Housing Minister Caroline Flint said:

“The Panel will have a vital role in encouraging and inspiring developers to aim as high as possible in each potential location.

There are no done deals and I expect bidders to raise their game by taking on board the expert advice available to them, to make the most of this unique opportunity to deliver the affordable, greener homes our first time buyers and young families desperately need."

The panel will address a range of issues such as ensuring house designs are sensitive to local surroundings and create homes people want to live in, using the site's natural resources efficiently, creating a vibrant and healthy community for people of all ages, encouraging more journeys on foot, bicycle and public transport, ensuring the development makes the best use of new technologies, and improving the potential of the area to create jobs and spark an entrepreneur spirit.

The Panel will also publish recommendations to each bidder over the comings months on how they could improve their vision for Eco-towns. Ministers will make the final decision on locations for Eco-town development based on the quality of bids and with reference to the criteria set out in the Eco-town Prospectus.

The fourteen members of the Eco-Towns Challenge Panel are:

* John Walker (Chair) - Former chief executive, British Urban Regeneration Association. Expert in delivery of large mixed-use development
* Dr Liz Goodwin - chief executive, Waste and Resource Action Programme (WRAP). Expert in use of natural resources and recycling
* Stephen Hale - director, Green Alliance. Environment expert
* Sir Peter Hall - president, Town and Country Planning Association. Expert in urban issues, housing and planning
* Wayne Hemingway - founder, Red or Dead. Expert in design and social issues
* Stephen Joseph - executive director, Campaign for Better Transport. Transport expert
* Nick Mabey - chief executive, E3G. Expert in energy issues and economic development
* Kris Murrin - TV presenter, expert in sustainable transport and children's issues
* Sunand Prasad - Royal Institute of British Architects President. Expert in design and architecture
* Liz Reason - director, Reasons to Be Cheerful consultancy. Expert in innovative approaches to energy issues and climate change
* Sue Riddlestone - director, BioRegional Development Group. Expert in sustainability and sustainable development
* Joanna Yarrow - TV presenter, green-lifestyle specialist and founder of sustainability company Beyond Green
* Richard Simmons - Expert in architecture and the built environment.
* Lynda Addison - managing director of Addison & Associates. Transport and planning expert.

Up to ten eco-towns will be built by 2020. Caroline Flint announced a shortlist of fifteen potential locations last month for consultation. Eco-towns will be zero-carbon sustainable developments of between 5,000 and 20,000 homes.