You’ll Never Stop It You Know

You won’t need much analytical skill to work out the victory at Stringers Common where Surrey County Council have completely backed down and abandoned their plans to widen the A320. They faced a protracted battle in the trees and tunnels of five camps on the site and decided that it just wasn’t worth it. This saves them quite a bit of cash but more importantly the determination and committment of the Direct Action movement in this case has saved an SSSI, a pond and 221 mature trees all held together in an established eco-system. Part of the success has to go to the growing acceptance that people are right to fight for real progress and that it's not something which is going to go away. One of the campaigners at Stringers Common said, “the public are waking up to the realisation that more roads can only be bad news for the environment and our health. This is a victory not only for the local people around Stringer's Common but for everyone that has dared to stand up to car culture, from Twyford Down, to the M11 through to Newbury and the proposed Bingley Bypass. If the camps had not been here this road would have gone ahead. The cost of evictions has made it impossible and direct action has again proved to be a successful tactic in defending our environment.” As soon as the Compulsory Purchase Orders have been cancelled the camps will be dismantled and the land restored to how it was before the activists arrived leaving the common safe for future generations of people and wildlife.