Fri 27 Jun 2008
Eco-towns unsuitable for economic development, says think tank
The government should bypass eco-towns in favour of increasing the size of London, Oxford and Cambridge to stimulate economic development, believes right-wing think tank Policy Exchange.The prospects for economic development are slim within the sites currently shortlisted for economic development as there are not enough jobs for future residents, says Dr Oliver Hartwich (pictured), the think tank’s chief economist.
This follows the attack made by the Local Government Association in a report released yesterday on the government’s plans, which stated the eco-towns could become the slums of the future if built without regard to where future residents could work and train.
“Housing should go where the jobs are and where the prospects for economic development are best. Letting London, Oxford and Cambridge grow would be much better than building a completely new eco-town in the middle of nowhere,” Hartwich told showhouse.co.uk.
“The LGA certainly has a point in saying that these towns could become the eco-slums of the future. A target of almost 50% affordable housing is certainly too high – it means that the other 50% of private housing will become even more expensive as it cross-subsidizes the affordable houses.”
In a recent interview with The Times, housing minister Caroline Flint said that the new communities created by eco-towns will be innovative reflections of the UK’s status as a world leader in sustainable building: “I am not trying to create cloned communities where every street has to be laid out in a certain way. I’m not attempting to build ‘Flintgrads’. Each location has to consider infrastructure and how it engages with existing communities.”
Posted by Marc Da-Silva
in Caroline Flint, Dr Oliver Hartwich, Local Government Association, News, Policy Exchange on Fri 27 Jun 2008
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