Profile: Communities Against Ford Eco Town (CAFE)

Catherine Morrow meets anti Ford eco town agitator

Launched on 02 May 2008, Communities Against Ford Eco-Town (CAFE) is an independent, non-party political campaign set up by local residents to campaign against the proposed eco-town in Ford, West Sussex.

I went to interview CAFE's Co-Chairman Terry Knott (pictured left) to find out a little more about the man behind the anti Ford eco town project.

Taking time out of his busy schedule, Terry Knott has an authoritative and calm manner about himself. Terry explains how he became involved with CAFE. "Basically I’m a local resident and I’ve lived in the village of Yapton for about 20 years. I volunteered my services to the Arun District Council as a local agitator and or co-ordinator and they took up my offer. Since then, we’ve found a number of very skilled and fluent speakers within the local vicinity and we decided to form ourselves into a campaign group called CAFÉ."

Terry, dressed in his smart grey suit states the case on behalf of CAFE simply and convincingly, highlighting the exact force and nature of opposition that faces the British Government. “We would certainly say that it (the eco town) isn’t suitable here. We’re talking about a concrete parachute being dropped in the middle of seven small villages and three towns. It would smother the area and detract from the regeneration projects at Bognor Regis.”

Then, Terry reveals a glimmer of sympathy in this complex green debate. “It’s bad news for the population and quite frankly it’s bad news for the eco town because it simply won’t work. There aren’t enough potential jobs in the area. Any businesses looking to settle there will be hampered by the road and rail system and therefore it will end up an enormous moribund dormitory town with everybody commuting out of it to find jobs and therefore creating even more carbon in the process.”

How far will CAFE get in their campaign to get knocked off the eco town shortlist, only time will tell.