firstly I will reiterate about how brownfield sites are often some of the most valuable habitats around, light years ahead of relatively sterile arable farmland they just don't look as pretty so the general public and even people who suggest that they care about wildlife fail to do any research into how valuable they are and just llet them get built on - even encourage it. development should be conducted on a site by site basis and how a site functions in support of wildlife is far more important than how it looks if you ask me.
secondly yes I have seen about these eco towns and if you are going to build a new town, these are definately the way to go. They will be sustainable housing, hopefully most with locally produced power from local plants that use rubbish in addition to other methods, there's greater recognition of the value of green space, green corridors and wild spaces in addition to the need for recreation. There will be large lakes and wetlands and it wouldn't suprise me one inch if the biodiversity ends up better in these areas than it was before as it has with developments such as centerparcs.
Development isn't necessarily a bad thing but the British public being so quick to knock
anything - even if its beneficial - because they take the easy route and let the papers make thier mind up for them these landmark developments will probably struggle - meanwhile smaller ordinary tightly packed developments will keep turning up at the edge of cities and smaller towns because we need housing and these sort of developments don't get as much press.
Sigh.... This is not necesaily a bad thing folks
and sorry for getting a bit heated about this - but its this 'build on brownfield - whatever' attitude that meant that a site I surveyed in Kent with
Water Voles and great-crested newts and breeding long-eared owls, breeding lapwing, shelduck, skylark, redshank, reed bunting, sand martin and a heronry, masses of wildflowers masses of insects dragonflies, digger wasps and bees, bumble bees, butterflies, breeding foxes and it got built on - token green areas that will be emptied by cats and small children over time - fish will be put in the ponds and the ditches it will be ruined because it was brownfield and therefore not considered valuable by the general public.........