On the edge of Britain's busiest airport is not where you'd expect to find one of the country's greenest communities. But a group of squatters have transformed a contaminated scrapheap into a living space, with sustainability a primary objective.
A wind turbine towers above once derelict glasshouses that now provides space for a kitchen, work space and food growing section. Vegetables are sprouting up from all angles at this time of year, enabling the 20 or so residents a large...
more »On the edge of Britain's busiest airport is not where you'd expect to find one of the country's greenest communities. But a group of squatters have transformed a contaminated scrapheap into a living space, with sustainability a primary objective.
A wind turbine towers above once derelict glasshouses that now provides space for a kitchen, work space and food growing section. Vegetables are sprouting up from all angles at this time of year, enabling the 20 or so residents a large degree of self-sufficiency. Energy is generated from solar panels which, combined with wind power, provide ample electricity for laptops and other essentials.
Out back is a path leading to a series of tents and more permanent sleeping structures. There are huts and dens built to such a sophisticated degree that they could be hired out to posh campers at a summer festival. Each take on a unique characteristic owing to the random renewable and found materials available. Interiors have wooden stoves in the centre supplying warmth and cosiness.
A sense of utopia is how I feel when I enter the orderly chaos at Grow Heathrow. Yet it's future is in no way secure, as residents face continued attempts by the landlord to shift them. The landlord in question is held in contempt by the villagers of Sipson, who claim that his land attracted anti-social behaviour and dumping before it was squatted. But recent laws have made squatting a criminal offence, and unless a court ruling is overturned, residents may be forcibly removed from the site in the near future.
All this may seem insignificant compared to the threat of airport expansion. The debate for a third runway has rumbled on for years, and now it's firmly back on the political agenda. If it does get approved the Grow Heathrow site would be cemented over, along with 700 homes in the area. This is the issue that brought the squatters to this specific site, and they always had the intention of fighting the proposal. They have aligned themselves with the Transition Town movement, to address the challenges of climate change and peak oil on a local scale. That means harnessing the power of community, and villagers from Sipson and further afield are using the site as a hub for exchanging ideas and participating in workshops. The project has lifted morale in the area, after years of intimidation from BAA had removed any incentive for local residents to invest in their neighbourhood.
Even if the destiny of this small plot of land is out of their hands, you can bet that Grow Heathrow will put up a massive fight to hang onto it. And if they get carried away like Swampy did in his fight to prevent road building, they can be assured that their influence will be far reaching.
« less
