I thought I smelt a rat when I heard that Gordon Brown had earmarked Oakington Barracks, close to where I live in Cambridgeshire, as the first of his planned eco-towns.
The site is currently used as an Immigration Reception Centre which was featured on a BBC documentary for its abuse to asylum seekers.
However, Cambridgeshire Horizons has already earmarked the former barracks as a site for affordable and sustainable homes with a strong green theme which will be known as Northstowe. The truth is that Gordon Brown is doing nothing more than jumping on the bandwagon. These homes have long been planned to have a green theme prior to Gordon’s announcement.
Local MP Andrew Lansley also saw through Gordon Brown’s audacious cheek at trying to claim credit for creating the first ever eco-town on our home turf.
“This is Gordon Brown wandering round Whitehall, trying to pick up ideas and promote them as his own. There is nothing new about any of this. You would think he would start out by setting out broader policies.”
I also agree with Andrew about how cost effecting creating a zero-carbon town would be.
If Gordon Brown is trying to claim credit for this eco-town which he has not been involved with to date, what does that prove about his pledge for more transparency? And will he prove how green he is by restoring tax cuts on environmental research projects ?
lol Elle,
Would Andrew Lansley presume to claim that Norhstowe is a wholly Conservative project from South Cambs and Conservative controlled Cambs County Council.
PS – How much is the ‘government’ of the day throwing at this project – in addition to the hefty subsidy for G-Bus, and the widening of the A14.
PPS – Is the widening of the A14 green in conservative ‘speak’ or is someone jumping on the green bandwagon, but still pushing for six lane motorways.
Indeed the A14 needs improvements, but will more lanes to speed up the traffic make it ‘safer’ or ‘greener’?
It would have been nice if Gordon would have come up with another five ‘garden cities’ or eco-towns in addition to those in the pipeline.
However it would also be nice if Gordon, Labour, libdems and the Conservatives showed a real commitment to preserving the Green Belt in CAMBRIDGE – and preserving green corridors around Luton, Stansted (airports).
Great spot Elle!
I just thought it was one of those, I’ll say it because by the time anything happens I’ll be long gone, type ideas.
There is something very artificial about the Gorgon. Somehow nothing ever quite rings true, especially this new found listening politician that he seems to have decided he is.
The prospective Lord Protector has spent so long fulminating and plotting to get the no 1 job, now that it is upon him, he has very little to show in terms of stand alone policies, just more shoddy grandstanding
Green ?
Not with an economic policy based on perpetual growth. Allied to the ‘success’ of our economy unrestrained immigration is not doing much for the environment of the UK, the motivation of its indiginous people nor its carbon footprint.
Great piece Ellee, This may sound like a bit of self-interest, but I do wonder at how much new towns impact on local facilities. This ‘new town’ will be in the catchment area for the local hospital and it can seem that local sevices keep being expected to absorb the increase in the population we serve. Thanks again for the piece Ellee.
Michelle
Aah, I must be going soft. I feel like giving him a chance!
Are they really green or more greenbelt ruined at the expense of using up space?
Welshcakes just don’t, OK.
Vicky Ford has an interesting take on this. It doesn’t sound very green, and it certainly isn’t Gordon’s idea!
Although there’s something somewhat endearing about Gordon wanting to have “Brown Towns” as his legacy
Elle: This is my first visit to your site. It was fascinating to read what others have said of Mr. Brown so I can gain a better perspective. I can tell you in the United States Tony Blair is very popular and felt like a familiar friend. I watched him debate often on TV’s C-Span. I know little of Mr. Brown. A fine post!
Elle,
I find it ironic that you and your Tory friends should claim Gordon is jumping on the Green bandwagon and not thinking through policies . . errr hasn’t that been Dave’s strategy for the last year or so?
David, I saw Michael Meacher speak in Westminster when he was Environment Secretary and he was at his wits end about the Cabinet’s lack of interest in the environment, he said openly that he had little support from them.
Last year I met Tony Juniper in Cambridge, from FoE, and he told me that he was in despair about Labour’s lack of interest on climate change. He said if they did not introduce the Climate Change Bill, he had enough cross-party to ensure others brought it into prominence. Luckily, David Cameron came along and took it on board immediately, I don’t recall Gordon Brown proactively supporting green issues before:
http://elleeseymour.blogspot.com/search?q=tony+juniper
P.S. I do like David Miliband and believe he is committed to the Environment, I hope he doesn’t get moved in a Cabinet reshuffle.
I could say the same about a selected group of Tories I have met. I saw David Milliband at Davos where he electrified the audience in the BBC debate about the Environment and moved many senior business people there and then to commit their businesses to more active environmental stances. Guess we’ll never really agree on party politics, all I hope is that your blog does not become one of those tedious Tory attack blogs that’s all . . .remember we talked about that when we met. Oh, just saw your Milliband comment. Nice balance! I too hope he doesn’t get re-shuffled.
‘I do like David Miliband and believe he is committed to the Environment, I hope he doesn’t get moved in a Cabinet reshuffle.’ (Ellee)
Oh please, here we have a career policy boy who has never had a proper job in his life. He wants to licence sea fishing (which he refers to as ‘unregulated fishing’ in his Marine White Paper) to move away from what he patronisingly calls the ‘no pay, no say’ of recreational sea fishermen. We are talking about a man who wants to inflict a barmy personal carbon trading scheme upon a cold country where pensioners are already freezing to death in the winter.
A choice comment from another blogger about Miliband I read elsewhere:
‘The thought that such people are in charge of our lives truly fills me with horror. Their heads are full of political theory, their hearts firmly embedded in the belief that only the state can provide solutions. They move in a false, featherbedded world where the answer to everything is to tighten the state’s grip on its people; for that is all they know.’
Miliband will care about whatever area of policy he is given to care about. If that is the environment then I’m sure he does care about it, probably more than he does ordinary people.