Are Eco towns the way forward for a sustainable future?

UK Ministers have recently given approval for the building of four “pioneer” eco-towns and insist that at least 10,000 homes would be in place by 2016 despite local opposition. The plan is to build ten new eco-towns by 2020. So, what are the implications of ecotowns for Our Future Planet? Ecotowns are new towns that are built to be sustainable and self-sufficient with renewable energy gadgets and eco-friendly designs.  The new houses would typically have biomass fuel, solar panels, insulation, water-recycling technology and double glazing. These energy saving devices are expected to save a typical home between £200 and £500 each year. The homes would also have gadgets such as electronic bus timetables on the walls to encourage the use of public transport. The idyllic dream is that eco-towns will be sun-dabbled utopias where people can work at home or travel swiftly to work using efficient public transport systems. The urban environment will be a wildllife haven and a safe place for children to play and develop. After work and during weekends and holidays the eco-town will be a relaxing environment to spend time in: walking, using sports and cultural facilities or growing organic fruit and vegetables on allotments. All energy will be renewable, waste will be recycled and there will be no carbon footprint. This clean and healthy environment will enable people to live fit and healthily into old age.

The first four eco-towns will be expected to have a zero-carbon school by 2013, and parks, playgrounds and gardens will make up 40 per cent of the towns. At least 30 per cent of affordable housing will be required, with one member of each working couple expected to work in the town.  So are ecotowns desirable? There is a lot of local opposition to ecotowns for several reasons. First, rural campaigners are concerned that eco-towns will threaten greenfield sites and local wildlife. Secondly, locals warn that unless there is more public transport to support the influx of people, extra car traffic would increase rather than reduce pollution. Another consideration is the increased need for water and other commodities. Conservatives believe that eco-towns are a controversial “eco-con”.  “All the low-flush toilets in the world can’t make dumping a housing estate on green fields somehow eco-friendly,” said Grant Shapps, the Shadow Housing Minister.  Despite all opposition ten sites have now been selected for the development of eco-towns. The successful locations, all backed by Conservative local authorities, are: Rackheath, Norfolk; Whitehill Bordon, East Hampshire; North West Bicester, Oxfordshire and the China Clay Community near St Austell, Cornwall. The chosen developers for Gordon Brown’s flagship programme will each be able to bid for part of a £60 million pot of extra cash.  Opposition to the eco-towns continues. Marliyn Metcalfe, head of Bordon Area Action Group, which opposes the scheme in Whitehill Bordon, said: “It beggars belief that another 15,000 people would not damage the surrounding wildlife, that we could all survive on the same amount of water used now, and that doubling the population would produce no more carbon emissions than Bordon does today.”

Other factors need to be considered when developing eco-towns. There need to be additional facilities to support the influx of another 5 000 to 15 000 people to a new area. These facilities will include schools, sport and leisure complexes, public transport, road infra-structure, waste disposal, extra staff at hospitals and more care homes and support for the elderly. Eco-towns have already been built in parts of the UK, for instance, Poundbury in Dorset and BedZed in Sutton, Surrey. Poundbury is aesthetically appealing with its Georgian-style architecture and quaint streets. The biggest problem associated with Poundbury is the mixing of private and social housing in the same area which has led to some social disturbance owing to fragrant language and loud parties disturbing quieter, more refined residents. The Beddington Zero Energy Development is a success. Every aspect of this eco-town which is the UK's first large-scale 'carbon neutral' community, incorporates up-to-the minute thinking on sustainable development without degrading the environment.  BedZed is eco-friendly as it maximises water re-use, reduces waste and decreases energy consumption. Integrated social provisions include a nursery, after school clubs, a medical centre, an organic café, bar, shops, internet access and workspaces. Furthermore, BedZed is aesthetically appealing with pleasing architecture intermingled with wildlife areas and residents enjoy living there.

Are eco-towns successful on a global scale? Eco-towns are taking off in other parts of the world including Swedan, Germany and China. Hammarby Sjöstad, a lakeside area south of Stockholm city centre, is one of Europe's leading eco-towns. Formerly a derelict and polluted brownfield site, the site was transformed with an emphasis on ecology and environmental sustainability. The construction of Hammarby Sjöstad is still under way. It will eventually house some 35,000 people on completion in 2015. In addition there is a new school, church, shops, offices and a park all located on a 7.6 hectare brownfield site within easy reach of Stockholm's inner city. Hammarby Sjöstad is a good example of the Swedish “green welfare state” approach to Eco-towns and shows how it can promote sustainable development, new jobs, growth and welfare into the future. As well as being ecologically innovative, it is also socially ambitious inline with the Swedish government mandate that all citizens should be provided with a decent, safe, affordable home that will be sustainable in the long term A new ecotown is being developed in Dongsheng, on the Erdos Plateau of Inner Mongolia, in Northern China. The new town will have sustainable sanitation, water use, solid waste management and infra-structure. In downtown Dongsheng there are about 60,000 households some of which have poor sanitation which leads to waterborne diseases. The new eco-town will therefore be an important way forward in improving sanitation and health.

So, if eco-towns are properly designed and managed they can be successful. Thorough consideration needs to be given to the quality and design of the housing incorporating renewable energy, waste and water recycling. The town environment must harmonise with wildlife utilising wildlife corridors such as streams and wooded areas to create a natural setting. Facilities such as sport and leisure complexes, increased public transport and health facilties need to be in place so that the influx of people can be supported in a safe and idyllic setting in Our Future Planet. What are your views and experiences of eco-towns? Add your comment below. Have your say. We welcome your thoughts and proposals. Not a Planetary Citizen? Sign up

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