Bristol farmer 'devastated' after hedgerow pulled out

Catherine Withers farms land next to the field

A farmer says she is "devastated" after contractors installed a gate into a neighbouring field by cutting through "ancient" Yew tree hedgerow.

Catherine Withers, owner of Yew Tree Farm in Bristol, has been in dispute with landowners Longmoor Land Limited (LLL) about the field next to her farm.

LLL said it had removed 12ft (3.7m) of hedgerow, but would be planting 250ft more.

The council said there was "no evidence" of any planning breaches.

Ms Withers, whose farm is just off the A38 in Highridge, used to graze her cattle in the field in question before the landowners terminated the agreement. Her plot is the last remaining working farm in Bristol.

She has raised concerns over developers Redrow having an option to build 200 homes on the land, which has been delegated as a Site of Nature Conservation Interest.

A new gate has been installed with temporary fencing

Ms Withers said: "It's a devastating scene of ancient hedgerow being disappeared and a horrible gate being put up with wire and looking very industrial."

She said around 12 workers with chainsaws came in early on Tuesday to "chop down" the hedge.

"We are Bristol's jewel - this is the very last working farm in the whole of the city and we need to stay here," she said.

John Tarlton, a member of Bristol Tree Forum, went to the site on Tuesday to support Ms Withers with a group of campaigners.

"Nature is going to be destroyed and that is exactly what we don't want," he said.

John Tarlton said it was sad to see nature being destroyed

A spokesperson for Bristol City Council said: "Officers are investigating whether works undertaken by the landowner are in accordance with the planning permission in place and conform to the ecological method statement agreed with the consultant ecologists.

"No evidence has been submitted at present to suggest any breach of planning permission.

"Officers will continue to monitor the works to ensure they remain in line with the agreed plans in place."

LLL said they had acted "in exact accordance" with planning permission. A spokesperson said they had "created a new 12ft access in the hedgerow from the lane to their own land solely for agricultural purposes".

"The previous access to the field had been via land owned by Mrs Withers of Yew Tree Farm (who had grazed the Longmoor Land fields under a grazing licence).

"However, since that grazing licence was terminated last year, a new access is now required, and this has been put in place today.

"Longmoor Land is at the same time planting 250ft of new hedgerow in the same field, replacing the amount of hedgerow removed around 20 times over," they added.