Stop the Birmingham Relief Road:
"We'll fight every inch of the road!"
For nine months protestors have being organising to stop Britain’s first toll road, the Birmingham Northern Relief Road, which is unlikely to bring relief to anyone other than the companies who will cream off a substantial profit from its users.
Terry Conway interviews Bobby Macintosh, road protestor:
SO: Why did you get involved in this protest
BM: I have always been interested in environmental issues and my involvement in this protest developed from that. I decided to move onto site after meeting other protestors, and seeing that they had a point to prove and were proving it constructively.
SO: Why do you think this road is being built?
BM: As Britain’s first toll motorway, someone somewhere is going to be making big money here, mainly Kvaerner and Autostrada, the two private companies that will be building and running this road. Even though this is a private road, much of the cost (£750 million) will be funded by taxpayers.
SO: What will be destroyed by building the road?
BM: This road is to be 27 miles long, much of it countryside, some of it green belt (you know, the thing that holds up John Prescott’s trousers).
Two sites of special scientific interest will be extensively damaged and affected. The impact on wildlife through loss of habitat will be enormous and irreparable.
41 homes are going to be demolished - people are being forced to leave them for the benefit of a private company.
SO: what have you learnt since you have been involved with the protest?
BM: Through being on site, I have learned a lot about self-sufficiency and survival. At first, I was hopeless. I couldn’t even light a fire.
I’ve also learned a lot about squatters’ rights, our main weapon being Section 6 of the Criminal Law Act 1977, which applies to dwellings. After 48 hours in occupation, we are in legal possession and have certain rights.
There are 27 miles of this proposed road, and we plan to fight every inch, our site motto being, "if it’s got a floor, we’ll tunnel under it". The local media described the eviction of the Moneymore squats in December as our "final fight" - far from it!
SO: What do you say to people who argue they have to drive as there is no public transport and that they are fed up with sitting in traffic jams?
BM: We do not have a problem with cars as such, only with the way that people use them. We can understand that there are problems with public transport being inadequate and overpriced, and with congestion on the existing roads, but building more roads that will become giant car parks and cause pollution is no kind of a solution.
It’s important to realise that we are not just tree-hugging hippies (honest!) but that ultimately it is the health of future generations that is at stake. Asthma is one obvious problem, along with cancers and other respiratory diseases and problems.
SO: How much local support do you have and how is it expressed?
BM: This particular protest has a lot of local support - I have yet to meet someone who is in favour of this road.
It is expressed mainly through donations of food and clothing, provision of safe bail addresses, and taking us home for a bath occasionally.
SO: What can people do to help who can’t get to visit you?
BM: People who cannot visit in person can show their support by raising awareness of the campaign – it’s important that people know we are still there fighting.
A final decision on the road will be made at a High Court appeal hearing on 23 February . Although we are all hoping for a ruling against the road, we know that there is little if any chance. We are prepared for a long battle.
The site is at: The Spinney, Turf Pits Lane, Roughley, Nr Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands. Tel: 07970 301978 or 0831 190825.