Richard Briers Bring A Touch Of The Good Life To Heathrow Campaign

Veteran Chiswick actor believes carrots will convince ministers to drop plans for third runway

Veteran Chiswick actor Richard Briers joined climate campaigners to create an allotment on land earmarked for the construction of a new runway at Heathrow.

The actor, who shot to fame as the self-sufficient Tom Good in much loved tv programme The Good Life, is said to be growing carrots for ministers in a bid to persuade them against the "daft idea" of expanding the airport.

According to The Mirror, illness prevented him starting planting at the site last month. He is now joining celebrity gardener Monty Don, Greenpeace and gardening charity Garden Organic to help people in the village of Sipson - which would be destroyed by the new runway - grow their own food.

Monty is the president of organic organisation the Soil Association, who described the plan for the third runway as "institutionalised madness".

An alliance of celebrities, politicians, scientists and Greenpeace bought the a plot of land earmarked for Heathrow's third runway in the hope of stalling the Government’s expansion plans. Greenpeace are joined on the deeds of the land by Oscar winning actress Emma Thompson, comedian and Barnes resident Alastair McGowan and environmentalist Zac Goldsmith.

Speaking about the land purchase, McGowan said, "Now that we own it, we'll never sell it to them [BAA] and we're confident that we'll be joined by people from all over the world who will help us defend it."

The plot of land the size of a football pitch now has 41,000 beneficial owners, including Briers.

He said, "I'm planting carrot seeds. After they've grown, I'm going to send a runway carrot once a year to every member of the Cabinet. I'm hoping they'll become so attached to them that they'll drop their plans for Heathrow expansion. I think it's always better to reach for the carrot than the stick."

May 14, 2009