28 February 2008
We received a petition asking:
"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to support Hampshire County Council, Winchester District Council, Micheldever Parish Council and the residents of the local parishes in declining permission for the proposed development of "Micheldever Station Market Town".
Details of Petition:
"The proposed development by Zurich/Eagle Star, for 12,500 houses on the green field site of Micheldever Station, as an "eco-town", is a cynical re working of plans that all levels of local council have seen to be detrimental to the local area, and have consistently shown unanimous opposition. The veneer of eco suitability given to the plans can in no way compensate for the damage that would be caused to the local environment, or fully comply with the requirements laid out in the governments "Eco-Town Prospectus" (July 2007) Accepting these plans would not only destroy the local countryside and biodiversity but would also have a negative impact on the development in the surrounding areas of Andover, Basingstoke, Winchester and South Hampshire."
Read the Government’s response
As outlined in the Planning Green Paper and the Eco-towns Prospectus published in July 2007 the Government has invited bids for eco-towns schemes from both local authorities and the private sector. Over 50 bids have been received and the proposals are using both green and brown field sites, including surplus public land such as disused barracks. They are currently being taken forward in a strategic review across Government and its agencies. As part of this review we are also consulting with local authorities and regional bodies in the relevant areas covered by schemes.
The criteria that proposals have to meet are outlined in the Eco-towns Prospectus. They are demanding, and only schemes that have the potential to meet the criteria, which include a high degree of sustainability in terms of transport, land use, carbon saving and good infrastructure will be considered.
Environmental considerations are a key criteria when assessing any proposed eco-town scheme. Each eco-town as a whole (not just homes) should reach zero carbon standards, and should be an exemplar in at least one area of environmental sustainability. They should be planned in a way which supports low carbon living and, in particular, minimises carbon emissions from transport. They should incorporate high standards of water efficiency, as well as environmentally sustainable approaches to managing waste, wastewater, drainage and flooding, in line with PPS25: Development and Flood. Green spaces and biodiversity need to be planned for, and the impact on the environment during construction needs to be minimised.
While strategic review is underway we are unable to comment directly on schemes. This would have the potential to be detrimental to the Department’s interests in the award of funding and obtaining best value, as well as to the commercial interests of those applicants not selected.
We expect to make final decisions about a shortlist of candidate schemes shortly. These will be schemes that have the potential to go forward as eco-towns. The Government is clear that all potential schemes will be subject to full public consultation and to the statutory planning process.
A shortlist of proposals will be published for further consultation and engagement with local authorities, wider stakeholders and the public before the process is completed.
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