News Release

4th February 2008

FRADLEY ECO-TOWN

Two months after writing to the Department of Communities and Local Government about the proposed eco-town at Fradley, Michael Fabricant has finally received a reply from the Minister for Housing and Planning, Yvette Cooper - "revealing absolutely nothing" says Michael Fabricant.

In her letter to Michael, Yvette Cooper (wife of Ed Balls) writes: "We are unable to disclose the names of schemes. This would have the potential to be detrimental to the Department's interests in the award of funding and obtaining best value, as well as the commercial interests of those applicants not selected....... Eco-towns must be new settlements, places with a separate and distinct identity but good links to surrounding towns and cities in terms of jobs, transport and services. Any new settlement must be of sufficient size to ensure a good level of services, jobs and community facilities to create attractive and sustainable places to live. There will be provision within the town of a good range of facilities, including a secondary school, shopping, business space and leisure."

Michael Fabricant responds: "So we still don't have an official admission that the Fradley/Curborough development is under consideration even though we know full well that developers are actively seeking approval for this scheme. Nor do we know whether this development will be a part of Lichfield District's overall housing new build allocation or whether, as is believed, this will be in addition. I note that Yvette Cooper avoided answering my question on that one altogether!

"Most worrying of all is the proposed size of the development. If a secondary school is to be constructed to serve the so called 'settlement', we must be talking about a sizeable town. This will have a major impact on the environment and transport links in the area.