Insider Media Limited

Picture the scene: you’re sat next to your babbling brook, watching the lambs gambol in the field. The factory at the end of the road is running on potato peelings, while the integrated transport system you rely on to get there is helping the Third World out of debt.

Or, if you prefer, a million mini-Milton Keynes slap bang in the middle of England’s pleasant land.

Whatever your view, the proposed ecotowns have got everyone’s knickers in a twist, from Dame Judi Dench and Jilly Cooper in the West Midlands to Kenneth Clarke in the East.

But what prompted the fuss? In April 2008 housing minister Caroline Flint announced 15 ecotown locations to go forward to the next stage of consultation, providing “the opportunity for a major boost in affordable housing while tackling climate change”.

Five sites are in the Midlands: Pennbury in Leicestershire, Manby and Strubby in Lincolnshire, Curborough in Staffordshire, Middle Quinton in Warwickshire, and Rushcliffe in Nottinghamshire. Since April other sites in the region have been earmarked.

Flint said at the time: “We have a major shortfall of housing and with so many buyers struggling to find homes, affordable housing is a priority. We must cut carbon emissions. Ecotowns will help solve these challenges.”

Flint has hit a massive wall of indignation. Even the most eco-friendly media and spokesmen are at best cynical about the proposed ecotowns, and downright dismissive at worst.

And just when you thought these proposals would be a godsend for troubled developers, Brian Berry, director of external affairs at the Federation of Master Builders, has opposed the plans. He says: “Ecotowns are a misguided attempt to provide homes on the premise they will be beacons of sustainability. We already know how to create sustainable settlements.

“Building ecotowns outside towns and cities is a bad idea when 675,000 homes in England are empty, ripe for refitting with green technologies. Given demand for housing is across the UK it makes more sense for every village, town and city to have new housing.”

At the end of June Flint flexed her muscles again when she announced the 15 experts on the Ecotowns Challenge Panel had set out a series of recommendations for ecotown developers. They were grilled on issues such as their ability to cut residents’ carbon footprint and their reliance on cars, to the daily life of an ecotown resident in 2020.

But dig deeper and you will find supporters in the Midlands commercial property community. Michael Davies, planning partner at Drivers Jonas in Birmingham, is one. He thinks the initiative is bold. If delivered, he says, it will succeed where other governments have failed, to build large-scale communities people aspire to live in.

He adds: “The Code for Sustainable Homes has sought to improve the sustainable credentials of new homes, but the response from the industry in making the switch has not been as rapid, and this is where the new ecotowns could make a difference.

“The ecotowns will provide carbon- neutral developments, with sustainable approaches to living and the promise of creating net environmental benefits. Many proposals also promise to provide much of the backlog of affordable housing requirement in one fell swoop.”

However, says Davies, the proposals will rely on new technologies so there is always the danger as to whether they will work. He adds: “The requirements for a shift from car to other forms of transport are vague. With many of these locations not served by public transport, will this modal shift really stack up? This shift requires major subsidy but who will pay remains unclear.”

Then there’s the cost. According to Jason Glover, operations director at Leicestershire residential developer Davidsons, the targets are unrealistic because of the downturn. He says: “The industry is being asked to produce 240,000 homes a year, yet many are struggling to move existing empty stock. There’s a saturation of apartments and three-storey properties, built to meet density targets, that people don’t want.”

More research is needed into the cost and appeal of ecotowns, otherwise builders could end up with even more surplus housing, says Glover, adding that “if unproven technology is used, customer care issues may arise”.

The fact of the matter is though, says Davies, these sorts of skills need to be learnt on the job. And the sooner the better. He adds: “If they come to fruition, ecotowns will represent the leading edge in sustainable living, which people will, in time, aspire to. Under the Code for Sustainable Homes initiative, all new homes are expected to be carbon neutral by 2016. Whatever the pitfalls, without the initiative we may not have the experience to start delivering this requirement in eight years.”

There is also concern about how ecotowns will help a construction industry already on its knees. Berry says: “Handing out these contracts discriminates against smaller, more innovative, green companies springing up, and leaves open the possibility of bad decisions being multiplied on a big scale.

“Is it really likely the large building eco-contractors will look at the whole way these new developments work? Or will they end up as trendy developments whose residents commute miles to work, shop in supermarkets and rarely walk or use the bus?”

So what next? The second phase of the consultation will involve roadshows at the shortlisted sites to provide information to the public; a three-month public consultation period on top of the sustainability assessment on the potential locations; and a draft planning policy statement on ecotowns.

The sustainability appraisal will provide greater detail on sustainability and other issues around the locations, and test them against alternatives. The planning policy statement will create the right framework for consideration of planning applications to ensure they meet the highest standards, with the best public transport links and strong employment opportunities. Both documents will be published next month.

In the third stage (autumn 2008) a final shortlist of locations will be published. The final stage involves the consideration of planning applications for schemes by local authorities.

Time, and maybe a change of government, will see if we get that far. In the meantime, Flint’s Faustian pact with developers remains on track... just.