There are growing signs that the deeply flawed “Forest City” proposal is beginning to unravel.
We have been informed today that the planned public meeting tomorrow evening at Thurlow Village Hall — with Shiv Malik, the promoter of Forest City 1 — has been postponed or cancelled.
The stated reason? That recent social media activity might attract too many attendees, and that the organisers could not guarantee the meeting would remain “safe, calm and respectful for all parties.”
Frankly, that is both disappointing and unjustified.
There is no evidence whatsoever that residents would behave in anything other than a respectful manner. In fact, the only personal attacks seen so far have come from Mr Malik himself, particularly in his repeated criticism of Nick Timothy.
It is hard to avoid the conclusion that the real issue is not public behaviour — but public opposition.
Why Delay Until After the Elections?
We are also told the meeting should now take place after the May elections.
That raises serious questions.
This proposal is not currently a Suffolk County Council matter. Delaying engagement until after elections risks turning this into a political manoeuvre rather than an open, honest consultation.
What it does mean is that the Forest City proposal will rightly become an election issue.
And that matters — because it is essential that the right people, with the right experience and judgment, are elected to stand up for our area and stop this completely inappropriate scheme.
Too Much Public Interest? That’s the Point
Let’s be clear:
The organisers wanted a public meeting — but now appear concerned that the public actually want to attend.
That is not a problem. That is democracy.
Delaying the meeting will not make the opposition disappear. If anything, it will only strengthen it.
A Significant Development from Government
There may, however, be a more telling reason behind this sudden change.
On 23rd March, the Government published its draft “New Towns Programme” methodology, setting out 127 potential sites across the country.
The “Forest City” proposal — promoted by the Albion City Development Corporation — is included.
But crucially, it does not appear among the shortlist of 13 preferred locations.
That alone speaks volumes.
Serious Doubts About Deliverability
Even more striking is the Government’s own assessment of the proposal.
The plan — a vast development of up to 400,000 homes across 45,000 acres in East Anglia — is described as having:
- No clear route to delivery
- No evidence of local political support
- No evidence of landowner backing
- No developer interest
In short, it is not a serious, deliverable proposition.
We Must Keep It That Way
This is a proposal that would overwhelm our area — swallowing villages, placing intolerable pressure on infrastructure, and fundamentally changing the character of West Suffolk forever.
It is not wanted locally.
It is not supported politically.
And now, it appears, it is not being taken seriously by Government either.
That is progress.
But we cannot be complacent.
We must continue to make the case clearly and firmly:
Our villages should remain villages.
Nick Clarke 