Motorists could be charged to leave eco-towns under plans to limit car usage, PistonHeads can reveal. Planners are keen to limit car usage in eco-towns and have rolled out a number of proposals to stop people driving.
Following a meeting between Cambridge County Council and Jarrow Investments - the developers behind a proposal at one shortlisted eco-town location at Hanley Grange - it emerged that charging cars to leave was one of many ideas being put forward. A report following the meeting from Councillor Tim Stone said there would be severe limitations on car use with 10% of internal journeys and 40% of external journeys by car.
These limitations would include restricting on-street parking, no provision of garages close to houses and potential charging for leaving Hanley Grange by means of number plate recognition devices. The developers are understood to be offering vastly improved public transport and a cycle/pedestrian overpass in return.
Interestingly the developers have proposed that the town would have a 5,500 square meter superstore which would serve the residents as there would be no parking. Jarrow Investments was formed to purchase the land at Hanley Grange and now owns land at the site on behalf of Tesco.
Sebastian Hanley, a spokesman for Jarrow, told PistonHeads: ‘We are exploring a number of options to reduce the need for car use and encourage people onto public transport as part of our eco-town proposals.
‘These include improving bus services to connect housing to the two nearby rail stations and employment centres, locating housing close to bus stops, improving cycle and pedestrian routes along with measures to make it less attractive to drive.
‘These are still at an early stage of discussion and any systems would be dependent on technologies in 2011/2012 and beyond when we would begin to deliver the first housing.’
Michael Kissman, a spokesman for Tesco, said: 'Clearly new towns are going to need shops and we would look at having a food store at Hanley Grange.'