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£60 million for eco-town showhomes

8/2/2010

UK government pledges cash for green living demonstration.

Government has awarded £60 million of funding to four eco-towns to finance the building of eco-showhomes. The first wave of eco-town sites are Whitehill-Bordon in Hampshire, St Austell in Cornwall, Rackheath in Norfolk and North West Bicester in Oxfordshire.

The fund will be distributed across the four first wave sites for a range of demonstrator projects that will introduce and test greener living for approximately over 65,000 people currently living in the local areas. A hundred eco show homes will be built within the existing communities, with work starting from as early as next month. Approximately 500 homes will be built on the eco-town sites next year, pending planning permission.

The £60m will also fund community projects, new transport links, low carbon schools and retrofitting of 90 existing buildings. The eco-homes will be built to high environmental standards, using local apprentice schemes so new skills are generated during construction.

Housing minister John Healey, said: "This is the start of the country's biggest ever eco-home building programme. As a first step, 600 will be built in these four areas - most will be for sale but some will be permanent eco-show homes. 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."