VIDEO: Ford eco-town - campaigners tell minister how they feel

Housing minister Caroline Flint this afternoon visited Yapton to meet eco-town protesters and supporters.

Ms Flint spent two hours in the village hall, which is on King George V playing field next to part of the site of the proposed 5,000 home development.

Her brief visit follows the biggest protest the Ford and Yapton areas have ever seen.

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Thousands of villagers have been joined by those from surrounding communities to fight Ms Flint's decision to include Ford Airfield on her shortlist '“ now comprising 17 potential schemes for 16 sites '“ from which ten locations will be selected.

She announced last week she has put back her final decision until early next year from this autumn.

She sees the eco-towns as way of building affordable housing, with about one in three properties being made available to those unable to afford a home of their own.

But she was left in no doubt from the representatives of Communities Against Ford Eco-Town about the reasons why Ford should be dropped from the list.

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Terry Knott, CAFE's vice chairman, said before the meeting: "We are not opposed to eco-friendly housing but it has to be built as part of the democratic planning process."

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