Co-op announced today (Thursday, Oct 9), at one minute past midnight, its second, more detailed plans for a 15,000-home eco-town on farmland between Great Glen and Stoughton.

The Government shortlisted the 'Pennbury' site near Great Glen as one of its 15 possible eco-towns in April. That shortlist has now been reduced to 13 after two of the bidders dropped out.

Co-op owns the majority of the land while another little-known agency called English Partnerships owns a small section.

In its much-anticipated document, the Co-op also reveals:

*It will pay £5million towards a feasibility study to operate a tram link at the site.
*That one of the secondary schools with be an Academy for sustainable technology
*Create 14,000 jobs
*Create a 1,286-hectare Great Park on the site
*Run a commercial farm on the site
*That it will have shops, restaurants, leisure facilities, health centres, community centres, churches and civic building
*Create a new form of direct democracy-style local governance for the eco-town

Bosses from the Co-op also promise that there will be a 'school place for every child from day one'.

The document breaks down the types of houses to be included such as 5,960 two-bed homes, 583 one-bed flats and 732 sheltered accommodation properties.

The Government shortlisted the 'Pennbury' site near Great Glen as one of its 15 possible eco-towns in April.

That shortlist has now been reduced to 13 after two of bidders dropped out.

The Government is expected to announced early next year which will go forward as eco-towns. It will select 'up to ten', a spokesman for the Department for Communities and Local Government says.

Dr Kevin Feltham, chairman of campaign group Cascet which is fighting the eco-town proposal, said: "Once again, grand words, but too little credible detail of how all of this is to be created.

"We have waited for nearly a year to see some really concerete, well-researched details of just how this new town will work and especially how the unsustainable transport problems have been solved.

"Still we have no further clue as to much of the detail people want so they can make a valued judgement about the benefits or otherwise of this monstrosity of a development - almost twice the size of Market Harborough."

*What do you think? Email news editor Alex Blackwell at alex.blackwell@harboroughmail.co.uk or write to the Mail at 9 Northampton Road, Market Harborough, Leics, LE16 9HB.