A grandmother is refusing to sell part of her garden to developers behind a £45 million road scheme in a bid to save a 500-year-old oak tree. Jean Harris, 79, is fighting plans for a new link road that would cut straight through her two-thirds of an acre plot in the Herefordshire village of Allensmore.
The retired school secretary and piano teacher claims the council-backed project would bring a 60mph road just yards from her property and destroy crucial wildlife habitats. "It's one seventh of my garden that they want to take, which means this road will come close to my property. All I will hear 24 hours a day is road noise. It'll be an absolute nightmare," Jean said.
Road Would Come Within Yards of Home
"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," she added. "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, who has two grown-up children and three grandchildren, also argues that the proposed 3km Southern Link Road would do little to relieve congestion in Hereford, despite its £45 million price tag. "It's been called the Southern Link road, but it doesn't do anything to alleviate heavy traffic in Hereford. I feel that it should not be built as a stand alone scheme," she explained.
Planning Permission Dates Back to 2015
"The planning permission for this Southern Link road dates back to 2015. Since then assessments into environmental harm have been tightened. If this road does go ahead it may not comply with the environmental harm rules," Jean stated. Her main worry is the impact to wildlife and an ancient oak tree standing in a neighbouring farmer's field, which she describes as a local landmark.
"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. "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."
Property Value at Risk
Jean moved into her three-bedroom bungalow in 2003 and its current value sits at approximately £575,000, but she worries the bypass will make her property unsellable. "I did have the house recently valued but it will certainly depreciate, I am quite concerned about that," she stated. "We bought it 23 years ago for £175,000. I had my eye on it for a long time before we bought it, it was our dream home. The family all love it. I have no plans to sell up and it's just as well because who would want to buy a property right next to a busy bypass?"
Jean says she has point-blank refused to discuss selling any portion of her land and has not entered into negotiations with Herefordshire Council. "I haven't agreed to negotiate so they haven't given me a figure - I refused to negotiate it," she said. The battle has taken on an even more personal dimension following the recent loss 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."
Council Threatens Compulsory Purchase
Council officials want to construct a single carriageway connecting the A465 and A49 south-west of Hereford city centre, with construction hoped to commence in December this year. Initial valuations estimate the 385 square metre portion of land needed from Jean's garden at more than £58,000. However, she remains steadfast in her position. Jean said: "I know work is due to start in December this year, but I don't know how they can start without owning the land. I haven't agreed or negotiated unless they do an alternate route or decide to drop it."
"All it's going to do is save minutes on their journey into Hereford, it's not going to get them there any quicker. It's destruction, it's total destruction really, and for what. If there was a genuine need for it I'd have a slightly different opinion, but as it stands it's not needed."
Herefordshire Council bosses say they are ready to forge ahead, even if it means forcing Jean to surrender the land through a compulsory purchase. A spokesperson said: "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."
