FORD ECO-TOWN: Housing minister put in eco-town spotlight

Here, we publish his responses to your inquiries in full.

Q As the low lying, floodplain Ford eco-town site is so close both to the River Arun and the sea, can you give me a cast-iron guarantee, even if only up to the year 2100, that there will be no catastrophic flooding due to the projected increase in sea-level height arising from global warming?

A I don't think you'll be surprised to find that's not a guarantee I or anyone else can give! But we do need to approach this issue sensibly. Around one-tenth of homes in this country are built on a floodplain already, including the City of York for example.

In an ideal world we would not build on it but this isn't always possible in reality, especially in areas where there is a high need for more housing.

Our detailed assessment of the site concluded the flood risk can be managed, provided it is thoroughly assessed and the development proposals address this issue sensitively.

Of course, we are consulting on these documents and, if this is an area that concerns you, I urge you to respond to the consultation, which is running until April 30.

But if our assessment does conclude Ford could potentially be a good site for an eco-town, the promoters will have to demonstrate how their proposals tackle this issue when it is examined through the planning process. (Our Sustainability Appraisal chapter on Ford is available at www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/ford)

Q How is Britain going to combat global warming and have self-sufficiency in feeding itself, when it is proposed to build a new town at Ford on agricultural land on a floodplain?

It is also known other proposed sites are green-belt sites.

A We have a population in this country that is living longer than ever before, which means there is a real need for more housing both now and in the long term.

At the same time homes in this country emit a quarter of our carbon emissions. So some of the biggest challenges for the government are how we build these extra homes in a way that helps limit carbon emissions and tackle climate change.

Eco-towns can play a part here by creating the first communities that are zero-carbon across not just the homes but the whole development.

But this isn't to say Ford, specifically, is necessarily an appropriate site for an eco-town. Our current consultation seeks people's views on the proposed standards for eco-towns and sustainability of locations.

One of the considerations both in the consultation and in the government's decision on the shortlist of locations is the nature of the land that could be developed.

We've said all along that any proposals that aren't truly sustainable will be rejected '“ and contrary to your claim we've also been absolutely clear that no eco-towns will build homes on the green belt.

Q How can it be said that eco-towns will not bypass the planning system when the government's eco-town planning policy statement is designed to override local planning policies and/or decisions by being a material consideration as well as having a final list of potential sites attached to it?

A This is a question that I have been asked many times and I understand people's concerns, but I also want to make it perfectly clear that the government is in no way overriding the planning process.

Eco-towns will go through the planning process in the normal way.

Our assessment and consultation are designed to identify which sites the government can support as potential locations.

Whether these sites should be developed, and whether the developers' proposals are up to scratch, are questions which will be settled through the planning process.

Local people will have the chance to have their say, and local authorities will be able to reject the developers' proposals if they aren't good enough.

The current consultation sets out proposed standards on eco-towns and the final version of these standards will form part of the criteria that local authorities will judge applications on.

The draft Planning Policy Statement states 'eco-towns should be considered in the same way as any other similar development proposal' and that 'there is no requirement to allocate an eco-town if a better way of meeting future needs exists'.

But there is a long way to go still before we make any decisions on whether Ford or any of the other proposals make it to the final list of locations.

Q How can the transport strategy for the Ford site be based on the assumption the eco-town will have the 'attractiveness' as the regional centre of Chichester?

A Eco-towns will be towns in their own right, with a full range of business, leisure and social facilities to make them attractive to people who will want to live and work there, supported by a strong network of public transport.

The design of the buildings will also be essential here '“ both in ensuring we deliver zero-carbon communities and in creating visually-attractive towns.

Eco-towns are also going to be the first zero-carbon towns built anywhere in the world and will serve as examples of sustainable development, which I think will draw visitors in as well.

If Ford does make the shortlist, the exact look and layout any eco-town will take will be an issue that developers and local authorities will resolve through the planning process.

Q The existing rail line at Ford lies along the northern extremity of the proposed eco-town site at least 800m from 60 per cent of the intended housing.

Why is this listed as a key strength by the government when many of the eco-town's residents will only use it for commuting?

A There will be tough criteria eco-town proposals need to fulfil before they can be built. Eco-towns will need to be sustainable, not just in terms of zero-carbon buildings but also by providing, for instance, walking and cycle paths and excellent public transport links.

So, obviously, access to a train line is one of Ford's strengths, but this cannot be the only public transport provision for the town. Our standards require homes to be within ten minutes of public transport links and everyday public services.

And as I said before but, I think this is worth repeating, eco-towns will also have to be towns in their own right '“ with the range of social, leisure and business facilities that everyone looks for if they want to live and work there.

We are not looking to create dormitory towns by night and ghost towns by day.

Q Given the many features eco-towns are expected to comprise, how soon could preliminary steps such as laying the foundations for a combined heat and power plant begin so that the first houses would be in place at the same time as its completion to receive mutual benefit?

Also, when will the laying out of cycleways and footpaths and the enhancement of the station to include secure cycle parking and facilities for rail freight take place?

A We have always said eco-towns will have to be genuinely sustainable communities, and clearly issues of energy and transport play an important role here.

The Ford eco-town promoters will have to address these and we will need to carefully consider what they propose in deciding whether their location should be shortlisted.

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