Author
IMC-LONDON-AUDIO
Phone interview broadcast on the weekly London Indymedia show on Resonance FM 104.4FM, Oct 5th 2005
~ 9 minutes including intro (<5 MB)
A road protest camp called 'Camp Bling' has been setup in essex. No, it's not a flash back to the mid-ninties, it's happening right now! Southend based anti-roads campaigners Parklife have started a long term tree sit recently discovered East Saxon king's burial site in order to oppose, and ultimately to stop the controversial F5 road scheme. In what might be the first protest of its type, an urban tree camp is being constructed and occupied in the very heart of town. 'Camp Bling' - named after the recently discovered 'Prince of Prittlewell,' or 'King of Bling' - is located above the site of the burial, and strategically in the middle of the route of the proposed road.
Speaking directly from the new camp, long term Southend resident Anthony Bailey said, 'We are taking the first steps to build a long term protest site, to influence the Department for Transport to reject funding the significant cash shortfall of £7.74m for the road, and ultimately to stop the destruction that it will bring to our town.'
The scheme requires the felling of 113 trees, and the use of 3000m2 of public open space, including the important heritage burial site. During a public consultation held by the local authority. More than 20,000 signatures were submitted by local residents and groups against the road - compared to just 16 responses in favour.
In August, the group occupied the Lobby of the Department for Transport offices in London to bring pressure on them to refuse funding for the scheme which has already seen projected costs more than tripled from the original figure of £3.5m, agreed in December 2000.
Southend Council Leader Anna Waite was dismissed the protests saying, "this sort of thing has never had influence in the past, and it is not going to influence us. It will just make it a more expensive and protracted exercise."
Well, some people would disagree and say that anti-roads camps were instrumental in forcing the government to abandon the vast majority of it's road building schemes toward the end of the ninties. The question is whether ParkLife can save Priory Park and the saxon kings burial site this time. Shaun, a local resident and one of those encamped at the site said, "This is our time to take action, and we hope that we inspire others to join us here."
Anyone wishing to do so can find the camp at Priory Crescent next to the railway line. It's the Liverpool Street line with the closest station being Prittlewell. Apparently from there you just follow the leaves. Their phone number is 07817 182394.
for more info see http://www.savepriorypark.org/
(source: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/10/324880.html)