Sites of first eco-towns to be named

The government is to press ahead with its eco-towns project, despite continued opposition. On Thursday it will finally name three or four sites in the South and South West that have been chosen to proceed. They are located in four Conservative councils: East Hampshire, St Austell in Cornwall, Cherwell District Council and Greater Norwich. Each is said to have local authority backing and will therefore have an easier route through the formal planning consultation. However, John Healey, the Housing Minister, will admit that the timetable has slipped and say that the first towns of 5,000 to 10,000 homes each will be ‘under way’ rather than built by 2016 as originally envisaged. The remainder will be ‘under way before 2020. The eco-town programme has been beset with difficulties since a shortlist of 15 was proposed 14 months ago. Developers have pulled out of several projects because of local opposition and lack of finance, while many of the sites have been deemed environmentally unsuitable.