FORD ECO-TOWN: Top names back protest march

Campaign group Communities Against Ford Eco-Town (CAFE) has organised the event to show the public's opposition to plans for a 5,000 home development on Ford Airfield.

The march starts at 10am on June 7. It will begin and end on Yapton's playing field, or village green, off Main Road.

The route will take protesters, carrying posters and banners, along public footpaths and part of Ford Lane.

TV presenter Ben Fogle, whose family home is in Ford, will be among those present.

His father, Dr Bruce Fogle, said: "If you think it's wrong to sacrifice forever our ability to grow our own food in favour of urban development, on some of the most productive arable countryside in the UK, join us on June 7."

Olympic swimmer Duncan Goodhew stated: "Ford eco-town will engulf the rural villages of Ford, Climping and Yapton and 306 hectares of grade one farmland.

"The airfield is only a small fraction of the site and far from brownfield. From Yapton, where I grew up, you look north across rich open farmland to beautiful and historic Arundel and the South Downs.

"Massive development to this beautiful, sensitive and unique part of the coastal plain would not just be detrimental to the character of this coastal river plain. It would be an irreversible loss to the future of agriculture in the region."

Also present at the march will be MPs Nick Herbert and Nick Gibb. Bognor Regis and Littlehampton MP Mr Gibb said: "We need to show Caroline Flint (housing minister) the strength of opinion in this area against building 5,000 houses in our beautiful countryside."

Mr Herbert, the MP for Arundel and South Downs, commented: "I am strongly opposed to the eco-town. It's badly flawed and will destroy a valuable greenfield site.

"It will place an even greater strain on local services and infrastructure and undermine the local planning system."

CAFE co-chairman and Yapton resident Terry Knott called the eco-town project 'a rushed and half-baked government initiative'.

He added: "It's not that we disagree with the concept of affordable and eco-friendly housing. Far from it.

"It's just there are so many reasons why such a development should not be sited here, and virtually no arguments in favour of doing so."