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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| High Court bid to block eco-towns | High Court bid to block eco-towns |
| (about 8 hours later) | |
| The High Court is expected to rule later on a legal challenge to the government's eco-towns plan. | |
| Campaigners from Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Oxfordshire applied last week for a judicial review of the scheme, arguing it was legally flawed. | |
| They urged the court to stop the project until there had been a "proper and full consultation process". | |
| Twelve sites in England are on the shortlist to be eco-towns - the first new English towns since the 1960s. | Twelve sites in England are on the shortlist to be eco-towns - the first new English towns since the 1960s. |
| The government plans to build up to 10 low-energy, carbon-neutral developments from recycled materials over the next decade, as it attempts to construct three million new homes by 2020. | |
| But they have proved controversial in some areas where campaigners say the idea is a way to evade planning controls. | But they have proved controversial in some areas where campaigners say the idea is a way to evade planning controls. |
| Claim defended | Claim defended |
| The legal challenge has been brought by the Better Accessible Responsible Development (Bard) campaign, which is opposed to 6,000 new homes being built near Long Marston on the Worcestershire/Warwickshire borders. | |
| It is backed by the Weston Front Protest Group, which opposes plans for 15,000 new homes at the Weston Otmoor site, near Bicester in Oxfordshire. | It is backed by the Weston Front Protest Group, which opposes plans for 15,000 new homes at the Weston Otmoor site, near Bicester in Oxfordshire. |
| Eco-towns, expected to sustain between 5,000 and 20,000 homes, will be required to go through the same planning processes as other major developments, says the government. | Eco-towns, expected to sustain between 5,000 and 20,000 homes, will be required to go through the same planning processes as other major developments, says the government. |
| They would be expected to achieve "zero-carbon status" across all buildings and 40% of the area would be expected to be green space. | |
| The government says it has "acted properly throughout this process and will defend this claim vigorously". | The government says it has "acted properly throughout this process and will defend this claim vigorously". |
| Last November, it emerged only one of the 12 sites identified as having development potential - Rackheath near Norwich - was regarded as "generally suitable". | Last November, it emerged only one of the 12 sites identified as having development potential - Rackheath near Norwich - was regarded as "generally suitable". |
| The others all had question marks over them and the Weston Otmoor site was deemed least likely to proceed. | The others all had question marks over them and the Weston Otmoor site was deemed least likely to proceed. |
| For the Conservatives, shadow housing minister Grant Shapps said: "In principle eco-towns started off as a good idea but have become a disaster as Labour pushed them through using misguided political means. | |
| "Ministers seem intent on ignoring the voice of local people... it is vital that if any eco town that gets the go ahead it has the support of the local community." |