Archived press release

Millennium eco-village: fine until you look next door

18 February 1998

The Millennium site is divided into three parts, and the Government is only keen to talk about two of them. One is the Dome. Another is the eco-village, which John Prescott has said will be a “template” for other developments on brownfield sites across the country.

But the third part of the site is not so green. Here, Government quango English Partnerships is promoting a large retail development, over 16,250 square metres of land right next to the eco-village. There will be a large supermarket and a retail “warehouse”-type unit, together with car parking. Next to the retail development there will be a multiplex cinema. Jenny Bates of Greenwich and Lewisham Friends of Earth describes this part of the Millennium development as “not much greener than a pile of toxic sludge”.

English Partnerships are putting up £147.5 million towards the cost of new infrastructure for the whole Millennium site. This includes road schemes, such as turning the local Horn Lane into a dual carriageway, to cope with the permanent extra traffic created by the retail development and cinema.

Local campaigners claim that the retail development will undermine local shops in East Greenwich, and also new small shops planned for the eco-village itself. Research shows that supermarkets support one job for every £250,000 in turnover, while small local shops support one job for every £50,000. Campaigners are also calling for community participation in future planning for the Millennium site.

Commenting, Jenny Bates of Greenwich and Lewisham FOE said:

“The eco-village is certainly a welcome part of the Millennium development. With the participation and support of local people, it could indeed be a model for other developments around the country. But the good example of the eco-village could be ruined by the ugly urban sprawl planned for right next door. That is not much greener than a pile of toxic sludge. English Partnerships - and the Government -must wake up and realise the whole Millennium development should be as green as possible. If not, it could be doomed to be only a template for hypocrisy”.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust