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Will an eco-town be a breakthrough or just an ugly blot in our backyard?
As the Government prepares to publish its list of possible eco-town sites, Labour MP John Grogan explains why Selby should be a location, while Grant Shapps, the Tory housing spokesman, outlines his concerns.
FOR
TWO different types of people come to discuss housing issues with MPs like myself who represent constituencies in the heart of Yorkshire. Both are anxious and concerned about the future, but for very different reasons.
The first group are desperate to find decent housing to rent or buy, and at a price that they can afford. Many are young, hardworking families who want to put down roots and have children in the area in which they themselves grew up.
Others, perhaps through the break-up of their marriages, are representative of the increasing proportion of our nation who, through choice or circumstance, are living on their own and thereby pushing up demand for housing.
The second group of people are critical of unplanned development as illustrated by "garden grabbing" or by extensions to villages which bring extra residents, but no extra services. They quite rightly want to preserve the character of rural Yorkshire. To their credit, most of the people in this second category do acknowledge that the nation is facing a shortage of homes that ordinary families can afford.
The Regional Spatial Strategy, which is determined by Government and local councils, suggests that 13,800 homes need to be built annually in the Leeds City Region (which stretches as far as Barnsley, York and Harrogate) to try to keep up with demand. Only about 9,000 properties per year have been built over recent years and many of these have been city centre flats unsuitable for families.
On top of this, the Leeds City Region is aiming to create 150,000 jobs in the next decade, further fuelling demand for good residential accommodation.
It is in this context that Gordon Brown's decision to revive the concept of garden cities in the modern guise of eco-towns is to be welcomed. They will provide much needed environmentally-friendly housing, but in a planned manner. Such towns will probably average about 10,000 homes with a separate, distinct identity. They will have good public transport links to surrounding towns and cities. They will boast a range of facilities, including a secondary school, shopping, business space and leisure and have up to 50 per cent affordable housing with a wide range of possible tenure and ownership models, including shared equity, with a particular emphasis on larger family homes.
Such developments will be designed to achieve zero carbon through energy efficiency and renewable energy. They will also encourage walking and residents will be less reliant on the private car. An ambitious agenda certainly – but achievable with political will. Examples of similar projects are common throughout Europe. Indeed, Northstowe in Cambridgeshire will provide 9,500 homes which measure up to most of the criteria outlined above.
So where do things stand at the moment? Last summer, the Government asked for proposals for eco-towns from both local councils and developers.
In Yorkshire, the Leeds City Region backed the concept but left the developers to suggest sites. On reflection, the region has now commissioned an independent study to scour the county for the best sites. In passing, it is perhaps worthwhile imagining the outcry about Whitehall imposition that would have occurred if the Government had nominated the sites itself without any reference to local government.
By the summer, the Government will choose about 10 sites (including almost certainly at least one in Yorkshire) after consulting bodies such as the Environment Agency, Natural England, English Heritage and the Highways Agency. These will be promoted as eco-towns but will still need to apply for planning permission.
Brownfield sites will obviously have a particular attraction, but there may not be enough such sites to provide 10 viable eco-towns. Eco-towns will only provide an answer to a part of our urgent housing demand, but they can be a beacon of what is possible.
In Selby District, despite local controversy concerning the suitability of various sites, an online poll indicated a two to one majority in favour of the concept. The initial reaction (since modified) of the local Conservative council leader was that "an eco-town would bring benefits not just to Selby, but the region as a whole". I couldn't have put it better myself.
John Grogan is the Labour MP for Selby.
Forget the spin, and let the local communities decide their future
AGAINST
THE Conservative Party has long said that we will lend our cross-party support to measures which build sustainable, eco-friendly communities on brownfield sites, provided the plans have local support. We are unhappy, however, with the Government's use of the headline-grabbing "eco-town" label they are using to justify building unsuitable development in unsuitable places; it is simply
"eco-spin".
Environmentally-friendly housing is very important but there needs to be more emphasis put on reducing the carbon footprint of existing housing, which will still make up 75 per cent of homes in 2050. The Government needs to look at ways to cut red tape to
help homeowners make environmental improvements to their own property.
The eco-towns scheme demonstrates how readily the Government is using their Whitehall machine to force development into areas where there is insufficient transport and employment infrastructure,
while ignoring local people and local democracy.
The prospective Conservative MP for Selby and Ainsty, Nigel Adams, and Selby District Council, have been working hard to scrutinise the proposed development near Selby and have raised a number of very real concerns not only about infrastructure, but issues with the physical environment as well. The Conservative Party will enthusiastically back development where there is broad-based local support for new housing, particularly from the elected local council. Plans should not be imposed from above by Whitehall or regional quangos. As well as communities being actively involved in the design stages, there should be a clear benefit for the wider local community from the development.
Where housing is eco-friendly, there must be sufficient transport capacity, frontline public services (like schools and hospitals) and water supplies to meet increased demand in and around the town.
This will require necessary financial support from central government, but there is much opinion in North Yorkshire that Gordon Brown is just steamrollering ahead with plans without sufficient investigation and consultation.
It seems obvious that eco-towns should not be built on the green belt, nor in areas with special protection such as Areas of Natural Beauty or Sites of Special Scientific Interest. They should avoid areas of flood risk, unless new and additional flood prevention measures are put in place.
Should a suitable brown field site be found, the new homes should champion new low carbon and zero carbon technologies within the eco-town area.
The Willow Green site near Selby lies on green field land and on a flood plain; common sense tells us this is not the kind of place to build homes for the future.
The Conservative Party backs the right homes in the right places. Where locally-supported suitable sites have been found, these towns must not become the "ghettos" or "sink estates"of the 21st century.
They must be real communities with a proper mixture of tenure and ownership including social housing, championing flexible forms of tenure like shared ownership and private rented accommodation, as well as private ownership.
They should avoid an over-supply of flats and ensure that there is sufficient provision of family homes with gardens. A concern raised by the district council is that the Willow Green proposals for affordable housing are inadequate.
But is the Government listening? The key to building the homes that are needed throughout the country is democracy. Local people must be involved from the beginning and democratically-elected local authorities must have the power to decide where development takes place.
Unaccountable regional quangos forcing through Whitehall targets with sham consultations and bogus involvement demonstrates this Government's contempt for local people.
We want local people to be incentivised to support the development of sustainable, ecologically-friendly communities in suitable areas with appropriate infrastructure.
Grant Shapps is the Shadow Housing Minister.
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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