Developers have outlined plans to build one of the government's new eco towns in the Cambridgeshire village of Waterbeach.

If approved, the new town could become one of the country's flagship eco communities - providing around 10,000 environmentally-friendly homes to local residents as well as adding 4,000 jobs to the economy.

However, the government is already considering developing its first eco town, Northstowe, in an uninhabited part of south Cambridgeshire and some critics have accused the latest bid of muddying the waters.

Brushing off those criticisms, the RLW consortium - made up of the Royal London Group, Turnstone Estates and St John's College, Cambridge - insists the new site is better suited to become the county's premier green community.

Backing the new proposal, labour councillor Ben Bradnack told the Cambridge News: "We thought this should be developed instead of Northstowe. There is already rail accessibility, there are proposing to introduce a new station at Waterbeach as we proposed and they are also planning to bring in three trains per hour additional."

Prime minister Gordon Brown has set a target of building ten new eco towns to curb the country's housing stock shortage.


© Adfero Ltd

Author:  Joanne McCabe

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