Norwich Western Link opponents set for XR protest in London
On Friday, Extinction Rebellion protesters will travel to Westminster to picket outside the Department for Transport against building the road to link the NDR to the A47 west of the city.
It comes as Norfolk County Council waits to learn if the government will bankroll 85pc of the cost[1].
During the protest, the group led by Baroness Jenny Jones will make speeches and deliver a letter to transport minister Mark Harper and a painting of the Wensum Valley.
Extinction Rebellion Norwich on a previous London protest (Image: Extinction Rebellion)
But as they head to London, James Palmer, chairman of Eastern Powerhouse[3] reminded them that the long-running saga also has plenty of supporters despite the environmental consequences.
He said: “To enable a strong economy, infrastructure has to be of the level necessary to allow for free movement of people and freight.
“We support upgrades to both road and rail networks in the region when necessary and the Western Link is such an example.”
The painting, by Norfolk artist Tor Falcon, shows the part of the valley which is earmarked to be built on, which is home to a rare chalk stream featured in Sir David Attenborough’s recent series Wild Isles.
Norfolk artist Tor Falcon (Image: Newsquest)
Ms Falcon said: “Five years spent drawing Norfolk’s rivers has shown me that a river is not just the water.
“A river is the valley it has carved and all its tributaries and their valleys. A river is the flora and fauna that moves freely along its life-sustaining corridor. It is the oldest living thing in the landscape and everything is part of it.”
Norfolk artist Tor Falcon (Image: Newsquest)
The protest will be part of a weekend of action called the Big One which will bring Extinction Rebellion groups from across the country together.
A visualisation of how the Western Link would look (Image: Norfolk County Council)
The Norfolk XR group has attracted almost 15,000 signatures to a petition opposing the Western Link.
References
- ^ waits to learn if the government will bankroll 85pc of the cost (www.edp24.co.uk)
- ^ Major road project branded ‘elephant in the room’ over climate change drive (www.edp24.co.uk)
- ^ chairman of Eastern Powerhouse (www.edp24.co.uk)
- ^ Fears raised over safety of a bridge on £251m Norwich Western Link (www.edp24.co.uk)