Legal advice must sound death knell for eco-towns

8.52.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 23rd Jul 2008

The real solution to the housing crisis is to free councils to build the homes that their areas need.

Commenting on today's publication of advice from leading lawyers, which claims that local authorities will be able to challenge the Government over its approach to eco-towns, Liberal Democrat Shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary, Julia Goldsworthy said: "Not only is Gordon Brown's pet eco-towns project facing opposition from residents and councils up and down the country, but now we learn that legal challenges are also likely. This must sound the death knell for this attempt to bypass the local planning process and local public opinion."

"What this Government fails to understand is that centrally-imposed solutions are doomed to failure. The real solution to the housing crisis is to free councils to build the homes that their areas need."