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Planning application
Quality places

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  • Quality places
  • Eco-towns
  • Growth
  • H&C agency
  • Your opportunity

Quality places

The push to develop new housing and the actions being taken to revive run down areas are both inextricably linked with the Government’s stated aim of creating ‘sustainable communities’. This means much more than simply environmentally friendly but means communities that are; well run, well connected, well served, environmentally sensitive, thriving, well designed and built, fair for everyone, active, inclusive and safe.

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Eco-towns

The Prime Minister announced in 2007 that organisations would be invited to bid for new developments of between 5,000 and 20,000 homes which have a distinct identity, which are built to zero carbon standards and are exemplars in environmental technology, which have a high level of affordable housing, have a high level of facilities such as schools and have jobs, shopping and leisure and have a designed to deliver and manage the scheme. The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment and BioRegional published a study in 2008 of

housing for the Future
What makes an eco-town?
download pdf (932KB)

and the Department for Communities and Local Government has issued both progress report:

housing for the Future
Eco-towns - living a greener future: progress report
download pdf (1.7MB)

and draft policy statement and appraisal

housing for the Future
Draft Planning Policy Statement:
Eco-towns - Consultation
download pdf (248KB)



The announcement of the short list of eco-towns immediately resulted in a range of community activity and local action. 

Those eco-town proposals that do end up on the short list will still need to go through the planning process, including the need for a full planning application. If there is a scheme near you, or if you are interested in principle, there are still many opportunities to get involved locally and nationally.

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Growth

The Government’s 2003 Sustainable Communities Plan set out four areas in Southern England – Ashford, Milton Keynes and Northampton, the M11 corridor and the Thames Gateway – which would be the focus for a significant proportion of housing growth.

More recently, the Department for Communities and Local Government has designated 52 Growth Points across all the English regions. Growth Point status is not a statutory designation but a relationship between central government and local partners designed to achieve early delivery of housing as part of the growth plans.

You can find out where the growth areas and growth points are on this DCLG map download pdf (720 KB).

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Homes and Communities Agency

The Government set up a new body in December 2008 – the Homes and Communities Agency which covers the delivery of the Government’s housing growth targets, the funding and regulation of housing associations, neighbourhood regeneration and the development of public land. It provides advice and support through both its Advisory Team for Large Applications (ATLAS) and the Homes and Communities Academy.

You can find the website of this new agency at www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/home

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Your opportunity

The ability of individuals and groups to be involved in the planning process is at the heart of the system. Opportunities are offered at all levels of the process but involvement is most prevalent at the local planning and development management levels. Your opportunities to get involved – and some of the resources you need to do so - are spelt out in the planning section of UK Housing.

Back to Housing policy - introduction