PRESS NOTICE ` 6th February


2004

Eco Warriors send profits warning to Marshalls Plc

Environmental activists who have taken possession of quarry sites at Endcliffe and Lees Cross in Derbyshire have warned Marshalls Plc, and their subsidiary Stancliffe Stone Ltd, that they will face unprecedented and damaging costs if they attempt an eviction.

“We have been here for over four years” said one activist who did not wish to be named “ and we have been very busy. The people here are not going to go quietly, and we have constructed some serious defensive positions. Four years is a long time to prepare for an eviction, and we learned a lot from the evictions of road protest sites at Fairmile and Stanworth. Our technical expertise in tunnelling, bunkers, lock-ons and logistical support to withstand a siege is on a different level from previous sites, quite apart from the length of time we have been digging in. This is a hard site – the terrain is steep and dangerous, and the bailiffs will find it very difficult to use cherry-picker machines to take out tree-houses on the slopes. This time, if they attempt to get us out, it will take a long time and a lot of money. It will be the longest and most expensive eviction ever seen.

Marshalls shareholders should be warned that the final costs of clearing the site are likely to top a record-breaking 20 million pounds, and this is bound to have serious effects on the financial performance of the operating company. We are not talking just a little dip in profits here. We have the capability to bankrupt Stancliffe Stone Ltd and even have an effect on Marshalls own balance sheet. Shareholders who want to protect their investment should contact the Directors and warn them, because I don’t think that, so far, they have any conception of what they are taking on. The taxpayer will not be liable for these costs, it is a civil matter, and although the Possession Order may be enforced by the Under-Sheriff with Police support, it is likely that the Police Authority will seek to recover costs from the contractors. At Fairmile the Chief Constable claimed in excess of 2 million pounds before the evictions had even begun. “

Background:
The activists took over the site in 1999, following the application by Stancliffe Stone Ltd to re-open the dormant quarry and extract 3.2 million tons of rock from a 12.95 hectare site within 150 m of the Nine Ladies Stone Circle. The resultant scar will be 100m deep, devastating the environment of this treasured site for ever. This is strongly opposed by the Peak District National Park Authority (PDNPA) and the great majority of local residents. On 12 December 2003, the company made a second submission to the PDNPA, and on 22nd January 2004 obtained an eviction order at Birmingham High Court to re-possess the site . An appeal is pending, but the activists will rely primarily on physically defending themselves against any eviction attempt.

The worldwide co-ordinated actions against, for example, Huntington Life Sciences and their suppliers demonstrated the power of sustained disruption and targeting of financial interests, working alongside legal challenges and physical occupation.