FORD ECO-TOWN: No time to waste in fight against eco-town plan, says parish chairman

Cllr Ron Field said it was vital everyone joined together to object to an eco-town being imposed on his village.

"Everybody should join together now to fight this proposal and not wait for even a few weeks. Because by then, it might be too late."

He said hopes Ford might become a jobs hotspot were unfounded. The average size of businesses on the existing industrial estates was ten employees. Just 19 people from Ford were among them. The estates also contained several vacant premises.

The only people to benefit from the Ford Airfield Vision Group plans were the landowners involved. Those behind the Ford Enterprise Hub scheme had never respresented the village in any capacity, he pointed out.

Cllr Field was one of the members of six parish councils who spoke out against the eco-town idea.

They were among a packed council chamber at the Arun Civic Centre with about 100 members of the public present for the two-hour debate as well as most of the 56 Arun district councillors.

Barnham Parish Council chairman Cllr Mike Young warned the B2233 Barnham Road would be filled beyond capacity by the extra traffic serving an eco-town.

"This scheme will have a disastrious effect on the health of our parishioners. We can't take any more in Barnham," he stated. "Our quality of life is already suffering."

Cllr Andy Faulkner, Yapton Parish Council's planning committee chairman, said: "The desecration of good-quality agricultural land is disgusting."

He believed an eco-town would see Yapton, Ford and Climping merge into one large settlement. It would also stretch northwards to embrace Walberton and Arundel.

Cllr James Walsh, Littlehampton's town mayor, said the eco-town label had merely been added to two existing development schemes.

"These are old speculative housing proposals dressed up in a very flimsy green veil to give them some planning respectability."

Cllr Emma Neno, recently elected as one of Yapton's two members on Arun, said the eco-town was firmly rejected by the voters she spoke to while she was canvassing.

"This is planning through the back door. We will not accept this proposal which will no doubt ruin a beautiful area," she stated.