Snub to MPs over eco-town proposal

Nick Gibb and Nick Herbert had requested to meet community and local government secretary Hazel Blears to discuss concerns about the plans for the potential new development.

But Parmit Dhanda, the under secretary of state in Ms Blears's department, rejected the request.

He told the MPs: "I regret that at this stage in the process, I am unable to meet you."

He confirmed that the selected schemes would be announced by the government later this month.

Each of the 50-60 schemes was being assessed against the eco-town criteria. Matters such as transport, land use and the infrastructure needed to ensure the development could take place and was sustainable would be among the issues taken into account.

Public consultation would take place once the schemes had been selected, he said. This would take place either through the current planning system or through the New Towns Act.

Mr Herbert's Arundel and South Downs constituency includes Ford.

"These eco-town proposals are being driven from Whitehall by ministers. Yet they are refusing to meet elected representatives to discuss the issues.

"This is profoundly undemocratic.

"We do need more homes, especially to help young people get their foot on the property ladder, but this is not the way to do it.

"Local authorities should have the power to make these decisions and ensure that development is sustainable," he said.

Mr Gibb, the MP for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton, stated: "Local people know the Ford area better than Whitehall mandarins.

"It's clear to us that this site is totally unsuited to new house building of the scale demanded by government mandarins. Nick and I will fight this proposal all the way."

The MPs met Arun District Council leaders last Friday to discuss their concerns about the proposals.

The MPs pledged to renew their request for an urgent meeting with ministers and also to seek a parliamentary debate about the matter.

The eco-town initiative for settlements of 5,000-20,000 homes was announced by the government last July.

Bids were invited for the towns. Two submissions were made for the Ford area.

Arun used a council meeting in January to protest against Ford being chosen. The village was rejected by councillors last summer for possible large-scale housebuilding because other locations were considered more suitable.

The council believes that even the smallest Ford eco-town would add 5,000 homes to the district to almost double Arun's initial housing target to 16,000 new properties in the coming years.