C.A.S.E. Persimmon Homes: Trasing the Heart of Herts

Angry local residents with placards and banners will be demonstrating on Wednesday morning outside the Annual General Meeting of Persimmon Homes, protesting about the company's involvement in plans to build 10,000 new homes west of Stevenage, one of the largest and most damaging developments in the greenbelt in 50 years.

The action has been organised by the Campaign Against Stevenage Expansion (CASE) and Friends of the Earth. CASE campaigner Bill Bowker said: "If this development goes ahead, it will be the biggest loss of Green Belt since the Second World War. Persimmon are carrying on with their development plans despite massive opposition from the local community, and we will continue to oppose them."

During the AGM, around 200 Persimmon shareholders will also be asking the company's Board of Directors about their involvement in the scheme. Terry Figg of Mid & North Herts Friends of the Earth said: "Persimmon want to destroy much of Stevenage's greenbelt, but do they really want such a bad public image? Persimmon's shareholders should ask why the company is taking on this hugely unpopular development".

CASE campaigners will be available for interview before and after the AGM .

ENDS

Note for editors:
Persimmon Homes' AGM takes place at Le Meridien Hotel, Piccadilly, London W1 on Wednesday 28th April at 12 noon.

CASE and Friends of the Earth will be demonstrating outside from 11.30am onwards. CASE is an alliance of environmental and community groups fighting the plans to build 10,000 houses to the west of Stevenage, on Green Belt land, and part of te Langley Valley.

CASE supporters include Mid and North Herts Friends of the Earth,Council for the Protection of Rural England, Hitchin Forum, Hitchin Society, Stevenag e Town Forum, St Ippolyts Parish Council., and Stevenage and North Herts Green Party.

CASE is also part of the URGENT (Urban Regeneration and Greenfield Environment Network) coalition of campaign groups around the country fighting similar develoments

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