Bristol has just launched 12 months of events and initiatives as European green capital 2015. Photograph: EPA
Environmental campaigners have taken to treetops in Bristol to try to halt work on a new bus scheme that they argue will wreck some of the city’s most precious food-growing land.
The protest against a development that the activists say will ruin allotments and damage an award-winning community food-growing project is embarrassing for the city as it has just launched 12 months of events and initiatives as European green capital 2015.
Around a dozen protesters have set up camp in trees that border the Stapleton allotments and the Feed Bristol site after hearing that they were about to be cut down as part of the MetroBus development.
Signs were put up on some of the trees claiming nails had been hammered into them – a tactic designed to make cutting them down with chainsaw dangerous.
One of the protesters, Mel, said the idea of improving public transport was a good one – but not if it meant ruining land that is used to produce food: “People shouldn’t have to choose between public transport and food. It stinks, especially at a time when people are having to use food banks.”
The protesters took to the trees on Sunday. On Monday morning there was a stand-off between campaigners and workers with police officers monitoring the situation.
Belinda Faulkes, a spokesperson for Rising Up, which is spearheading the direct action, described the scheme as “ill-thought out vandalism”.
She said: “If Bristol is going to boast the title of European Green Capital 2015 it must reconsider this unjustified and unnecessary destruction of our green capital. We request they choose development that enhances our natural environment, food security and community resilience in this changing economic and ecological climate.
“The council has been unwilling to enter into meaningful dialogue or respond to our requests, now tree felling is due to start so we have been left with little choice. We refuse to let this happen, this is our land, out future and our legacy.
“We demand that decision-makers ensure that our real ‘Green Capital’ is protected not destroyed in the name of time and money. Only when the last tree has been cut down and the last crumb of soil has been paved over, will we realise that we need local food and wildlife habitat more than commuter bus routes.”
Rising Up claims building a road and bridge at the site, which is to the north of the city centre and beside the M32 motorway, will only shave three and half minutes off the bus journey into the centre of Bristol.
Feed Bristol has also objected to the scheme, arguing it will compromise its work, undermine its economic viability and and harm the local environment. Since it opened three years ago 23,000 people, including some of the most disadvantaged in society and many hundreds of schoolchildren, have grown food and learnt about working the land through the project.
Many local people and allotment holders are also opposing the scheme. They point out that the area is part of Bristol’s Blue Finger – prime growing soil.
Jane Ghosh, of the Stapleton Allotments Association, said: “We believe this project should be stopped immediately, and re-evaluated in the interests of the environment, the council tax payers of Bristol, who have to foot the bill, and in the interests of democracy. It also flies in the face of the Green Capital award given to the city.”
The MetroBus scheme comprises three bus routes and is designed to be an express service with faster and more reliable journey times.
MetroBus is a joint project between Bristol city, North Somerset and South
Gloucestershire councils.
A spokeswoman for Bristol city council said: “Contractors have started work
on the reconfiguration of Stapleton Allotments. This work will create new
allotments to replace plots being lost at the north-east of the site.
“Works will involve removal of trees and shrubs so that the new allotments
will be clear for cultivation and not overshadowed. The works include
planting of seven new trees within the reconfigured allotment site.
“The affected allotments plots are being relocated to make way for a new
bus-only junction as part of the MetroBus project. Work on this is expected
to start later this year.
“The bus-only junction will result in dramatic time savings for services
heading from the city centre to the University of the West of England.”