Remember the government’s eco-towns scheme – a plan to put a series of brand spanking new carbon neutral Milton Keynes-a-likes over this brown and pleasant land?

Well, Housing Minister Caroline Flint has decided there’s no better way to get companies bidding to build the towns to come up with crackerjack plans than to inflict a panel of 14 experts on them.

The panel will, according to Flint (well, according to Flint’s press release writer who presumably gets paid to come up with arse-clenchingly bad nuggets like this) “inject new thinking” and “aim as high as possible in each potential location”.

The panel, Flint reckons, will put their two-pennies worth into the bidders on subjects like transport, design, community, technologies and jobs.

Here’s who’s who in Flint’s gang:

• John Walker (Chair) – Former Chief Executive, British Urban Regeneration Association. Expert in delivery of large mixed use development
• Dr Liz Goodwin – Chief Executive, Waste and Resource Action Programme (WRAP). Expert in use of natural resources and recycling
• Stephen Hale – Director, Green Alliance. Environment expert
• Sir Peter Hall – President, Town and Country Planning Association. Expert in urban issues, housing and planning
• Wayne Hemingway – Founder, Red or Dead. Expert in design and social issues
• Stephen Joseph – Executive Director, Campaign for Better Transport. Transport expert
• Nick Mabey – Chief Executive, E3G. Expert in energy issues and economic
• Kris Murrin – TV presenter, expert in sustainable transport and children’s issues
• Sunand Prasad – Royal Institute of British Architects President. Expert in design and architecture
• Liz Reason – Director, Reasons to Be Cheerful consultancy. Expert in innovative approaches to energy issues and climate change
• Sue Riddlestone – Director, BioRegional Development Group. Expert in sustainability and sustainable development
• Joanna Yarrow – TV presenter, green-lifestyle specialist and founder of sustainability company Beyond Green
• Richard Simmons – Expert in architecture and the built environment
• Lynda Addison – Managing Director of Addison & Associates. Transport and planning expert.

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