Friends of the Earth Chief Executive has told campaigners the fight
against proposed road can be won.
Craig Bennett, the Chief Executive of Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland, met with campaigners and school children at Rimrose Valley Country Park on Friday, 29th March. He joined in as pupils, members of the public and local Councillors [1] were invited to hang their wishes for Rimrose Valley’s future on a tree, before addressing the gathered crowds and urging everyone to continue to fight Highways England’s unpopular scheme.
Speaking after the event, Craig Bennett, Friends of the Earth CEO said:
“The proposal to build a road right through the heart of Rimrose Valley Country Park is outrageous. This is a vital green lung, a much-loved space for the local community and a haven for local wildlife. A road that would carve up the park, plough past houses, nurseries and schools, and pollute the air children breathe is simply not an option.
“Hearing from the school children how much they care about this place and how much they use it for cycling, for running, for walking to visit their grandparents, for nature visits and how their schools make use of it for education, it would just be tragic and heartbreaking for this to be lost.
“The local community has been presented with a false choice by Highways England who, at the end of the day, are only interested in building new roads. They deserve better and we demand that Government start thinking quick about sustainable, non-road alternatives.”
Stuart Bennett of the Save Rimrose Valley Campaign added:
“Friday's visit was a real shot in the arm for our campaign. Having someone such as Craig getting involved and coming to see Rimrose Valley for himself is just brilliant, as it takes our story to a national audience. He took a genuine interest in what people had to say and spent a long time listening to the stories and concerns held by our school children, in particular. In so many ways, the campaign is all about them and what kind of future we want our children to have.
“Craig delivered a rallying speech and told us it is possible to win, no matter how long or difficult our fight may be. He also congratulated everyone involved in our efforts to date and urged more and more people to get involved.
“His visit puts us in great shape ahead of Highways England’s statutory consultation. We’re looking forward to letting them know what we think of their road. People can find out more about this by visiting www.saverimrosevalley.org [2]
“We would like to thank everyone who took time out to attend the event, with special thanks to teachers and pupils from Our Lady Star of the Sea and Rimrose Hope primary schools.”
Links and references:
Link to supporting photographs:
Notes to editor
For more details on the campaign, follow us on social media, or visit our website:
Website: www.saverimrosevalley.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SaveRimroseValley
Twitter: www.twitter.com/saverimrose
References
[1] Cllr Ian Moncur (Cabinet Member, Health and Wellbeing) and Cllr Paulette Lappin (Cabinet Member, Regulatory, Compliance and Corporate Services), Parish Cllr Mike Carter, Sefton Greens
[2] Campaign’s guidance for public response to statutory consultation