The Government has announced the start of the UK’s “biggest ever” green home building programme with £60 million of funding earmarked for the country’s first four eco towns.
The four
eco towns – Whitehill-Bordon in Hampshire, St Austell in Cornwall, Rackheath in Norfolk and North West Bicester in Oxfordshire – were given the go-ahead by the Government last July. The £60 million will be distributed across the next two years with each community receiving just over £9 million over the next financial year. They will help fund 100
eco show homes built within the existing communities and approximately 500 homes on the new eco-town sites next year, pending planning permission. [summary]
The Department for Communities and Local Government said the construction of the new homes would support up to 2,000 new jobs and apprenticeships.
The homes will features smart meters, electric car charging points, home insulation and systems for saving water and recycling or composting waste. The will be built to a minimum standard of
Level Four of the Code for Sustainable Homes. Some will meet Level Six of the code, which requires homes to be zero carbon.
“This is the start of the country's biggest ever eco home building programme,” said Housing Minister John Healey. “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 £60 million will also fund community projects, new energy projects, new transport links, low carbon schools and will help retrofit 90 existing buildings,
“By the time the eco towns are finished green living will already be a way of life for these communities,” said Healey.
However, the Government has been criticised by the Tories for what they have described as a the anomaly that the homes in the new eco towns will be built to a lower standard than that which will be applied to all new homes by 2016. The Government announced in November that all news homes would have to built to
zero carbon standard by 2016.
A further nine local authorities and partnerships are considering plans to develop new communities to
eco town standards.