squatting archive    |   movement links

From: Jo Makepeace (webmaster@schnews.org.uk)
Date: Sat, 5 Jul 2008 08:58:40 +0100
Subject: SchNEWS 638, Friday 4th July 2008

Prospect House, Shipley - Derbyshire farmhouse squat

THE LAW IS AN A.S.S. Protests against the planned open-cast coal mine in Derbyshire (SchNEWS 636) continue after a surprise court victory for the squatters. Activists have taken over a farm house and a row of trees due to be demolished for a proposed coal mine. Taken to court on Monday they were expecting an imminent eviction.

However, due to a timely intervention by the Advisory Service for Squatters and bodged paperwork from the opposition, they've had a stay of execution 'til 18th July. The company had tried to evict under the name Harworth Agricultural Land but the land is actually owned by Harworth Mining International Ltd and thanks to their PR friendly name-change they couldn't prove they were the owners. How's that for greenwash! They also couldn't prove the tenancy of the farm had actually formally ended saying that the farmer had merely 'vacated' the premises. In fact Mr Severnm is an enthusiastic supporter of the campaign.

Despite having to file for an adjournment due to their own legal incompetence, the company went on to exact revenge by knocking down a bungalow on the site. One tree-dweller told SchNEWS: "They've just demolished the bungalow opposite the house - it was originally scheduled to stay on their maps but they've obviously decided to knock it down rather than risk us squatting it. Two days after we got here it was occupied by security on guard for 24 hours a day, generator, floodlights everything. They just turned up with a JCB to knock it down."

With another two weeks (at least) before they can be evicted - the campaign are calling out for numbers to make this one to remember.

* See http://www.leaveitintheground.org.uk  (Site mob 0750 333 5870)

* For advice on squatting why not contact the sublimely brilliant Advisory Service for Squatters.
tel 020 3216 0099 -- http://www.squatter.org.uk

* JULY 14 - Noise Demo outside UK Coal, Doncaster - against UK Coal, who are planning to begin the new open-cast coal mine.
Meet at Doncaster train station at 3:30pm or outside UK Coal at 4pm
tel 07852 460871 -- derby@earthfirst.org.uk

**********************************************

From: Jo Makepeace (webmaster@schnews.org.uk)
Date: Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:17:03 +0100
Subject: SchNEWS 640, Friday 18th July 2008

BODGE UP

The Bodge House occupation in Derbyshire - stopping a proposed open-cast coal mine - are in court this Friday (18th), and could be facing bailiffs soon after then. After having their eviction case adjourned until that date due to a dodgy name-changing exercise by the mining company (See SchNEWS 638), and with the camp getting visits from National Eviction Team people, next week could see an eviction attempt.

Earth moving has already begun in the vicinity of the protest camp, which has been hampered by some digger-diving direct action. The squatters have been sorting out barricades, but are requesting more people now. A wish list includes water bots, ladders, gardening equipment, scaff, tarps and polyprop.

* For map to the site see http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/pdf/640-map.pdf

**********************************************

From: Jo Makepeace (webmaster@schnews.org.uk)
Date: Sat, 23 Aug 2008 11:50:18 +0100
Subject: SchNEWS 643, Friday 22nd August 2008

BODGED ATTEMPT

The squat at Prospect House near Shipley in Derbyshire, a protest on the site of a proposed new open-cast coal mine (see SchNEWS 641), finally came to end last week with the eviction of the remaining two protesters, who had resolutely resisted attempts to clear the site by furiously digging for victory.

Rechristened Bodge House by the occupants, work at the site has been obstructed and delayed by industrious protesters who held lock-ons and built a scaffolding tower, treehouses and an extensive tunnel network. The eviction eventually took more than a hundred Police and bailiffs over a week to complete whilst activists and locals resolve remains unbroken. One of the tunnellers, identified only as 'Moley', said on his forced return to the surface: "We found ourselves in a hole, but we kept digging. It was pretty hard spending a week underground, but worth it to slow down UK Coal's destruction of the environment."

**********************************************

From: Jo Makepeace (webmaster@schnews.org.uk)
Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2008 20:12:23 +0100
Subject: SchNEWS 641, Friday 8th August 2008

COAL HAS ITS KNOCKERS

This Thursday morning, 150 police and bailiffs arrived to evict protesters occupying an open cast coal mine in Derbyshire (See SchNEWS 638). During the day the National Eviction Team removed three people, from a treehouse, a net and one from the roof of the derelict farmhouse-cum-fortress. After about 6 hours they got into the house, but found a crazy labyrinth of bunkers, barricades and tunnels which stopped them from removing any more people on the first day.

One protester outside the site told SchNEWS, "There's about 7 people barricaded inside the house and the tunnel network. It'll probably take at least a week to evict everyone."

At least they've got a little further than one cop last week. A (fully clothed but excitable) tree hugger tells the story: "Due to the incredible heat three girls had got their tops off when a UK coal digger drove by, unforgettably causing the naked protestors to run across the field to join the others. The finest local plod then turned up to find the nudists sat on the roof of the fortified house along with many others. After his 'Come down or you'll be arrested' was laughed off, he got a crowbar to try to break in. after forcing a board off a window to be met with a radiator and a mass of dirt behind the window, he continued to attempt to kick in another window even though protesters were repeatedly telling him that some one was d-locked onto the back of the board. With nothing left to do but make a even bigger arse out of himself he left one very unhappy piggy!" The site was set up on 18th June to disrupt UK Coal, who are starting an open cast mine at the site. One nearby resident, Ben, said "Local people and the council didn't want this mining. The government pays lip service to green issues but UK Coal could not afford to mine here if it wasn't for government subsidies they receive." He continued " The eviction of this site is not the end of our fight against UK Coal here or at other sites around the country."

The site is on Bell Lane, between Smalley and Heanor, six miles from Derby.

Phone 07503 335870. Get yer subtlety cloak on and get there!



squatting archive    |   movement links