FORD ECO-TOWN: Quickfire inquiry into Ford eco-town proposals

The examination of the proposals will be held by Arun District Council. It is likely to take place as soon as next month.

Its senior cabinet members agreed to the idea on Monday. Their decision has to be ratified by all councillors on April 30.

But planning for the unprecedented inquiry is getting underway behind the scenes.

Council chief executive Ian Sumnall said the inquiry would be run by a select committee of eight councillors. They would be advised by a senior independent planner.

All the meetings would be held in public over a five to seven-day period.

It is envisaged the committee's findings will be presented to councillors by mid-June. The recommendations from that meeting will be agreed by all councillors at the end of that month.

Evidence will be given to the committee from all interested parties.

They include the promoters of the two eco-town schemes, district councillors with relevant responsibilities, county, town and parish councils, government departments and local residents and businesses.

Mr Sumnall told Monday's special meeting of Arun's cabinet it was important to act speedily.

"My major concern is that the government has proposed a very short period for their 'so called consultation'.

"And that, as judge and jury, they will not be putting forward their evidence into the public domain," he stated.

"Arun in contrast has over the last three years collected considerable evidence about the sustainability of all potential development sites within the whole of the district.

"I believe that in its role as community leader it is obliged on behalf of its population to ensure there is the widest possible debate about the merits of the proposal for an eco-town at Ford..."

Howard Cheadle, Arun's head of planning and housing strategy, told the meeting the government's eco-town strategy outlined by housing and planning minister Caroline Flint was alarming for two reasons.

The first was the fact Ford had been placed among the 15 hopeful sites from 57 contenders without any public debate by the government, which was intent on announcing the final ten sites by the end of the year.

As soon as late June, binding advice about eco-towns '“ through a planning policy statement '“ could be issued by the government to force Arun into accepting the development.

Planning applications for the eco-town could also be submitted around June before the government's assessment process of the sites was even completed, he warned. The second worrying aspect was the size of the proposed development.

"There has been nothing of this scale in Arun before," said Mr Cheadle.

"This is a huge scheme which will certainly change the character of the district.

"For it to go through without public scrutiny, is of concern to the council."

The cabinet also recommended 30,000 should be set aside to pay for the special inquiry. Its members backed the launch of a campaign against the principle of an eco-town in the district.

Arun is also to write to the eco-towns challenge panel '“ with 12 members from the worlds of design, environment, transport and sustainability '“ to seek a meeting to present the council's evidence about the unsuitable nature of Ford for an eco-town.