Government give £60m to lay green foundations of eco-towns

Housing Minister John Healey has today backed the country's biggest ever green home building programme, with four areas sharing £60m cash to build over 600 new homes to the toughest ever environmental standards.

These new "eco-show homes" will be built in and around the four pioneering eco-town locations, introducing nearly 2,000 people to green living and saving them hundreds of pounds on bills. Nearly a third of these homes will be affordable.

Last year Mr Healey gave the go-ahead for the first wave of world leading eco-town sites in Whitehill-Bordon in Hampshire, St Austell in Cornwall, Rackheath in Norfolk and North West Bicester in Oxfordshire.

By 2016, 10,000 eco homes will be built in the four landmark areas. The new homes and new neighbourhoods will be designed, planned and built to world leading environmental standards.

The funding will also improve existing transport links, including rapid routes for buses with real-time travel information, green travel hubs and facilities for electric cars and bikes. Pioneering new energy projects will be set up so that residents take their energy from natural sources.

Funding will also be used for environmental education projects and boosting the energy efficiency of existing schools – including a new low carbon sixth form for the Cooper School in Bicester and retrofitting of primary schools and libraries in Whitehill-Bordon.

Housing Minister John Healey, said:

"Last year I gave the go-ahead to the first wave of world-leading eco-towns that will set the global standard for green living while helping tackle climate change and the shortage of affordable homes.

"Since then these four areas have done a huge amount of work to plan new homes designed and built to the toughest ever environmental standards. Today I’m backing them with £60m to help get these projects off the ground.

"This is the start of the country’s biggest ever eco-home building programme. As a first step, 600 will be built in these four areas – most will be for sale but some will be permanent eco-show homes. By 2016 there will be 10,000 new eco homes in these four pioneering areas. This means people will be able to experience green living for themselves and see how It can change their lives and save money.

The four areas are:

St Austell, China Clay Communities, Cornwall (St Austell District Council)

Rackheath, Norfolk (Broadland Council)

North-West Bicester (Cherwell Council)

Whitehill-Bordon (East Hampshire District Council)