More than 200 people have signed up to fight proposals for a massive development which will ‘swamp’ villages.
At a public meeting on Friday night at Slip End Village Hall, residents voted to set up an action group to combat the Bushwood Green development, which would see 5,500 homes built on Green Belt land south-west of Luton.
Luton and Central Beds Economic and Development Partnership also wants to build a 20,000-seater stadium for Luton Town Football Club, along with retirement and sporting villages and other facilities.
At the meeting Esther Rantzen, independent Parliamentary candidate for Luton South, suggested that Caddington and Slip End villagers should have an ‘open and frank debate’ with the developers, but that idea was rejected.
Ms Rantzen said: “I hear how passionately you feel and really believe the way forward is to have an informed debate.
“Information is very important. We need to speak to the developers and learn more about what is being proposed in order to make objections more cogent.”
Slip End Parish Council chairman Ken Crossett said: “It is a constant fight to protect our Green Belt, but it was put there to protect rural villages and we know that people who live in the villages will want to fight the Bushwood Green proposals.”
Luton South Conservative Parliamentary candidate Nigel Huddleston said: “If we have a change of Government next May, this proposal will be a matter for local decision because we will ditch the regional spatial strategy and return planning decisions to local people.”
John Boyd, director of the Partnership’s consultancy firm, JB Planning Associates, said: “We have written to both parish councils requesting to meet them to provide us with an opportunity to present the vision for Bushwood Green.
“The parish councils have agreed to meet us and the arrangements for this meeting are being sorted out by the parish clerk and us.
“We hope to organise a consultation event for the residents of Caddington and Slip End to discuss the proposals and obtain their feedback.”