New town will honour memory of a famous Scot

South Lanarkshire Council is to consider the proposals for Owenstown, 3,200 “affordable” homes in the Douglas Valley near Lanark, with a decision expected next year.

Owen improved the lives and working conditions of mill workers at New Lanark 200 years ago.

Planners of the town say it will be self-sufficient, eco- friendly and run on a co- operative basis by residents.

The Hometown Foundation, established to help build new self-sustainable communities and regenerate run-down areas, is behind the project. The town would be built on a 2,000-acre site near the village of Rigside and would eventually provide homes for 8,000 people..

Recycled waste would be used to produce energy to heat homes, and the town’s transport would be powered by renewable sources, planners said.