by Trevor Sturgess

Low carbon homes will boost the construction industry, South East regional minister Jonathan Shaw has said.

The MP for Chatham and Aylesford said the sector would benefit in terms of jobs and skills by the move to zero carbon homes. It was also important to make older properties fit for a greener world.

Mr Shaw made his comments at a meeting of construction chiefs shortly after two more sites in the South East were identified as potential eco towns, bringing the total number of sites in the region to four, so far none in Kent.

Mr Shaw said: "Eco-towns both help satisfy the need for quality and affordable homes in places where people want to live and work, and also address the need for low carbon living to benefit the environment."

Eco towns have been proposed for Bicester, Whitehill Bordon, Fareham and Shoreham Harbour. Each one would see thousands of new homes built.

Mr Shaw added: "And as we radically review how we build homes for the future, eco towns also present the opportunity for new jobs and new skills in the construction industry.

"It is important that businesses, through apprenticeships, and schools, colleges and universities concentrate on building the skills needed for the developing new technologies. That way our young people will benefit from the huge opportunities on offer and the industry will grow from strength to strength."

The Government has injected £1.1bn into housebuilding support in the south east over the past two years. But Mr Shaw said there were still more than 200,000 households on council waiting lists in the region, and the need to build more homes remained a priority.