'Eco-town' proposal for Sharpness area is submitted

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Proposals for a so-called eco-town in Gloucestershire which would include 2,000 new homes have been submitted.
The plans, for land south of Sharpness Docks, include a central wind turbine to power about 1,600 homes,along with solar panels.
Developers Hunter Page Planning submitted the proposal to Stroud District Council and parish councils.
But some residents living near the site expressed concerns about a lack of jobs for people who would live there.
District councillor John Stanton, said: "It's an interesting concept but of course all housing from 2016 will have to be carbon neutral. Some 25 hectares in the area have been allocated for employment for many years and very little employment has come there. It's key we have a detailed consultation with the local community and get their feelings for it."
The South West Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS^▸ (Regional Spatial Strategy)) which controlled housing plans in the region, is due to be scrapped under the new coalition government.
Paul Fong, from Hunter Page Planning, said the homes were now being proposed in response to Stroud District Council's core strategy.
He said the company would examine using the canal for transport, and the possible reconnection of the rail connection to the Bristol to Gloucester line. "I want to show how we can create a sustainable community right from the outset," he said.
He added the company wanted to ensure one job per home and an emphasis on public transport, walking and cycling.
The plan was proposed in 1997 but was knocked back at a planning inquiry because it was not believed that the rail access could be delivered.