Another eco-town bites the dust

Plans for 11,000 homes in Hanley Grange, Cambridgeshire, became the third eco-town to fall by the wayside in the face of fierce local objections.

The short list was supposed to have been reduced to 10 sites later this year, but Caroline Flint the housing minister has admitted that the Government is now looking at "up to" 10 sites as opposition mounts against the proposals, which are a key part of Gordon Brown's plans to tackle the housing shortage.

Announcing its withdrawal, Tesco, the key Hanley Grange eco-town developer, said it recognised that their plans had "implications" for the local area.

A Tesco spokesman appeared to acknowledge the strength of local opposition saying: "We also believe that a genuinely sustainable community stands the best chance of being delivered successfully if a broad range of stakeholders in the region feel that they have been fully engaged in the process leading up to a decision."

Julie Redfern, chairman of the Stop Hanley Grange joint action group said "We are delighted that Tesco have seen sense and this is a victory for local democracy.

"Everyone has been united in their opposition to Hanley Grange and the response to our campaign has been amazing - thanks to everyone who gave us their support.

"We all know that we need new housing, especially affordable housing, and we are in favour of sustainable development, but Hanley Grange was always going to be in the wrong place."

Earlier in the summer, the Hanley Grange proposal received a blow when the medical charity The Wellcome Trust pulled out of its partnership with Tesco.

Other sites to have foundered are: Manby in Lincolnshire where the local council has pulled out and Curborough in Staffordshire, where the developer has also withdrawn its plans for an eco-town.

Several of the remaining sites are facing opposition from councils and problems with developers.

Read the article in The Telegraph here .