Katie Daubney,
Planning,
4 July 2008
EcoTown protest
Planning experts have called on the government to shift its eco-town policy to eco-quarter schemes encompassing urban expansion projects and redevelopment.
The RTPI believes that this will ensure high-quality green building projects. Secretary-general Robert Upton said: "Only the most environmentally friendly and locally appropriate housing should be allowed to proceed for all types of development.
"The way to guarantee this is to bring all housing through a local plan-led development framework, with every application judged against the same criteria."
Campaign to Protect Rural England head of planning Marina Pacheco urged ministers to go back to the drawing board. "By not looking at alternatives such as eco-quarters and redevelopment sites already in the pipeline, the government is missing a golden opportunity," she said.
This week saw protests outside parliament to mark the start of the second phase of consultation, ahead of the draft planning policy statement on eco-towns to be published later this month. The Town and Country Planning Association called for it to state the national interest of each proposal and define its distinctive characteristics.
The Conservatives have also withdrawn their support for eco-towns, prompted by what they called "U-turns by the government that watered down its green credentials".
A DCLG spokesman said: "It is too early to say what the first-round consultation has taught us. A summary of responses will be published once they are examined."
