Feature: The Grow Heathrow! Campaign - Winning The First Step

This is a follow up to Grow Heathrow's last report here [1].

Tuesday 2nd September 2010

Heathrow residents and community activists celebrated the adjournment of the court case that was seeking to evict the squatted community garden project “Grow Heathrow” set up on the site of the defeated third runway.

Over the past six months the former Berkeley Nurseries site has been transformed from a derelict space to a thriving community garden and social space, playing host to a range of events from a banquet and film screenings to acting as a base for solidarity actions for striking airport workers and supporting the No Third Runway campaign.

“We are celebrating today’s ruling as a step towards rebuilding the Heathrow communities that were blighted for so long by the threat of airport expansion... David Cameron talks about a ‘big society’, we’re already doing it.”

The court case has been adjourned to the central London county court after the Deputy District Judge ruled that higher authority was needed to rule on the case.

Speaking outside court Transition Heathrow member Jo Rake, 21, said:

“We are celebrating today’s ruling as a step towards rebuilding the Heathrow communities that were blighted for so long by the threat of airport expansion. The number of people who turned up at court today, from local residents to airport workers and activists showed the importance of this project for the Heathrow communities and also the wider campaign for food security. David Cameron talks about a ‘big society’, we’re already doing it.”

With less that two weeks to run a campaign of resistance, statements of support have been flooding in to the website and over 700 people have now signed either the online or paper petition. This support is summed up by local resident Alf Pereira also speaking outside court:

“This group can do good for the local community – the first time in hundreds of years they can change the outlook of the area. I am proud to say I live in this area because this group is here. If they get evicted I will go. It will be the last straw; the community deserves better”.

The project also has the backing of local MP John McDonnell:

“This inspirational project has not only dramatically improved this derelict site but it has lifted the morale of the whole local community in the campaign against the third runway and in planning a sustainable future for our area. We cannot lose this initiative and I will do all I can to enable it to continue”

Support is still needed and ideas are in the pipeline to run an autumn event to get new people involved in the campaign that have found out about it due to the eviction threat.

For more info on this and eviction updates keep checking the website at: www.transitionheathrow.com [2]

Words: Jo Rake

Photos: Mike Russell

Disclaimer: This is an article written by Jo Rake (representing Grow Heathrow) and is not necessarily reflective of Christian Aid or Ctrl.Alt.Shift views.