Road protest victory27 July 2009
South East Essex Friends of the Earth is celebrating Southend Borough Council's decision to abandon controversial plans to widen the Priory Crescent section of the A1159 road.
The roadwork would have blighted parkland and the tomb of a Saxon king.
The scheme would have cost £27million, caused 111 trees to be felled and covered several acres of public green space, plus a unique historical find, in concrete.
British archaeologists describe the nearby 7th century burial chamber as "the most spectacular discovery of its kind made during the past 60 years".
The South East Essex group organised a public meeting in 2001, at which the Priory Park Preservation Society was set up, and has supported the campaign ever since.
Camp Bling - set up to protest the scheme - was established in September 2005 and became the longest-running road protest camp in the UK.
Co-ordinator Denis Walker said:
We have always said that the scheme was a bad idea. £27 million for 800 metres of road is hardly value for money, even if you did want it widened.
He added:
As Tom Brake MP said in Parliament, it would be cheaper to pave it with gold. It has been a long battle, but I'm glad Southend Council have finally seen sense.
This article appears in the Aug/Sept 2009 issue of Change Your World, our magazine for local groups.
