The 300 year old beech tree and other surrounding trees at the Mansfield Woodhouse / Sherwood Forest tree camp have won a two month repreive. Following an intensive local campaign, supported by campaigners from around the region and around the world, Mansfield District Council agreed, at a 10th March meeting, to an independent inquiry into the feasability of the proposed junction.
The 300 year old beech tree and other surrounding trees at the Mansfield Woodhouse / Sherwood Forest tree camp have won a two month repreive. Following an intensive local campaign, supported by campaigners from around the region and around the world, Mansfield District Council agreed, at a 10th March meeting, to an independent inquiry into the feasability of the proposed junction.
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Bloody Well Done!!
11.03.2004 12:44
x
all power to the other camps!
Pete
Not quite
11.03.2004 14:23
Whether this will be decided in 30 or 60 days will be agreed upon next week.
Whilst the site is obviously pleased with this we are also cautious too. Someone from Bellway told someone from the camp that they had looked into the cost of the eviction and could afford it. However it appeared from the conversation that Bellway hadn't factored in the costs of a nationwide campaign against them. Several Bellway 'Show' homes have already been trashed elsewhere in the country and Bellway already have a bad reputation amongst those who have bought homes from them (see www.buggers.org.uk)
The new road junction is ostensibly to cater from the new traffic generated from the new housing developments. However many believe that that is not the real reason. Most traffic from the new housing estates is much more likely to go in the opposite direction, away, from the new junction. It is believed that the real reason for this junction is as part of a new bypass plan that will involved the destruction of many more trees if it goes ahead.
Earlier in the week the site was visited by councillors who took photos and later recieved a separate visit from 3 police officers. It's also worth noting that Bellway has already attempted to illegally evict the camp a few weeks ago. This was stopped when people on the camp phoned the police who stopped the night time attempt. Bellway are very powerful with links to many government departments and are apparently very matey with John Prescott too. Their history is littered with duplicity and corruption as well as poorly built homes.
The only guarantee that could be given at last nights meeting regarding the eviction is that it wouldn't be today. Bellway can evict anytime now if they so choose and the only hope is that they won't pay for a costly eviction until the plan for the junction is given. However they're a pretty unpleasant lot so we're not counting on it.
Having said that the campaign is still very much winnerable but there is a still a way to go before it is won.
steve
Whitewash report
07.05.2004 20:37
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