24
Jun
TCPA calls for public enquiry into eco-town proposals
The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) has called for
full public enquiries to be held into any eco-town proposals,
provided they are not already allocated in a Development
Plan.
Speaking for the organisation, chief executive Gideon Amos stated
that it is important that "key safeguards" are in place to ensure
new eco-towns meet "the highest standards".
While he acknowledged that local authority-led development plans
are "painfully slow", Mr Amos said they are still the best way to
undertake development.
He suggested that the government's decision to bypass this process
"has raised concerns" about the meritocracy of the system.
"Due process, therefore is now vital to the eco-towns programme and
the TCPA's call is for full public local inquiries to give
transparency, fairness and proper scrutiny," Mr Amos
concluded.
The association's comments follow a recent forum in which the
fifteen experts on the Eco-towns Challenge Panel set out a series
of recommendations for potential eco-town developers.
