Bailiffs have moved in on a community of environmental protesters who have been camping near Heathrow for almost nine years, following an eviction order to remove the men and women occupying part of the land.
The community, Grow Heathrow, is one of the longest-lasting environmental protest camps in the UK. But on Tuesday bailiffs acting for the owner of part of the land evicted them from an area at the front of the camp. In response, environmental protesters dug into tunnels on Wednesday at a former garden centre near Heathrow and vowed to continue their fight against the third runway.
The eco-protesters, who have squatted on 30 acres of land around Sipson since 2010 to defy attempts to build another runway, had begun to restore the homes that were damaged in the eviction operation.. But on Wednesday specialist tunnel-clearance teams were brought in to try to clear protesters from a network of underground passages built by the community.
As high court enforcement officers guarded the main entrance to the Grow Heathrow land on Wednesday, a clash broke out between the protesters and bailiffs after the water supply to the site was turned off. Several protesters were wrestled to the ground by enforcement officers before one of the senior officials on site said they would restore the water.
“Feelings are running high,” said one protester. “This is our home, it has been our home for nine years, and we are seeing part of it being trashed.”
A senior official for the bailiffs refused to comment.
Inside the remaining Grow Heathrow site, Liam, 21, who was among several people pulled off a platform by bailiffs as part of the eviction, said the community would continue to fight against the third runway: “People here are committed to continuing to make a stand against the runway, there is no doubt of that. This place is unique because of its age. It is not just the protest, it is a way of showcasing different techniques and ways to live to help the local ecology and the local community.”
The protesters first occupied the land, formerly a garden centre and then a junkyard, on 7 March 2010. Their eco squat has become a self-sustaining community, complete with polytunnels, beehives, compost toilets, showers, a communal garden and more than 15 houses built from materials reclaimed from the local area.
Since the privately owned land was taken over, there have been a number of legal battles. The latest proceedings resulted in the attempted eviction from a part of the site this week. While it was originally sited in an area that was to become part of the third runway, a change of plans by the British Airports Authority means the land now abuts what would be the perimeter of the expanded airport.
“We aren’t going to go away; Heathrow might think we are, but we are not,” said Terry, a Grow Heathrow resident who has supported the squat for nine years. “Living here has taught me a lot. Living here is not easy: we scrimp, we get our food from bins, or we grow it ourselves, and we have created something on this land which was a scrapheap before. We are not going to give up this fight.”
Jack Turlock, a resident of the eco-village, said: “We are completely committed to continuing support for the local community. Airport expansion will make their homes uninhabitable.”
Ian Diamant was one of the locals who brought food to the Grow Heathrow “villagers” on Wednesday. “Lots of people around here support them,” he said. “People are still fighting and we want them here – we won’t give up until there is one brick on another.”
As they cleared up, the protesters asked for access to their belongings – but were not granted the right to gather them from the secured area of land. Inside were paints and banners ready for the community’s ninth birthday party in a few days’ time. “We are still going ahead. Everything is continuing as planned,” said Terry.
Two days after the celebrations, on 10th March, Heathrow’s third runway is set to face five legal challenges on environmental grounds in a full judicial review at the Royal Courts of Justice.
Indigo Evans from Grow Heathrow said the issue of climate change was acute and that the runway had to be stopped. “It’s time for drastic action on climate change, not new runways. For nine years we’ve stood shoulder to shoulder with the Heathrow villages and people affected by climate chaos around the world. We’re here to stay,” she said.
