PM Promises 10 New Eco Towns

Prime minister Gordon Brown pledged to double the number of eco towns in his first speech as Labour party leader yesterday.

Brown announced that the government aimed to build ten of its environmentally friendly co towns ,one in each region,instead of the five he originally promised when launching his bid to become Labour leader in the summer.

Each town will contain 100,000 homes and will be powered by energy from sustainable resources. The new developments will be built on existing brownfield sites and will be designed to reduce Britain's carbon footprint. The new properties will also increase the supply of affordable housing in the market, allowing those seeking their first step on the housing ladder to make a purchase, according to Mr Brown.

The PM said: "we plan to help first-time buyers and we will increase house-building to 240,000 new homes a year in places and ways that respect our green spaces and the environment...My aim by 2010 is two million more homeowners than in 1997.... And for the first time in nearly half a century we will show the imagination to build new towns - 'eco-towns' with low and zero carbon homes.

He also Pledged that he would invest £8 billion pounds into Social Housing a 50 per cent increase in funds previously allocated.