Register your opposition by writing to:
Eco-Towns Team
Housing and Growth Programmes
Communities and Local Government
2/H9 Eland House,
Bressenden Place
London, SW1E 5DU

Or email: ecotowns@communities.gsi.gov.uk

Please copy your letter or email to your local MPs, Nick Herbert or Nick Gibb by email to nick@nickherbert.com or gibbn@parliament.uk, or at House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA, so they can take up your concerns in Parliament. To check who is your MP, visit www.parliament.uk.

Time is short...
You have until 30 June 2008 to make our views known.

Arun District Council - Ford eco-town enquiries
All enquiries about Ford eco-town initially are being directed to Arun's website - www.arun.gov.uk/ecotown - which includes background information, an e-form for comments and contact details for the Council, the Government and the local residents’ campaign (CAFÉ - Campaign Against Ford Eco-town).

Brief background
Ford has been chosen by the Government as one of 15 locations across the country that could be used to site an ‘eco-town’ of at least 5,000 new houses.

Two separate proposals have been put forward - known as the Ford Vision Group and the Ford Enterprise Hub - and could now be considered as a result.

At no stage has the Council been consulted about the decision to shortlist Ford as a site for an eco-town: the Government made the decision in private and without consulting either the Council or Arun residents.

As a result of their concerns that the proposals have by-passed the planning system and that the public have not been given a chance to voice their views, the Council is setting up a special Select Committee that will conduct a technical investigation into the proposals in public.

Starting on the 27 May 2008, the Committee - comprising eight Councillors and an independent planning advisor - will hear evidence from all interested parties (including local residents and the promoters of the two schemes). This process will be held in public and is expected to last around a week.

The Committee’s findings will then be presented to the Full Council on 30 June. The Council will then determine, using the findings as a basis for debate, what comments to pass on to the Government.

How to submit comments/contact details
If you would like your comments to be considered by the Select Committee, please log onto www.arun.gov.uk/ecotown and fill out the electronic form (on the ‘Your Input’ link).

If you do not have access to internet, please send your comments to:
Eco Town Working Group,
Arun District Council,
Maltravers Road,
Littlehampton,
West Sussex,
BN17 5LF.

Please note - comments will be fed directly into the Committee’s enquiry without response.

If you have a general enquiry regarding Ford eco-town please see the frequently asked questions page on the website, or call 01903 737888 or email ecotown@arun.gov.uk

Residents can also send their comments and questions direct to the Government at ecotowns@communities.gsi.gov.uk or log onto www.communities.gov.uk.

Comments must be submitted by 30 June 2008.

The local residents’ group ‘CAFÉ’ (the Campaign Against Ford Eco-town) is being administered by Susan West, who can be contacted on 01903 714528 or emailed at susanwest1@btinternet.com. This is not part of the Arun Council work in relation to the Eco Town but an independent residents’ action group.

Details of the two proposals for the site at Ford can be found at:
ford airfield eco town.co.uk
ford enterprise hub.com