Eco-town opponents set for latest battle

BY GARRICK.ALDER

Politicians, council officers and activists come together next Saturday to discuss the future of Marston Vale.

One of the topics under discussion will be whether or not conservation and economic regeneration are mutually exclusive.

The future growth of Milton Keynes will also be under consideration.

Tricia Turner, leader of Central Bedfordshire Council, will chair the event, which will include Nadine Dorries MP as a speaker.

There will also be representatives from the Mayor of Bedford, Milton Keynes Planning Department, the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England and Friends of the Earth.

The debate will be held in the Forest Centre, Marston Vale Millennium Country Park, Station Road, Marston Moretaine, from 1pm-4pm.

The organisers are Marston Moretaine Eco Town Action Group (MMETAG), which was formed in June last year to coordinate opposition to the Government’s eco-town project.

If the Government’s plans go ahead, a large eco-friendly town would be built in the Marston Vale area.

MMETAG chairman Hugh Roberts said: “The conference builds on our recent success fighting off the Marston Vale Eco Town bid by O&H Properties and the determination of local communities to defend our distinctive village way of life. The developers have not gone away and we remain an area targeted for development.

“The conference will give those who live in the Marston Vale an opportunity to voice their views loud and clear about what they want their communities to look like in 2050.”