The Better Accessible Responsible Development (BARD) group is planning a legal challenge to not only try to stop proposals for an eco-town in Long Marston, near Stratford, but also to show that the entire process has been conducted illegally.

In the Letter Before Claim For Judicial Review, submitted by solicitors SJ Berwin under instruction from BARD, the campaign group’s grievances is laid out and three actions are requested from the Secretary of State for local government. First, to submit to judgment proceedings that the concepts, plans and programme relating to eco-towns are unlawful; second, to abandon the eco-town concept, plans and programmes only to recommence after proper consultation and finally to abandon the selection of the ex-ministry of defence (MOD) site at Long Marston.

The letter also makes note of the fact that a number of the short listed sites are ex-MOD or Government-owned sites, which the Government could have a financial interest in. This raises concerns of a conflict of interests when decisions regarding the sites are made.

BARD is keen to contrast the eco-town selection process with that of the choice of site for a ‘super’ casino. A spokeswoman for BARD has pointed to the fact that the process for the choice of casino site went beyond what was necessary in operating in a ‘clear and transparent’ way and which BARD has been fighting for throughout the eco-town selection process.

Recently, Cherwell District Council announced ‘its intention to look at possible grounds for a legal challenge’ with regards to another of the Government’s proposed eco-town sites near Bicester in Oxfordshire. David Bliss, chair of BARD, responded to this news by telling PIN: “Clearly there’s now a real groundswell of support forming behind our proposed Judicial Review, but naturally our prime concern is its patently flawed thinking behind the short-listing of Long Marston. Given the obvious strength of feeling, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Government were to take the sensible option and deliver its eco-town experiment on only one or two sites.”