The Everest Solar Water Heating System Offer
Added: Tue , 11 Nov 2008
Council to hold public enquiry into Ford eco-town
Written by Neil Hopkins
, Wednesday, 16 April 2008
Arun District Council is to conduct a widespread public investigation into the proposed siting of an eco-town at Ford.
Members resolved to establish a special Select Committee at last night’s packed special cabinet meeting that will examine exactly how suitable the proposed location at Ford is to site a new town.
If the resolution is approved at the next Full Council meeting on 30 April, the special committee, made up of around eight district Councillors and advised by a senior independent planner, will immediately begin a public enquiry into the sustainability of plans to build at least 5,000 new houses at Ford.
This would involve calling for evidence to be heard from, most pertinently, the promoters of the two schemes at Ford, but also all other interested parties including promoters of alternative development sites in Arun, Cabinet members with relevant portfolios, County, Town and Parish Councils, Government Departments and Public Agencies.
Local residents and businesses will also be approached to give evidence in order for the Committee to examine if the site at Ford is actually more sustainable than others in the District.
In addition, Government ministers are to be invited by the Council to come and observe the findings of the Select Committee enquiry.
The Committee will finally report their findings back to the Council with any recommendations to be considered at a special Full Council meeting at the end of June.
Councillor Mrs Gillian Brown, Leader of the Council, said: “We have resolved to carry out this independent enquiry in order to bring the evidence about Ford out into the open so it can be debated in public.
“We are concerned at the extremely short period of time allocated by the Government for their ‘so-called consultation’, and that as judge and jury of this issue they seem unprepared to put forward their evidence into the public domain.
“The Council alone has collected considerable evidence over the past three years that showed the Ford site was not the most sustainable in Arun, yet at no point have we been consulted with about the eco-town proposals.
“Unlike the Government, we have the courage to invite people to come forward with evidence that can be discussed in public. We shall then submit these findings as part of the consultation and we expect that these findings be taken into account fully before the final decision on eco-towns is made.”
The cabinet members also resolved to mount a campaign with other local organisations against the principle of eco-towns within the District, and to join with any national campaigns of the same purpose.
Widespread support for all of the proposals was received from guest speakers including local MPs Nick Gibb and Nick Herbert and representatives from West Sussex PCT and West Sussex County Council.
Representatives from the parish councils of Barnham, Climping, Felpham, Ford, Walberton and Yapton also threw their weight behind the proposals and offered their support.
Around 80 members of the public also attended the meeting, with applause greeting many of the speakers’ pledges to back the proposals and join the campaign.
Councillor Ricky Bower, Cabinet Member for Planning, said: “This Council has spent several years and thousands of pounds looking into the most sustainable sites for future development in Arun, all of which has been completely by-passed by the eco-town proposals.
“The eco-town process is entirely new and outside of the national, statutory planning system. The decision will be made in private and at no stage are the Minister’s actions subject to any form of public scrutiny or debate.
“We could be talking about the biggest development in Arun’s history being forced upon us even if the evidence suggests this is not the best place to build in and that the local community is against it.
“We know that there are many local organisations just as opposed to this idea as we are, and we look forward to joining forces with them to campaign against the eco-town process.”
The Council has set up a special website - www.arun.gov.uk/ecotown - where members of the public can view the latest information on the eco-town proposals, including detailed plans, maps and timescales.
People can also leave their comments which will be forwarded on to the Department of Communities and Local Government to be included in their consultation.
The Council is still waiting to hear from the Housing Minister after sending a request to meet and discuss the eco-town process and the proposals at Ford.
Chief Executive Ian Sumnall sent a letter to Caroline Flint MP last week on behalf of the Council, requesting the meeting and detailing the main issues they wish to discuss.
Members resolved to establish a special Select Committee at last night’s packed special cabinet meeting that will examine exactly how suitable the proposed location at Ford is to site a new town.
If the resolution is approved at the next Full Council meeting on 30 April, the special committee, made up of around eight district Councillors and advised by a senior independent planner, will immediately begin a public enquiry into the sustainability of plans to build at least 5,000 new houses at Ford.
This would involve calling for evidence to be heard from, most pertinently, the promoters of the two schemes at Ford, but also all other interested parties including promoters of alternative development sites in Arun, Cabinet members with relevant portfolios, County, Town and Parish Councils, Government Departments and Public Agencies.
Local residents and businesses will also be approached to give evidence in order for the Committee to examine if the site at Ford is actually more sustainable than others in the District.
In addition, Government ministers are to be invited by the Council to come and observe the findings of the Select Committee enquiry.
The Committee will finally report their findings back to the Council with any recommendations to be considered at a special Full Council meeting at the end of June.
Councillor Mrs Gillian Brown, Leader of the Council, said: “We have resolved to carry out this independent enquiry in order to bring the evidence about Ford out into the open so it can be debated in public.
“We are concerned at the extremely short period of time allocated by the Government for their ‘so-called consultation’, and that as judge and jury of this issue they seem unprepared to put forward their evidence into the public domain.
“The Council alone has collected considerable evidence over the past three years that showed the Ford site was not the most sustainable in Arun, yet at no point have we been consulted with about the eco-town proposals.
“Unlike the Government, we have the courage to invite people to come forward with evidence that can be discussed in public. We shall then submit these findings as part of the consultation and we expect that these findings be taken into account fully before the final decision on eco-towns is made.”
The cabinet members also resolved to mount a campaign with other local organisations against the principle of eco-towns within the District, and to join with any national campaigns of the same purpose.
Widespread support for all of the proposals was received from guest speakers including local MPs Nick Gibb and Nick Herbert and representatives from West Sussex PCT and West Sussex County Council.
Representatives from the parish councils of Barnham, Climping, Felpham, Ford, Walberton and Yapton also threw their weight behind the proposals and offered their support.
Around 80 members of the public also attended the meeting, with applause greeting many of the speakers’ pledges to back the proposals and join the campaign.
Councillor Ricky Bower, Cabinet Member for Planning, said: “This Council has spent several years and thousands of pounds looking into the most sustainable sites for future development in Arun, all of which has been completely by-passed by the eco-town proposals.
“The eco-town process is entirely new and outside of the national, statutory planning system. The decision will be made in private and at no stage are the Minister’s actions subject to any form of public scrutiny or debate.
“We could be talking about the biggest development in Arun’s history being forced upon us even if the evidence suggests this is not the best place to build in and that the local community is against it.
“We know that there are many local organisations just as opposed to this idea as we are, and we look forward to joining forces with them to campaign against the eco-town process.”
The Council has set up a special website - www.arun.gov.uk/ecotown - where members of the public can view the latest information on the eco-town proposals, including detailed plans, maps and timescales.
People can also leave their comments which will be forwarded on to the Department of Communities and Local Government to be included in their consultation.
The Council is still waiting to hear from the Housing Minister after sending a request to meet and discuss the eco-town process and the proposals at Ford.
Chief Executive Ian Sumnall sent a letter to Caroline Flint MP last week on behalf of the Council, requesting the meeting and detailing the main issues they wish to discuss.
