AS THE architects of the Eco-town, with its virtually traffic free status, grow ever more confident of a nod from the Government, Helios and a clutch of private developers are preparing their own planning application – for an inland "port".
If both schemes get the go ahead, the village could have a "green" Eco-town nestling next to a freight port with heavy levels of traffic emitting noise and fumes.
The two projects would sit side by side, separated only by the River Torne – and pos
sibly both would be served by a new M18 link road.
Eco-town planning chief Adrian Spawforth said the schemes could co-exist as entirely separate entities – but stressed there is NO inter-relationship between them.
He said: "Historically the two schemes were bound together, but that is no longer the case, and UK Coal own none of the land earmarked for the inland port at all.
"That scheme is now very different from the Eco-town proposals. They have their ideas and we have ours.
"The green agenda is becoming more important by the minute, in building terms, and what we see coming to fruition now was probably conceived when that was not the case. Ours could be a flagship scheme for the whole of the country.
"I believe a planning application for the inland port will be put forward within the next six months... but there is no guarantee it will get the green light and there is no interdependency between our two schemes at all.
"That is far from the case – and there is always the potential for a public inquiry, which could mean no decision on the port is made for a very long time."
Of the self-contained Eco-town – sheltered by its extensive landscaping – Mr Spawforth added: "Now the plan has been downscaled,
it generally feels much more manageable and comfortable ".
