STOP PRESS - PROTESTS AT HEBDEN BRIDGE IN YORKSHIRE. ACTIVISTS CLOSE ILLEGAL QUARRY IN PAPUK.

Another everyday story of developers moving into a protected site and trashing it with chainsaws has been taking place at Hebden Bridge, in Yorkshire. On Tuesday October 19, now known in the area as 'Chainsaw Tuesday', men employed by Green Tops Homes cut down a number of trees which had been under a protection order, in order to make way for a proposed private development of ten eco (sic) homes.

The first residents knew of the destruction was at 7.30 am, when they awoke to find an army of security guards who attacked anyone who tried to get near or go over the wall to the Mill Pond, where the trees were being destroyed. They were, say witnesses, abusive and very aggressive. Residents climbed trees, and attempted to remonstrate with the men, but, says the Hebden Bridge website “by midday when the Forestry Commission arrived, and they were finally persuaded to stop, most had been felled.”

It is interesting that the excuses used - for example the statement that a wall was dangerous so the trees needed to come down anyway - were not only the same used when destroying Blackwood in Wales, but were greeted with equal incomprehension by residents. “I've lived in Spring Grove at the 'high end' of the retaining wall since the houses were built. I know of no structural problem whatsoever with the wall. I've spoken to neighbours and as far as I can gather the only known problem was with a tree overhanging a garden much further down Spring Grove, where the wall is much lower (in fact, past the point where the original retaining wall ended). This does rather call into question the validity of the claim to want 'to remove trees to repair collapsing walls'. writes one Hebden Bridger on the site.

Corporate Watch thoroughly recommends the community website:
www.hebdenbridge.co.uk for the passion and the humour with which the residents are tackling the situation. We will continue to report on events.

CROATIA
Despite being up against corruption, violence, and a powerful industry mogul, activists in Coatia have succeeded in closing the illegal quarry which was threatening the biodiversity hotspot of Papuk (see Corporate Watch Newsletter 20 for more details). Activists are, however, concerned to keep as much pressure on the state as possible, in case the situation regresses.. Please, they say, post your messages of support on
http://alert.zeleni.hr

and write, if so moved, to

Ministry of Culture - Directorate for Nature Protection
Ulica grada Vukovara 78/III
10000 Zagreb
tel: 01 610-6555
fax: 01 610-6904
Deputy minister: Mrs Marina Mlakar
e-mail: marina.mlakar(at)min-kulture.hr

to express your support for the closure.