Flint insists eco-towns won't sidestep planning process

Kathryn Daubney, PlanningResource, 19 May 2008

Government eco-town advisor David Lock was reported in the national press yesterday claiming that wants to streamline the process to ensure that five of the planned ten eco-towns are completed by 2016.

Lock backs the fast track approach, believing that local and regional planning hurdles could take ten years to overcome. But he argued that Flint cannot cut out European Union processes.

Lock said: “What she can cut out and has said she wants to cut out are all the preliminary policy frameworks which can take seven to ten years.”

He said that bypassing these preliminary frameworks would reduce the need for local and regional debates.

But in a statement today, Flint said: “I have made absolutely clear that all eco-town bids will be subject to the proper local planning process. I've also made clear that people will have numerous opportunities to have their say and we have set out a clear process for this.”
 
Eco-town proposals have already sparked protests, including plans for 5,000 homes at Ford, West Sussex, 6,000 homes at Middle Quinton near Stratford-upon-Avon, and 15,000 homes at Weston Otmoor, Oxon.