Magazine Issue 3 - Spring 1997
THE ROADS PAGE

Reunion rampage - 'dozer dancing, fence-downing, and decommissioning the tools of eco-devastation...

The Newbury reunion on 11th January got off to a damp and generally gloomy start with protesters and Pinkerton’s security eyeing one another uneasily across the razor wire. The atmosphere was one of increasing frustration and, after some rather pretty fence decoration (and a little rattling ), the assembled hordes seemed grateful to move to a nearby garden for tea and veggie burgers. Whilst Charles Secrett and ploughshares activist made their speeches, the pixies were busy behind the scenes. Breaches appeared in the fence and hun dreds of people poured through.

Hugely outnumbered, police had to contend themselves with filming the singing, dancing fire-breathing (!) greenies swarmed all over the beloved rnachines. Windows were broken, tyres Iet down and control panel ‘modified’. As night fell fires broke out in the vehicles and portacabin offices. Construction News estimated the damage done to to be in the range of several hundred thousand pouds and insurance premiums on environmentally damaging projects will inevitably rise each time this happens – a clear warning shot to any company daft enough to take this on when the ailing Costain finally goes down the tubes.

Media reports that the protest was a violent one, missed the point - aside from some jostling, there was very little aggres-sion towards police or security. Despite emotions running high and some people being trampled by horses or clubbed by over-zealous officers (have you noticed how their truncheons get bigger when they’re excited?). Although there were some mixed feelings, the overwhelming impression was that Costain had got no more than was coming to them. An enormous amount of pent up rage was relesed that day, hopefully- sending a clear message to both the government and the construction industry that large and growing numbers of people are very, very angry at the way the roads lobby is being allowed to bulldoze both democracy and irreplaceable ecosystems.

Eco-Stain update: Having missed February’s deadline for selling their US coal assets, and with shares still suspended, Costain are now in more trouble than ever before. Intria, the corporation who hold most of Costain’s shares, have threatened to withdraw funding! Oh dear.
Fare-well to Fairmile (and Trollheim, and Allercombe)

Eviction of 3 protest camps on the controversial A30 Honiton – Exeter road hit the headlines this winter, bringing an unprecedented amount of positive media coverage. Protestors in tunnels at Fairmile lasted for over a week, making this the longest running road-camp eviction ever, and costing the government vast sums of cash. What a shame. Swampy, one of the Fairmile moles, became a public hero overnight, even appearing on breakfast TV! Whatever your opinion of the media, it does seem that there has been a softening of attitude towards road protests, and a growing public acceptance that perhaps there are occasions when the environment is worth protecting…(My word! Whatever next!) We live in exciting times.

Onc of the most significant events of the Fairmile eviction was a list of demands the burrowers issued sho tly before the end. These included the call for a public enquiry into the terms agreed between the highways Agency and Council Consortium – which have been kept secret up to this point. We believe that the public deserve to be told exactly how much this DBFO scheme is going to cost them in the long term. Much proffessional opinion, as well as evidence from environmental bodies, suggests that despite short term savings, costs will eventually be well in excess of normal. The losers will be the environment and the public, the winners the fat cats who set up the deals. Yet another example of government incompetence pandering to corporate greed.
A353-354 Weymouth Relief Road, Dorset

NEW IMPROVED!
This monster just gets worse and worse. Not only does the route go through a SSSI and AOONB, it also ploughs through a toxic landfill site(yuk) that may contaminate a national wetland bird sanctuary if disturbed.

The latest news is that as the government have withdrawn funding, the council is opting to continue building (you guessed it) as another DBFO. Tarmac, the councils unofficial advisors, believe that the £30 million contract as it stands is not nearly attractive enough. To make this road really sexy will cost at least £60 million, requiring an extension road to damage Fleet Lagoon, a ‘specially protected area’ which is the sole remaining habitat of several species. Contact: "Teddy Bear Woods" protest camp on: 0468 221454

Stringer’s Common, A320 – Guilford
At Stringer’s Common near Guilford a new camp has been set up to obstruct the road-widening and straightening scheme. The local council claims that this "improvement" is needed in order to make the road safer (Hmmm…that’s bound to work –Ed.). The road runs through considerable stretches of woodland and numerous trees are to be sacrificed to the "noble" cause. Howeve, local activists couldn’t help noticing plans for a new waste incinerator nearby that might also benefit from the scheme. Romour has it that this may well be the next big one, with many Fairmile veterans making it their home. So, if you’ve a few days or weeks to spare, why not drop in?

Contact: 50 Old Farm Road, Guilford, Surrey, GU1 1QN. Tel: 01483 32167 http://www.geocities.com/rainforest/4452/hairymog.html. Or visit Yogurt Free State Camp on Stringers Common.
A650 Airedale trunk road, near Bradford

Yet more woodland is to be destroyed to make way for the utterly indisp ensable A65O Airedale trunk road, near Bradford West, Yorkshire. This nasty piece of work will plough through a SSSI and increase traffic volume in an already congested area. To date, no environmental impact assessment has been carried out, making the four groups bidding for this DBFO disaster, including Connect Consortium (bless ‘em) of A3O fame. A well organised camp has been set up and is appealing for tree squatters and tat. Clearance may start as soon as July.
Contact: Mark on 01274 826520
The A1(M)

This proposed ‘upgrade' is to produce a new - superhighway''from Newcastle to the M25. The DoT is in disarray after many sections of the controversial schemewerescrapped or shelved until further notice in the last budget. There has still been no official pronouncement on the future for the scheme as a whole.

The Alconbury to Peterborough section, which trashes some prime wildlife sites, is still going ahead, and is due to be completed in Autumn ’97. One of the first DBFOs, this is being handled by a consortium of compasnies called The Road Management Group, comprising of Amec, Brown & Root (USA), and Alfred McAlpine. A ‘celebtration’ will be arranged to greet this section’s completion

The Welwyn to Stevenage is also still on. There’s not a great deal of wildlife for Earthrape Plc to destroy here. Could it be that this scheme is being kept on the books in order to provide road access to 10,000 new houses, currently planned by Herts Countr Council?
Contact: Terry Figs, Mid Herts FOE. Tel: 01438 367452