Media Release

05 March 2002 Victory for campaigners as woodland slaughterhouse application withdrawn Viva! campaigners today celebrated over news that a controversial planning application for a new slaughterhouse in Blackstone Gate Wood, West Sussex has been withdrawn. Horsham District Council state that the applicant decided not to proceed with the application after learning that the planning committee were due to recommend refusal at the decision meeting later this month. The committee were concerned that the buildings could have been sited on ancient woodland. Viva! campaigners demonstrated outside the council offices two weeks ago and called on councillors to turn down the application. As a vegetarian group, Viva! is opposed to the construction of any new slaughterhouse. However it was particularly disturbed by the choice of site, which would have led to the destruction of trees and wildlife habitat in order that more farmed animals could be killed. Other organisations who objected or raised serious doubts about the proposal included Sussex Wildlife Trust, Friends of the Earth, English Nature, the Woodland Trust, the Forestry Commission, Compassion in World Farming, the Environment Agency, the Council for the Protection of Rural England and many others. Says Viva!’s senior campaigner, Becky Smith, “We are delighted that the council responded to the overwhelming number of objection letters it received and planned to refuse this application. It is heartening that local people are still able to have influence over what happens to their countryside.” Ms Smith continues “However, I would ask local people who opposed this application to think more deeply about what it is they objected to. These polluting, destructive places only exist because people choose to eat meat and yet nobody seems to want animals being killed in their back yard. Anyone who genuinely cares about animals and the environment should go vegetarian.” More information from Becky Smith on 0117 944 1000