Action Briefing Feb 2003 - Mar 2003
	The Newsletter of Birmingham Friends of the Earth

West Midlands News

What Your Local Papers Are Saying

Walsall FOE praised the Borough Council’s Draft Transport Strategy for placing pedestrians, cyclists and those using public transport ahead of car-borne commuters but warned that the Council would be tested on its delivery of this hierarchy.

Praise, however, turned to dismay when the Cabinet Member for Transport announced the proposals had been dropped because of hostile press coverage generated by the Chamber of Commerce. A decision to treat all road users equally was taken before the deadline for consultation!

Meanwhile, in Coventry local FOE activists are annoyed that a bus showcase route on the Binley Road will take out grass verges and street trees at a section where there is no real congestion, and then force the bus to fight its way back into the traffic stream as it approaches the next bottleneck.

By far the hottest item from the regions press late last year was the announcement to spend £1bn widening the M6 in Staffordshire and Cheshire. This caused strong condemnation from Robert Hine of Stafford FOE who highlighted that this was just good money after bad. He also said that the Government had wasted five years and had shied away from making the necessary hard decisions. However, he had strong praise for local MP David Kidney who has consistently campaigned against the M6 widening and that together they would continue the battle against this waste of all taxpayers money. No doubt this story will run and run over the years to come......

Another new road proposal has seen Shrewsbury FOE in the press as plans for the North West “relief” road (they wouldn't dare say bypass would they!!) were unveiled. The plans are now out for public consultation. However, Dave Green said that the group were still looking for someone to come along to their planned meeting and speak up in favour of the scheme. Dave said “We have opposed the scheme for years and I am happy to speak against it but we need someone to speak in favour of it.” Lets hope they do and if not why not?

Meanwhile, Telford FOE are speaking out in favour of the introduction of “controversial” car parking charges in the town centre. Robert Saunders said “We welcome the introduction of car park charges at the town centre if they are significant enough to encourage people to car share, use the bus or train more often and possibly cycle and walk where practicable.” The issue of free car parking at shopping centres and supermarkets is one that needs to be reigned in to create a level playing field for smaller shops, traditional town centres and smaller urban centres to be able to compete with the corporate giants.

Shrewsbury FOE have been opposing Tesco's plans to build a supermarket on the existing livestock market site in the town (to be replaced with a “state of the art” livestock market in the Battlefield area of the town). They have been joined in their opposition by Shropshire County Council and the issue has led to the intervention of the ODPM a.k.a. John Prescott himself.
There are also plenty of letters on a whole variety of issues from FOE local groups in your local newspapers. This is not only an excellent way of keeping up the profile of your campaigns but also of the local group in your town. So keep the presses rolling.

No doubt you have heard of the Corporate Globalisation Pilot Project which hit Birmingham in late January. Indeed many local group members from the region attended one or more of the events. However, what you might not know is that we produced as part of the week a report on the impact of large corporations on the Midlands. If you and or any member of your group would like a copy of the report please get in touch with the WM FOE office, on 0121 643 9117 or email chrisc@foe.co.uk

Chris Crean