Housing Minister Comments Eco-Town Shortlist

Housing minister Caroline Flint will be releasing the shortlist of eco-towns sites within the next few weeks.The zero-carbon towns, proposed early last year, would create more affordable housing and be built on brownfield land.

Over 50 plans have been considered by the government and in her first speech on the plans to an audience at the Ecobuild 2008, Ms Flint said the criteria would be strictly applied."Weak bids where the greenest element is the recycling of failed proposals won't make it through...I would like to see eco-towns which follow the most ambitious European models where half the households do not rely on a car."

The towns will be expected to meet other criteria such as:

GPs surgeries, schools and shops within 10 minutes' walk from people's homes

At least one acre of parkland for every 100 homes

Dramatically reduced reliance on cars for people who live in the towns

A Department of Communities and Local Government spokesman said it is expected that there would be up to five eco-towns by 2016 and 10 by 2020.The department estimated the size of each town would range from 5,000 to 20,000, and possibly up to 50,000 residents.

The towns have come under fire from community groups living near proposed sites. In response to cticism Flint says: "People who are against these schemes have to talk about why that is....If we are meeting standards and exploring what is sustainable and possible and reassure through these schemes that there will be benefits for communities in the wider area, then we can continues to debate but we have to come down to what the hardest question is - those who are against more homes."