Judicial review threat to Eco-Towns

The future of Gordon Brown's eco-town policy has been brought under threat after a judge ruled that part of the project should be subject to judicial review. Click for more...

Dear Mr Adam Sampson,

I am absolutely appalled that SHELTER has been given government funding, which effectively comes out of my pocket, and that of other tax-payers, to enable you to act as a stooge for a highly political manoeuvre involving stuffing thousands of people into, in some cases, an entirely unsuitable location, miles from where they live or come from.

I am as much in favour as anyone, of providing suitable homes to people who cannot afford them - although there is an issue about unreasonable levels of expectation too, in our current leaderless and “I want it all” society – but forcing a size ten foot into a size four shoe is not the answer. The current housing figures are also highly dubious, given that there is no method of de-conflicting figures for applications from one area to another, leading to inflation of figures by as much as 300%

You should be aware that, in quoting statistics of those needing homes in the Ford location in West Sussex, the official figure of 4,000 is highly misleading. 2,000 of these are based on Bognor Regis, which has an adequate infrastructure and is currently undergoing a regeneration programme costing several million pounds; and another 1,700 are based in Littlehampton (ditto). Although we have asked local people if they wish to move away from Bognor and Littlehampton, with possible loss of job, friends and family (and assuming they have transport to get round a rural area), we have had no response This leaves only 200 people, from the District, who might or might not want to live at Ford.

Conversely we have signatures of over 10,000 people in 4 months, who think the Ford scheme is a bad idea.

As someone involved in another charity, I am disgusted that you allow yourself and your charity to be used in this way. Further I am pleased that this misuse of taxpayers money has been legally challenged. I shall be writing to your Trustees.

Terry Knott MC FRSM
Chairman CAFÉ
www.nofordecotown.com
www.arun.gov.uk/ecotown

Government faces eco-town judicial review

The government’s eco-town policy will be subject to a judicial review after a campaign group won a ruling in the High Court today.

The Better Accessible Regional Development campaign (BARD) applied for a judicial review in June this year, challenging the government’s eco-town consultation processes.

Now the case will be subject to a full hearing at the High Court before the end of the year. Click here for more...

What does lord Rogers think about Eco-Towns?

On Sunday 07 September Andrew Marr interviewed Lord Rogers and the question about Eco-Towns popped up! And guess what - he doesn't think they are a good idea either!

Click to see it here - (about 20 minutes into the show)
Link will be online until Sunday September 14th

Click to read it here...

Government paid charity to produce eco-town 'fact' leaflets

Gordon Brown's eco-towns scheme was embroiled in new controversy last night as a housing charity admitted it had been paid to produce information leaflets setting out the Government's case. Shelter, one of the few organisations backing the plan to build new towns in the English countryside, said it had been given £100,000 by the Government to publish a series of 13 pamphlets, one for each proposed eco-town site. Click for more...

Nice to see Gordon Brown diverting taxpayers money for government propaganda - he is a very desperate man! I would be most interested to know if Shelter have received any Lottery funding in the last few months?

Cabe slams schemes by eco-towns architect

Cabe has slammed two residential schemes designed by Barton Willmore comprising more than 7,000 homes between them. Shadow housing minister Grant Shapps said the reviews set “alarm bells ringing” because Barton Willmore is also designing two of the government’s proposed eco-towns.Click for more...

I wonder what Cabe will make of the Ford Eco Town proposal?

Caroline Flint apologises over Brownfield misinformation

Sadly not for Ford - but I think it clearly emphasises how concerned the DCLG were to mislead the public about the amount of Brownfield land to be covered in the Eco Towns.

An Eco Con indeed!

http://www.birminghammail.net/news/top-stories/2008/09/03/michael-fabricant-wins-government-apology-over-eco-town-plan-advert-97319-21667981/

Less than 30 days...

There is still time to sign the petition...

You can download it or sign online here...

Do it now - the clock is ticking...

Is Flint listening?

Caroline Flint has asked people all over the country to write and email with their concerns regarding the Eco-Town shortlist. This was to be a democratic public consultation, however, for some reason her department has fallen silent on the matter.

I wrote several letters to Ms Flint who has chosen not to responded to any of my concerns. It appears Ms Flint and Labour are ignoring the facts that eco-towns in some areas are unwanted and unconvincing, despite the green bodge job glossed over this absurd idea.

We had only three months to voice our concerns... Everyday I wait for a response... Its been several months now Ms Flint... Is this democratic and fair?

Hi Mr. Gummidge. Hope you had a good summer.

I am trying to comment on the Does Caroline Folint Listen entry in the Blog but, as usual, stumble when I have to enter my password and user name - which is never recognised. However, perhaps you would be kind enough to print my comment below on that entry. Many thanks, Tricia Wales

I too have written to ms Flint on several occasions and have sent a copy of each letter to Gordon Brown. I have received two letters from 10 Downing Street thanking me and acknowledging the copy letters I have sent, but surprise surprise not a dicky bird from Caroline Flint Which shows what an ignorant, uneducated individual we are dealing with here, who is without even basic common courtesy or manners!

OFFICIAL - Only 50 Hectares of Brownfield land in whole of Arun District

The Department for Communities and Local Government today released figures on the amount of land which is previously developed etc (Brownfield) which may be available for housing and other development (Technology parks, marinas, parkway stations etc etc).

Report here:- http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/corporate/pdf/945914.pdf

Interestingly for the whole of Arun district, there is only 13ha previously developed land, 26ha land currently in use but with potential for housing development and (with other categories) - makes a total of only 50 ha in the whole district.- From Ferring to Pagham, and Littlehampton to Findon.

Now, our friends at Ford Airfield Vision Group (a misnomer if ever I heard one) and Ford Enterprise Hub, claim their (eco) new town covers 350ha, which even if all this identified "brownfield" land is at Ford, and within the curtilage of the land their greedy farmers wish to concrete over; that is only 1/7th (14.3%) of their new town land - that's therefore 85.7% which if it ain't brownfield land, must be greenfield land.



This is for the whole of Arun district too!

Interesting!

Another one bites the dust - Tesco withdraw Hanley Grange

Announced today - Hanley Grange in Cambridgeshire is now off the list of Eco Towns. This was the site proposed by Tescos and universally opposed by local residents. A few weeks ago a partner in the scheme, the Wellcome Trust, withdrew their land from the proposal.

Today Tescos has followed suit and bowed to the local opposition and withdrawn from the Government's shortlist.

Here is a link to the local newspaper - http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/cn_news_home/DisplayArticle.asp?id=343987 - it is interesting to read the quote from Tescos:

"We also believe a genuinely sustainable community stands the best chance of being successful if a broad range of stakeholders in the region feel fully engaged in the process leading up to a decision."

I think we can take that as recognition from Tescos that their involvement in this undemocratic Eco Town process, looking to impose huge developments against the wishes of all concerned, is never going to lead to success. They are reserving the right to bring their proposal back again through local democracy - would that the Ford Eco Town proposers would do the same! But the partners in the Ford Airfield 'Vision' Group have failed trying that so many times that theyknow that local democracy will not allow them to ruin our countryside. I doubt they've got the nerve to risk it!

Petition handover date

On 2 October a delegation from CAFE will be presenting our petition to Downing Street. We have so far got nearly 1,000 signatures on the No 10 Petitions website:

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/No-Ford-Eco-Town/

And over 10,000 people have signed our paper petition - so if you have would like to sign the petition and have not done so - or perhaps if you have family or friends who support us, but have not signed yet - then now is a good time to get them to do so!

http://www.nofordecotown.co.uk/downloads/cafe_petition.pdf

Financial Times - 'Ministers faced with delays in eco-towns timetable'

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/986dbc84-6d85-11dd-857b-0000779fd18c.html?nclick_check=1

If this link doesn't quite work, do a search on eco towns on the FT site.

What they are saying is that the Government has hidden an announcement that the Eco Town shortlist will now be released until next year in another announcement.

'A shortlist of applicants due to be published in October will not come out until next year, it has emerged. In addition, there is evidence that ministers may be starting to row back from their target of 10 towns....Caroline Flint, housing minister, has recently begun to talk about "up to 10 eco-towns" '

No guarantees that this will hold, but it is interesting to see the weight of this kind of reporting that is now coming out.

Caroline Flint under fire in her own constituency - continued

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article4547602.ece?Submitted=true

So to continue from Mr Gummidge's pre-release mention of the Sunday Times article - here is it!

In the midst of this report on the Rossington - that's in Sheffield, Mrs Flint's own consituency - Eco Town, the following summary of the current bids appears:

"The three leading contenders are Rossington, in Flint’s Don Valley constituency; Whitehill and Bordon in Hampshire, the only scheme that is being led by the local authority; and Marston Vale, in Bedfordshire, which has significantly less local opposition than other proposals.
Other sites still considered as options are Middle Quinton, near Stratford-upon-Avon, and Weston Otmoor, in Oxfordshire. "

Unsurprisingly the Marston Vale protestors are up in arms about the implication that there is not as much opposition there as in other places. From a Ford point of view, it is interesting that The Times are now reporting Ford as one of the least likely to go ahead.

Letters...

Not blind to housing needs
Derek Waller writes: I was disappointed to learn from your report last week, Littlehampton Gazette, August 7, that the wealthy, articulate and powerful housing minister thinks that she has an exclusive right to speak on behalf of the "hidden homeless" in Arun District; what arrogance. Click here for more...

I certainly did view site
Meanwhile the indefatable Housing Minister Caroline Flint must be rattled because she writes: I WAS astonished by the article in your paper suggesting I did not go to the site of the proposed Ford eco-town during my visit last month. Click here for more...

Thanks, CAFE, for being so articulate
Mrs C. A. Cooper writes to thank CAFÉ for all the hard work they have done. Click here for more...

At least she made the effort to visit
And finally more tripe from Tony Dixon: In a district with over 4,000 households on the housing waiting list, the lowest average wage in West Sussex, 40 per cent of the workforce out-commuting every day, a serious infrastructure deficit particularly on the A27 at Arundel, below-average educational attainment etc, we should all be grateful that a government minister found the time, in the parliamentary recess, to visit the district and listen to the views of those on all sides of the eco-town debate. Click for more...