FORD ECO-TOWN: Eco-town issue goes to High Court

The Government will go before the High Court, not just for the proposed development of 5,000 homes in Ford but for all of proposed eco-towns across the country.

The judgment follows an application by the campaign group BARD, Better Accessible Responsible Development, which represents protesters against an eco-town in Long Marston, Warwickshire.

The chairman of Ford campaign group, communities against Ford eco-town, Terry Knott, was pleased with the ruling and has urged campaigners to carry on protesting.

"CAFE is delighted to hear that the whole so-called eco-town process is definitely going to be examined in court," he said.

"Although we accept that there is a case to be made for affordable housing in many parts of the country, it is for the locally elected and appointed planning authorities, to work out the best solutions to achieve this, alongside other housing issues, not some far distant civil servant or even Minister of the Crown.

"We have said all along the process of imposing it is flawed. There are so many reasons why it should be reviewed.

"We have put up a good fight against the decision as it was originaly going to be made after June 30, and we had housing minister Caroline Flint come down on July 30, and then the decision was going to be made before Christmas, and now it will be some time in the new year. Any delay puts them that much closer to a general election."

The judgment by the Honourable Mr Justice Collins means the Government is likely to go before the High Court by the end of the year.

The application was made on June 24, 2008, by Ian Dove QC and Christopher Young, Counsel, and SJ Berwin, solicitors, to the BARD Campaign. Bognor Regis and Littlehampton MP Nick Gibb said he was pleased the campaign teams would be able to have their day in court.

He said: "I'm very pleased indeed. A judicial review is something that the CAFE campaign has been considering.

"I am cautiously optimistic that the Government will lose.

"This is very encouraging that the campaign has been allowed to have their day in court, because there is a lot of concern that the government and Caroline Flint are going beyond their powers by imposing these developments."

The Department for Communities and Local Government, which is heading up the eco-towns programme is reported as saying it will continue with its plans despite the review.

The group behind the development plans, the Ford Airfield Vision Group, declined to comment.

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