Archived press release

Friends of the Earth takes Third Battle of Newbury to London Construction Companies

6 March 1996

FOE campaigners will today take the Third Battle of Newbury to London, when anti-bypass campaigners visit the headquarters of three of the six construction firms interested in building the controversial 101million Newbury bypass [1].They are:

Costain (111 Westminster Bridge Road, SE1) - Contact: Tony Juniper (0385 236976)

Alfred MacAlpine (8 Suffolk Street, SW1) - Contact: Tony Juniper (0385 236976)

Mowlem (White Lion Court, Swan Street, Isleworth) Contact: Nic Ferriday(020 8840 3250)

Contracts to build the 13km road have not yet been awarded. Today's action is part of a national campaign by Friends of the Earth to discourage firms from submitting tenders to the Government's Highways Agency before Friday's(March 8th) deadline [2].

Campaigners will arrive at the companies' offices at 8 am. They will:

Urge staff to put pressure on their company's bosses not to bid to build the road ;

Invite the companies' Chief Executives to visit Newbury and see for themselves the damage the road will cause ;

Ask the public to make their feelings known to the companies by writing letters and buying a single share in the company that wins' the contract, allowing them to make their feelings known at its Annual General Meeting.

Tony Juniper, Deputy Campaigns Director of Friends of the Earth, said:"The public will not easily forgive the company that builds this unpopular road. In the new stakeholder economy that our politicians are seeking to build, firms simply cannot abdicate responsibility for environmental damage to Government decisions taken years ago.Companies must accommodate popular opinion or expect to reap a harvest of damaged reputations and public discontent."

Photo call Friends of the Earth's campaigners will be outside the offices of Costain between 8 and 10 am. There will be a photocall involving six suited, yet"faceless" men (representing the six construction companies) and a giant dormouse and badger. ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] The six companies are:

AMEC plc, Sandiway House, Hartford, Northwich, Cheshire CW8 2YA

Alfred MacAlpine plc, 8 Suffolk Street, London SW1Y 4HG

Costain Group plc, 111 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7UE

Kier Group plc, Tempsford Hall, Station Road, Tempsford, Sandy, Beds SG19 2BD

John Mowlem and Co plc, White Lion Court, Swan Street, Isleworth, Middlesex TW7 6RN

Tarmac plc, Hilton Hall, Essington, Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV11 2BQ

[2] Tenders to build the Newbury bypass are expected to be with the Department of Transport on Friday 8th March.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust