Twelve experts from the worlds of design, the environment, transport and sustainability have signed up to join the Eco-towns Challenge and play a key role in shaping the future of the biggest new towns programme in the UK for forty years.

The panel of leading figures announced this week by Housing Minister Caroline Flint will provide expert advice and support to developers whose proposed locations were announced in last week's shortlist of fifteen potential sites. They will also play an important role in challenging the developers to meet the highest standards possible for sustainability and design in their final proposals. 18.04.08