"This film gives an account of the first few days of the occupation of Langborough Farm on the site of one of the proposed 'new wave' of Nuclear Reactors, at Hinkley point in Somerset. The activists took occupancy in the early hours of Sunday the 12th of February and are settling in to their new home and community."
Check out this great vid of the opening days of the occupation
Thursday, 16 February 2012, South West Against Nuclear:
Activists who have occupied a farm to oppose ground clearance for a new nuclear site in West Somerset today entered the fifth day of their stand-off with the French energy company EDF.
The protesters entered Langborough Farm at Hinkley Point on Saturday night and established a camp around derelict buildings which are believed to house hibernating bats. They want the “Preliminary Works”, which will clear and level several hundred acres of Somerset coastal land to be halted for 12 months until EDF know if they actually have permission to build their proposed reactors.
“Currently EDF have no permission to build here, but astonishingly they DO have permission to destroy this precious part of our common natural heritage” said farm occupant Theo Simon. “If this land and these habitats are lost and then they don’t get planning permission, EDF will have committed an act of unprecedented ecological vandalism. If on the other hand, as many locals now suspect, the planning permission is already a “done deal” then that means the current IPC public consultation is an expensive sham.”
Mr Simon (53) said that their camp has now been strengthened with food and water and other supplies brought in by local well-wishers. Yesterday campers were visited by West Somerset District Councillor Jon Freeman, who told them how he thought the planning process had been corrupted by pressure from central government and the edf. today they were advised by a retired Hinkley B engineer who explained his technical reservations about flaws in the EDF’s reactor and waste storage plans.
Another occupier, Nikki Clark, said, “Already our support is growing here, people who had begun to give up hope, have been empowered by our occupation, and they are free to walk up the footpaths to visit us. There is a lot of resentment in this are at the way this project has been steam-rollered through, but we’re here to draw a line on the ground. The wanton destruction of this beautiful land must be halted until there has been a genuine democratic process the beginning of which must be Parliament deeming the National Statements as fraudulent in the light if the corruption of governance report.”
The new residents are all looking forward to the stop new nuclear surround & blockade of Hinkley Point on March 10th & 11th to mark the first anniversary of the beginning of the Fukushima catastrophe. Around 400 people descended on the station last October to disrupt EDFs operations & voice their dissent at the so-called Nuclear Renaissance.
ENDS
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Notes:
Details of the Stop New Nuclear surround & blockade available here: http://stopnewnuclear.org.uk
South West Against Nuclear:
http://southwestagainstnuclear.wordpress.com
Stop Nuclear Power Network:
http://stopnuclearpoweruk.net
Boycott EDF Energy:
http://boycottedf.org.uk
Twitter: @StopNukePower @NoNewNuclear @StopNewNuclear @BoycottEDF #OccupyHinkley
'Join the Hinkley Barnstomers' flyer available for download here: https://we.riseup.net/assets/83705/barnstormer.pdf