Last week, events at Radley Lakes became more dramatic by the day. Emotions ran high, but aggression and violence were absent, as they always should be. Although CPRE took responsibility for the march, it was a community march and demonstrated the strength of feeling for Lakes and the sense of disbelief that such a treasured landscape can be destroyed in this so-called environmental age. Our thanks to Thames Valley Police for their advice and support throughout, and to Save Radley Lakes for their determined campaign.

npower moves in. Security staff arrived at Radley Lakes two weeks ago and on Wednesday last, npower's contractors began felling trees around the edge of Thrupp Lake and on its islands in preparation for filling the Lake with fuel ash. A number of islands have been cleared of vegetation, including Cormorant Island. As we go to press, tree felling is continuing. As far as we can judge, bearing in mind the strict injunctions that are in place, the main bird nesting sites have been cleared, especially on the islands. On Tuesday npower were suggesting that the work is 95% complete.

Security. On Wednesday and Thursday security staff, their faces hidden by balaclavas followed everyone who used the public footpath. On one occasion, a lady walking her dog was videoed. Andy Boddington was assigned two hooded security staff on his tour of Thrupp Lake, and the security company recorded his car registration. The situation had eased by Friday, with a less threatening presence and a general absence of balaclavas.

Injunctions. A wide ranging injunction was served, and applies to several hundred people involved in the Radley Lakes campaign. The function was to prevent harassment or identification of npower's contractors (CPRE supports this) but its wording and effect was to suppress the freedom of reporting. Specifically it bans "all protestors conducting activities against [npower's] intended use of… Radley Lakes [from] photographing or videoing [npower and contractors] or their vehicles which are protected in their entirety". This is understood to prevent any campaigner from photographing the destruction of Thrupp Lake if a npower contractor appears in the photograph, even if he or she is unidentifiable. An attempt to serve an injunction on the NQO newspaper group however backfired, earning npower vitriolic leaders in the Oxford Mail and Times. One freelance photographer was served with an injunction onsite (http://tinyurl.com/2ch8r6). As rumours spread that public protest had been banned by the injunction, npower placed a statement on the Oxford Mail website stating that there was no intention to restrict protest; this was withdrawn within hours but is still available on indy websites (http://tinyurl.com/374kw6).

Arrests. Three ecowarriors were arrested as they breeched injunctions or refused to provide names and addresses. There have been no arrests or trouble within CPRE or Save Radley Lakes campaigners, though all are subject to npower's injunctions.

250 people march for Thrupp Lake. CPRE held a protest march in collaboration with Save Radley Lakes. Thames Valley Police provided full support and gave approval for the march at 3.00pm Friday. At 1.30pm on Saturday, 250 people, young and old marched. npower felt the need to video children, families and an eighty-year-old man on an electric bikes. The police provided support throughout but the event was trouble-free.

Town Green status. Jo Cartmell has applied for Radley Lakes to be declared a Town Green. The closing date for comments was last Friday. We do not yet know when they will be considered and whether the application will proceed to an EiP. Everyone's concern is that Thrupp Lake may be severely damaged before the application is determined.

Press coverage. There was extensive local press coverage including:

• "Protester arrested as clearance work starts" (NQO: http://tinyurl.com/2wy7wu)
• "Civil liberties battle looms over lake protest" (NQO: http://tinyurl.com/2k3b4x)
• "Draconian laws out of place" (Oxford Mail leader: http://tinyurl.com/2drlub)
• "Heavy-handed" (Oxford Times leader: http://tinyurl.com/yod8rv)
• Andy Boddington and Leon Flexman (npower) talk to Bill Heine (http://tinyurl.com/3a43mu).
• "Rallying cry to join lakes fight" (NQO: http://tinyurl.com/2wn456)
• "Silent protest" (NQO: http://tinyurl.com/3yes7j).
• "250 people march to save Radley Lakes" (CPRE: http://tinyurl.com/3amsav)
• BBC South Today covered the protest march on Saturday and Monday.
• Radio Oxford covered the protest march on Monday (http://tinyurl.com/2wwxkz).

Commentary by Andy Boddington. From CPRE Oxfordshire's Weekly Campaign Briefing 20 February 2007 (signup, its free!).