eco town- what we missed out on!

This is the most succesful eco town in europe in a town called Vauban, Freiburg in Germany- I haven't seenit yet but i will certainly be taking a trip in summer to see how the germans do it! - Its just a shame that some of the local councillors didnt have a trip to Vauban , before they decided against the eco town outside Nantwich and I just wonder if pochins withdrew the application without going to germany.

It always good to have some facts before you rule something out of hand, and it makes my blood boil to see these people in such postion making decision that will effect us all -Centarl government suggests that we need 3 million new homes by 2020. Where do they suggest that they are built?

NIMBY

some interesting facts

• All houses are built to a low energy consumption standard, with 100 units designed to the Passivhaus ultra-low energy building standard. Other buildings are heated by a combined heat and power station burning wood chips, while many of the buildings have Solar collectors or photovoltaic cells.

• Vauban is connected to the town center by a tramway (line 3, Paula-Modersohn-Platz).
  Around 40% of the households have agreed to live without their own cars, while others have to leave their vehicles in at the edge of the development. Consequently most streets are pedestrian friendly and suitable for kids to play, and have a 5km/hour speed limit.

• The site was originally developed as a military base in 1936, and was occupied after World War II by the French forces occupying the region. The military left in 1992. Over a period of some years the vacant structures were occupied by various tribes of hippies and anarchists. Following battles with the city government, squatters won the rights to four of the original twenty barracks. The other sixteen were re-appropriated by the city and have been converted into private apartments or student dormitories for the University of Freiburg. Some former residents of these structures have taken up residence in a diverse assortment of cars, vans, and retired civil service vehicles, forming what has been named Wagenplatz.

can they really argue?