Blackwood Bypass Evictions - Economic Growth Dogma Smashes Environment

Friends of the Earth Cymru has reacted angrily to news of the eco-warrior evictions on the route of the Sirhowy Enterprise Way which commenced today. The group says that the eco-warriors had been trying to stop contractors working while the police investigated significant claims that the contractors had breached the terms of their contract.

The contractors were alleged to be destroying protected bat and dormice populations. The group says that the scheme, called the Sirhowy Enterprise Way , is economically dangerous, environmentally damaging and socially divisive.

Friends of the Earth Cymru points out that the evictions are taking place in a week when a major international conference on sustainable development is being hosted by the Welsh Assembly Government in Cardiff City Hall (1) yet the scheme is a major example of unsustainable development.

The group also highlights that this is another private finance initiative (PFI) funded scheme and will cost the next generation of taxpayers dear (2). The PFI funding decision means that the very children who walked and played along what is a beautiful wooded disused railway track above the Sirhowy river will be the ones who's taxes will be paying off the costs of the scheme. Children, the future taxpayers, have no say in the matter.

Caerphilly Council say that the scheme will create hundreds or thousands of jobs but Friends of the Earth Cymru says that the money could have been used in non-destructive ways to truly make the area attractive to businesses. New roads are a two edged-sword anyway as local economies can be exploited by businesses from further afield.

In 1996, an inspector rejected the original road scheme (then called the Blackwood Bypass) at public inquiry, saying that it was damaging and that a one way system using a road around the back of the shops would resolve any traffic issues. Protected bat and dormice habitats have also been found and destroyed during the clearance work.

Neil Crumpton, transport spokesperson for Friends of the Earth Cymru and a member of the Welsh Transport Forum said:

"During a week when the Welsh Assembly Government are hosting a major international conference on sustainable development with large numbers of overseas guests present, Welsh TV screens are showing people being arrested while trying to stop a road scheme that even a public inquiry Inspector had dismissed. The Sirhowy Enterprise Way road scheme is destructive economic dogma funded by borrowed money in borrowed time and eyes around the world will now have seen some of the reality behind Labour's conference rhetoric"

Neil Crumpton commenting on the funding aspects of the scheme said:

"There are many ways to create jobs with £35 million, ripping out an important local amenity to put in a trumped-up road scheme is not one of them. The Chancellor may have out-manoeuvred the Tories on tax in his Budget but the Labour Government is hoodwinking itself and the public on the job creation claims of this £35 million PFI funded destruction of two miles of highly attractive woodland habitat and community route."

Notes

1) NRG4SD (Network of Regional Governments for Sustainable Development) conference, March 22nd-25th.

2) According to The Business paper (21/22 March) the Budget will mean more government departments being ordered to make greater use of PFI especially in transport and housing. Current PFI liabilities have soared in past year and the amount now owed in PFI over next 25 years has jumped to £124 billion for an estimated 620 deals signed to date, an 18% rise on last year. Annual UK repayments will hover around £6.2 billion until 2017 on deals so far.

In Wales we now have the:

• A55 Anglesey funded by DBFO, PFI (about 25 -30 years): scheme cost £110 million, annual repayments about £16 million
• Newport Southern Distributer Road (Local Authority Pathfinder PFI) : scheme cost somewhere in region of £60 million, annual payments not known
• Sirhowy Enterprise Way Local Authority PFI: scheme cost about £35-40 million