A joint venture company called ECO-BOS has been set up by Imerys, and Orascom, with assistance from the Eden Project.
Under the company's plans, 5,000 eco-homes would be built on former china clay quarries and other sites owned by Imerys over a 20-year period.
[3] In December 2012, the developers of the St Austell eco-town announced that plans had been put on hold indefinitely, blaming the depressed economic situation for their decision.
The revised plans, include 1,500 homes, a primary school, a technology park, solar farms and recreational facilities.
The "No Ecotown" group has fears that few of the homes will be affordable as well as increased traffic congestion, lack of employment opportunities, swamping of local villages and damage to wildlife habitats.