Although the Co-op appears not to have given up on its idea for an eco-town to the east of Leicester, we have to say it looks to us as though this scheme is well and truly dead in the water. Not only did it fail to make the Government's first phase of eco-town development, it was also not included in a potential second phase assessed as needing more work.

Added to that is just how deeply unpopular the proposals have proved to be locally. Harborough District Council, Oadby and Wigston Borough Council and Leicestershire County Council all objected. The only local authority which thought it was a good idea was Leicester City Council.

There were also very obvious and fundamental problems with the entire concept.

Although it was proposed under the banner of an "eco-town" it really does not sound particularly environmentally friendly to concrete over a large swathe of countryside.

Anybody familiar with the area would also have to seriously question how the roads network could possibly cope with all the people who would occupy the 15,000 new homes which were planned.

Having said all that we have to recognise that there is a need for more housing in Leicestershire and indeed there are a number of other plans around the county for greenfield development which are also bitterly opposed by local residents.

What we would question, however, is whether there really is such a large requirement for extra housing as the Government says there is and whether brownfield sites are being used enough to meet those requirements.

It seems to us that this is an issue which needs to be reviewed, not just over the eco-town plan, but generally across our county before large parts of the countryside disappear for ever under new housing.

As for the eco-town itself, surely it is time that the Co-op accepted reality and ran up the white flag.