FMB attacks eco towns

The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has suggested that planning controls should be changed so that every town should be able to have new building taking place.

FMB director of external affairs Brian Berry suggested this would be a better way to ensure the need for new homes was met than eco-towns, which the FMB disagrees with.

He commented: "What we want is high quality housing in every village and town and that is much more sustainable than building new settlements that are deemed to be eco-towns."

Such towns would be "unsuitable" and not "sustainable" as a result, he argued.

The role of eco-towns in meeting the government's housebuilding targets has been questioned, with particular attention paid to some of the specific proposals in the 15-strong shortlist of possible sites announced by housing minister Caroline Flint last month.

Visiting one of the sites this week, near Harborough in Leicestershire, shadow housing minister Grant Shapps backed opponents by calling the plan "completely inappropriate" as previous building plans for the location had been rejected, the Harborough Mail reports.


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