A130 bypass campaign stops for festival

The group of green campaigners, camped out in treetops at Gorse Wood in Rettendon, saw its numbers deplete while the music event took place.

But they are confident more eco-warriors will soon arrive to strengthen their campaign.

One protester, known as Worf, said: "A lot of people are still jumping around the festivals or just creeping back from Glastonbury.

"Quite a few people have just turned up and we're definitely expecting a lot more when the festivals are over."

The protesters have now set up two camps - one in a field close to the trees, some of which are thought to be 500 years old, and the other on a hilltop.

Worf said: "We're on the proposed route of the road here and there's no point in just sitting in one place so they can bulldoze everything else around us."

The campaigners have also had several visits from locals wanting to find out more about the protest and offer their support. Several people in Rettendon are already helping out by offering baths and fresh water.

Others have not been so friendly - until they visit the camp for themselves. Worf said: "It's amazing how many people don't know what the road will mean in real terms such as the number of new houses and industrial units which will be built."

The group want the county council, which has come up with the £92m A130 scheme, to consider other options.

Instead of a road running from the A12 in Chelmsford to the A127, they would like to see a much smaller project which will bypass affected villages such as Rettendon and Rawreth.

The county council has said the proposed route is the best one and it is not concerned about the warriors because it does not own the land they are on.

The Green Party has backed the campaign and believes the campaign could become as strong as the Newbury bypass protest.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.