Home | 12th January 1996 | Issue 56

WAKE UP! WAKE UP! IT'S YER UNCOMPROMISING...

NICE ONE NEWBURY!

Security stiffed by rampaging road protesters.

If anything has become apparent over the past few days then it is that the best tool the anti-roads/direct action movement possess is imagination. For three days running, people power as effectively outwitted the Highways Agency in their bid to start trashing work along the proposed route of the Newbury bypass.

Day one. People in tripods block the exits of the security compound so no vehicles can get out. Security are trapped for the day. One-nil.

Day two. Attention is switched to the coach station of the company supplying buses for the security. People chain themselves to the entrance until Horseman Coaches call back the coaches sent to pick up security!

Later on it's stalemate as hundreds of security link arms round a solitary bulldozer which after felling a couple of oaks falls silent as protestors play a new surreal version of British Bulldog.

Day three. More trees are cut but by 10 am work is again abandoned. Three -nil!

Whether this softly-softly approach from the police and security will last long is debatable. When the glare of the media circus moves on to its next fix and the contractors get impatient as the March deadline approaches (under an EC directive construction work should not effect nesting birds) will this 'people have a right to protest' last?

So why the fuss?

"Newbury has a traffic problem why not build a road? Sounds logical enough but unfortunately the easy it is to travel by car the more people travel by car, as a result new roads generate their own traffic"

Current forecasts point to the bypass providing relief for just 5-7 years!

Even chief supporters Newbury District Council are now saying the bypass won't solve the town's traffic problem only that it will give them a chance to sort it.

"Nightmare scenarios are looming, planning applications have been lodged for more than 5000 houses on the land between the new bypass and the western edge of town. They will need their own roads, out of town shopping centres etc. These new roads are generating their own traffic."

Freedom to drive?

The 13km long bypass will trash 3 sites of Special Scientific Interest, damage a number of local nature reserves, two civil war battle sites, 12 archaeological sites as well as managing to 'pass' three times through the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Not bad eh? Along with the road will come 'infill' ... already some 700 planning applications have been submitted.

70% of Newbury's traffic is local so wouldn't the £101 million be better spent on a package of local traffic reduction measures? What about improving public transport, cycle routes, school buses, car-share schemes etc? All of which an Independent transport consultants have shown could solve the towns traffic problems far better and more cost-effectively than a bypass.

For example, upgrading the Southampton to Midlands railway to take so-called piggyback freight services, where heavy lorries travel on specially designed trains would ensure huge savings on pollution and road maintenance. The equivalent Channel Tunnel to Glasgow piggyback line will take 400,000 lorry journeys off the roads every year after it opens in 1997.

Laws? You make 'em we break 'em...

"Over two thirds of the population believe that there are times when breaking the law is justifiable"

The decision to proceed with the by-pass in July 1995 was a direct result of concerted lobbying by local politicians, the roads lobby and those with vested interests. There was no formal consultation or opportunity for debate during the review period.

No proper Environmental Impact Assessment was ever carried out despite the findings of the Governments landscaper Advisory Committee back in 1986 that the road was "quite unacceptable".

Supporters of the bypass claim that it enjoys overwhelming local support However, the 6:1 in favour of the road often quoted was estimated through a self-selecting telephone phone in which only a few per cent of local people responded!

Who said this?

"Our priorities are to reduce the need for transport; to put public transport before private, rail before road, less polluting before more polluting forms of transport and to encourage walking and cycling." It's the Liberal Democrats transport policy. But isn't Lib Dem MP David Rendell one of the main supporters of the bypass?

Deeds Not Words

Ironically while all this was going on a Conference was being held in Newbury to discuss the Governments' White Paper on 'Rural England'. The Paper talks about the importance of the rural environment and its commitment to protecting the wider countryside, meanwhile a few miles down the road beautiful countryside is under threat. As with all this waffle it is not worth the paper it's written on.

Forget the empty words the writing-to-your-MP - join the protests at Newbury.

RING 01635 45544 and get on the case.

Transport on regular basis from Brighton - no more than £4 return 01273 685913

"Newbury already has a by-pass but years of poor planning have made five mile tailbacks during the rush hour the norm. It is littered with roundabouts, pedestrian crossings and sideroads. Eliminate these, add a sprinkling of circle tracks and lay on some decent bus services and the problem will be solved. But that's too simple. And the backhanders aren't so great. So we have to fight. The system is run by lazy people and oiled by money so we have to make their lives difficult and make it more profitable to abandon road building and do something else".

CENTURY OF CASUALTIES

This year Britain celebrates the centenary of the death of Mrs Brigitte Driscoll. Why? Was she a little known suffragette? Did she invent something useful? NO. She was the first person in this country to be killed by a car. Since then half a million Brits have joined her on this grisly Roll of Honour - seventeen million people worldwide! A hundred years on and any dreams of freedom the car was supposed to bring have turned into a nightmare. A humdrum holocaust the Third World War that nobody bothered to declare. Streets, once the open forum of daily life, are now the open sewers of the car culture... and the car industry's response? Tom Beaman, a PR man for General Motors told SchNEWS: "It is probably the most challenging, exciting industry in the world. It's like being in a toy shop."

Meanwhile on January 17th it's 100 years since Daimler was given a license to manufacture cars in the UK. To 'celebrate' this a 1896 Daimler will be driven down the aisle of Coventry Cathedral - followed by a new Electric Peugeot - followed by a jamboree dinner for 2,000 motor industry executives! Ring 0171 490 1555 if you'd like to demonstrate your disgust!

* If you want to find out more about the chaos caused by the automobile get hold of a copy of Autogeddon by Heathcote Williams - an excellent history of cars, capitalism and carnage.

* Singapore are to spend £9 billion on an ultra-modern public transport system aimed at virtually eliminating the car from the island. Their use will increasingly be discouraged with heavier taxes and electronic road-pricing alongside a reliable and speeder bus and tram system.

Crap Of The Week

Parks are set aside for enjoyment, relaxation and leisure for adults and children - except when it comes to East Brighton Park. Parks are set aside for enjoyment, relaxation and leisure for adults and children - except when it comes to East Brighton Park. This lovely area in Whitehawk Estate has been systematically destroyed over recent years.

Brightons' most heralded massive sewer has contributed to this by the dumping of huge amounts of chalk at Sheepcote Valley. Useful for the privatised water co, BMX users and hockey players but no one else. A caravan site has been also been put in which ihas caused a huge increase in traffic on this road thru the park resulting in a least one child nearly being seriously injured. It's no longer safe for children cycling either and it's only a matter of time before a local kid pays the price for Brightons Council's money grabbing ideas. If you go to this park you spend most of the time dodging dog shit and worrying your baby will get it in the their eyes. However, there was some respite as one area was free from dogs because it was enclosed by railings. That is until six weeks ago when railings were taken down. The reason - to save money as railings were needed elsewhere!

SQUATTER'S IN MORTGAGE SHOCK!

Whilst Brighton squatters are having a bad time of it at the moment, over in Hamburg things have taken a turn for the better. Hafenstrasse is a block of buildings squatted for more than 14 years, it overlooks the harbour, is slap bang in the middle of Germany's poshest hotels and brothels and just across the way from a famous Sunday market.

In October '81 a group lovingly termed "punks and social revolutionaries" occupied the block of empty houses and from that point it has been the scene of police assaults, firebombing, flaming barricades and street battles. All in the name of an eviction!

After these bungled attempts by the city and the police the council finally agreed (in the wake of solid support from local residents and councilors) to allow the squatters a temporary rental contract which expired in 1986. Several thousand police were met with hundreds of defenders and barricades of burning tyres and cars when they attempted to enforce the expired contract, and the battle that ensued forced the major to resign!

The level of public support (or more likely the drain on resources) has now forced the current major Henning Voscheru to accept the squatters presence and an agreement has been struck that the squatters buy the block for £970,000 (a cheap deal really) They only have to put up 10% of the cash and have to renovate the buildings (something that has already been done, hasn't it?) and they have to pay half of the overdue rent, £170,000 - and amazingly the city will pay the rest!

This marks an all round bloody success story and proves that defiance in the face of the bastard bailiff can succeed. If only this could happen in Brighton, or will it? what with the new Interim Possession Order's (IPO's) springing up all over the area it will only be a matter of time before something cracks (no pun intended) and more combative resistance is employed in defending what still is a legal occupying of empty properties. Time to barricade?

SchNEWS In Brief

Brighton SchNEWS: The Courthouse Bookshop in Edward Street is 'under new management' (hello Martin and Kate!). They should start stocking lots of your favourite anarchist literature soon, so give 'em your support.

*** Brighton Peace Centre in Gardener St is also worth checking out, apart from cards, T-shirts, they have a sexy lending library and information service.

*** Talking of the Peace Centre, they reckon our groovy SchNEWS Reader is there bestest ever selling book. The First 50 SchNEWS plus groovy cartoons could be yours for just £3.99 (inc.p+p) from the usual address

*** Lex who was arrested for threatening and abusive behaviour at the Job Seekers Allowance demo last September (he said" bollocks!" Naughty boy) has his court case is on the 22nd Jan at the magistrates court, Brighton at 2. I5PM and he can't get legal aid. Give him some support by going along

*** The 43rd edition of Housmans Peace Diary is available now! Fully revised and listing nearly 2000 peace and environmental groups as well as all the other bits you expect a diary to include, you can order it from 5 Caledonian Rd, London, N1 9DX for £5.50+60p PP

*** There's a Massive Quarry Shut Down at Durnford Quarry, Bristol on Monday 19th Feb. Meet 12 midday at the Clifton gate entrance to Ashton Court Estate, on Rownham Road. For more info contact: AGEF! TEL: 01225 448556

*** Parents whose children suffer from asthma failed in their High Court bid to ban traffic from a busy road during periods of high pollution in Greenwich, South London. The judges suggestion and final verdict was, "if you don't like the pollution then move!"

And Finally

SchLIVE! SchNEWS is going on tour! A combination of reading out the news you never hear sprinkled with bits of Conscious Cinema's in-yer-face footage. We're on the look out for venues: it doesn't matter if its a pub, toilet, your mums bedroom or church hall, as long as numbers can be vaguely guaranteed and we won't be just preaching to the converted. Good for a laugh why not book us now while stocks last? (01273) 685 913.

DISCLAIMER

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Next Justice? Meeting Wednesday 17th January, 7:30pm Unemployed Centre, off Carlton Hill behind Amex - to discuss squatting strategy.

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