The creation of eco-towns will bring "badly needed" jobs, according to the TUC.

On Thursday the Government announced the creation of four eco-towns at Rackheath, Whitehill Bordon, Bicester and St Austell. The towns will create tens of thousands of homes and be carbon neutral. Construction is set to begin in 2016.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "The new towns will mean more housing and more jobs, both of which are badly needed at the moment. The new developments will be using environmentally sound construction techniques and new, green building skills which can then be used across the whole of the house building industry.

"We hope the development of eco-towns will be the first stage in the process of reviving the UK construction industry."