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Linslade Western Bypass |
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History of the Linslade Western Bypass
The bypass has been around since 1982
More Recent/The Public Inquiry in 2003
The Government decides to go ahead in 2004
The CampaignIn February, we applied for Judicial Review for the Secretary of State’s decision to fund the road, as a member of the group was eligible for legal aid. We very nearly got it. However their main argument was that as we had not challenged them in the April before we couldn’t challenge them now. New guide lines had come out as regards the tests that schemes have to go through before getting full funding. However that came out less than a month after the Linslade western Bypass received funding.
On January 17th at 6.00am we had a big demonstration located where the bypass will join the road to Soulbury with a huge roundabout. There were 40 people there. Greenpeace also came to support us as did Milton Keynes and Aylesbury Friends of the Earth. There were television cameras from Look East, Anglia News, Central and BBC South, BBC Three-Counties Radio, and reporters from The Telegraph and the Evening Standard. There were 3 van loads of police but the contractors stayed away. We were also covered by BBC News online, Planning Magazine, Surveyors Magazine, Contract Magazine and The Morning Star.
Jan 18th - smaller demonstration, still no work underway.
Jan 19th small demonstration, then contractors brought in chainsaws to Valley Farm Fen to cut down trees. It was a beautiful sunlit tranquil morning. Local Group members Ken, Heather and Michael and Sean linked arms and stood in front of the pick-up trucks with chainsaws, preventing them from starting work. Becca and I locked on to the digger in order to prevent the trees being cut down. There were possible bat roosts in the trees and to disturb a bat roost is a criminal offence. So we were committing the lesser offence in order to prevent the greater offence. It took 17 police officers two hours to arrest and use bolt croppers to remove the chains. Work was stopped that day. Press coverage with ITV Central, BBC South, The Evening Standard, South Beds News Agency, and The Press Association.
Demonstrations continued during the week, despite the cold.
On Sunday January 24th a tree-house was built by people from Oxford, including Boris. They were supported by local people who, amazingly, despite the cold kept up a vigil by the tree-house during working hours and provided food for the residents.
Weekend of 29th and 30th Bucks CC put a draconian injunction on the land of the bypass site including the footpaths and the verges of the B4032 to Soulbury and part of the road itself saying that if anyone walked on this land in conjunction with the protest against the bypass they would be liable to have their assets seized and go to prison for two years. Bucks CC could easily have gone through the normal eviction procedures for a tiny fraction of the cost and had the tree-house removed.
Tuesday 2nd February. Demonstration against the bypass, 7.30am. Later the Stoke Hammond pro-bypass demonstration with the help of Bucks CC press officer. They came down to the camp to “confront” the demonstrators. People had had to take children to school and go to work, and Hugh Arnold who was one of the protestors living in the tree house bravely put his name to the defence against the injunction, risking thousands of pounds of costs and had gone down to the High Court in London with the support of members of South Beds FoE. So there was no one there, which disappointed the press who had obviously hoped for, at minimum, a heated argument. In London Hugh was helped for free by a barrister, Alison Gerry of Doughty Street Chambers, and Phil Michaels, the solicitor for Friends of the Earth. Otherwise we would have had access to no legal advice at all, against a row of solicitors employed by Bucks CC. Liberty gave us their support. The result was that the injunction was lessened so that we can now stand on the verge and use the footpath, however it still is in force and covers the area either side of the B4032, (the main protest site) going quite a distance either side. The Guardian and the Telegraph covered the story. The Guardian had a big article in the Society section.
Wednesday 2nd February. Negotiations set up by Stephen Joseph OBE, Director of Transport 2000 with Garrett Emerson, head of Transportation and Planning in Bucks CC. The result was a statement by Bucks containing: a firm proposal for an express bus service between Aylesbury and Milton Keynes, a package of facilities ensuring safe pedestrian movement, particularly for children, on the A4146 through Stoke Hammond and the Wing road in Linslade, improvements to Linslade town bus services consideration of speed limits and speed management measures, the Council to work jointly with Bedfordshire County Council in consultation with South Beds Friends of the Earth, to develop proposals for the required measures in Leighton-Linslade.
Thursday 4th February. Seán Kelly assaulted by Security Guards in front of his two year-old son. People from Scotland had set up 8 tree-houses.
12th February. Public meeting and debate
15th February. Eviction of tree-house dwellers and cutting down of trees.
Candlelit Vigil.
Demonstration 5th March with Samba Band and MP The Arguments from Buckinghamshire County Council
Our Arguments against the bypass
Achievements
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