Arable land will be destroyed, roads congested, say villagers
Mark Rice-Oxley, Straits Times 16 Jul 08;
IN LONDON - AN UNPRECEDENTED British project to build 10 'eco-towns' in rural settings across England over the next decade is running into vehement opposition from thousands of villagers who live close to the sites earmarked for construction.
Beset by a chronic housing shortage and a growing population, the government has signalled it wants to build the first new towns in Britain in 40 years to create up to 100,000 new homes by 2020.
Yet, mindful of the perennial controversy of despoiling pristine countryside with bricks and mortar, it has stipulated that developments must be carbon-neutral. Futuristic development plans include windmills and solar power, biomass heating facilities, car-free streets, and subterranean recycling chutes.
These, however, have not been enough to assuage the ire of rural dwellers who warn that the new towns will increase congestion on country roads, cover green arable land with concrete and struggle to attract homebuyers because of their remote location.
'This is completely the wrong site,' says Mr Pete Seaward of Weston, a village in Oxfordshire that has been shortlisted for an eco-town. He holds up a scenic picture of a local lake. 'If they're saying that it is 'eco' to build on and fill in a lake like that, they are dreaming.'
Mr Ron Field, the chairman of the parish council at Ford, another site on the shortlist, adds there is a huge local concern that this is just another ruse to allow developers to make money. 'They're building it on 242ha of greenfield land which is used for growing food crops to feed the people who live in our area, and it's all done as far as we can see for money.'
MPs opposed to eco-towns say such towns will situate people in remote areas far from their place of work, meaning commuter miles will shoot up - hardly very 'eco'. They add that communities will take a long time to become self-sustaining, as developers build the houses first but take much longer to add the schools, shops and other infrastructure.
They also warn that legal challenges will mount up, slamming the brakes on the schemes.
'My view is that one or two should be built as pilot projects to see what lessons can be learned,' says Mr Peter Luff, a Conservative MP.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's eco-town plan is perhaps his boldest, most original domestic policy since coming to office last summer.
Britain not only has a population that is growing once again; it has more single-occupancy households. House prices have soared in the past decade, and though the market is currently falling, prices are still well beyond the budget of most first-time buyers.
The hope is that by expanding supply, a new stock of affordable housing will become available. At least 30 per cent of eco-town housing must be offered at 'affordable' prices.
'There is a fundamental mismatch between supply and demand in the housing market, and the government is committed to addressing this in the long term by building more homes,' said a government spokesman.
