Priority to sustainable transport, community development and water management in first eco-towns guidance published by TCPA today » Housing » 24dash.com

Creating car-free areas, designing open spaces and allotments, forming community trusts, and rainwater harvesting are a few of the radical recommendations in the first eco-town worksheets on transport, community development and water cycle management launched today by leading planning experts, the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA).

 Speaking this morning at high level seminar on the planning system and design, along side the Secretary of State for Communities Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP, TCPA chief executive Gideon Amos said:
“Eco-towns, because they are new settlements, present opportunities to create a different kind of town from scratch, meeting the highest standards in terms of sustainable development and ensuring social justice, inclusive communities and minimising carbon footprints. These Worksheets will guide the further masterplanning of eco towns and can be used by planners and developers to achieve the level of ambition everybody wishes to see coming from this initiative.”

The Worksheets, produced by the TCPA in collaboration with Communities and Local Government (CLG) and developed through a series of expert panel seminars, set out recommendations for planners and developers of eco-towns in both public and private sectors.

The issues covered in these Worksheets need to be taken into account as masterplans for eco-towns are developed and assessed under the planning process. The TCPA believes that only eco-town proposals that have the potential to meet the highest standards demanded should be given the go-ahead.

Gideon Amos added:
“The primary opportunity presented by the development of an eco-town as a form of new settlement is cost efficiency in putting in place new infrastructure at the outset through initial planning. Laying down entirely new, rather than relying on old, infrastructure – whether it be physical, social or environmental – is much more cost effective than in existing urban locations. These Worksheets therefore aim to highlight the ways in which eco-towns are different from, and can achieve higher levels of sustainability, than, other development carried out on the edge of, or within, existing towns. In turn the existing housing stock in future will then be able to exploit the techniques that can be developed in eco-towns.”

The transport, community development and water cycle management Worksheets launched today are the first of many – other Worksheet topics currently being developed include green infrastructure, housing & inclusive design, waste & recycling, energy and the economy & ‘green collar’ jobs. Once they are all published, the Worksheets will together represent a comprehensive set of policy and planning guidance on the range of subject areas to be addressed and the standards to be met when planning an eco-town.

Synopses of the transport, community development and water cycle management Worksheets:

Design to delivery: eco-town transport worksheet
Creating a new community provides a unique opportunity to plan and implement transport systems in a radically different way. Conventional approaches will need to be turned on their head in order to create lifetime places that prioritise people over vehicles.

Key points and processes:
o Outcomes and benchmarks
o Design principles
o Specific context
o Travel planning
o Travel plan pyramid
o Evaluation criteria
o Funding mechanisms

Towards sustainable communities: eco-towns community worksheet
The formation of sustainable communities within an eco-town is as vital to its success as its physical infrastructure. Different people will identify with different sections of the eco-town community. Building social capital by supporting interaction and involving local people in planning, as well as in running services, are crucial themes that promoters of eco-towns must plan for. Community development measures are neither short term nor cheap.

Key points and processes:
o Build a central resource centre for the community
o Map existing community and faith organisations in the locality
o Community development workers
o Community infrastructure delivered early and on time
o Formation of a community trust
o Open space and allotments

Sustainable water management: eco-towns water cycle worksheet
Eco-towns provide a tremendous opportunity to think creatively about water and our relationship to it and to make significant progress towards sustainable water management.

Key recommendations:
o Flood risk management
o Sustainable drainage
o Water efficiency
o Water quality
o Water services infrastructure planning