Designs for a number of the proposed neweco-towns have been criticised as being unambitious, overly commercialand lacking identity in a report by a government advisory panel.TheEco-Towns Challenge Panel, which includes Cabe chief executive RichardSimmons, RIBA president Sunand Prasad and former PRP chairman BarryMunday, set out a list of recommendations this week after meetingdevelopers for the first time to grill them on their proposals. Thepanel said some proposals lacked innovation, claiming plans for NewMarston and Marston Vale did not meet the brief for an eco-town andlooked like a “typical commercial scheme” rather than “trail-blazingdevelopment”. The panel also recommended that Borden-Whitehall eco-town should consider making part of the site available to self-builders. Thepanel criticised a number of proposals for their lack of transportlinks, employment prospects and limited leisure facilities. Housingminister Caroline Flint said: “This process was meant to be achallenging ride for developers, and they need to be open to thecreativity of these ideas.”Developers now have a month to improve their schemes before facing the panel again in July.
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