Friday 9 May 2008

Join the battle to save our countryside

TODAY, the West Sussex Gazette throws its weight behind the campaign to fight the outrageous eco-town proposals for a site at Ford.

It believes it is vital for everyone to take a united stand against this undemocratic bid to build thousands of new homes on a site which is fundamentally greenfield, consisting largely of prime grade one agricultural land in full usage.

It is not a redundant brownfield site, no matter how much housing minister Caroline Flint might try to pull the wool over everyone's eyes. Click here for more...

Wednesday 7 May 2008

When are the Vision Group going to come out of the closet?

Rod Hague, spokesperson for the Vision Group, said a fortnight ago that dates for the public consultation process would be announced in "early May".

Some correspondence with the guy who has the unenviable job of responding to emails from the Developer's website:

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Dear Mr Dixon,

The dates for our consultation activity have not been published yet. We will be making an announcement shortly.

Regards

Gary Pleasants

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Dear Mr Pleasants

Thank you for your e-mail. This is disappointing, given the short period available for consultation in this process, and noting that it is now a fortnight since Rod Hague issued your press release saying that consultation dates would be released in 'early May' - but I guess you are well aware that it will be an unpleasant experience for your team to be faced with the universal condemnation of your proposal to build on the agricultural land between the villages of Ford, Climping and Yapton.

I assume that you propose to announce the dates as late as possible to make it as difficult as possible for people to attend these consultation events, but I am sure that there will be many, many people there to express our opinions nevertheless.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards



Geoff Dixon

Tuesday 6 May 2008

Launch of CAFE



Local campaign group Communities Against Ford Eco-Town (CAFE) was launched formally on Friday afternoon (2 May).

CAFE has been set up by members of the local community, including residents of Ford, Yapton, Climping and Arundel, backed by Arundel & South Downs MP Nick Herbert and Bognor Regis & Littlehampton MP Nick Gibb.

The launch took place in Yapton on a footpath overlooking the site of the proposed ecotown. It was attended by members of CAFE including Co-Chairman and Yapton resident Terry Knott, supporters from the local community and MPs Nick Herbert and Nick Gibb.

Campaigners held up banners and posters displaying the new CAFE logo.

A new CAFE leaflet and petition was available at the launch, copies of which will be distributed to households in the area during the next few days.

CAFE has been formed in response to the announcement on 3 April by Housing Minister Caroline Flint that Ford has been shortlisted for an eco-town, along with 14 other locations around the country. Of the 15 sites that have made the shortlist, the Government anticipates that 10 eco-towns will be built. Five will be built by 2016, the remainder by 2020.

At least 5,000 houses could be built on land around the former Ford Airfield site, most of which is greenfield land.

Terry Knott commented: “I have lived here 20 years and am very much involved in the local community and its economics and ethos. I believe this eco-project to be deeply flawed. Its’ alleged need is based on highly questionable government statistics, it will swamp the local community, will be boxed in by the railway and an already overloaded A27 and it does not even make economic sense, for the very people it is supposed to help.

“The government has mixed up hectares and acres in its submission documents and, in short, it is a half-baked idea, with nothing to commend the site at Ford.”

Climping resident and CAFE Campaign Coordinator Susan West commented: “We should be building homes in more appropriate and sustainable locations, where people want to live and work, not on a greenfield site miles from amenities and without adequate transport links.”

Climping resident and CAFE campaigner Geoff Dixon commented: "Once people understand the sheer size of this development, they will be very worried about the impact it will have on their lives and environment. It's great to have so many asking how they can get their voices heard against the proposals to build on the fields between our villages."

Nick Gibb commented: "This is a campaign that is backed by the whole community who are fearful of the impact 5,000 new houses across a huge area of land from the border of Yapton to the River Arun will have on our environment.

“It is a campaign determined to fight the vandalism that a new town will have on this green space, the lungs for the people of Bognor Regis and Littlehampton as well as a beautiful landscape for Arundel, Climping, Ford and Yapton."

Nick Herbert commented: "The whole community is coming together to oppose an eco-town at Ford. We have to get the message across that this huge new development on greenfield land won't just affect Ford, Climping and Yapton - the traffic, increased pressure on public services will impact on other villages and towns not far away including Arundel, Bognor and Littlehampton."

Mr Herbert added: "I hope that as many people as possible will sign our petition, join our march on Saturday 7th June and write to the Government to protest against this dreadful plan."

For further information, please contact Susan West on 01903 714528

Residents vow to fight Ford eco-town

Local residents packed into Yapton and Ford Village Hall on Thursday evening (1 May) to voice their concerns at the proposal to build an eco-town at Ford.

It was standing room only as around 250 residents from Ford, Yapton, Climping, Walberton, Barnham, Arundel and other towns and villages arrived to meet members of local campaign group Communities Against Ford Eco-Town (CAFE).

CAFE Co-Chairman and Yapton resident Terry Knott explained how concerned residents of Ford, Yapton, Climping and Arundel had come together to form the campaign group, backed by Arundel & South Downs MP Nick Herbert and Bognor Regis & Littlehampton MP Nick Gibb.

Yapton resident and CAFE vice-chairman Vicky Newman, a local surveyor, explained the full extent of the eco-town proposals. She said that at least 5,000 houses could be built on land around the former Ford Airfield site.

Mrs Newman quoted figures published by the Government which suggest that over 87 per cent of the site consists of greenfield land. Less than 13 per cent of the site consists of brownfield land.

Arundel resident and CAFE member Derek Waller described the lack of transport infrastructure in West Sussex, already projected to get much worse in the next decade. Mr Waller said the eco-town at Ford would exacerbate the problem, leading to increased congestion on our roads.

Mr Waller reminded everyone that a new bypass for the A27 at Arundel would not be completed until 2018 at the earliest and there were no plans to upgrade the already crowded A259.

Climping resident and CAFE member Geoff Dixon expressed his doubt that enough new jobs would be created at Ford to meet the needs of an eco-town.

Mr Dixon said that developers would encourage businesses in Bognor Regis and Littlehampton to relocate to Ford and, in the process, draw investment and jobs away from those areas. Despite this, he believed that Ford would be a “dormitory town”.

Mr Knott called on the audience to lend their support to CAFE by attending future public meetings, signing the petition, writing to the Government, donating to the campaign and displaying a poster or car sticker. He also urged residents to take part in the march and rally on Saturday 7 June at 11am (further details to be announced).

Mr Knott commented: “I was delighted by the huge turnout at the meeting and was overwhelmed by numerous offers of support. Local residents are very angry about this half-baked proposal for an eco-town, at Ford. Many support the concept of such a town, but it does not make ecological or economic sense, to site it here. It will destroy a large area of highly productive green-field land, will be boxed in by poor transport links and we are convinced will prove to be unsustainable.”

Ends

For further information, please contact Susan West on 01903 714528

Sunday 4 May 2008

No 10 petition reaches 300 today

We know that No 10 really don't care about the on-line petition - BUT if nothing alse it's a good talking point!

So please add yourself and get anybody you know who hates the idea of tarmacing over Sussex to do the same:

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/No-Ford-Eco-Town/

But do the written one as well as that gets delivered to Gordon Brown himself!

Climping is leafletted

We finished the Climping leaflet drop this afternoon - finishing for a well deserved glass or two at the Oystercatcher! Left a few leaflets with the manager there, as well as giving one to all the diners!

We thought we might pop down to the beach tomorrow and hand a few more out down there!

Had a few people ask for some bigger posters they could put out!