they deal with the challenge of climate change, but remain desirable to the communities who will live in them. It is imperative that local people can make their voices heard during the planning process if an eco-town scheme is to work. The chosen locations must not destroy natural assets, but two of the proposals on the Government’s current shortlist would damage important wildlife sites, including two Wildlife Trust nature reserves. Philippa Lyons, chief executive of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxon Wildlife Trust: "Whilst we are not opposed to the concept of eco-towns, the current plans for this development take in not only our own nature reserve, but also another area of nationally protected grassland and ancient woodland. If the scheme goes ahead and those sites are affected it sends out an extremely damaging message about what the Government considers to be 'sustainable' development. How anyone can call this an 'eco' town is completely beyond belief." 
*Government should go back to the drawing board, CPRE, June 30
*New Start editorial April 9 2008 Last week a canvasser knocked on my door on behalf of my local councillor. As it was the first time this had happened in nearly six years, I felt modestly privileged.
*Eco towns are a drop in the ocean, FoE, April 4 Friends of the Earth, April 4 
*Government shortlist fails to put ecology into eco-towns, The Wildlife Trusts, April 3 The Wildlife Trusts, April 3 
*Eco towns must embrace green infrastructure, the Woodland Trust, April 3 the Woodland Trust, April 3 
*Eco towns: right idea, wrong place, CPRE, April 3 Campaign to Protect Rural England, April 3 
*Eco towns an opportunity to set new standards for green living, April 3 Natural England, April 3 Green infrastructure - networks of green spaces that bring the natural world into every new neighbourhood – benefiting people’s health, supporting local wildlife and helping to combat flooding - must be at the heart of all new developments, if they are to win public support and present themselves as truly sustainable.
References
Category:Comment UK
Category:Spatial planning