GALLERY: Ford eco-town: Green MEP speaks her mind

Between 1,000 and 1,500 took to the footpaths in protest against the Ford eco-town proposals.

The turnout was the biggest the villages had ever seen. So many people took part that the queue to start the march stretched back well over 100m on to King George V playing field. It was about 15 minutes after the first marchers, led by adventurer and TV personality Ben Fogle, that the last ones were able to begin the route.

It took them past some of the fields which will be bulldozed if the development proposals for a 5,000 home settlement around Ford Airfield get the go-ahead.

The 50-minute walk, via Ford Lane, back to the playing field followed a rally at which opposition to the plans poured from every banner, every placard and every one of the hundreds of anti eco-town green balloons proudly carried aloft by the protestors of all ages.

'E-con' stated one placard, 'Not an eco-town, not eco-nomic, not here' yelled another, 'What's greener than grass?' asked another, 'Hands off our farmland' was painted on some cardboard and 'Green fields not brown stones' was the slogan on a further placard.

Among the youngest protestors at an event which spanned the generations were Rachel Laurie (seven) and Emily Atkins (six). Rachel had made a banner which read 'Ecology over economy '“ no eco-town'. Both girls had their faces painted with eco-town protest slogans. She said: "The plans are bad because the area is already too busy."

Emily added: "I don't want an eco-town because we are going to be short of bread because they are going to take the fields away."

Rachel's mum, Stephanie Laurie (34), of Mustang Close in Ford, said: "We are not happy about the plans. The whole area under threat is one of the most productive bits of countryside left in the UK.

"The services around here are also just not going to be able to cope with the extra population.

"With St Richard's Hospital being downgraded, how are the people in the 5,000 homes '“ and it could be 10,000 or 15,000 '“ going to be treated?

"The roads aren't good enough to handle the extra traffic either. This area has already got a high enough population."

Ford Lane resident Aziz Mirza (47) was also concerned about the loss of farm land if the housing went ahead. Much of the eco-town site is used for growing wheat, oats, oilseed rape, potatoes and peas among other crops.

He and his wife and two children carried placards declaring the plans to be an eco-disaster rather than an eco-town.

"At the moment, this is one of the highest-yielding, most fertile areas of the West Sussex countryside," he explained. "The amount of crops which will be lost if the housing is built will be terrible.

"It's bad timing with food prices increasing and the fact we are unable to feed the world that hundreds of acres of some of the most productive land in the area will be lost."

Gemma Williams (13) had a simple plea at the rally.

'Save my childhood memories' read the banner she carried with her friend, Christine Logan (12).

Gemma said: "I live across the road from the airfield and the view from our house will be of a load of housing if the eco-town is built. It will be pretty horrible if that is the case. We have got enough houses as it is."

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