Chippenham walkers defy rain to march in protest (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Chippenham walkers defy rain to march in protest

10:30am Friday 22nd May 2009 in Search By Scott McPherson

Legions of campaigners donned their wellies to take part in an organised walk through Birds Marsh in Chippenham in protest over plans to build houses on the ancient woodland.

More than 80 people took park in the Welly Walk on Sunday, with almost as many dogs accompanying them, to back the campaign to block a consortium of developers who approached the former North Wiltshire District Council with an interest to build on the site. Walk organiser and Chippenham town councillor Elizabeth Kennedy said: “It was very wet but people still came out in droves and that really does show support.

“We had people not only from Chippenham, but from the surrounding villages of Yatton Keynell and Kington St Michael as well as one couple who had come all the way from Bath. “This seems to reflect the importance that the rural buffer zone around Chippenham has for so many people.”

During the walk Coun Kennedy met a local man who is putting together a book on the history of Birds Marsh woods and she is hoping this will help their campaign.

The protest group has now arranged for the shadow housing minister Grant Shapps to visit Chippenham today to give a talk about urban housing plans and, in particular, his views on developing Birds Marsh More than 2,000 people have now signed a petition to save the woodland from development, which was recently handed to Dick Tonge the leader of the former district council and now on the implementation executive of the new Wiltshire Council.

Coun Kennedy said: “This is a beautiful and well loved woodland and we are all prepared to fight for this.

“We have the backing of the town and this cannot be allowed to happen.”