Road Raging - Top Tips for Wrecking Roadbuilding
Chapter 6: Getting information
To fight a road, you need as much
information as possible, including from "the other side". Ideally, you'd put
bugs, hidden cameras, and infiltrators in the offices of all the roadbuilders'
senior staff - do it if you have the money and knowledge! Fortunately, you can
find out a lot with simple means. Don't be intimidated by the chasm between
the intense surveillance powers of the state and the rumour-factory of your
campaign. Be aware of and try to frustrate their surveillance (see Chapter 13
and "targetting the evidence gatherers on site" in chapter 10); meanwhile
collate your own information on them. For dirt on specific companies, or for
ideas on how to dig it yourself, contact Corporate Watch (see Chapter 16).
Libraries
Local libraries, both public and those attached to colleges
and universities, hold a wealth of free info. As well as newspapers and
periodicals, they may have phone directories, maps, press archives, electoral
rolls, trade directories, "Who's Who", government documents, company
information, law reports, and all sorts of useful reference materials. The
list of land and properties subject to Compulsory Purchase Ordes to make way
for the road, plus the owner's names, should also be there. Libraries also
often have photocopiers, microfiche readers, and teletext.
Local Newspapers
Visit offices of local papers, which may have an
archive of information about the scheme. If not, libraries usually hold copies
of past newspapers. In the Public Notices section, papers may announce
temporary road and footpath closure notices. If roads are due to close on
route, this may indicate where and when work will occur. Some companies,
particularly security guard companies, may place job advertisements in local
papers.
Local Newspapers
Well-informed hacks may well know more about what's
going on than most so cultivate them. Giving journalists "exclusive" stories
should earn you a favour. Sympathetic journalists may dig out information for
you, or even let you pose as a colleague! The construction press can be
especially useful for the latest news on contracts. The main UK titles are
Construction News and Contract Journal, published weekly, and available in
good public libraries. Also useful are New Civil Engineer (specialist
libraries or subscription), Building, Surveyor (both in libraries), and Local
Transport Today (subscription only). Get used to reading these regularly.
Construction journalists will generally have all the gossip on companies and
contracts, so if you can make friends with one you may learn a lot. However,
remember that trade journalists remain loyal to the industry, and they aren't
environmentalists.
Council Offices
Planning applications are held on file in the planning
department of District Council offices. These documents are open for public
inspection and may contain useful information about the scale of new
developments. Exposing applications for new out-of-town shopping centres or
housing estates could galvanise local opposition to the road. Applications to
extract gravel and sand for use on the route of a new road often greatly
increase the area under threat. Details may be held in the planning library.
Maps and details can be photocopied for a fee.
Maps
Accurate large-scale maps will prove invaluable for route
monitoring, planning events and siting camps. Maps for road proposals are
available to local people from the roadbuilding agency. Be persistent when
chasing them. Phone the agency and get the name of the person in charge of the
scheme's administration. Follow up your request with a letter.
Environmental Information Regulations:
When asking for information
from government departments and agencies, you could try using the
Environmental Information Regulations 1992. These are based on the European
Directive on Freedom of Access to Information on the Environment. When making
a formal request for information from a public body, remind them that these
Regulations require them to give it to you.
Post, Phone & Fax
The good thing about these communication systems
is that you can pretend to be who the hell you like! So, you can contact the
roadbuilders directly, claiming to be a journalist, local landowner, rival
contractor etc, and fish for information. In Britain, remember to dial 141
before the main number, to conceal your own number.
Computers enable you to produce extremely convincing letterheads, business
cards and so on. Decide what you want to know, work out who to ask, and use
your imagination! Confidence and good acting skills are needed; have an
"identity" and story prepared thoroughly before you pick up the phone. At
Newbury in 1996, for instance, protesters knew that eviction of Reddings Copse
camp would need the biggest cherry-picker crane available; so someone rang the
relevant crane firm claiming to be a Cathedral Clerk of Works, asking to hire
the big crane to inspect the spire! After faxing a forged letter to confirm,
he was told that it was available every day for weeks, except one... which was
indeed when Reddings Copse was finally evicted. Be bold and devious!
You can get on various mailing lists, such as the DoT press release list,
by phoning and pretending to be a journalist. You may be asked to fax a
letter, so be creative on a computer. When you fax it, remember to reset the
fax machine so the campaign's name isn't on the top, and use an address
unconnected to the campaign.
Company Searches
These yield lots of information on a specific
company, including its history, recent Annual Reports and accounts, Articles
of Association (ie. the company's "constitution"), and names and home
addresses of directors. You can do a search by visiting Companies House (see
Chapter 16), or applying to them by post (there is a small fee). The search is
supplied on microfiche. You will need to get the name of the company exactly
right to get the right information, as civil engineering firms, for instance,
are often part of a much larger group with a different name.
Under Section 356 of the Companies Act 1985, anyone can inspect a company's
Register of Members, which is a list of all their shareholders or members.
There is a small fee, unless you are a shareholder yourself. Apply in writing
to the Company Secretary. There is more on company law in "Basic Law for Road
Protestors" - see Chapter17.
World Wide Web
This is an increasingly useful research tool,
especially for scientific and environmental information, and for digging dirt
on corporations..
Contractors' offices
The most accurate information regarding work
schedules and fine details of the plans are likely to be held in contractors'
offices, particularly those of consulting engineers. Office occupations in the
past have proved a useful method of getting information such as maps, lists of
other offices and telephone numbers. Useful documents thrown out of the window
and collected later may avoid arrest. (High-risk method - see office
occupations in Chapter10 first!)
Inside Sources
There will usually be people on the wrong side who
sympathise enough with your cause to leak bits of information. They may work
for the security company or a contractor, or be local people with privileged
info. Listen to and record every bit of info that comes into the campaign, but
be aware that you may be fed deliberate misinformation. Remember that "Chinese
whispers" can massively distort the original info; go back to the person who
first received the information. If you get any valuable information, it is
essential to protect your sources. That means not letting anyone know where
the information comes from, or making the source obvious.
Infiltration
This is difficult, but incredibly useful. If protesters
can get jobs on the road site, so much can be learnt - the location of depots,
offices and pick-up points, for instance, or the start-dates of contracts.
Infiltration of the security guards at Newbury was crucial in anticipating the
start of the clearance contract, and hence kicking the direct action campaign
off to a brilliant start. Security companies and contractors have vetting
procedures, so you'll need to be convincing, cool-headed, and may need
references, to have a chance. Look out for ads in job centres, agencies and
papers. You can gauge the company's attitude to protesters, and find out when
they are planning to start using large numbers.
Infiltrating conferences and meetings is easier; press credentials help.
Activists have blagged press passes to 750-a-head government conferences with
one fax and three phone calls. Either invent a publication (and letterhead),
or get a friend who edits a minor, but legitimate, magazine to vouch for you
as their "transport correspondent".
Observation, Photography & Tailing
There is a lot you can discover
by simple snooping. By following vehicles, for instance, the location of
off-route compounds and security guard coach depots can be discovered at an
early stage. Smart, fast cars help, and working in pairs, preferably linked by
mobile phones, is especially effective. Be persistent, inconspicuous, and
record details accurately. Observation on foot or on pushbikes is also very
useful on and around the road route, for recording and photographing vehicle
registration numbers, company names on lorries, etc (see also"route
monitoring" in Chapter 8).
Using The Info
Collecting info is just the first stage; if it is not
used then the effort will have been futile. It must all be recorded and
collated to build up an overall picture, and to enable easy retrieval of
information. Setting up files is a good way to do this, but they will need
regular updating and checking. It's really important to persuade people to do
this - knowledge not shared is usually wasted. Of course, some info will need
to remain relatively secret, but at least a few people must have an overview
of all the tip-offs, rumours etc.
This book is now out of print. You might be able to get a copy from a UK
library by ordering on the inter-library loans scheme.
Road Alert!
EMAIL: info@roadalert.org.uk