Sour Town

Protesters demonstrate against British eco-towns

Posted at 10:18 AM on 30 Jun 2008

Hundreds of protesters gathered outside Britain's Parliament Monday to protest the government's plan to build 15 eco-towns. The government is proposing communities characterized by sustainable construction, public transportation, green space, and walkability. It hopes to have five eco-towns built by 2016, and five more by 2020. Monday marks the last day of the government's first phase of consultation with local folks, who have largely shown little enthusiasm for the plan. Critics say new towns will burden existing infrastructure, be built on land that should remain undeveloped, and don't take into account the desires of local communities. The plan is "a thoroughly bad idea," says one protester, "unrealistic, unsustainable, and definitely not wanted." Says Marina Pacheco of the Campaign to Protect Rural England: "We are urging the government to go back to the drawing board."

sources: BBC News, Press Association, EDP24

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Comments: (5 comments)

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Ecotowns Not Eco

If they're going to destroy undeveloped land for this project, the ecological harms caused by doing so will far outweigh any benefits. Aside from selfish jerks who don't want to give up driving and other unnatural and unnecessary conveniences, this is the same issue being debated on this website about big solar.

Where one stands on this issue comes down to whether one wishes to protect natural land and the life on it, or one wishes to promote human desires of things like unnatural energy and overpopulation over the needs of the natural environment. In the latter category are also those who have some environmental leanings, but think that instead of lowering our population and consumption, all that's needed is to find some magical technology.

by Wolverine at 10:36 AM on 30 Jun 2008

Eco Oh No You Say?

"Thoroughly bad idea" - and what would a good idea be - to keep doing what we're doing? Yeah, that's working real well.

by Masked Goddess at 2:40 PM on 30 Jun 2008

The People? Who Asked Them?

When were "the people" ever consulted by any of the eco-imperialists? The whole point of Liberalism is to scare people so they can tax them and keep the middle class from ever challenging the rich.

That's why liberals are all rich -- they throw bread and circuses to the masses so they won't swarm their 95 room "eco-mansions" and steal money from the middle classes who are wise to them.

by jabailo at 8:27 PM on 30 Jun 2008

Hey, wait a minute....

People, we are talking Britain here, where "undeveloped land", "Liberal" and "eco-imperialist" do not have the same connotations as they do in the rest of the world. So be careful what you are saying, please. For example- "undeveloped land" means land that doesn't have working houses and factories on it. It might be currently derelict, currently farmland under agribusiness, protected landscape of historic or ecological value, or any other number of things. What it it doesn't mean is "pristine virgin nature". Britain has been a series of managed landscapes since Roman Times, and calling it "natural" is a bit of a misnomer.

That's a fascinating article and the BBC link from it gives a wealth of back-up information on a thorny subject.

What comes out of the whole thing:

Britain's very dense population needs more living space.
Proposals for accomodating this population have got as far as some fairly concrete plans.
These plans are now in the public sphere, and the pros and cons are being discussed.
Some parts of some of the proposals are deemed wrong by some people, sometimes a lot of people, so they are protesting loudly, but not violently. A very British habit it is, that.

This is the democratic process at work. The government will listen- they have to, or they will be booted out- and compromises will be made. Not all these many proposals will come to pass, and all will have to be modified to some degree or other.

Personally, I find this article hope-inspiring. At least the British government and the British people, are taking the problem seriously, which is more than you can say for some other parts of the world.

by Caroline at 7:39 AM on 01 Jul 2008

Eco-Towns Should not Be Sprawl in Disguise

Not sure if this is the case in England, but often "eco-towns" are being used to try and get support for developments in places where the developers feel that there would not be support for the development otherwise. Often they are far away from town centres and required that residents drive a far amount.

Instead of developing new eco-towns, new development should take place in or near existing town centres helping the existing town to become more sustainable.

by racc at 11:09 AM on 01 Jul 2008

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