Protesters, unhappy at proposals for a 6,000 home eco town development at Middle Quinton, near Stratford-upon-Avon, are consulting lawyers ahead of possible Judicial Review proceedings over what it says has been an inadequate consultation by DCLG in drawing up the shortlist of 15 possible eco town schemes.

Anne McIntosh, Conservative MP for Vale of York, stressed her concerns to date over the plans to date for eco towns in an adjournment debate held on 3 June, arguing that “the democratic process has been completely flouted.”

English Partnerships has announced plans to convert an old Grade II listed hospital building in Otley, near Bradford to 75 eco homes, of which 30% will be ‘affordable’.

It would cost £9.2bn to eliminate fuel poverty from all but the poorest households in England according to new research published by the Eaga Partnership Charitable Trust.

“Building brand new eco-towns outside existing towns and cities is a really bad idea when there are 675,000 homes in England alone sitting empty and ripe for refitting with green technologies. Given that demand for housing is right across the UK it makes more sense for every village, town and city to have new housing rather than creating brand new settlements,” Brian Berry, director of external affairs, Federation of Master Builders, 22 May

“If we continue to ignore the impacts of climate change there will be severe consequences for the property market and the wider economy” Professor Mark Maslin, Director, UC London’s Environment Institute, launching new report on impact of climate change on property, 2 May

Greenhouse gas reduction is now the third most favoured indicator used when councils set their improvement targets in updated Local Area Agreements (LAAs), according to the Local Government Association.