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(b) North West

(c) Yorkshire and the Humber

(d) London

(e) South East


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(f) South West

(g) East Midlands

(h) West Midlands


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(i) East of England

Regional Planning and Development

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the estimated date is by which every local planning authority in England will have completed its local development framework. [176184]

Mr. Iain Wright: The work programmes for local planning authorities (called local development schemes) are drawn up by the authorities themselves and cleared by regional government offices. Each is different: each is intended to be tailored to the individual needs of the area. Every LDF includes a core strategy as the key overarching document but other plans vary according to circumstances. Projections are not easy to make with total accuracy but I currently expect over 90 per cent. of core strategies to be adopted by March 2011, 99 per cent. by March 2012 and 100 per cent. by March 2013.

Sustainable Development: Northstowe

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reasons Northstowe was not adopted as an eco-town. [171718]

Yvette Cooper: The proposal for a new settlement at Northstowe was put forward by local authorities in Cambridgeshire (Cambridgeshire county council, South Cambridgeshire district council and Cambridge city council) and adopted in the Cambridgeshire structure plan in 2003, and taken forward in 2006 through the South Cambridgeshire Core Strategy and an area action plan all of which predate the eco-towns programme. I understand that a planning application, being taken forward by English Partnerships and Gallaghers, who jointly own most of the area for development is expected shortly. The ambition is for Northstowe to be an early prototype for eco-towns including being an exemplar of sustainability in the use of renewable energy resources and reducing carbon emissions.

Urban Areas: Carbon Emissions

Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has for eco-pubs and eco-clubs to operate in eco-towns. [166739]


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Yvette Cooper: The Eco-towns Prospectus published in July 2007 sets out the vision for these new settlements, which must include a good range of facilities and services for their communities. The specific facilities such as pubs and clubs will be a matter for the promoters of schemes to determine but it is a key objective of the scheme that the development as a whole should achieve zero carbon. The Government expect eco-towns to lead the way in design and sustainability of the town and its buildings, leisure and commercial as well as housing, and have announced a competition to encourage the best design for all aspects of the new eco-towns.

Urban Areas: Sustainable Development

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the implications for infrastructure provision of each eco-town proposal. [174466]

Yvette Cooper: We are currently undertaking a cross-Government review of the eco-towns expressions of interest and expect publish proposals in the spring. As part of the review, we are assessing proposals against the criteria set out in the Eco-town prospectus, and this includes transport, land use and the infrastructure needed to make the development deliverable and sustainable.

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes have been proposed in each eco-town proposal. [174536]

Yvette Cooper: We have received over 50 expressions of interest for eco-towns. The housing provision in each proposal is indicative at this stage, but ranges between 5-20,000 in most proposals, which is in line with the eco-town criteria.

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the balance between the use of greenfield and brownfield land in each eco-town proposal. [174537]

Yvette Cooper: We are currently undertaking a cross-government review of the eco-towns expressions of interest and expect to publish proposals in the spring. There have been over 50 expressions of interest including both green and brown field land, including using surplus public land like disused barracks.

International Development

ACP Countries: EU External Trade

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make representations to the EU for alternatives to be offered to African, Caribbean and Pacific countries unable to conclude European partnership agreements by 31 December 2007. [179735]


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Mr. Thomas: 35 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries signed an Economic Partnership Agreement before the end of 2007 deadline. A further 32 least developed countries (LDCs) have chosen to trade under the Everything But Arms initiative, benefiting from duty free quota free access into European Union markets. The remaining 10 non-LDC ACP countries may still sign an EPA during 2008-09 and the UK continues to urge the Commission to be flexible in these negotiations. On 10 December, the UK, along with the Netherlands, Denmark and Ireland, made a declaration setting out our continued concern for non-LDCs who had not then initialled an agreement and urged the Commission to show flexibility.

For the 10 non-LDCs that have not signed an EPA we expect minimal, if any, trade disruption due to their current trade patterns with the EU. However, if these countries do request an alternative, it remains the UK position, as set out in 2005, that the European Commission should be ready to provide a WTO-compatible alternative to an EPA.

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