On 23rd November 2005 West Berkshire Planning Committee voted to defer a decision on whether to support the Atomic Weapons Establishment's full planning notice for the controversial Orion laser facility . If built, the laser will enable the UK government to test and build the next generation of nuclear weapons.

On Wednesday 25th January 2006 WBPC will meet again to vote on this matter. If the Committee approves the application for the laser on 25th January, the direct action-campaign Block The Builders will carry out a publicly announced blockade on the following Monday, 30 January 2006.

We will let all pledgers know by e-mail the result of the meeting and confirmation or not of the blockade soon after the meeting. If you are not a pledger, this information will also be posted on the front page of the BtB website ( http://www.blockthebuilders.org.uk/index.php). And for those of you who want to be there to find out for yourselves, and support the opposition to the laser, the planning meeting will take place at 6.00 pm on 25 January at the Calcott Centre, Centre, Highview (off Royal Avenue) in Calcott, Reading RG314XD. How to get there, click here: * http://tinyurl.com/8d763.

It is possible that delaying tactics, legal submissions and other things MAY defer the decision yet again, but we want to be ready in case the committee approve the laser plans.

Please put this date in your diary now and encourage others to join us - you don't have to be a pledger to take part in the blockade. This may be the big one, and if so we need to be big too!


See  http://www.blockthebuilders.org.uk for confirmation of the blockade. Info will be posted by 26 Jan.