Eco town plan 'facing delays'

Government plans to build ten eco towns are facing new problems as ministers are reportedly having to put back the announcement of the final shortlist of ten sites.

In addition to postponing this decision - due in October - until next year, ministers are also said to be likely to reduce the final number from ten, the Financial Times reports.

The paper noted that many of the proposed locations have been facing problems, such as the scaling back of the plan at Rossington in South Yorkshire from 15,000 homes to 5,000 and the granting of planning permission to the government to build a prison on the site of the former RAF Coltishall base in Norfolk.

People who might aspire to live in eco friendly homes and are concerned that the eco towns project may fail could take control of the situation by self building their own eco home.

At Rossington, the chairman of the parish council Terry Wilde has labelled the plan a "harebrained idea", the Times reported last week.