Renewable Energy - Eco-town plan taps into needs of south-east England

07/03/2008

Massive demand for new housing and worries over climate change mean that eco-towns, using solar heating and other sustainable technologies, will be needed in the south-east, it has been claimed.

The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) says that the growing population of the Thames region and environmental concerns such as hotter, drier summers will create demand for housing that can be addressed by eco-towns.

Gideon Amos, chief executive of the TCPA, said: "Eco-towns represent the first serious opportunity for development that does not harm the planet through CO2 and related emissions."

"Our priority must be to ensure that eco-towns deliver on their promise of providing truly sustainable communities," he continued.

Eco-towns are communities that are designed to have as little impact on the environment as possible, with development taking place on brown land, using increased public transport and construction of zero carbon housing.

Zero carbon housing aims to reduce the 40 million tonnes of emissions that UK housing produces, and uses technology such as combined heat and power boilers and renewable energy such as solar heating or wind power.