Dozens of 'eco-town' plans lodged

Published on Monday 29 September 2008 22:24

MORE than 70 plans for new "eco-towns" have been lodged with the Scottish Government, The Scotsman can reveal.

The huge response is part of an initiative to create new green communities that will be exemplars for developers to follow.

Environment groups have reacted positively but have emphasised that the projects must go beyond zero-carbon buildings to be sustainable in their entirety, and include strong public transport links to limit emissions from cars.

The Scottish Government has insisted its Sustainable Communities Initiative is very different to the eco-towns scheme in England, which has attracted considerable controversy.

It has also refused to disclose details of the 72 proposals but said they were spread across Scotland.

The Scotsman understands none of the applications is large enough to be classed as a new town, but they are mainly smaller developments attached to existing communities.

Unlike Westminster, which announced plans for ten new eco-towns, Holyrood has set no limit on the number of eco- developments that could go ahead.

Those that pass an assessment process, expected to take until the end of the year, will receive help in putting together their planning applications, in a bid to bypass red tape, but will receive no financial support.

All applications will still have to go through the entire planning process, including full consultation with local communities. A Scottish Government spokesman said: "(We are] committed to creating an enduring legacy of high-quality, distinctive new developments."

Colin Anderson, managing director of Banks Developments, which has lodged a proposal to create a 5,000-home eco-town on 1,200 acres at Cardenden in Fife, said there was a key difference between the Scottish and English schemes.

He said that south of the Border, the initiatives turned out to be a "political mish-mash driven by the need to deliver affordable houses in the south of England" and added that little concern had been given to the views of the local communities.

"Here, the Scottish Government is saying everything has to go through the planning system and if the community isn't supportive then it won't happen," he said.

However, he said it remained to be seen whether the Scottish initiatives attracted controversy.

"It's going to depend on what types of bids are submitted. There was the accusation in some cases in England that it was used as a means for a lot of builders to submit schemes and put a green badge on them."

He said he believed the housing market would pick up, making new housing developments feasible. Duncan McLaren, chief executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said he supported the initiative in theory.

"The key issues need to be how we ensure it's zero-carbon in all aspects and not just in the use of the building," he said.

"At the moment, a lot of new developments are very dependent on the private car. It's critically important that the buildings themselves are zero-carbon but it's also important that the people can live zero-carbon lives and that means not relying on the motor car."

FACT BOX

ECO developments must meet a number of key criteria.

They must:

&#149 Contribute to meeting housing requirements in the area.

&#149 Demonstrate a level of innovation that will serve as an inspiration to future development in Scotland.

&#149 Make a significant contribution to reducing emissions of carbon dioxide.

&#149 Minimise pollution.

&#149 Create opportunities to live healthier, more active and environmentally responsible lives.

&#149 Show that high quality, sustainable development is achievable within reasonable timescales.