Saturday 21 June 2008

Letters...

Tricia Wales is determined to fight to keep her piece of paradise from being destroyed...

M. Moss of Belloc Road is in full agreement with those who say "no", but no one has written about all our pubs shutting in Littlehampton. I agree MR Moss Littlehampton needs regeneration - an Eco Town would create more pub closures and job losses

Cliff Brown, of Climping Writes the announcement of the downgrading of St Richard's Hospital in Chichester will surely mean that the dreaded Ford Eco-Town and its 10,000-plus residents would more than overrun both Worthing's and Chichester's hospitals.

Peter Slowe, Angmering - disagrees with Harold Hall (DON'T WE ALL!!!), who thinks that the possible Eco-Town should be used to promote a new Arundel bypass.

Richard Brennan, Climping asks with reference to Harold Hall's letter regarding the Eco-Town and the Arundel bypass (Gazette, June 5) – assuming the proposed Eco-Town is given the go-ahead, should not the bypass be built first?

... And finally Tony Dixon, Harold Hall and John Penfold pen an amusing attack attack against our MP's! Signs of desperation by these three - and I have to question this paragraph, "as local people, with experience of local government at county, district and parish levels, we became increasingly aware of, and concerned at, the housing, transport and employment problems in Arun district". WHAT NONSENSE!

Tony Dixon, Harold Hall and John Penfold - you are welcome to email me your CV's detailing your experience of local government at county, district and parish levels and why you left these post. I am sure it will make interesting reading for us all!

Thursday 19 June 2008

New houses producing 4.5 times the carbon of revamping old ones

This one's getting a bit old, but I've found a wonderful article from the Guardian. I particularly like the statistic about building new houses producing 4.5 times the carbon of revamping old ones. Have a read...

Keith Chenery.

Nothing to look and see here...

The Ford Airfield Eco-Town Circus rolled into the Look and See Centre in Littlehampton, Thursday... And it looks like it got off to a bad start...

Secret scarecrows have reported it was a non-event - those who turned up, simply hassled the marketing gofers, who were so uninformed they didn't understand the maps and couldn't identify Ford despite the word FORD being printed in bold letters!

Russell Scarecrow emailed us - very few people have shown interest in this Eco Town exhibition today - my arms are killing me after hanging around for 7 hours on watch. OK Russell - go home and have some tea and cake...

Rappercrow - Furr Q, reported that none of the three (un)wise NIMBY's were present. A gofer informed us that comments directed at Mr Hall, Mr Dixon or Mr Penfold could be passed through the comments forms. Three CHICKEN cheers for them then - BUARK, BUARK, BUARK - is the sound of the CHICKS!!!

Finally - one poor gofer described it as being the most negative work he has ever done! He pointed to the stacks of leaflets and marketing material, "There is nothing green about this Eco-Town - it is all lies and this stuff is destined for the recycling bin!"

Eco-town could fine car users

People living in a proposed eco-town in Sussex could be fined for using their cars.

Under leaked plans, motorists who live in the planned developments such as the one at Ford, near Arundel, could be forced to pay for leaving the town at peak times and for exceeding prescribed journey limits. Read more here...

Wednesday 18 June 2008

Government are doing what the developers tell them...

How can this be allowed to happen? this is a scandal the Government are simply doing what the developers tell them. This level of carbon output is about as required by current building regulations this makes it a new town not and Eco-Town.

Each town is expected to be carbon-neutral, but the Government has bowed to developers concerns that the highest criteria (Level 6) for zero-carbon homes could add £30,000 to building costs.

Caroline Flint, the Housing Minister, told The Times yesterday that, until 2016, the new homes could be built at the much lower Level 3, provided that this was balanced by other energy reducing measures. “We are in negotiations with developers and hope many of them will go further,” she said.

Regards

Neil Champion

Tuesday 17 June 2008

Report of the Select Committee

To read the report of the Select Committee published on the 16th June 2008 and associated appendices please click on the links below:
Report of Select Committee
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
Appendix 3
Appendix 4

The report will then be presented to Full Council on Monday 30th June 2008 at 6.00pm in the Council Chamber. Agreement will be reached by Full Council as to the comments to be submitted to the Housing Minister, Caroline Flint.

Eco-Towns to fine residents for driving!

Motorists living in Gordon Brown's futuristic green communities face fines for driving their cars out of town, under radical proposals being drawn up by ministers, The Times has learnt.

Residents of the largely pedestrianised eco-towns may also be expected to park their cars at the outskirts and walk or cycle to their homes, up to ten minutes away. Read more here...

Some comments
Don't forget that the Hanley Grange proposed Eco town is from Tesco's - no doubt they would do very nicely if the only alternative to buying from them would be to pay a fine if you wanted to go to an alternative supermarket!
Geoff DIxon, Climping, West Sussex

I cannot imagine there will be many people who would wish to buy a price inflated house in one of these concentration camps and they will certainly not be able to sell it when they find they want to get out.
Hugh Bladon (Maj Ret'd), weston-super-Mare

But Ford in Sussex already HAS an open prison. Why does it need a second one?
Gordon Alexander, Frome, UK

What sort of community will such a town have? There won't be any older residents, or those with disabilities that rely on cars to get about. There is an assumption that everyone wants to cycle - many don't - or can't for mobility reasons. What a future, which caters only for the able-bodied.
Valerie Wenham, London

It sounds completely, utterly dire - hell on earth. Greenie couples will flock to these places, and bring up children, who will become teenagers, and will hate it and their parents and get kicked out for antisocial behaviour. Just because Germans can bear to live like that, doesn't mean we should.
Kiera Hardie, Kennaquhair, UK

SPOOF: Eco-Town Inhabitants to go Naked

A proposal was submitted last week for all inhabitants of Britain's eco-towns to live and work in the buff.

"Living in the nude helps the environment," said Eugene Sharpe, a planning officer behind this submission. "Wearing no clothes reduces the world's carbon footprint." Read more here...

Monday 16 June 2008

BBC Politics Show

From Ford Market June 15th - watch it here...

Great opportunity or stupid location?

Last week, housing minister Caroline Flint issued tough new guidance for councils on granting planning permission in flood risk areas. The move came despite her having already shortlisted Ford's flood plain as a potential site for a new eco-town. Here, Samuel Underwood asks Ms Flint and protest campaigner Terry Knott about their reasons for and against the development. Read more here...

Sunday 15 June 2008

Poor house...


I was in Littlehampton on Saturday where I came across this house in New Road. I'm not sure why it is boarded up, but it is only yards from the award winning riverside regeneration. Housing Minister, Caroline Flint argues that we need Eco-Towns because there are housing shortages and a big demand for affordable homes. However, she doesn't understand regeneration will solve these issues far quicker.

There are currently over 660,000 empty houses in the UK, many of them could be brought up to 'eco' and livable standards. This would solve the social/affordable housing problem because we wouldn't need to build new houses, new roads or new schools and in most cases wouldn't need planning permission. However, Caroline Flint  thinks it is better idea to go through a long planning process and then spend the next 10 years building these unwanted Eco-Towns - while people wait on the housing list.

These 660,000 empty houses like the one in Littlehampton just need a little imagination, something Caroline Flint lacks.

www.emptyhomes.com is an independent campaigning charity which aims to raise awareness of the potential of empty homes in England to meet housing need. They devise and promote, with others, sustainable solutions that will bring empty homes back into use.

Incinerator at Ford?

Back in March of this year West Sussex County Council announced plans for a second incinerator in Sussex, to burn non-recyclable waste. Ford Airfield was among the 16 sites short-listed, which conveniently will have the new recycling sorting centre for the County. Yes I can see a second battle looming...

Final details for the plans have yet to be announced and as negotiations are still ongoing. Nick Gibb MP has said, "he welcomes the proposal for a plant to burn waste, as long as it was sited appropriately". Nick Herbert MP said, "I think people will welcome alternative ways to deal with waste other than landfill".

Caroline Flint might want to decimate our villages - but dumping an incinerator at Ford would be a bigger disaster than an Eco-Town. If Nick Gibb and Nick Herbert really do care about our villages they should promise the people of Yapton, Ford and Climping that this plan is incinerated before it gets to the drawing board.

Do this now Mr Gibb and Mr Herbert!

Where did the signs go?

You probably have noticed that all the green rigid signs have disappeared. BT removed those attached to telegraph poles, while West Sussex County Council removed the rest. This has been done for health and safety reasons.

I am slightly annoyed by this because I made sure signs were put on to old post that were no longer in use and trees? Also why has WSCC missed signs by businesses and others advertising stuff... Double standards!

CAFÉ recommend the best use of signs in future would be on people's fences or on posts in their gardens. And if you are a business owner please put one up!!! CAFÉ have plenty of them - please email susan if you want some.

Could Ford Eco-Town double in size?

This news article from www.northnorfolknews.co.uk on June 13th could is worrying as we have no clear figure on the amount of houses that would actually be built at Ford. Is it 5,000 - 10,000 - 20,000 or MORE? Your guess is as good as mine..?