Council rejects eco town scheme

Katie Daubney, PlanningResource, 26 June 2008

The plan, for a town in Manby or Strubby near Louth, was one of only two eco towns backed by a local authority on the government's shortlist.

East Lindsey District Council voted to withdraw the plans at a meeting after protests from residents.

But Ian Bustin, communications officer at the council, said 5,000 new homes still needed to be built in the area.

"A decision was made by the council not to proceed with the eco-town but to adopt an alternative proposal," he said.

"What that will allow us to do is go forward and address quite serious issues of accommodation, housing investment and coastal defence".

Opponents of the plan said they were elated at the decision and glad the council had listened to the public.

The council has asked residents to put forward alternative sites for the homes.

Responding to the news shadow housing minister, Grant Shapps, said: "Gordon Brown's eco-town plans aren't green and have been exposed as little more than spin. Now to add insult to injury the government’s own partners are pulling out of the programme.

"Since the Manby eco-town was one of two being promoted by a local authority, Labour must have thought they had this one in the bag, so it's a crushing blow to their entire eco-town project that the promoters have decided to pull out.

"We call on Gordon Brown to admit that the game is up and shelve his failed eco-town policy, rather than put communities through the unnecessary anxiety of defending themselves against these environmentally destructive plans."