Eco-towns ''to solve housing shortages''

Local authorities are under pressure to plan for new homes under their jurisdiction in order to quell serious housing pressures and new eco-towns may be the answer.

The housing minister Yvette Cooper revealed yesterday that eco-towns may be built on brownfield land so that there is a plentiful supply of affordable homes and homes that are energy efficient.

These towns would contain between 5,000 and 10,000 homes which would all be low or zero carbon and would have strong public transport links to city centres.

Ms Cooper said: "Now is the time for us to look at new eco-towns, put forward by local councils.

"They could use public transport and new green designs to deliver low cost and low carbon homes for the future, making good use of brownfield land."

The Town and Country Planning Association is now charged with developing the criteria for the eco-towns and reporting back to the government.


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