UK govt shortlisted 15 eco town locations

Housing Minister Caroline Flint today unveiled a shortlist of 15 locations for a series of 'eco-towns' to be built across England.

The full list of proposed locations is as follows:

1. Bordon, Hampshire
2. Coltishall, Norfolk
3. Curborough, Staffordshire
4. Elsenham, Essex
5. Ford, West Sussex
6. Hanley Grange, Cambridgeshire
7. Imerys, Cornwall
8. Leeds city region, West Yorkshire
9. Manby, Lincolnshire
10. Marston Vale and New Marston, Bedfordshire
11. Middle Quinton, Warwickshire
12. Pennbury, Leicestershire
13. Rossington, South Yorkshire
14. Rushcliffe, Nottinghamshire
15. Weston Otmoor, Oxfordshire

The 15 sites, selected from 57 initial proposals, will be eventually whittled down to about 10 environmentally friendly towns, which will be the first new towns in the country in 40 years.

As many as 42 other proposals were rejected by the government during the planning process – many for their inclusion of greenbelt land in UK.

Under the proposals as they stand no new properties will be build on greenbelt land. Instead extensive use will be made of developed brownfield land - including former Ministry of Defence land, military depots, disused airfields and former mining pits and industrial sites.

The plan could see up to 200,000 homes being built within the next 12 years, in zero-carbon developments with a minimum target of 5,000-10,000 homes each.

Flint said that no new homes would be built on Green Belt land, as proposals make significant use of brownfield land, and confirmed that more than 30 percent of the overall new houses will be affordable housing. 'Building in existing towns and cities alone simply cannot provide enough new homes,' the minister added.

The government said it will now consult widely for three months to get preliminary views on the benefits of eco-towns and these shortlisted locations, in the
second of the four key stages. A final shortlist of locations will be published later this year, after which each potential eco-town will need to submit a planning application.

The Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) also expressed disappointment.

"Our main worry is the proposed location of many of these schemes," said CPRE senior planner, Kate Gordon.

"We fully support the government’s aspirations for achieving the highest standards in terms of sustainability and affordability. But achieving high environmental standards on site is not enough if the development is in the wrong place to begin with."

Ban on building in Rotherham's green belt is expected to be lifted

A ban on building in Rotherham's green belt is expected to be lifted tomorrow.
Planners introduced the restriction two years ago after claims developers were targeting greenfield sites instead of former industrial land

While some greenfield sites were allocated for housing in Rotherham's latest Unitary Development Plan they were sidelined until the town's brownfield sites are used up.

But the move sparked protests from some builders who said it fell foul of government rules on housebuilding which said green belt land for sale may have to be used to meet the country's housing needs.

One builder, Ben Bailey Homes, claimed at the time the council would be unable to meet Rotherham's own housing needs without some green belt development.

The moratorium was backed by the Campaign to Protect Rural England which is alarmed at the erosion of the green belt across the UK Land.

But tomorrow planners will ask for the ban to be lifted because they say the situation has "changed significantly".

Prime MInister Gordon Brown has set up the Homes and Community Agency with the target of building three million new homes in the UK, with outgoing Sheffield Council chief executive Sir Bob Kerslake appointed to lead the new agency.

In a report to councillors, planning officer Nick Ward says: "The moratorium was introduced to contribute to meeting Rotherham's brownfield target and promote urban renaissance, regeneration and housing renewal.

"Since the introduction of the moratorium several of the factors that informed the decision have changed, in particular there has been new government guidance which places greater emphasis on overall delivery of higher numbers of homes."

Rotherham's housing target have gone up from 4,000 to 5,800 homes by 2013 but the council says it cannot meet the target without using greenfield land.

Source: www.thestar.co.uk

People views on planning 50,000 new homes

Bradford district People are urged to give their views on Government plans to build 50,000 new homes across by 2026.

Bradford Council has been told to prepare plans to meet the future housing needs of the district.

The proposals in the Regional Spatial Strategy mean that the Council could be forced to remove land from the existing green belt land to create new places to live and to expand existing larger settlements.

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It also needs to look at brownfield sites - land for sale that has previously been developed - around urban areas to see if there is scope for more housing.

The Council is considering a range of options which are summarised in the Core Strategy document which will form part of the Local Development Framework. It is available on the Council's website at bradford.gov.uk/ldf and all the main Council libraries. Residents are invited to workshops to discuss these and other options so the Council can gather people's views on how and where these housing needs should be met and the implications for the district.

The workshops will take place on: l Wednesday, March 5, Thornton Primary School, 6.30pm to 9pm; l Saturday, March 8, Victoria Hall, Saltaire, 10am to 1pm; l Wednesday, March 12, Thornbury Centre, Bradford, 1pm to 4pm; l Saturday, March 15, Ridings Hall, Ilkley, 10am to 1pm; l Wednesday, March 19, Temple Row Centre, Keighley, 6pm to 9pm.

Councillor Anne Hawkesworth, executive member for environment and culture, said: "The Government has told us to prepare plans to provide land for at least 50,000 homes by 2026 and we need to work together to ensure these housing needs are met, but not at the expense of the appearance and vitality of the district.

"We need people's views so that we can make effective representations to Government and deliver what is in the best interests of all current and future residents of the Bradford district."

Source: thetelegraphandargus.co.uk

CPRE's over readjustment of Green Belt boundaries welcomed by RTPI

The Campaign to Protect Rural England’s (CPRE) acknowledgement that a 'readjustment of Green Belt boundaries' may be required to meet the housing needs of Britain’s growing population has been welcomed by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).

The CPRE’s acknowledgement came in its think piece entitled “20:26 Vision - What Future For The Countryside?”, which was released today.

It concedes that the redevelopment of brownfield sites and urban renewal cannot produce enough homes to meet the growing need, and that greenfield development around existing cities and large towns may be desirable, even if it does lead to a reduction of Green Belt land.

The RTPI believes that in a limited number of cases the use of Green Belt land could be integrated into housing policy.

In its submission to the Barker Review it called for a set of clear, sustainability criteria against which any proposed changes to the designation of Green Belt land should be tested, to ensure nationwide consistency.

RTPI Secretary General, Robert Upton, said: “We welcome the CPRE’s acknowledgement that an adjustment of Green Belt boundaries may be required to deliver more sustainable development.

“We believe that taking an inflexible protectionist attitude toward Green Belt land is wrong.

"It fails to recognise that the best social and environmental outcomes can usually be achieved by putting houses where jobs and services already exist. In a small number of cases this may require an adjustment to Green Belt boundaries.

“As we advocated in our submission to the Barker report we believe there needs to be a clear set of sustainable development tests to be used to check whether changes to Green Belt are necessary or desirable.

"These tests might cover such issues as reducing travel demand, concentrating infrastructure, creating green infrastructure and improving accessibility to open space.

“Green Belt should no longer be the pasture for England’s sacred cows: it needs to be an active element in sustainable development.”

Source: www.24dash.com

Fears for East Dunbartonshire greenbelt land

The deputy leader of East Dunbartonshire Council has raised serious concerns about the future of greenbelt land across the district.Councillor Billy Hendry hit out at Scottish Government proposals that could see 35,000 new houses built in Scotland per year by 2015.

The 'Firm Foundations' consultation was launched by the Scottish Government last autumn and aims to create more social housing and increase the supply of land for homes.

Councillor Billy Hendry, said: "We have the biggest fight of our lives on our hands to protect our greenbelt.

"It's clear that to deliver that amount of housing there would have to be new settlements built on greenbelt land - and not just a few houses here and there.

"We will unite the communities in East Dunbartonshire to fight against these government proposals."

East Dunbartonshire Council has now submitted its views on the housing proposals to the Scottish Government.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "The Firm Foundations consultation period ended on Friday (January 25) and we received a lot of responses from the key players.

"We are delighted local authorities such as East Dunbartonshire Council have submitted their views.

"We will look at what has been said and make an announcement in the near future."

Source: kirkintilloch-herald.co.uk

Garden sales in London has risen

Property developers are offering large sums of money to homeowners in London and surrounding areas to sell their gardens.

Property developers are on the lookout for space to build on and are pursuing homeowners in the hope they will sell off their gardens.

However, this has enraged local communities who are pressuring councils to stop the practice through the planning process.

Furthermore, wildlife experts are warning that vast areas of the capital’s green space are disappearing.

One property owner from Cheshunt in Hertfordshire was offered £125,000 tax-free for her 300ft garden.

John Ennis of Foxtons estate agency said the number of garden sales in the capital has risen in the last 18 months.

Mr Ennis added we are often approached to sell plots of land which may include garden spaces.

Gardens are classed as previously developed and are therefore counted as brownfield sites so property developers are particularly eager to buy them.

However, it is feared that the shortage of grass and soil could make London Land vulnerable to flooding because rainwater is stopped from absorbing into the ground which can cause subsidence and, therefore, affect an entire street’s property prices.

Figures show that since 2004/05, planning permission has been granted for 3,525 units to be built on back gardens.

Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone said he plans to revise his London Plan to prevent new development on back gardens in the suburbs.

In an attempt to safeguard greenbelt land, the Government wants 70% of new homes to be built on brownfield sites, however, the current definition of the term was implemented 20 years ago, before garden building was common.

Warning over development proposals

According to latest article by http://www.thecomet.net/

A resident has warned that people should be more aware of areas highlighted for possible future development.

Charlotte Jerrand came across a land allocation document on North Herts District Council's website last week when the consultation was launched. She hadn't realised land near her road may be affected.

Mrs Jerrand, of Bygrave Road, Baldock, said: "At the moment it's Green Belt land but I don't think that's being treated as much of a problem.

"The need for housing is seen as significant enough to override the Green Belt."

She added: "My concern is residents need to know it's there to submit their views. At the moment I have got an open mind. I can see there is a real need for housing, but I think if it's going to go ahead we need the council to take into account hospitals, transport, etc.

"My concern at the moment is that I'd like to know more about it and there should be an effort made by the council to raise awareness of the issue."

The plan that Ms Jerrand is concerned with includes land surrounding Bygrave Road, land near Clothall Common and land off Clothall Road, all in Baldock.

However, consultation on pinpointed land will go on all across North Herts in a separate move to the SNAP consultation which has also allocated land as part of the East of England plan.

North Herts District Council (NHDC) has said the land allocation document includes a number of sites which are all under consultation.

A spokesman said: "There are no decisions as to what will definitely happen, we are asking for the public's views and these will be used to inform the next 'preferred option'."

The document states: "The final land allocations document will specify sites to meet the district's needs for housing, employment, retail, leisure, community facilities and any other uses considered necessary.

"At this first stage, more sites are identified than are likely to be required and the inclusion of sites in this document is not an indication that the council will ultimately wish to see the site developed.

"The results of this consultation and any other evidence which emerges will be used to determine which sites are taken forward to the second, preferred options, stage."

Baldock councillor Michael Muir said: "It's all consultation. Nothing is cut and dried."

He added: "We've had to do this for the whole of North Herts because the Government says we've got to do it.

"We've got to find 16,800 homes in North Herts so we've got to find a place to put them."

Councillor Richard Thake, spokesman for planning and transport, said: "We would be happy to receive comments from as many of our residents or interested parties as possible to ensure that the needs of all our communities can be considered. "People are encouraged to comment either on-line using the link at the top of the NHDC home page, by e-mail to idfconsultations@ north-herts.gov.uk or by post at Land Allocations Consultation, Planning Policy & Projects, North Hertfordshire District Council, Council Offices, Gernon Road, Letchworth Garden City, Hertford-shire, SG6 3JF."

The consultation documents are also available to view in all public libraries in North Herts and at the Letchworth GC Council offices.

Suffolk's biggest open-air arena could be redeveloped for Houses

PART of Suffolk's biggest open-air arena could be redeveloped for about 250 new homes, it was revealed today.

But the Suffolk Agricultural Association (SAA) stressed that the county show would not be moving - and the money generated from land sold would be used to improve the event.

The bid involves using part of the Suffolk showground, now known as Trinity Park, and other land nearby for 970 new homes needed for east Ipswich.

In a Suffolk Coastal District Council report put out to public consultation planners talked about redeveloping the whole of the £100 million site and said the biggest issue would be the relocation of the county showground.

It is one of five sites on the east of Ipswich which have been identified as possible places for new homes in the next 15 years.

But SAA chief executive Chris Bushby said the association was only proposing to use 17 acres of the 350-acre site for homes.

The land around its edge had been bought by the SAA over the years with a view to the long-term.

He said: “There would be no impact on the Suffolk Show and the event will definitely not be moving. If we could use 17 acres for housing this would generate some money which we could use to improve our facilities and accelerate our development.”

One project is a £3 million set of buildings for livestock displays.

In the past few years the showground has seen huge investment with a new conference centre and other facilities, used for all kinds, from special activity weekends, to meetings, weddings and balls.

Deputy Suffolk Coastal council leader, Andy Smith, said the authority was currently looking at “possible broad locations for housing growth” and would decide on the specific sites later in the year after analysing the results of the public consultation.

He said: “In round figures, we think that there should be around 1,000 homes built in the east of Ipswich area and a further 1,600 at Felixstowe, Walton and the Trimley villages.

“What we now want to hear is people's ideas on where, in broad terms, those areas it would be appropriate for those homes to go. I would emphasise that the priority will continue to be to redevelop brownfield sites where possible before Greenfield ones.

“The stark facts are that we need to plan for more homes, and that the best place is in a group close to where there is already the jobs, schools, shops, roads and other infrastructure that are needed for quality of life, or the group itself is big enough to support new facilities.”

Should the Suffolk Showground be used for housing? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail EveningStarLetters@eveningstar.co.uk

FASTFACTS: Suffolk Showground

The showground has been the home for the Suffolk Show - a platform for showing off the best of the county's agriculture, help businesses promote themselves, educating people about the countryside and Suffolk life - since 1960.

Before that it was held in various parts of the county, including twice in Felixstowe, on land in High Road East.

The show is run by the Suffolk Agricultural Association, which was set up in 1831 to put on the show and today works to promote agriculture through the development of skills and techniques and research.

Planners say advantages of the area for homes is the site is close to existing developments and facilities, but it would increase traffic on the A14 and Felixstowe Road into Ipswich town centre.

Source: http://www.eveningstar.co.uk/

Farm land prices up for first time in a decade

Acc to a recent survey - The farm land prices last year rose faster than they have for more than a decade as high grain prices encouraged British farmers to buy land to expand production.

City bonuses helped fuel a rise in land prices of 27.9 per cent last year but surveyors say that these "lifestyle" buyers of agricultural land are likely to back off as the turmoil in financial markets affects bonuses.

British farmers, however, surged back into the land market last year, rivalling Irish and Danish buyers for whom land in Britain is cheap, according to the annual survey by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

This pushed the average price paid for land through the £10,000-a-hectare barrier for the first time, reaching £10,949 a hectare or £4430 an acre, from £9,929 a hectare or £4018 an acre in the first half of last year.

A major reason the supply of land on the market increased was a rush by landowners to sell off land before April when rates of capital gains tax increase. After that the land market is expected to slacken.

Sue Steer, spokesman for the RICS, said: "Rising commodity prices have resulted in a bit of a feeding frenzy for farmland as farmers compete with investors and foreign farmers for arable land.

"Supply may loosen in the coming months as landowners seek to offload land before the changes in the capital gains tax regime sees them out of pocket. However, with the credit crunch taking its toll on the City, lifestyle buyers are expected to retreat from the market."

Source : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Rush for Rural Land in Uk capital London also in Queue

Money managers in London are shopping not for weekend houses but for investments.

Investors have been snapping up farms, rural estates and other agricultural land in the U.S., Argentina, Russia and Australia for the past few years, as rising commodity prices, growing food demand from China and the push to turn crops into biofuels have made rural land there more popular. Now, the trend has spread to Britain, where investors are betting that the value of farmland -- up sharply last year -- will continue to outperform other real-estate investments.

Prices of arable land for sale in Britain rose 28% last year to about £3,446, or roughly $6,800, for about half a hectare, according to Savills PLC, a real-estate services firm based in London. In contrast, prices of residential property in the U.K. rose between 6.5% and 7% last year, says the agent, while those of commercial property fell 8.6%, according to the London real-estate-information firm IPD.

With farmland prices surging, "we've got investors and buyers desperate to get into the market," says Liam Bailey, head of research at British estate agent Knight Frank. But the volume of land that comes on the market is in short supply compared with the new demand from investors and farmers attracted by potential profits. "We've seen commodity prices shoot up, and the returns from agricultural land get very interesting," he says.

Whether funds will be able to invest in British land in a significant way remains a question. Only about 72,000 hectares of farmland are openly marketed in the U.K. each year, down about 30% from the late 1990s, says Crispin Holborow, head of Savills's farm agency. "The difficulty for the sums in investing in the U.K. is it's hard for investors to buy land. It's difficult to find," he says.

Nevertheless, farmland has been in short supply, in part because rather than sell, some farmers are looking to expand their own acreage, agents say, to benefit from the rising commodity prices. The price of wheat, Britain's biggest cereal crop, has nearly doubled in the past year, and barley is up 80%, according to the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Source: http://online.wsj.com

Build on UK Green Belt land now

Our children used to have to wait until we died to get their hands on our assets, if any. Now it seems they can’t wait. They beadily eye our ridiculously overvalued homes and it is only with great restraint or great affection that they stop themselves telling us to sell immediately and hand over some capital. Surely you would be happier in something smaller, they suggest. Get out, grandma, is the message and often well before we are a grandmother.

It’s not that they are greedy. It’s that they are beginning to be desperate. Property prices have risen to such dizzying heights that most cannot hope to buy a first home without help.

The average home in England costs seven times the buyer’s earnings; as recently as 1998 it was about five times earnings, but by 2026 it will be 10 times, even if the government succeeds in its plans to promote more house building. Most young people will be unable to afford to buy their own homes at all.

This was the warning last week – if we needed a warning – of the National Housing and Planning Advice Unit, a new government think tank. At the same time the Council of Mortgage Lenders reported that nearly half of first-time buyers under 30 were getting help from their families.

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk