As soon as the threat to Church Lawford and King’s Newnham was announced the village community sprang into action.
The first step was to hold a local meeting to brief people on the Government proposal. This was on 29th July 2002, and was originally due to be held in the Reading Room, but was moved to the Church to accommodate the numbers who wished to attend – see link. At that meeting people were asked to put their names forward if they could volunteer to help in the campaign.
The next steps were to bring together the volunteers into a local action committee (01/08/02), and then call a public meeting for the two villages (05/08/02).
Establishing a Committee – 1st August 2002
A meeting was held in the Reading Room with all villagers of King’s Newnham and Church Lawford invited to attend. Although the meeting was called and chaired at a Parish Council level, the aim was to form an independent committee – the Airport Action Committee with volunteers from both villages.
The minutes from that meeting were as follows:
Welcome to the meeting, chaired by Ron Hence and Keith Sinfield
Volunteers were elected to stand on the action committee:
1] Temporary chairman ˆ Peter Hall
2] Secretary ˆ Eleanor Price
3] Tom Haywood ˆ Village communicator
4] Suzanne Morrad ˆ Legal Secretary
5] Nigel Stott ˆ Liaison and communications w neighbouring villages
6] Mark Tissington ˆ Media liaison
7] Heather Pearson ˆ Accountant
8] John Snell ˆ Liaison Bretford and Brandon Parish Councils
9] John Birch ˆ Local views collection
10] Eileen Sheavyn – Flyer distribution
11] Liz Parvin ˆ Vice chair
12] Rita Bagshaw ˆ Historical survey and liaison w Monks Kirby
13] Jane Bagshaw ˆ Historical survey and liaison w Brinklow Parish council
14] David Reay ˆ Farming liaison
15] Ceri Sinfield ˆ Website maintenance
16] Janet Mobbs ˆ Proof reading and matters affecting gas pipeline
17] Beverly French ˆ Flyer distribution
18] Keith Hayward ˆ Parish Council liaison
19] Wayne Ducharme ˆ Wildlife survey
20] Ray Harris ˆ Church of England and graveyard liaison
21] Sally Bragg ˆ liaison w Wolston Parish Council
22] Polly Doubleday ˆ Village information distribution coordinator
23] Bruce Gould ˆ Communications with WWC and Rugby Borough council.
24] Ros Beck ˆ Local business liaison
25] Jill Reeves ˆ Adviser on protest letters and consultation questionnaire
26] Geoff and Glen Gates ˆ Flyer distribution
27] Keith Sinfield ˆ Parish council representative
Further meetings:
- Public Meeting with Andy King and Chairman of Birmingham Airport ˆ 7.30 Benn Hall, Rugby August 7th. We plan to hold a peaceful protest outside the meeting.
- 2nd August ˆ open meeting for Parish representatives. Town Hall, Rugby, Members room, 11am.
- 14th August ˆ Closed meeting for parish council representatives in Brinklow. Ron Hence and Jane Bagshaw will attend.
Stand of other official bodies. Warwickshire County council have not taken an official stand yet. County councillor for our (Fosse) division is Maurice Jones. Rugby and Coventry Chambers of Commerce are in favour of the airport.
Tick box questionnaires that will be available on the internet.
More detailed proposal that we need to put together as a group ˆ also available on the internet, but is complex so inadvisable for individuals to complete. To complete this, members of the committee and volunteers need to collect a comprehensive range of facts and views showing how the building of the proposed airport would have an impact on the lives of local residents, businesses, farms, wildlife, historical features etc.
Copies of documentation will be available from inspection centres shortly. Tick box questionnaires will be available next week.
We will decide how to submit proposals (individually or jointly with Rugby/surrounding area or both) after the meeting with Andy King next Wednesday.
We plan to link with other villages that have experience of fighting local causes similar to ours. E.g. Brandon and Monks Kirby.
We plan to use contacts to get advice on how to fight the airport proposal. Members of committee volunteered to get information from contacts e.g. John Snell.
Legal fees could be high. Committee members have contacts who can advise on how to get the right advice and representation if necessary. Friends of the Earth will be contacted to get advice on legal advice and representation.
On Monday 5th August, we will hold a public follow up meeting for residents of Church Lawford and Kings Newnham in the Church. Tom Haywood will prepare a flyer for each resident at the follow up meeting, with information on:
- Phone numbers and contact details for getting hold of documentation and questionnaires.
- Contact details of committee members
- Who to contact in the village for computer use / internet access
- Details of next Wednesday‚s meeting in the Benn Hall
The meeting will be to:
- Introduce the committee members
- Outline what the committee has done so far, and next steps
- Inform residents who to contact
- Inform residents about what next steps they can take
After the Benn Hall meeting, all village residents will be given an information and action pack, containing sample letters to write to MPs, contact details, sample posters etc. Eleanor and other helpers will prepare these. The letters‚ should emphasize that an airport is unacceptable anywhere, not just in Church Lawford. Jill Reeves has offered to go from house to house with other volunteers to help complete letters and questionnaires. Mark Tissington has volunteered to take photographs of residents outside their homes to put in their letters to MPs.
A regular news bulletin will be posted on the public noticeboard in the village to update residents on progress.
Media mobilisation. We must keep the media interested in this issue. Mark Tissington will go on the Ed Doolan show on Coventry and Warwickshire Radio on 2nd August. Letters in the papers must be responded to by the committee. Mercia sound are coming to the village at 12pm Tuesday 6th August, to work with local children.
Next committee meeting. Peter Hall’s house (Four Winds, Kings Newnham). 5pm Saturday 3rd August. Prepare a presentation for Monday’s Residents Meeting in the church. We will also decide what posters / placards need to go up around the village / in cars etc. All committee members should prepare rough outline of what their role is.
Meeting ended 9pm.
The First Public Meeting – 5th August 2002
The first Public Meeting was held in the Church to accommodate as many people as possible. The minutes were as follows
Airport action public meeting.
5th August 2002 7pm
Church Lawford, St Peter’s Church.
Attended: Core committee members, plus around 400 residents, residents of other villages, councillors and press. Chair: Peter Hall. Apologies: Craig Humphries, Rugby Borough Council. He has assured us that despite Borough council recess, he will get the council to make an urgent decision on action in August.
Agenda and information: Peter presented the agenda for the evening. All participants were given a copy of the information flyer, and the critical target dates for the consultation period.
Action so far: Peter summarised the initial meeting of volunteers in the Reading room and the first committee meeting.
Summary of Parish councils meeting: Ron Hence summarised the key points from this previous meeting, attended by himself, Bruce Gould, Councillors Gordon and Pat Collett, County Councillor Philip Morris-Jones, and Councillor Humphries. Key action items from the meeting included:
- A Borough-wide action committee is to be put in place, organising an effective joint campaign.
- Visit to Parliament being arranged
- Series of public meetings are being held around Rugby borough
- Reminder of public meeting in Benn Hall, Rugby on 7th August
- Discussion of rally / march had not received much support
- Website for campaign being investigated
- Fighting fund being discussed. £250 pledged from many Parish councils
- There was discussion on issues such as impact on property, burial grounds. NFU cooperation being asked for
- Shown dismay that Government chose to release bad news just before summer recess. Government will also run exhibition of options for Midlands ˆ 2 days will be given for the people of Warwickshire.
- Conclude: we know Rugby Borough Council‚s stance supports us, but we cannot get a clear response from Andy King.
Committee: Peter introduced and explained the role of each committee member, and key responsibilities. Also outlined which volunteers were currently helping which committee member. Peter also explained our approach was bottom up ˆ get parish councils on our side first.
Critical dates: Peter outlined the critical dates, on the handout, for the committee and for the residents, and explained their importance.
Action pack: Peter explained what the action pack would include and how to use it correctly.
Questions: Key points from questions included the following:
- Parish council meeting a week on Wednesday – Gordon Collett organising it.
- Need to get decision from Rugby Borough and Warwickshire county council as soon as possible
- Parish council meeting at Long Lawford this Friday
- No block sending of letters, but may consider giving duplicates to ministers if we go to London
- Environment agency are doing study on the River Avon – Wayne Ducharme and David Reay to examine if this can help us
- Need to contact BT and Railtrack to see their views
- Brinklow public meeting 20th August. Their P.C. very supportive and want to share information with us.
- 22nd August, Wolston parish council meeting
- 14th August Fosse Electoral Panel meeting
- Need to establish clear ownership of affected land – e.g. from Land registry
- Mark Tissington gave examples of newspapers and TV programmes he has contacted so far, including countryside and environment programmes, and investigative journalists.
- Need to focus on working with the south east and with Stansted airport campaigns, for NO airports. Join with other campaigns rather than fighting them.
- HDRA will ask Prince Charles to comment – he may/may not be able to express a view.
- Decision to bombard MPs with individual letters rather than block sending of letters.
- Wayne explained Warwickshire wildlife trust’s view of devastating impact on wildlife if River Avon was put in culvert.
Meeting ended at 9.30 pm. Participants gave donations to fighting fund