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.

Not only that, but her endorsement of Ford as a possible site for an eco-town defies normal planning processes and ignores the views of local planning experts who know this proposal is fatally flawed. Ford is simply not the right place for an eco-town. We must not let the Government ride roughshod over our local planning procedures, or let it ignore the carefully formulated policies for the area.

We are not talking of just 5,000 homes at Ford – the figure could be more than double that if this eco-town goes ahead.

It is totally unacceptable. It is inconceivable that there could ever be the number of jobs to support it, or an adequate road network to take the extra cars on our creaking road system.

And it is not just Ford area that would suffer – the repercussions would resound throughout West Sussex. We cannot let it happen.

Please sign the CAFE petition in the West Sussex Gazette May 7 and read about the launch of the campaign in Yapton.