Bicester getting closer to China
1 March 2010
Bicester already has strong links with China
"Bicester Village" is the most popular destination for Chinese tourists coming to the UK.
Now with the help of local MP Tony Baldry, China wants to get involved with working collaboratively on the Research and Development of the North West Bicester Ecotown project.
"When I was a Minister with responsibility for the construction industry", said Tony Baldry, "I became a member of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB)."
CIOB has a significant number of members of the Institute who live and work in China and indeed, this year's President of the CIOB is Professor Li Shirong who in addition to be President of the CIOB, also in China is Deputy Director-General of the Chongqing Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Commission (www.ft.cq.cn)
Chongqing is a major city in Central China, which has already entered into an agreement with the United Kingdom concerning cooperation on the development of sustainable communities, including the planning and design for the development of sustainable communities, the design and construction of energy efficient buildings, and the development of renewable energies.
And Chongqing is very keen to see the potential for development of environmental and green businesses between Chongqing and the UK.
Professor Li Shirong, and representatives of the CIOB, recently visited North Oxfordshire, where we were able to explain more about the North West Ecotown initiative.
I think the interest and involvement in the Ecotown project from leading professional bodies, such as the Chartered Institute of Building, and the fact that academics and professionals from as far away as China want to be involved in this project demonstrates that this is a serious step change in looking at how we build houses and communities for the future.
Every day at Westminster I receive letters and emails from constituents concerned about Climate Change, concerned about setting targets for CO2 reductions and the Ecotown initiative gives us all the opportunity to think through how we create sustainable communities for the 21st century with housing that is much more energy efficient, communities which are seen as the best place to live, but are not so reliant on the motor car and which sustain more local jobs.
They are equally looking for the answer to these issues in China. They are equally interested in how to build more energy efficient homes and how to collaborate between Chinese and UK companies that are undertaking this Research and Development and in due course I hope that Bicester will be as well known in China and elsewhere in the world for the Ecotown initiative as Bicester is justifiably well known in China at present for "Bicester Village".
For further information about the CIOB or Professor Li Shirong, please get in touch with Eddie Tuttle (etuttle@ciob.org.uk)
