Protestors at the Gate 10 peace camp report that at around 3 o’clock this afternoon US Soldiers began removing banners from the fence and gate; dragging them through into the Base and destroying them. When protestors who challenged these actions attempted to pull back their banners they were informed that the US intended to erect a fence up to the highway, giving them 40 minutes to move their belongings.

As weapons Inspector Dave Cockcroft reports, in a flurry of activity.

“ The Americans burst through Gate 10 and said they were going to build a fence - which just happened to go right through the middle of the peace camp”.

Whilst Gloucestershire Police looked on the Americans and British Contractors erected an extension to the fence taking it beyond the existing site of the camp beside the access road and right up to the highway. When challenged they were unable to present any documentation to support their claims of authorisation for the development.

Fortunately a Local Authority Planning Enforcement Officer was present at the camp at that time and was able to enlighten the U.S. solders on the niceties of British Town & Country Planning Law.

Under planning law permission by application to Cotswold District Council would be required for the erection of fences exceeding one metre in height where adjacent to a highway used by a vehicular traffic, or two metres in other cases. The maintenance, improvement or alteration of a fence outside these limits of height or the original height (whichever is greatest) is also prohibited (P133 Telling & Duxbury 1999 Planning Law and Procedure).

The Americans are relying on wide-reaching exemptions and immunity from planning law for Crown Land to avoid these inconsiderate formalities of a democratic nation but would never the less be expected to have consulted with the Local Authority – something that evidently wasn’t the case.

However, initial enquiries with the County Council highways authority suggest that they, rather than the Crown Estate, own the access road now entirely enclosed by the fence. Cotswold Local Authority Planning Enforcement officers hope to establish exact ownership within the coming days and, should the land belong to the County Council, may return to the base seeking evidence of Planning Permission.

Whilst waiting for this to happen the peace camp has moved a few feet round the corner onto the County Council owned grass verge.

Gloucestershire and Wiltshire are currently subject to a 28 day section 44 (Part 1 & 2) Order signed by the Home Secretary, allowing local constabulary to stop and search cars and pedestrians (so far the status of Cyclists is unknown!). Recent searches and arrests on Protestors around Fairford suggest that the order is being used to suppress and discourage legitimate protest.