This spring, Knivstaborna Cecilia Annerén and Lena Isenstam started a name gathering to get a referendum on an agreement that the municipality has concluded with the state. Briefly, the agreement means that Knivsta Municipality will build 15,000 homes before the year 2057 against the state building four lanes between Uppsala and Stockholm.

- We are not against the lanes, but we want the number of homes to be built to decrease substantially, says Lena Isestam.

- I think many people are worried that Knivsta's small-town character may be transformed with tall houses and dense buildings, says Cecilia Annerén.

Have engaged the Knife tabs

The signatures have been collected, among other things, in the local grocery store, on the platform and outside the municipal hall. The initiators have seen great commitment from Knivstaborna on the issue. On Thursday morning, they handed over thousands of signatures to the chairman of the local council.

"This is direct democracy and a good way to communicate with citizens," says Peter Evansson (S), chairman of the municipal council. At the same time, he points out that the agreement already contains a renegotiation.

- Twice a year we meet with the state to discuss the conditions for the construction.

There were also several local politicians on the scene.

- The agreement contains too many homes in relation to the size of Knivsta. There is no municipality in Sweden that promises so many homes in relation to their size, says Lennart Lundberg (KNU), opposition council.

A referendum may become relevant

The fact that about 1,850 Knivstabor has signed means that the issue of referendum should be raised in the municipal council. If at least ten percent of the voting population in a municipality requires a referendum through signatures, then it is enough that a third of the council vote says yes to a referendum.

- Now we will start our election committee, which hopefully can happen at the municipal council now in November. The next point will be to decide whether it will be a referendum, which will be taken up by the municipal council this spring, says Peter Evansson (S).

When can a possible referendum become relevant?

- Next fall, I would guess.

In the clip above you can hear the promoters see when the signatures were handed over.