Well, we might have to disagree over whether the first two of your examples were justifications for mass action but I take your point.

I think success in the heritage sphere is very rare. If you Google Tarmac or Hanson or Quarrying the number of times these sorts of battles are fought becomes stunningly clear along with the fact they're almost always lost. The system is skewed so alarmingly in favour of developers that in order to have quarrying stopped it would need a massive campaign and a world heritage class triple henge monument... Doh!