Is the eco-town coalition collapsing?
Peter Hoskin 4:23pm
Ok, so Tesco's announcement that they're dropping plans to construct an eco-town at Hanley Grange, Cambridgeshire, was couched in diplomatic terms ("We think the proposal had very good prospects of succeeding under the government's Eco Town initiative", they said). But it's hard not to regard their actions as a sign that confidence in eco-towns is dwindling.
After all, as this Government's stock falls, and as further questions about the towns' "green" credentials emerge, it's no longer good PR - or good business - to back the scheme. The Tories recognised that back in June, when they also withdrew their support from it.
Of course, it's all a pretty hefty blow for Brown - who might have hoped the eco-towns would be a lasting legacy, however misguided.
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Ray
August 28th, 2008 6:12pm Report this comment'Eco-towns' simply aren't eco-friendly. Why concrete over green fields located miles from anywhere and then plonk tacky little rabbit hutches on them.
Why not instead regenerate run-down quarters of existing urban areas (including the great northern cities) which are already well served by road and public transport networks.
Perfect sense or what?
Trumpeter Lanfried
August 28th, 2008 6:18pm Report this commentEco-towns: Grotty prefabs. Rabbit hutches. Slums of the future.
Max Kaye
August 28th, 2008 7:24pm Report this commentAnything with the trendy prefix 'eco' is cursed. (Even the economy these days).
The same goes for 'enviro-' and 'green'. (Unless of course one is able to secure generous government grants for funding of ridiculous wind-farms and other enviro-nonsense, in which case get yer snout in the trough...).
(Even the economy these days).
Drew
August 28th, 2008 8:12pm Report this commentI am reminded (unaccountably) of the description by John Steinbeck of life in a "Hooverville" in Depression-era America.
Tiberius
August 28th, 2008 8:17pm Report this commentA rout of the loon fraternity, which may just put a slight smile on Paul Johnson's lips.
Tanuki
August 28th, 2008 8:50pm Report this commentThe "eco-town" thing is complete nonsense. It proposes building high-density future-slums in areas where there is *no work* for the places' benighted inhabitants - while also making it difficult for them to own cars to drive to/from any centres of employment.
An utterly daft idea - I'm truly glad to see it crumbling more with every passing day.
Fortescue
August 28th, 2008 10:30pm Report this commentsneako-towns represent the worst of this Government's desperate attempts to generate votes and tax revenue - so badly considered and ill-founded that they could only ever be foisted upon the electorate by a massive deceit of the type that has been the foundation of the Labour Party's strategies for the past 10 years. Darling doesn't know which way to turn, Brown doesn't have the personal attributes required to work with other people, and Flint is simply a creeping lackey given a rather difficult idea to sell
EuroDuke
August 29th, 2008 1:14am Report this commentIt would be sad to see the promise of so many new homes being built; of the variety fit for an age with new needs in design and practise - destroyed by this current political climate of "Anything Brown does is Pish". The eco-towns project may have flaws, but it is exactly the innovative - eye catching kind of scheme I would like to see the Labour government pursue in these last two years.
Nicholas
August 29th, 2008 7:51am Report this commentFlint: strident local government type Leftie promoted way beyond her capabilities. Best suited to working in a minority pressure group pursuing lunatic left ideas not in a government pursuing lunatic left ideas.
With Labour it is difficult to determine which is worse - the problems their 11 years of misrule have created or the daft "solutions" now being implemented by them.
Tim Carpenter LPUK
August 29th, 2008 10:04am Report this commentAny town not built around a railway feeding into a centre of employment can hardly be called "eco".
I do not care if the Conservatives realised in whenever, any sane person realised "eco towns" were wrong-headed, headline grabbing spin from the moment they were announced. Eye catching? Well, in a fly-fishing sense, yes. ouch.
Kevin Feltham, CASCET
August 29th, 2008 12:04pm Report this commentThe proposed Leicestershire 15,000 home eco-town "Pennbury" is on green fields owned by the Co-op and English Partnerships and is in totally the wrong place - no roads, public transport, jobs etc. Yet still public money is being used to validate the Co-op's wildest claims. The strong links between Labour and Co-op are being scrutinised, but still the project rolls on remorselessly in the face of massive opposition from councils, businesses, Bishop of Leicester, and the public.
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