ECO-TOWN: Problems still remain
"The four first wave locations which are proposed to be included in the PPS, Whitehill-Bordon, St Austell (Clay Country), Rackheath (Norwich) and NW Bicester, are all led or strongly supported by their local authorities who can see the potential for being a national green exemplar and for economic and housing growth to benefit their existing communities in terms of regeneration of place, higher quality jobs and new green infrastructure."
It is vital that such an important national project is entrusted to local authorities able to understand and realise its full potential and so it was good to see on television the obvious elation of East Hampshire councillors at being given such an opportunity to secure the future of their next generation.
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Hide AdMay we offer our congratulations to those local authorities now taking the Eco-Town programme forward.
They will be well placed to attract the investment in environmental technology now coming forward and deserve it.
We wish them every success as they now become national environmental exemplars.
Ford Enterprise Hub is proud to have played a part in creating such an opportunity for Arun district '“ albeit we, together with Ford Airfield Vision Group, failed to make the top four nationally.
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Hide AdThe Eco-Town debate has helped us all become more aware of the problems facing the district.
Arun's main industries are traditionally horticulture/agriculture, tourism and retail.
In essence, the district is a low-paid and largely seasonal economy compared with other parts of West Sussex.
According to research group Nomis, the average gross weekly wage for Arun in 2007 was 389 '“ the lowest in West Sussex.
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Hide AdThis compares to a West Sussex average of 477 (22 per cent higher) and a south east average of 499 (28 per cent higher).
Low wage levels create an unacceptably high level of outbound commuting (currently around 40 per cent, with 80 per cent of those by car) '“ no wonder there is so much congestion.
There are around 4,000 households on the housing register, individuals and families unable to get a foot on the housing ladder, often trapped by hereditary deprivation.
The Eco-Town opportunity is gone but the problems remain!
Tony Dixon, Harold Hall and John Penfold
Ford Enterprise Hub
Baron's Close, Westergate
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