Ford Eco-Town warriors bask in victory

Earlier today (Thursday, July 16) the Government announced which four Eco-Town proposals it will be supporting, and Ford was not on the list.

Chairman of CAFE (Communities Against Ford Eco-Town) Vicky Newman said that while she was happy the proposal would not go ahead, the group was mindful of the future.

"I'm delighted that Ford is not on the final shortlist. As a community we can now move forward with our lives.

"However, CAFE will not close its file on this. We will continue to monitor the Ford site to ensure that it is not subject to large-scale development in the future," she said.

Downing Street petition

The group has been fighting the bid, which would have seen about 5,000 houses built on Ford Airfield and the surrounding area, for more than 18 months.

Last summer, 2,000 residents attended a rally in Yapton, and in October CAFE delivered a 10,000-strong petition to Downing Street.

Campaigner Peter Hatley commented: "Today's announcement is welcomed as a victory for both common sense and democracy. The great majority of the community will share our satisfaction."

The successful Eco-Town sites, which will pioneer innovative design and infrastructure for greener living, are Whitehill-Bordon in Hampshire, St Austell (China Clay) in Cornwall, Rackheath in Norfolk and North West Bicester in Oxfordshire.

-----------------------------

Click here to return to Gazette news.

Where are you? Add your pin to the Gazette's international readers' map by clicking here.

Email the Gazette: [email protected]