Homes before Roads facts for kids
Homes before Roads was a group of people who campaigned in the United Kingdom during the 1970s. They started in London in 1970. Their main goal was to stop plans for building a huge system of four connected motorways. These motorways were called the London Ringways and were meant to go through and around London.
Later, other groups across the country also used the name "Homes before Roads." They used it to fight against motorway plans in their own areas.
Fighting Motorways in London
The Homes before Roads group worked hard against a plan called the Draft Greater London Development Plan. This plan included all the motorway ideas. They also fought against it in a big public meeting called a public inquiry.
The group even put forward candidates in the 1970 Greater London Council election. They had candidates in 80 out of the 100 areas in London. Even though they only got 2 percent of the votes, their campaign made a big difference.
The Labour Party in London had first supported the motorway plans. But after the campaign, they changed their minds. They decided to oppose the motorways.
When the Labour Party won control of the Greater London Council in the 1973 Greater London Council election, they cancelled the motorway plans. Instead, they decided to focus on improving public transport and managing traffic. However, some parts of the motorways had already been built before the plans were stopped.
Campaigning Across the Country
Many people who supported Homes before Roads in London continued their fight. They went on to oppose motorway plans in other parts of the country. They kept using the "Homes before Roads" name. This was because the London campaign had become very well known across the country.
A small group of about 150 people were at the core of the movement. They helped by giving speeches and providing expert opinions. They also worked to get their message out through the news.
See also
- London Ringways
- Road protest in the United Kingdom
