Hundreds of residents turned out in force on Saturday (September 20) to join the eco-town protest march againt plans to build 15,000-plus new homes in mid-Bedfordshire.
The 700-strong crowd were joined by Mid-Beds MP Nadine Dorries with chanting protesters carrying placards, banners, blowing whistles, and banging drums. One resident even turned up on a pony.
Protesters met in Marston Moretaine, and traffic was stopped by police as they marched along the A421.
Stewart Long, spokesman for the Marston Moretaine Eco-Town Action Group (MMETAG) which organised the demonstration, said: "I am still in shock at what a success it was. We did not expect such a good turn-out, but the weather was smiling on us and people obviously feel very strongly about this.
"What was very pleasing was the force of feeling people have about this. When people were talking about it to each other or to the press, they were not just there for the fun of it, they showed that they are angry, upset and scared by what we are being threatened with.
"We had people marching on crutches and in wheelchairs. And we were joined by members of the Lidlington Action Group and the Brogborough Action Group. We recognise that we need to work together, as a single voice, to stop this from going ahead."
Proposals to build an eco-town in the heart of Bedfordshire have proved highly controversial since they were first revealed in April.
Residents believe the plans would destroy local communities and have cast doubt on how environmentally-friendly the scheme is.
The county is one of 13 sites shortlisted for development, after the Government completed the first of two rounds of consultation.
Government proposals would see 15,000-plus new homes being built on greenfield and brownfield land by 2020, at a development called Marston Vale. Previous plans to build a second new eco-town in the same area, called New Marston, have been dropped.
MMETAG websiteNews file:
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