Archived press release

Judgement Day looms for Newbury Construction Firms

15 March 1996

Construction companies [1] pitching for the contract to build the controversial Newbury Bypass must submit bids to the Highway's Agency by today (Friday 15 March). However, following the high profile protests of the last two months, some of the six companies interested in the contract are believed to have prepared prohibitively high bids in order that they do not win the work.

Friends of the Earth expects that the company winning the work will face a serious public relations challenge. Mass shareholder actions are likely to take place whilst high profile media exposure of the company's role in the construction of the road will ensure that it soon becomes associated with most controversial development project of recent years.

Friends of the Earth is campaigning to urge companies not to accept the contract to build the road. In this context, Friends of the Earth has:

Run a series of adverts in the national press urging the public to write to the six companies asking them to withdraw from the bidding, and telling them that they will buy a share in the winning' firm and attend its AGM. Hundreds of people have already taken this action.

Leafleted staff outside the six companies' Head Offices asking them to put pressure on their employers;

Invited company Directors to visit Newbury [2] on Sunday 31 March to see for themselves the damage the road will do.

Tony Juniper, Deputy Campaigns Director at Friends of the Earth, said:

"Any well known firm that decides to accept the Newbury contract will be taking a huge public relations risk. People have had enough of big companies earning millions from pouring concrete over the countryside. The public will not easily forgive the board that decides to go ahead with building the most unpopular road ever".

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] The Companies in the running for the Newbury Bypass contract are:Amec Plc, Alfred MacAlpine Plc, Costain Group Plc, Kier Group Plc, John Mowlem and Group Plc and Tarmac Plc.

[2] So far only Costains' Chief Executive Alan Lovell has replied.He declined the offer saying he had already visited the route.

ENDS

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust