Taking up where I left off ...

The last blog on this site was December 2007. Life changed dramatically after that. The eco-town campaign is not yet quite finished, but it did result in a very hectic change of pace from January 2008 right up to July 2009 and beyond.

In December 2007 there were some 57 possible locations for eco-towns across England that had been proposed by various organisations, including the Co-operative Group's Pennbury, south-east of Leicester. The 19 months that followed saw many highs and lows as campaigners across the country struggled to understand the Government's procedures and fought ferociously for their communities.

The initial setting up of a campaign committee grew into the Campaign Against the Stoughton Co-op Eco-Town (CASCET) as residents and councillors from villages around the proposed Pennbury eco-town voiced their concerns. I was very fortunate to be elected chairman of the campaign, but ultimately the power of the campaign came from the tremendous input from the CASCET Committee and the hundreds of people who wrote letters, demonstrated outside Co-op stores and parliament, and supported us throughout. Simon Galton (LibDem) and I (Concervative) put our collective experience together and managed to bring together a fantastic team of helpers and supporters to ultimately defend the Stoughton Estate from the Co-operative plans for the 15,000 house development. This would have seen the end of Leicestershire Aero Club on the Stoughton Airport site, the destruction of the environment with many species of flora and fauna at risk, desecration of the intense heritage of this area, and the likely mess caused by a tram service through Oadby and down London Road into Leicester.

The main objections were that the location was unsustainable from transport and employment viewpoints. The Co-op felt all along that being an eco-town they were not willing to construct any major new roads, save those within the development. This meant that any idea of a new link route south of Leicester to the M1 was never contemplated by the Co-op. Another enhancement to the road system by improving eastern distributor roads was also abandoned. Instead the Co-op relied on a few Leicester City Labour councillors (principally Ross Willmott and Patrick Kitterick) supporting a proposal for a tram scheme from Pennbury into Leicester. The likely cost to the taxpayer would have been hundreds of millions of pounds. This might have improved commuter travel for some from Pennbury, but the effect on congestion of routes into Leicester could have been catastrophic. It also did not answer the objections about employment. How were materials going to be brought into Pennbury, and goods and services get out?

Between January 2008 and August 2009 many organisations objected to the development including the majority of Leicester Chamber of Commerce members who responded to a questionnaire, Leicestershire County Council (a scrutiny panel looked in depth into the whole scheme) and the CPRE. Although Leicester City Council voted to support the eco-town proposals subject to 5 conditions being met, this was only by members of the ruling Labour group; the Conservatives, LibDems and Green groups did not agree. Oadby & Wigtson Borough and Harborough District Councils did not vote on the proposed eco-town because both could have been involved as planning authorities if the scheme was short-listed by the Government. Individual Borough and District councillors spoke out against the Co-op proposals - thereby fettering their discretion should any formal vote take place.

The 16th July 2009 was a red letter day, as not only did members of CASCET deliver almost 15,000 signatures to 10 Downing Street, but Rt Hon John Healey MP (Minister of Housing in the Labour Government) also announced the final four locations selected to be eco-towns - Pennbury, the Co-op's proposed site south-east of Leicester on their Stoughton Estate, was not included on the list.

I hope, one day, to spend some time contemplating the CASCET campaign in the context of the Labour Government's eco-town programme, and that might be the time to fully describe the campaign for posterity, even though it might interest very few.

Eco Town - Stoughton Estate

A campaign forum of elected councillors from the affected wards met on 17th December to ensure everyone had been briefed, to discuss the situation and how to move an action plan forward to stop the destruction of 4,000 acres of farmland on the Co-op's Stoughton Estate. The Co-op have given the project the name "Pennbury".

In order to run an effective campaign, there is going to be a need for finances to meet the costs of posters, leaflets, car stickers, a local referendum and legal advice etc. A further forum meeting with the local MPs and other councillors is being held on 18th January 2008.

A PUBLIC MEETING is scheduled for Friday 1st February 2008 starting at 7.30pm in the Billesdon Coplow Centre, LE7 9FL.

ACTION you can take now:

Please help defeat this Eco Town proposal by signing the on-line e-petition at the 10 Downing Street web site: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/PennburyEcoTown/

A campaign website has also been setup - keep track of campaign developments at: www.save-england.net/stoughton-ecotown

Write to:

• Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (blearsh@parliament.uk)
• Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP, Minister of Housing and Planning (coopery@parliament.uk)

copying your comments to the local MPs:

• Alan Duncan MP (Melton & Rutland) (duncana@parliament.uk)
• Edward Garnier MP QC (Harborough incl. Oadby & Wigston) (garniere@parliament.uk)

All of the above can be written to c/o House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA

Please take action now: final results of the Eco Town competition are expected to be announced in February 2008.

Please pass this information onto anyone else who may be concerned!

Eco Town

The Co-operative Group and English Partnerships are bidding to win the prize of a contract to build upto 20,000 new homes with services on land to the south-east of Leicester around Leicester Airport. The tract of land stretches from Great Glen and Stoughton right through to Houghton on the Hill and Thurnby, and straddles the ancient Gartree Road (Roman).

The competition started by the government is for 10 carbon-neutral, self contained Eco Towns around the country, and the Co-op and English Partnerships have proposed secret plans for developing one of the self-contained, carbon neutral communities. Secret because competitors in the competition might get wind of their detailed plans and mess up their bid. However, this means that none of the elected member authorities at district or county level inLeicestershire has any detail about what is being proposed. The timetable for the competition seems to be a shortlist being announced early in 2008, with the final 10 winners announced later in the year.

The Government's adviser on architecture and urban design CABE, with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment, will assist the Government in the competition and establish a judging panel to assess the entries. The competition will focus both on the practical design ideas and the design and development process. A prize will be made available for the overall winner of the competition, as well as awards for specialist areas.

The aims of the competition are to gather ideas:

• from the best national and international thinkers in the fields of town planning, urban design, architecture, landscape design, transport and environmental planning;
• on what an eco-town could and should try to achieve, and how the design and development process can support positive outcomes;
• on the key design features that should be considered when designing an eco-town, eg regional and local identity;
• on the design layout of eco-towns and how they tie in with existing transport links and the natural landscape; and
• on housing layouts and sustainability features.

There will also be an opportunity for public involvement to judge eco-towns designs through a citizens' panel. At the end of the competition, the best of the ideas and lessons learned will be drawn together in an exhibition and eco-towns "compendium", which will help inform the thinking of local authorities and developers taking forward eco-town proposals.

Rumours are flying. The competition is open for Eco Towns between 5,000 and 20,000 homes. 20,000 homes could house 75,000 people so assume at least 40,000 cars (average 2 per household). What price carbon neutral with 40,000 extra carbon fuelled vehicles in that area?

Eco Towns will apparently provide a major contribution to housing supply and increasing affordability, with affordable housing making up between 30 to 50 per cent of the housing. But what is meant by affordable? In some parts of London, affordable houses could be several hundred thousand pounds, whereas elsewhere in the country, you might be able to find something for £70,000 or less. What does affordable mean in Leicestershire?

20,000 homes would mean massive destruction of acres of farmland and replacing them with tarmac and concrete.

Above all there is a lack of transparency and lack of public involvement. We will now have to wait to see whether the Government Office of the East Midlands (GOEM) forwards the proposal to be shortlisted.

Watch this space and add your comments, please.

PCT asking for views on what is needed

The Leicestershire County & Rutland Primary Care Trust (PCT) is asking local people and organisations in south east Leicestershire to give their views on how community healthcare services might be organised in the future to best meet the health needs of people.

The age and location of the Market Harborough & District Hospital on Coventry Road mean it is not considered suitable for extension and the range of services that could be provided to an acceptable clinical standard is limited. On the other hand, the St Luke's site on Leicester Road has a big potential for further opportunities and consolidation of healthcare services in Market Harborough and surrounding district.

Have Your Say - by 10th September 2007 - by looking online at www.lcrpct.nhs.uk (click on 'developing community services')

All comments will be considered by the local working group who will be developing proposals for each site. After consideration by the PCT Board, these will go to public consultation which is expected to take place in early 2008.

Healthcare deficit in south east Leicestershire

The Leicestershire County & Rutland PCT are set to consult on some options for the provision of a Community Hospital for Market Harborough over the next 6 months. What will be on offer? A recent briefing by a couple of PCT Executives to Leicestershire County Councillors (30th July 2007) indicated that some of the current clinics and departments at the Cottage Hospital on Coventry Road might be considered for moving upto the upgraded St Luke's site on Leicester Road. A working group made up of PCT managers and clinical staff, local doctors, social services and patient and public involvement representatives is to look into what services can be provided at the new site over the next few months, yet no Patient Forum or elected representatives have been asked to join this group.

I would be interested to know what other people feel about this? What facilities would you like to see remaining in Market Harborough after the St Luke's site is upgraded?

I feel we should insist on the present clinics as a minimum including Radiology, Podiatry, Physiotherapy, Minor Injuries Unit and all the Outpatient clinics. A Stroke Rehabilitation Unit is essential and I would not like to be told that other clinics and minor surgery facilities cannot be accommodated e.g. cataract operations.