JUDI DENCH - DENCH PROTESTS AGAINST ECO-TOWN

DENCH PROTESTS AGAINST ECO-TOWN

DAME JUDI DENCH is lending her support to a campaign protesting against the building of an eco-village near the birthplace of WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE.
The revered actress is infuriated at the British government's plans for a carbon-neutral development just six miles (9.65 kilometres) from Stratford-upon-Avon in the heart of England and has joined forces with locals to fight the new buildings.
Local residents claim the new eco-town will have a devastating impact on the historic surroundings, and bring traffic chaos to the quaint area.
Dench is also worried about the effect the proposed eco-town will have on the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.
She says, "Stratford is a jewel in the crown of the nation's heritage. There can be very few places in the world of such cultural significance as the town in which the world's greatest dramatist lived and worked. It is folly to put this at risk.
"Having appeared in more than a dozen productions in the town over a period of 40 years, I am very concerned about the potential impact the new eco-town will have on the town and its famous theatre."
But Dench insists it is not the idea of the town that offends her: "I should stress that I am not against eco-towns per se - far from it. It is the location of the proposed site - so close to historic Stratford - that gives me cause for concern."
"The BARD (Better Accessible and Responsible Development) campaign's message is very clear: yes to eco towns, but not in a location that will devastate a town of such historical and cultural importance."