Protests over eco-town plans

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Environmentalists have staged a series of protests across the UK to voice opposition to government proposals to build 10 eco-towns, which are to be unveiled this month.

The Department for Communities & Local Government , which is considering more than 50 applications, has not set a date for the announcement, but it could be as early as this week. 

A number of sites including Pennbury in Leicestershire, Willow Green in North Yorkshire, Middle Quintin in Warwickshire have been the subject of protests organised by environmental groups and local residents.

Meanwhile, environment campaigners Greenpeace today encouraged people to engage with councils on place-shaping and energy efficiency.

Chief executive for The Wildlife Trusts Stephanie Hilborne said: "The government's current proposals make a mockery of the term 'eco-town'. What we need to see is the planning system being used to avoid insensitive development and restore and create new wildlife habitats."   

She added: "[While] the trusts welcome the idea of eco-towns... Many of the current proposals will destroy important wildlife sites and fragment our towns and countryside."

The government published its Eco-towns prospectus in July last year outlining plans to build five new eco-towns by 2016 and 10 by 2020.

Virtual, climate-friendly city

Greenpeace's 'interactive' town is powered by renewables and decentralised energy.

The website uses animation, videos and slideshows to show decentralised energy in action and how it works along with case studies from councils.

A spokesman said: "We want people to contact their local council and find out what they are doing and what policies they have in place on climate change, decentralised energy and renewables and feed this back to Greenpeace."