Government ‘truthfulness’ on eco-towns questioned

The Government has been caught out exaggerating the environmental credentials of one of its proposed new eco-towns.

An advert asking for opinions on a proposed eco-town near Lichfield in Staffordshire said the 5,000 home development, named Curborough, would be built on a brownfield site.

The advert read: “An eco-town near you? Curborough, Staffordshire where a bid has been made for 5,000 homes on the brownfield site of the former Fradley airfield.”

A complaint about the claims in the advert was raised with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

Lichfield District Council and a local pressure group complained to the ASA that only a tiny proportion of the development will actually be built on brownfield land.

The ASA investigated the matter, and asked for the advert to be withdrawn because it contravenes its ‘truthfulness’ code.

The government, red-faced, was forced to admit that the majority of the development would actually be built on greenfield land, with only a small minority of the eco-town to be built on a disused airfield.

A spokesperson for the government said the advert was ‘unintentionally’ inaccurate.

Another complaint to the ASA about the advert was dismissed.

The government claims in the advert that 50% of the Curborough development will be affordable housing.

According to the ASA, this is an acceptable claim despite the government not yet deciding the exact proportion of eco-towns that will be affordable.

Sources
http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?id=15371&channel=0&title=Govt+over-states+eco+town%27s+green+credentials
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/ecotowns-green-benefit-exaggerated-asa-rules-933033.html
http://www.contractjournal.com/Articles/2008/09/17/61188/government-eco-town-ad-caught-out-by-advertising-standards-authority.html
http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=62480&d=254&h=260&f=3