Possible eco-town to be discussed

The base had been earmarked for an asylum centre

An emergency meeting is being held to discuss the possibility of building an eco-town on land in Nottinghamshire.

Rushcliffe Borough Council said the plans for the former RAF base at Newton are not yet firm and discussions are in the early stages.

Rushcliffe was one of the areas listed as a possible location for an eco-town in a government announcement in April.

Some residents in the nearby town of Bingham opposed proposals for an asylum centre at the same location in 2004.

'No decision yet'

Dennis Briggs, of the Bingham Community Concern, said many local residents were worried about traffic from the 6,000 homes that might be built on the site.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Chris Evans said the council had not yet properly discussed the matter.

"There has been no discussion and no scrutiny," he said.

Council leader Neil Clarke said: "There have been no decisions made at all. We are still waiting for plans to come in from government - if there are any plans to come in. It is very much a question of 'if'."

The new environmentally-friendly towns - low-energy, carbon-neutral developments built from recycled materials - will be the first new towns since the 1960s.

The largest will provide between 15,000 and 20,000 new homes, with officials saying the towns should be "zero-carbon" developments and should be exemplary in one area of sustainability, such as energy production or waste disposal.

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