Woman, 79, refuses to sell part of home to developers in £45 million move
An elderly widow doesn’t want to sell a portion of her garden to developers planning to take up two-thirds of her one acre plot in Allensmore, Herefordshire.
Jean Harris is up against a council-backed £45 million scheme which would bring a 60 mph, 3 km-long road just yards from her bungalow.
The retired school secretary and piano teacher, 79, is also trying to preserve a 500-year-old oak tree which grows on a neighbouring farmer's field.
“We get lots of bats and owls, there’s lots of wildlife around here. It’s a key area for all wildlife, and to lose it would be catastrophic,” Jean said.
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“Then there’s the oak tree. It’s very old, about 500 years or so, and in perfect condition, why would you want to ruin that?
“You can see it from the roads and it is definitely a landmark for us around here.
“The Southern Link road damages ancient woodland and ruins parts of Grafton Wood.”
Jean moved into the £575,000, three-bed house in 2003 but she fears the road would make her home unsellable.
“It’s one seventh of my garden that they want to take, which means this road will come close to my property,” she added.
“All I will hear 24 hours a day is road noise. It'll be an absolute nightmare.
“It’s going to be so close to my home, the road is going to come through the fields and so close to the property.
“Lorries or big vehicles will create lots of loud noises, the vibration will be horrible. It will be horrendous.
“There will be an embankment of the road where the end of garden would be, so it’d effectively be right next to the house.
“We’ve got two thirds of an acre of garden here. It’s the bottom side of the garden that’s at the main risk.”
Jean says she has flatly refused to discuss selling any of her land and has not entered negotiations with Herefordshire Council.
The fight has become even more personal after the recent death of her husband Michael.
Jean said: “It’s been a hard time for us all. I lost my husband Michael recently so now the burden is on me to fight this.”
A spokesperson for Herefordshire Council: "Most landowners have either agreed terms for the sale of their land or are close to reaching an agreement.
"In one case, discussions were paused by agreement to allow the landowner additional time, and we remain committed to working constructively to reach a voluntary agreement.
"Alongside these discussions, the council has begun the compulsory purchase process where required.
"This is a normal part of delivering major infrastructure projects and ensures the land needed for the scheme can be secured if voluntary agreements cannot be reached."
LADbible Group has contacted Herefordshire Council for an update.
Topics: UK News
Anish Vij