road protests 1998
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Date: Sun, 06 Sep 1998 17:11:57 +0100
From: Cornerstone Resource Centre
Subject: EF!NE-ACTION UPDATE NO.51 SEPTEMBER '98
BREWERY FIELDS FOREVER
"How different the movement of a tree breathing the night air that rocks you to sleep, to vibrations of the leaves as the digger hits the roots."
There is now a 30 foot channel carved through the woodland and meadows, and 17 nicked activists.
Brewery Fields, a beautiful piece of common land in Bangor, unploughed for 40 years, a marvellous view of the sea prized by local residents and potential developers alike. When the bulldozers threatened to move in, and after 5 years of fighting planning permission, we set up camp on the site of the development, but were tortured out of our lock-ons (we're taking them to court). We then moved in to stop the access road. 25 acres would be set aside as a nature park, but they still intended further housing developments on the remaining 16.
A deal was offered to avoid this last eviction - "come down and we'll cause minimal damage". While negotiations were going on, more used walkways to get up trees, before the deal was refused. Rope bridges were cut with unharnessed protesters on them; others were violently wrestled out of the trees. They tried to hack away at a tunnel with a shovel, only damaging the door, so blocking the occupant's only exit. We held out for 22 hours.
So we've won 25 acres but there may be more to do; outline planning permission originally granted 40 years ago has recently been renewed, and the planning committee is a quango stuffed with potential developers. They may think again about developing now they know the local 'silly haircut, sit in a tree and shout' brigade is still around.
road protests 1998
| road protests (current)
| movement links