East West Rail route campaigners to stage protest during Bedford mayor's climate event

Campaigners who believe East West Rail’s (EWR) 2019 public consultation was flawed are holding a peaceful demonstration next weekend.

BFARe (Bedford For A Re-Consultation) and Protect Poets are holding it to coincide with the Mayor’s Climate Change Event in Harpur Square between 10am and 4pm on Saturday, March 26

Specific demonstration rally times have been organised for 11am and 2pm on that day.

BFARe is a grassroots campaign comprised of parish councillors, Bedford borough councillors and concerned residents - and they have joined forces with Protect Poets, the area most affected by East West Rail's proposed six-track railway.

If the plans gets the green light, many houses will be demolished in Bedford Poets' area.

A spokesman for BFARe said: "Route E through and north of Bedford is the wrong choice for Bedford borough residents.

"East West Rail is the biggest threat to Bedford with home and business destruction, five to 10 years of construction blight with damaging and irreversible environmental implications, diesel air pollution, commuter traffic congestion and operational noise and vibration.

"The government must provide a business case as to why Route E is the best route between Bedford and Cambridge. This has not been done to date."

Last month Bedford's MP Mohammad Yasin hit out at East West Rail, saying the company needed to be much more open and honest about where residents stood

He said in a letter to Simon Blanchflower, EWR’s CEO, that although the proposals were a "Government project, not a local council project", Bedford councillors were having to deal with "unfair criticism and accusations of a lack of transparency over a project that is not within their control."

A year ago, Bedford Today revealed how residents were furious to be told their house could be demolished - with some shocked they hadn't even received a letter.

The spokesman for BFARe added: "There is a better East West Rail route for Bedford that is less destructive to homes, lives and livelihoods; a route less polluting and less environmentally damaging.

"Join our campaigns and help us peacefully protest against the planned damaging route choice before it is too late."