The Campaign to save Titnore Woods, West Sussex, strengthens & deepens

[Mark]

The Campaign to save Titnore Woods, West Sussex, strengthens & deepens:

MORE than 100 people packed into a vibrant public meeting in Worthing on
Thursday night, July 6, to show their support for the Titnore Woods tree
camp - and now they have been invited to an open day at the occupied
Sussex site.

The function room at the Charles Dickens pub in Heene Road was full to
overflowing, as the huge levels of public backing for the campaign against
the West Durrington development became clear.
Said Dave Phillips of worthing eco-action, which organised the event: "We
were totally overwhelmed by the numbers of people that turned out for
this.
"I think the council and developers have really underestimated the levels
of opposition to their plans for Titnore Woods. We were also impressed by
the wide variety of people who attended - they really did come from all
age groups and all walks of life."
The supporters heard informative speeches by local historian and former
county councillor Chris Hare, Chris Todd of the South Downs Campaign, and
also by local campaigners.
But the biggest applause and cheers were reserved for the young members of
the tree camp themselves, whose occupation of the threatened woods clearly
had the enthusiastic support of all those present.
The campers also issued an invitation to the audience to join them at an
open day at the camp on Saturday July 15. Starting at 12 noon, this will
feature workshops on bender making, camp cookery and other practical
skills, as well as a talk on anarchism, the philosophical basis of the
direct action movement.
Anyone wanting to attend the camp who needs directions should go to
www.protectourwoodland.co.uk or www.eco-action.org/porkbolter
The camp was set up at dawn on May 28 in an attempt to halt the proposed
875-home estate, road widening and associated Tesco supermarket.

SAVE TITNORE WOODS
RED ALERT!

Help fight to save one of the few remaining ancient woodlands in sussex.
Titnore woods in West Durrington near Worthing is one of only two ancient
woodlands surviving on the Sussex coastal plain. It is home to a rich
diversity of wildlife, including protected species like great crested
newts, bats, baadgers, skylarks and corn buntings.

Greedy developers plan to trash all this and build around 900 homes -
while in nearby Worthing more than 1,000 stand empty. Convicted criminal
Gerald Ronson - head of the Heron Group - is the cuddly face of the
developers alongside Bryant Homes (part of Taylor Woodrow) and Persimmon
Homes.

Local campaigners Protect Our Woodland! tried to get the support of
ex-environment minister John Prescott, but he rejected a public enquiry.
Now full permission is a formality, with a Tory council boss telling the
local rag that work was expected to start in the summer.  A report in
local newspaper The Worthing Guardian a few weeks ago quoted Worthing
Council's assistant director of planning James Appleton as saying final
outline permission for the development was "two to three weeks away", with
an agreement envisaged between landowners, council and developers.

A report by the Woodland trust and the WWF shows that more than 100 of the
country's most important ancient woods are facing the chop, despite
planning policies which seek to protect them. campaigners will keep
fighting to the very end. Join them.
info at protectourwoodland.co.uk
www.eco-action.org/porkbolter

07804 245324


Wednesday June 21

ARE landowners the Somersets resorting to dirty tricks to try and force
the protesters out of the woods? The Argus reports today they were trying
to blame the campers for a digger being driven into a pond some distance
from the camp. Needless to say, the camp knows nothing of this incident
and would hardly set about polluting the environment it is there to
protect! This was obviously clear to Sussex Police, who told the paper:
"The finger has been pointed at the protesters, but if they are
environmentalists it seems unlikely they would want to do that."

A certain tension as a result of the allegations was increased today by
the police helicopter hovering very low over the camp. There was also a
visit by environmental health officers, accompanied by police.


DIRECTIONS:

The camp is in woods just north of "Somerset Lake", a fishing lake east of
Titnore Lane. Easiest access is from Fulbeck Avenue, off Titnore Way. Take
the path at the far east of Fulbeck Avenue, then turn left until there is
a large gap in the hedgerow on the left, opposite a cleared square of
ground on the right, and cross right over to the far side of the field,
keeping the clump of trees to your left.

It can also be reached via the car park at Tesco's in Durrington, which is
served by no 3 and 4 buses from Worthing central railway station.
Basically head straight on from the entrance to the fields at the back end
of the supermarket car park, reaching the gap in the hedgerow mentioned
above.

Nearest railway station is Goring by Sea on the main South Coast line with
direct trains from Brighton, Portsmouth and London. There is a camp phone
- 0780 4245324.



Financial donations can be made at the camp (ring number above if you
can't find it!) or by sending a cheque payable to "The Porkbolter" to PO
Box 4144, Worthing BN14 7NZ.