Abbots Leigh residents protest Roots Allotment plots

Residents of Abbots Leigh are unhappy with the planned allotment

Residents of a North Somerset village say they fear the peace and quiet of a nearby meadow will be replaced by disruption caused by people coming to tend their allotments.

There have been ongoing protests this week over 700 plots being built by Roots Allotments in Abbots Leigh.

Resident Emma Burgh fears, "there will be hundreds of people here that will ruin the meadow".

Roots said it was, "trying to make a positive environmental change."

The dispute centres on whether Roots has permission to use the land.

While allotments don't typically need planning permission, Roots said it had sent an application for a certificate of lawful use to North Somerset Council which it didn't respond to in time.

Roots said: "After taking legal advice, we are undertaking the necessary works to open the site as they fall well within permitted development rights for agriculture."

But now North Somerset Council says it is investigating "matters of legal interpretation."

'Nimbyism'

"The operators [Roots] have been advised for work to stop pending the outcome of the planning applications. We will continue to monitor the site," said a council spokesperson.

The dispute became heated on Thursday when police were called to keep the peace.

Will Gay from Roots Allotments says the allotments will improve nature in the meadow

Mr Gay said he was "at his wits' end" over the protests.

"It's nimbyism, there's so many things to protest against.

"We're trying to get access to outdoor space to 700 families who don't have that in Bristol.

"There's people on the waiting list for years, the scale of the solution matches the scale of the problem," he told the BBC.

But Ms Burgh said the 24 acre site would be ruined by the development.

"This is a beautiful meadow with a very diverse ecology here.

"It's going to change the site into a commercial horticultural development.

"We're not against allotments per se, but this is a massive concern for us," she said.