Campaigners against a controversial scheme to build 5,000 low-carbon homes vowed to fight "every step of the way" after the plans cleared their first hurdle today.

MPs and councillors slammed a Government decision to shortlist proposals for a 350-hectare "eco-town" on the former airfield at Ford, between Littlehampton and Arundel, as part of a drive to help the thousands of families in the area who are waiting for affordable housing.

The scheme, which was chosen for its potential to provide 1,500 affordable homes in an area of "very high affordability pressure", will now be subject to public consultation before a final shortlist of up to ten sites is cleared to enter the normal planning process in the autumn.

Arun District Council leader Gillian Brown, who has argued that Ford lacks the necessary infrastructure to support an eco-town, said she was "appalled" that no account had been taken of the council's objections and invited opponents of the scheme to an emergency cabinet meeting on April 14 to kick-start a community campaign.

But Housing Minister Caroline Flint, who yesterday rejected more than 40 other eco-town proposals, said the challenge of providing homes for people in Sussex who "desperately" needed them could not be solved by "ducking" the issue.

She told The Argus: "Those people who have got a home of their own are very fortunate and good luck to them. But there are thousands of other people who would love to be able to buy a property in the south east and who find it extremely difficult.

"In the future, as we are all living longer, that will have an impact on the number of houses we need and we will have more single-person households as well. There are many children whose mums and dads are worried about whether their kids are going to be able to get on the property ladder."

The Government has pledged to create ten eco-towns as part of its commitment to build three million new homes in England by 2020.

Tell us what you think about the eco-town plan below.