During this period he became involved in the British road protest movement at sites including Twyford Down, Solsbury Hill and the M11 link road protest in east London.
To a great degree, the Inspectors decision, and the subsequent endorsement of that decision by the Secretary of State, proved a "wake-up" call to conservation groups across the country, so that when a similar case arose in the 1980s regarding the Winchester-Bypass section of the M3 at Twyford Down a far more robust — though ultimately unsuccessful — response was forthcoming.
The principal arguments of the protesters were their concern about making wildlife species, such as the Chalkhill Blue butterfly, extinct, putting a highly visible scar on the landscape, and that they believed the new motorway would not adequately resolve traffic problems.
•
Today, Twyford Down is situated at the western extremity of the South Downs National Park, having previously been designated as part of the East Hampshire AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty).
•
This became problematic due to the lack of available land between Winchester College and St. Catherine's Hill.