Stop The Linslade Bypass

Press Release, Wednesday 26th January 2005:

LINSLADE BYPASS "DIGGER TWO" PROTESTERS IN COURT, AS WORK RESUMES ON ROAD SCHEME

FoE South Bedfordshire

Victoria Harvey and Rebecca Lush [1] are appearing in Aylesbury Magistrates Court on Friday, 28th January 2005, after chaining themselves to a digger due to start work on the controversial Stoke Hammond - Linslade Bypass [2] on 19th January [3]. They are charged with failing to leave land and disrupting lawful activity. They will be asking for an adjournment to prepare their case that the clearance work is not lawful.

The two women will be arguing that the road is illegal as it has never been appraised according to strict Government guidelines [4], and that work on the route would have threatened rare bats [5].

Meanwhile residents and activists have kept up a continual vigil, continuing to halt work on the scheme since 17th January. After residents halted an attempt to start work on 19th January, when machinery and chainsaws were brought in, Buckinghamshire County Council have suspended work for a "security review". Today (26th) contractors, police and security guards moved in to erect fences. Meanwhile a tree house has been established on the route of the Bypass [6].

Victoria Harvey said:

"We are not criminals and we intend to expose the Government and the Council's weak case for the road during this court case. They should be in court, not us. They have never fully appraised this scheme, no consultation has been done since 1982, and their plans take no account of the 'Growth Area' plans."

She added:

"Alistair Darling has said that we cannot build our way out of congestion, so why are they doing this? There has been no attempt by Buckinghamshire County Council to provide an integrated transport policy. Leighton Buzzard has terrible congestion but the bypass will not help this. One fifth of all people do not have access to a car and the government should be helping these people. An East-West rail between Oxford and Bletchley would solve so much congestion, and reduce greenhouse gases. Why is John Prescott giving the money for road schemes, but no money for rail schemes and yet still tries to call this road building 'sustainable'?".

NOTES TO EDITORS

[1] Victoria Harvey (36) of South Bedfordshire Friends of the Earth, and Rebecca Lush (32) of anti-roads alliance, Road Block, were chained to a digger for over 2 hours, and were finally arrested after being cut off by a specialist protest removal team. They have been bailed not to go near the route. Anonymous well-wishers have already pledged to pay their fines.
[2] The £50 million Stoke Hammond and Linslade Western Bypass is the first of four bypasses, which will provide a dual carriageway between Milton Keynes and Aylesbury. This is in one of the Government's 'growth areas', with Milton Keynes set to have 44,000 new homes by 2021, South Bedfordshire 26,000, and Aylesbury 15,000. Protesters believe that it is the first piece of infrastructure to pave the way for the huge housing development planned for the 'Growth Area'.
[3] The first and only attempt at clearance work was immediately halted by local residents, with lines of local residents standing in front of the chainsaw vehicles, and the two women stopping the digger.
[4] Since 1998 all major road schemes have been subject to NATA (New Approach to Appraisal), where scheme proposals are assessed against five criteria - accessibility, safety, economy, environment and integration. Different options for solving transport problems, including traffic management and public transport alternatives, are compared. There was never a full NATA appraisal of the Bypass. If there had been, this road would never have been given Full Approval and Funding by the Secretary of State.
[5] Under wildlife legislation, the Council must have completed full surveys for bats along the route, and have made adequate arrangements for Ecologists to survey the route before the start of work, and arrange for licenses from DEFRA to remove any bats. This has not been done.
[6] The tree house is on the B4032 between Soulbury and Linslade between Dollar Farm and Valley Farm.
[7] A website has been set up by local residents at www.linsladeprotest.org.uk

CONTACTS

Victoria Harvey of South Beds Friends of the Earth on 01525 385 097 and 07815 817108 or vharvey@btopenworld.com. Rebecca Lush of anti-roads alliance Road Block on 07854 693067 and office@roadblock.org.uk. See also www.roadblock.org.uk