BATTLE lines are being drawn as campaigners and local and government officials prepare for a summit over the proposed eco-town near Bicester.

Three Government departments visit the town on Wednesday for a meeting organised by Cherwell District Council and Bicester Vision.

They will spell out the benefits of a 5,000-home eco-town.

South East Minister Jonathan Shaw and representatives from the departments of Transport, Health and Defence will discuss the idea with an audience including representatives from the Campaign to Protect Rural England and the campaign group Bicester and Villages Against Sham Eco-town (BASE).

Catharine Murfitt, whose family has been farming 200 acres of land designated for the site of the eco-town since the 1930s, will also attend.

She said: “I am angry the district council thinks it can make a proposal like this for land it does not own.

“I only learned about the proposal on TV.

“The fact remains that our land is not for sale, and no-one at the council will rule out the possibility of compulsory purchase.

“I am worried we may be forced to sell in the middle of a recession to one developer.”

Retired planner Tony Ives, chairman of BASE, added: “My main objection is that this is being forced through contrary to the development plan. We are considering challenging its legality through judicial review.

“Also, Bicester, as a garrison town, is surrounded by brownfield, ex-military land which would be far more suitable.”

Cherwell District Council volunteered land to the Government as a candidate to become one of four eco-towns in the UK. It was as an alternative to the proposal near Weston-on-the-Green.

It was approved in July.

Now the developer, P3Eco, a partnership of builders, architects and a housing association, which includes Cherwell District Council, is waiting to hear how much of the £60m of government money promised will go to Bicester.

It is hoping for £20m. P3Eco spokesman Fiona Bremmer said: “We hope to hear imminently, possibly before Christmas.”

Michael Gibbard, Cherwell’s portfolio holder for housing and planning, said: “We think we have put together a good case for Government investing in our community. We are confident local people will wish us luck.”

Wednesday’s event is at Bicester Country Club, Chesterton. The first session, from 10am to 12.20pm, is for invited guests only.

Public sessions will then be held at the country club between 1.30pm to 3.30pm and at Bicester Community College from 6pm to 8pm.

Anyone wishing to attend the public sessions should register with Gill Butterworth at gillian.butterworth@ cherwell-dc.gov.uk bicester@oxfordmail.co.uk