Grandmother refuses to sell garden blocking bypass

A Herefordshire grandmother says she has delayed a £45m bypass because she is refusing to sell part of her garden.

Jean Harris, who lives between Clehonger and Belmont, said she remains opposed to the bypass plan because she does not believe the case has been made for spending local taxpayers' money in this way.

She is now holding out against selling part of her garden – which could hold up building the first phase of the Hereford bypass.

Discussing the project, which Herefordshire Council committed to starting in earnest this December, Councillor Philip Price said simply that "negotiations with private landowners remain subject to commercial confidentiality".

A council report has since said that "land acquisition delays remain a risk" to the project, while the option of a compulsory purchase order to compel owners to hand over their land, is "running in (the) background".

Harris, referencing the northern end of her garden, said: "This little bit is holding them back."

She continued: "The plans show the big oak at the end of my garden will have to come down.

"We've had it looked at – it's around 500 years old. Yet the council have refused to move the route."

"Concerns over the road scheme's impact on bats, owls and dormice remain", she added. "That's partly why I don't want to cooperate."

Meanwhile the loss of her husband Michael, two months ago, has left her feeling "very vulnerable", she said, adding: "I haven't wanted the pressure on me."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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