Cherry Lane Cemetery Demonstration

Last weekend we held two demonstrations to highlight the continuing threat to Cherry Lane Cemetery from the road network planned by the British Airports Authority to cope with the increased traffic generated by the proposed expansion of Heathrow airport. If a third runway goes ahead it will generate 23 million extra traffic movements according to BAA’s own estimates. We discovered that BAA proposed a road going through our local cemetery. THis caused immense distress and we have petitioned Parliament, lobbied Ministers and challenged BAA to drop this plan. So far BAA has tried to assure us that this road plan is only “indicative” but we have been given no legally binding commitment that our cemetery will be safe. Many of us have friends and relatives buried in this cemetery and we will not stand by and let it be desecrated in this way. The demonstrations last weekend included a procession from Trafalgar Square to Parliament and then from Harlington Baptist Church to a ceremony in Cherry Lane Cemetery. I interviewed Reverend Kip Bennett who was one of the religious ministers addressing our service in the cemetery.

submitted by John on 10 May 2009 at 21:36