Proposals for a pioneering "town for tomorrow" in Leicestershire, will give the area a clear lead in the development of sustainable communities, playing a key role in meeting the employment, housing and environmental aspirations of future generations.

These objectives underpin a decision by The Co-operative Estates, working with English Partnerships, to enter a competition established by the Government to find sites for up to ten new "eco-towns" in the UK.

The organisation, part of the Co-operative Group, has put forward its vision for an eco-town, with the working title of Pennbury, on part of the Group's 4000-acre Stoughton farming estate to the south east of Leicester.

The new community would:

· Be a pioneering centre of excellence for sustainable technologies
· Comprise of between twelve and fifteen thousand homes
· Provide up to 5,000 affordable homes
· Provide around 12,000 new jobs in the sustainable development industry including energy and construction
· Occupy less than 40 per cent of the estate including previously developed land at Leicester Airport and public sector land, owned by English Partnerships at Stretton Hall. The community would have 30 per cent open space within it
· Leave around 60 per cent of the estate for farming and countryside uses, ensuring that surrounding villages including Stoughton and Great Glen were clearly separated
· Be carbon neutral from day one, with the clear objective of becoming self-sufficient in terms of energy generation
· Introduce innovative systems of sustainable construction, community management and energy management
· Directly address existing and future transport concerns by making public transport a community mainstay and discouraging car use
· Provide a platform for new ways of supplying communities with local produce
.
The submission by The Co-operative Estates is one of more than 50 which have been submitted to the Government, which is expected to announce a shortlist of proposed sites early next year.

The organisation, which has now met local authorities to explain the Pennbury proposals in more detail, is at pains to stress that they are at early stages of development and could evolve significantly.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for Leicestershire and the East Midlands to take the lead through the establishment of a pioneering community, which sets the pace in the development of sustainable technology and is itself, a sustainable place to live," said Lynda Shillaw, Managing Director of Co-operative Estates.

"We want to provide a town where people will want to live, can afford to live and will want to stay. No other organisation is better placed to provide such a community as The Co-operative Group. We are owned, not by a small group of shareholders but by millions of people living in communities across the country and our ultimate aim is to use our financial resources for the benefit of our members and the betterment of communities."

"In contrast to other eco-town proposals, we do not have to assemble land, putting us in a far stronger position to control the final community development. Just as importantly, as an ethical business, the Co-operative Group has a proven track record in delivering sustainable energy projects whether it's our own waste recycling facility or Europe's largest vertical array of solar panels in Manchester."

She added: "The pressing need to provide sufficient affordable homes for our children and our children's children is already well defined as is the need to reduce the impact of the way we live in the face of climate change. We are offering this area the chance to accept that challenge and set the pace."

Because The Co-operative Estates finds itself in a competitive position with its proposals, it is not yet able to reveal full bid details but has promised full public consultation if Pennbury is shortlisted as a potential scheme.