Selby District Council has welcomed today's (Tuesday 4 November) announcement by the Government that they will not look to build a new eco town in the Selby district.

The authority has been working as part of the Leeds City Region group to persuade the Department of Communities and Local Government that a more sustainable alternative to one eco town is to incorporate environmentally friendly developments within areas that have already been earmarked for future growth.

In February this year the Council voted to object to the Government's initial plans and said that such a development would not meet the needs of people living and working in the area.  In June, the Council leader, along with the leaders of all the local authorities working together as part of the Leeds City Region group, voted to reject four sites identified as possibilities for a new eco town - all of which were within the Selby district.

Leader of Selby District Council, Cllr Mark Crane, said, "All along we've been adamant that a large scale development in this area would not, in fact, be eco friendly - much better to incorporate such eco development into areas that we have already identified as being the right places for growth to meet the needs of people living and working in the Leeds City Region area.

"Today's announcement is a testament to our successful partnership work as part of the Leeds City Region group - working with others gives Selby District Council and, therefore, our residents, more of a say in terms of national policies that could directly affect us.

"The Government now says that it supports our vision of eco development within sites that we know have the infrastructure and jobs in place to ensure they really are eco friendly.  We support such a move, because we really feel that an eco town on a greenfield site within the Selby district would not have met the Council's priorities of delivering a clean, green and healthy environment and championing a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions."