THE fight against hundreds of new homes on a green swathe in Taunton has turned nasty.
A group calling itself The Green Wedgers has claimed responsibility for graffiti around the town centre.
Other campaigners opposing up to 750 homes earmarked for the area in the Draft Core Strategy have distanced themselves from the militants.
After large ‘Save Vivary Wedge’ graffiti appeared on walls in Bath Place and High Street, the County Gazette received an e‑mail from The Green Wedgers.
It said: “Our community has fought developers for decades, so don’t think we’re going to just hand over the green wedge without a fight.
“We’re willing to do whatever it takes to save our green land.
“While aboveground groups may soon be accepting defeat against this project, we’re just getting started.”
Town centre manager Graham Love said the vandals were hitting Taunton’s appeal to shoppers and visitors.
He added: “It’s disappointing a local pressure group has chosen to deface the town in this way and cause the local authority and businesses substantial costs in cleaning up the mess.”
A police spokesman said graffiti constituted criminal damage and any complaints would be investigated.
Mike Threlfall, of Save the Vivary Green Wedge campaign, said: “We’re a peaceful, friendly protest and condemn such vandalism.”
Taunton Deane Council leader Cllr Ross Henley said he welcomed people’s views about the Draft Core Strategy.
But he added: “Spray painting slogans around the town does nothing to advance reasoned debate – it’s childish, damages the local environment and is expensive to clean up.
“This smacks of pointless damage rather than democracy.”
*MARK Formosa, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Taunton Deane, has been helping collect signatures on a petition against building new homes on the Vivary Green Wedge.
http://www.thisisthewestcountry.co.uk/news/5038741.Anti_Green_Wedge_development_group_s_graffiti/