The Lizard Tribe

Wymondham is in the Sth Norfolk constituency of the Transport Minister John MacTarmac. Perhaps for this reason it is to get a new “by-pass”, to by-pass the last bypass. This will open up a huge swathe of land for development while trashing the nicest bit of the countryside near the town. The original estimate of the road was £18 million, but Robert “Ten-chins” Key has now admitted the figure will be over £26 million. EF!ers and locals have set up a permanent camp on a disused railway line near to the Lizard since February 6th.

Wymondham By-pass History

1888 
Norfolk Friends of the Earth organised a mass buy-up of the land to delay the project.

1990
After losing the first inquiry, a new route was accepted as a new habitat will be created for the newt and tunnel road crossings would be provided! (with signs and free public transport?)

June 1991
Secretary of State announces the go ahead. Contractors bulldoze the hedges, trees and ponds on the proposed road route through the Lizard.

June 1992
Court case, High Court refuses to rule on whether the DoT have acted illegally in their conduct of the compulsory purchase.

March 1993
FoE reluctantly withdraws from court action due to escalating costs.

September 1993
EF! enters the campaign with the occupation of ‘The Willows’, the one house due to be destroyed by the road. After three court hearings the bailiffs move in, removing one person from the house and two from the roof. ‘The Willows’ is bulldozed the same day.

February 1994
Earth First! sets up camp on the disused railway line.

February 7th
Compulsory purchase orders on section of railway line comes into force. Only 14 plotholders have been notified, we argue that this makes the purchase illegal. Security guards and the chief engineer for the road are met by 20 people on the railway line refusing access.

February 11th
John Macgregor had to start work on the Wymondham bypass with a spade as people locked onto the ceremonial JCB! He was held up for more than an hour. Mr Macgregor dismissed the Lizard Tribe as “a handful of people, many from outside the area with no right to hold up the scheme”. 30 shouting protesters were pinned back by rows of police and security guards. Five people were arrested, later released without charge. The action lasted for over two hours.

Feb - March
Actions regularly stop work on the site at least two days a week. Tuesday 1st March EF! first move in on site work with D-locks and chains and stop work for the day. Following day, activists return with tubes and work is stopped all day again.

March 10th
Norwich EF! expect to be evicted from the railway line site but are planning a major weekend of events on the 11th-14th March. The point is that as 90% of the line is owned by Friends of the Earth there is a long way to go yet! People are all invited to go there at any time for a dose of Lizard fever.

More info c/o
The Greenhouse,
48 Bethel Street,
Norwich, NR2 1NR.