The Government should promote a patchwork of small eco-projects, with contracts awarded by local regions and communities for both new homes and refurbishment of old buildings, with green measures spread around a range of proven technologies rather than creating new eco towns, according to the Federation of Mater Builders (FMB).

Brian Berry, Director of External Affair s at the FMB said: "Eco towns are a misguided attempt to provide more homes on the premise that they will be beacons of sustainability. The reality is that we already know how to create sustainable settlements as demonstrated by the BedZed affordable eco-homes development in South London which has been a shining example to the UK housebuilding industry since 2002. The simple fact is that building brand new 'eco-towns' outside existing towns and cities is a really bad idea when there are 675,000 homes in England alone sitting empty, all ripe for refitting with green technologies. Given that demand for housing is right across the UK it makes more sense for every village, town and city to have new housing rather than creating brand new settlements."


Mr Berry continued: "There is also the issue about the role of small contractors in this whole debate or rather their absence. Handing out massive contracts like this not only discriminates against all the smaller, more innovative, green construction building companies springing up around the country, but also leaves open the possibility of bad decisions multiplied on a grand scale meaning things go wrong in a big way too. For example, is it really likely that that the large building eco-contractors will really look at the whole way these new developments work? Or will they end up as sought-after, trendy developments whose residents, in practice, commute miles to work, shop in supermarkets and rarely walk or use the bus?"

(CD/JM)