Eco-town plan is the pits, former miners tell minister

Caroline Flint, the housing minister, faces a backlash in her own constituency after it emerged that a former mining community she represents is likely to be selected for one of the first eco-towns.

Whitehall insiders predict that plans for 5,000 new environmentally friendly homes on the site of an old coal mine in the deprived area of Rossington, Doncaster, will get the go-ahead next year. It is one of three eco-towns regarded as likely to be built.

Flint maintains that the developers are not being given preferential treatment and has appointed a junior minister to deal with the proposal to avoid accusations of a conflict of interest. Click for more...

Hang on - this story is published in the Times tomorrow - its Saturday 16th - my news feeds are so fine tuned I'm getting the news before it happens!!!

Ecotown plans are not sustainable

John Anderson, Martin Bradshaw, Stephen Byrne, John Collins and 10 other former presidents of the Royal Town Planning Institute write:

As a development model, the ecotown is to be welcomed. However, as former presidents of the Royal Town Planning Institute, we hold serious reservations about the way in which sites for these developments have been promoted (Germaine Greer, G2, August 11). Some of the proposed ecotowns derive from a clear planning process, but others represent an undermining of planning policy at both regional and local level. Some have simply provided excuses for landowners to reintroduce tired schemes that have already been rejected within a legitimate planning process. It is our view that this approach is wrong. Click for more...

Caroline Flint's super-powers exposed!

What a give-away .... there we all were, thinking that Caroline was just another cabinet minister, when under that mild-mannered and unassuming exterior lies a super-hero with extraordinary visual powers.

In a snappy little riposte to the Littlehampton Gazette's comment in last weeks edition, where it was stated that she had refused a tour of the proposed eco town site, she wrote ...

"I certainly did view the site. When I first arrived in Yapton, I viewed the whole site from the former runway of Ford airfield. This was enormously helpful in my subsequent meetings with developers, local authorities and MPs"

Fantastic!
I could walk for an hour and not see the whole site, while Caroline can stand on the Ford runway and without the need for binoculars or photo-opportunities, survey the entire scene!

A truly remarkable woman, capable of remarkable feats, and I cannot but wonder what other powers she possesses.
Maybe she can shrug off bullets?

I hope so, because she just shot herself in the foot!

Eco-Town doesn't make the shortlist

The terms WAG, HIP and credit crunch have become so widely used in everyday life that they have merited entry in the new version of The Chambers Dictionary. 'Eco-village'- defined as "a small-scale, environmentally friendly settlement designed for sustainable living" - is also included. Interestingly, 'eco-town' is not. Click here for more...

ReCyclone Creates Energy, Fuel, and Usable Compost from Trash

Why hasn't the government or local authorities looked into this?

In a world where landfill space is shrinking and millions of tons of waste are generated daily, we need solutions. PowerMaster has them - ReCyclone™ technology reduces waste in landfills, turns waste into energy, and recycles waste products.

Looks like there is an answer to one of our biggest problems. So maybe the government present or future will be looking into this... Remember you read it here first... Technology for an age old problem - the PowerMaster ReCyclon. Click for more...

Eco-Town impact on Bognor is key to plan

Account needs to be taken of a Ford eco-town's impact on Bognor Regis. That was one of the verdicts of the challenge panel of experts set up by Ms Flint to examine eco-town proposals around the country.

The panel's final report says the Ford proposal has to assess the effect of any eco-town on the surrounding area because the development has to have a positive impact on the wider regeneration strategy for Bognor and Littlehampton in line with Arun District Council's policies.

There is also the need to provide a clear employment strategy for Ford, as jobs will be key in attracting people to the town, which could start to be occupied in 2012, and reducing residents' need to commute. Click for more...

Are Eco-Cities next?

Cities in northern England such as Liverpool, Sunderland and Bradford are "beyond revival" and residents should move south, a think tank has argued. click for more...