© 2009 Bradwell Area of the Diocese of Chelmsford

 

The Church in the

Thames Gateway

 

Draft Planning Policy Statement (PPS) for Eco-towns

Consultation Document

 

November 2008 saw the delayed publication of this document. This is a consultation document and the consultation period runs to

19th February 2009. When agreed a PPS forms a basis on which planning applications are evaluated by the relevant Planning Authority. So this document sets out the standards that would be required for approval of an eco-town application. (Supposedly over and above the normal planning requirements which will still have to be met)

 

Within the document there is an update of the current situation concerning the proposed sites. Of the 15 short listed this is now down to 11. However they are still looking for 10 schemes to be underway by 1016!

 

There is also a rating for the remaining proposals: A - generally suitable for an eco-town, B - might be a suitable location subject to meeting specific planning and design objectives, C - only likely to be suitable for an eco-town with substantial and exceptional innovation.

 

Of the remaining 11 options, 2 are rated as C, 8 as B and only 1 is A. However the one A rated option is for a town of 3,400 dwellings and the PPS still says an eco-town must be for a minimum of 5,000 dwellings! The one Essex location, North East Elsenham, is rated B.

 

General press comment seems to be that the eco-town concept, or certainly the majority of it, is only being kept alive for political reasons and will eventually be watered down to a very small initiative.

 

(It should be noted that the government aim of all new dwellings being zero carbon from 2016 is a separate national objective, not part of the eco-town initiative. Whether this can be achieved, especially in the current economic climate remains to be seen! Discussions at the 2008 Thames Gateway Forum seem to indicate this is unlikely on both technical and cost grounds)