News / Environment
Protest at Stapleton allotments is over
Six weeks ago campaigners moved onto the Stapleton allotments to protest against the loss of land to a new MetroBus route.
Now, after two court cases and a four day security operation, around 50 protesters have been removed from the site.
However, on Sunday evening Bristol City Council announced that following the clearance of the protest camp at the allotments, it is now preparing to tackle a separate “illegal encampment” which has been created near the M32.
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A spokeswoman said: “The council has the tenant’s permission to remove trespassers under Common Law, and expects to safely and effectively clear the site using its specialist contractors and bailiffs on Monday morning.”
Over the past four days a team of around 100 security specialists and rescue teams from Specialist Group International (SGI) and bailiffs were needed to remove the protesters, who had set up camp on the allotments.
Peter Mann, Service Director for Transport at Bristol City Council said “the vast majority of protesters…acted with great respect and calmness” and “there have only been a handful of forced removals or minor incidents”.
“Our hope is that we can draw a line under this incident and, after what is likely to be a major clean-up operation after the protest, we will move forward quickly with work on the site.”
Belinda Faulkes a spokesperson for Rising Up said they are “in mourning for this land, the way it is being treated and the plans to damage it further”.
“We continue our call on Bristol City Council to halt this destruction immediately.”
Peter Faulding from SGI, said the operation had been “a relatively complex operation”.
Security will remain on the site and Mann added “that the cost of this protest will be a relatively high”.
“We won’t know the precise cost for a little while but expect the removal operation costs to be significant.”
Before work on the MetroBus lane can begin the allotments on the site of the route will be reconfigured.
