Eco Towns

Across the country suspicion has hardened into conviction that eco-towns are just government spin. There have been lots of articles in the press covering the facts behind the rosy picture initially painted by Gordon Brown when he came to power a year ago.

Two factors are increasingly influencing the situation. The first is the rapidly rising price of fuel which will make commuting by car increasingly unattractive. As most of the proposed eco-towns are at some distance from any meaningful form of public transport this will make them less attractive place to live in. The second factor is the credit crunch and its effect on the housing market. Yesterday shares in Taylor Wimpey fell from 42p to 35p and they laid off 900 workers.

Not too many houses are going to get built in the next couple of years. This may give us time to re-think - something that our legislators seem reluctant to do.