Farmers, who defeated one of Britain’s wealthiest landowners in a “farmers’ rebellion”, accused him of further efforts to “suppress” his plans.
Ralph Percy, the 12th Duke of Northumberland, has hundreds of gardeners, councilors and hundreds to build 80 apartments on part of his Grade I listed Zion Park estate in west London. We are fighting opposition from locals.
He wants to use the income he earns from renting an apartment to fund a £13m refurbishment of the Zion House, which has been used to film scenes in blockbuster historical dramas such as Downton Abbey and Bridgerton.
The plan application was rejected in October after Hounslow City Council rejected it as a waste of open space.
However, Duke is seeking to overturn the decision through his company, Northumberland Estate, claiming the unit is “no longer in operation” and “provides no entertainment value”.
“That’s total nonsense,” said Stephen Hartton, 48, president of the Park Road Allotment Association, armed with photos of local families tending thriving crops this summer.
He admitted that some plots are now abandoned and overgrown, thanks to a seven-year-old plot that “seemed unused, tidied up and devastated the site”.
Located on the wall of the 200-acre Duke site, their ancestors lent the site to the council in 1917 to grow food for wounded veterans.
It was then divided into 37 plots, which were planned to be rented to the public for just £1 a year and built on top of it before the Northumberland Estate took over again in 2015.
Growers say the company cut their 12-month lease in half and refused to re-let the vacant lot to a new family.
Hartton goes on to say, “If you’re interested in radishes, a 6-month lease is fine, but there’s no point in planting something like broccoli. Not to mention perennials like asparagus and fruit trees, 3 to bear fruit.” It will take years.
“Some growers abandoned the site because they were unable to address this vulnerability, while others kept their plans but chose to grow due to the stress of the situation.
“They abandoned it by design, so when an inspector comes in, we have to paint.
And they were trying to convey our plans and told us that we could shut down the site at any time and get 100% of nothing. This is bullying. “
Investment cuts and attempts to develop the Herzog site failed after a councilor ruled in 2018 and a planning inspector hearing dismissed his appeal.
A revised plan unveiled last year calls for 40% of new housing to be affordable, with some reserved for workers at nearby hospitals. Planner approval was recommended.
After receiving 900 complaints from locals, the councilman agreed to reduce the fee by three quarters and “kill” the thriving wildlife in the vicinity.
A letter sent to the producers at the time said that their intervention “if the request was rejected, the quota would not be opened.”
Herzog’s appeal filed in April of this year also asserted that the development would not destroy “publicly accessible” space because the parcel was “accessible only to the quota owner and their friends and family.”
However, according to Grace Gray, 80, who has grown fruits and vegetables for more than 30 years, the site often welcomes other visitors.
He states: “Open the door and invite the locals to help with the rest of the plants and there will be a plant exchange. People can walk their dogs here.”
This is a beautiful nature reserve. You are always surrounded by birds, we have a pond full of newts and frogs. I have counted at least 5 species of bats.
Park Road’s status as an asset of community value is pandemic after council finds “evidence of strong local support” as a “basic” source of “social well-being” and biodiversity. Updated during.
Mrs. Gray added: If the area is full, more people who live in the area will have the opportunity to bring their families.
Opponents question why this feud is financially valuable to the Duke, whose family is wealthier than the Queen, who is worth around £400m.
Labor Councilor Salman Shaheen, Minister for Parks and Leisure in Hounslow, said:
“There are many abandoned places in the area waiting for the abandoned buildings to be used.
“There is no need to build a residential area in a green space.”
Shaheen added that despite earlier hearings, real estate’s request to hear the proceedings directly through a “written statement” was an attempt to “minimize public oversight.”
Colin Burns of Northumberland Estate said:
“Any pre-licensed food owner has the opportunity to acquire a parcel of land in a location that suits their needs. Three minutes of the site were used prior to the implementation of our plan. There is only one, and we believe our suggestion it is a good balance between making good use of parts of the site for coveted homes and retaining parts and green space.
“We have informed current quota holders that the license will not be renewed until the council rejects our application at the direction of their own officers, but the appeal process is continuing. I was happy to see them make their plans though.
“It is completely normal practice to put a complaint in writing and it is the responsibility of the planning inspector to decide how to handle the process. We certainly want to reach an agreement with the owner of the municipal estate. Conversations with them were friendly. .
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Source: Metro
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