UK: NEWBURY: PROTESTORS HALT START OF CONSTRUCTION ON NEW ROAD

Описание: (9 Jan 1996) English/Nat

Protesters are claiming victory after halting construction work on a controversial road in the heart of the English countryside.

They formed a human chain to prevent work on the by-pass near Newbury in Berkshire, west of London.

Many of the protesters have been living in trees in historic woodland standing in the path of the road.

The camp is silent as anti-road protestors are still asleep in the treetop homes - they call twigloos.

But the treehouse dwellers are on high alert.

On Tuesday the protestors managed to block out security guards sent in to secure the forest.

But they know that they will not be able to keep them out indefinitely.

Any day now they expect bulldozers and chainsaw teams to break the silence as work on the motorway bypass round the southern English town of Newbury gets underway.

The activists have moved into eight camps along the planned route to try to stop the road.

They're prepared to camp here as long as it takes - and now the mail is even delivered to their woodland doorsteps.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Well basically to stop the contractors coming in and clearing the woods, we've constructed all these walkways and treehouses and when the final eviction day comes, we'll climb up our trees and stay in them as long as possible, which should slow them down quite considerably."
SUPER CAPTION: Reuben, Anti-road protestor

The environmentalists feel that there is no need for a bypass and aim to protect the countryside from any more asphalt.

But many of the townspeople feel differently - the A34 goes straight through Newbury and is the main route between the Midlands and the south of England.

Traffic constantly rumbles through the historic town - where Oliver Cromwell's Roundheads scored a significant victory against King Charles the First in England's Civil War in 1643.

The town council argues it has made every effort to reduce the impact on the environment and protect wildlife along the planned route.

SOUNDBITE:
"Newbury is a small market town with a population of just 27-thousand people, we have 50-thousand vehicles a day coming through our town, the pollution levels adjacent to the A34 are three times what they are in the rest of the town. That pollution, that traffic is strangling Newbury - we're choking on the pollution."
SUPER CAPTION: Peter Gilmore, Newbury Town Council

More than 350 years ago the woodlands and meadows outside Newbury were the scene of strategic fighting.

Now 20th century protesters warn that soon they may be the site of another major battle - this time for the environment.

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