New video from Transition Heathrow to mark the group’s first birthday
1.3.2011
aftermath of the battle to defeat the third runway at Heathrow. http://bit.ly/fpG4ps
23rd January 2011
of this year, a whole 10 months away. Amazing news for the community and for the
project!
Happy Birthday Transition Heathrow
On Sunday the 28th of February 2011, community members celebrate the year anniversary
of Transition Heathrow and occupation of the site.
The year has brought many challenges for the community who have been recently
notified of legal proceeding for possible eviction.
New court papers seeking to evict the community garden Grow Heathrow revealed
that the project won’t have to appear in court until November 2011.
Visit Transition Heathrow http://www.transitionheathrow.com
For information on Transition Towns visit http://www.transitionnetwork.org
Shot by Felix Gonzales on a Panasonic GH2 Produced by “You and I Films” http://www.youandifilms.com
Grow Heathrow stays
Posted: January 23rd, 2011
Author: Joe
Transition Heathrow and Sipson residents celebrated on Saturday morning as new
court papers seeking to evict our community garden Grow Heathrow revealed that
the project won’t have to appear in court until November this year.
The good news came after a turbulent two weeks for the environmental movement
after revelations came out about the workings of undercover police in campaign
groups.
The extra ten months gives the team at Grow Heathrow more time to turn the land into a flourishing market garden. The project has
provided local residents with a space to start building more sustainable Heathrow
communities after the the 3rd runway was dropped in March 2010.
Leading up to a court case seeking to evict us a few months ago we received many
statements of support from a wide range of people including MPs, airport workers,
local police and many local residents. The Petition to “Keep Grow Heathrow Alive”
also received over 700 signatures.
Since March 1st 2010 the Transition Heathrow
activists and local residents have been working together to turn the site into
a hub for all the community. The project has hosted various events from food growing workshops, direct action trainings and a banquet.
Before the activists arrived the derelict greenhouses were used by the owners
to illegally dump cars and other waste. Grow Heathrow gardeners and local residents
have since cleared the refuse with the help of the local council and carefully
restored the glass in the greenhouses – turning the land back into a market garden
and a meeting space for local people.
Residents who had been fighting Heathrow’s
expansion welcomed the initiative, which is located on the site of the now-cancelled
3rd runway. Activists initially occupied the land in solidarity with the villagers
BAA had been trying to force from their homes to make way for the expansion.
Transition Heathrow member Jo Rake, 21, said:
“Due to the threat of eviction it has meant the past few months has been filled
with working out how we could resist being evicted. This decision to delay our
court case until November recognises the need of a transition phase for the Heathrow
villages. BAA are still trying to buy up all the homes they can get for the 3rd
runway so now that we have a secure site for the next 10 months, we can continue
to work with the local residents to show BAA where to go”.
Local resident Tracy Howard, 35, said:
“The local residents have been thrilled by the news that Grow Heathrow will remain
in Sipson for a lot longer than first thought. The site has provided a space for
us all to come together again to rebuild after the blight caused by the 3rd runway
issue. Not only is the site used for events, workshops and skillshares – it has
become a hang out for residents and activists who have become very close friends
since they took the site. I am looking forward to growing more vegetables over
the summer to provide locally sourced organic veg, rather than food shipped in
from across the world to our shelves at big supermarkets.”
Daughter of Tracy, Olivia Howard, 11, also added:
“It’s nice to hang out somewhere where there is no agenda and you just get to
be yourself. A place where there is nice people and local people and you have
the opportunity to make a difference.”