Government cash boost for more than 600 'green' homes

More than 600 new "green" homes will be built in and around four planned eco-town sites, as part of a £60 million Government cash boost to get the projects off the ground.

The Department for Communities and Local Government said the houses would feature water-saving systems, smart meters to monitor energy use, renewable power and electric car charging points.

The cash will also go to boosting energy efficiency of schools in the areas, including a new "eco-standard" sixth form at one institution, improving public transport and setting up biomass projects to develop green energy.

The funding will be split between the four new environmentally-friendly settlements which got the go-ahead last year: Whitehill-Bordon, Hampshire; St Austell in Cornwall; Rackheath, Norfolk and North West Bicester in Oxfordshire.

The four final sites for eco-towns were chosen after a protracted selection process, in which a shortlist of 15 areas was bitterly contested by local communities.

The four successful bids - two of which were late entries into the scheme - were all supported by local authorities and the Government hopes the cash will provide them with a boost to drive the schemes forward.

The DCLG also said the construction of the new homes would support up to 2,000 local jobs, while introducing thousands of people to the benefits of green living.

Most of the houses will be for sale, with a third of them affordable homes, although some will remain as permanent "eco-show homes".

Housing Minister John Healey said today's announcement marked the start of the country's "biggest ever eco-home building programme".

And he said: "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.

"But green living isn't just about homes. That's why this cash will also help transform local schools and create new transport links and energy sources.

"By the time the eco-towns are finished green living will already be a way of life for these communities."

And he said local workers would get new skills in green construction though working on the projects.

Around 100 show homes will be built in existing communities - with work starting as early as next month - and 500 houses will be constructed on the eco-town sites themselves next year.

The developments still have to go to through the existing planning system.

All the new homes will have to meet at least level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes, meeting high standards of insulation, water saving and energy efficiency.

Some will meet the top level 6 in the code - which requires homes to be "zero-carbon", producing no net emissions from all energy used in the home and using renewable or low-carbon power.

Overall the new towns, which are expected to be "exemplars" of environmental development, must be zero-carbon as well as providing a percentage of affordable homes, large areas of green space and ways to cut car travel.

A second wave of eco-town developments are also planned.

Shadow housing minister Grant Shapps said: "The extraordinary thing about these eco-town plans is that the Government is actively backing a scheme which will be less environmentally friendly than all other homes built at the same time.

"Ministers have said that eco-towns must be built to Code Level 4, whereas all regular homes will be Code Level 6 or zero carbon by 2016.

"Ministers need to realise that they are damaging the environmental cause by encouraging sub-standard homes to be built."

A spokeswoman for the Department for Communities and Local Government said: "All homes will need to be built to tough green standards, but it is the infrastructure and design of the pioneering new eco-towns as a whole that will offset emissions to achieve zero carbon - such as renewable energy sources, more greener spaces, improved public transport and all facilities within 10 minutes walking distance."