Grandmother taking on council due to row over 500-year-old oak tree

A grandmother is taking on a council due to a row over a 500-year-old oak tree.

The 79-year-old is locked in a standoff with Herefordshire Council over a £45million bypass scheme, refusing to give up part of her beloved garden to protect a 500-year-old oak tree.

Jean Harris, a retired school secretary and piano teacher from Allensmore, has rejected all attempts by the council to purchase a portion of her two-thirds-of-an-acre plot for the planned Southern Link Road.

"I'm refusing to negotiate - it's a lovely tree and I would hate it to go," Ms Harris adamantly declared.

Ms Harris, who has two children and three grandchildren, moved into her three-bedroom bungalow in 2003 for £175,000, calling it her dream home.

The property is now valued at roughly £575,000, but she fears the bypass will make it impossible to sell.

"I don't want the intrusion in my home - my husband is recently deceased and I've always said that in his memory I will keep fighting this," she said.

Nevertheless, the council remains "confident" that construction can begin on the new road, and hopes to secure the land through continued talks.

Ms Harris confirmed the council had continued to write to her - but she has refused to engage with their correspondence. At one point, they even asked to buy the whole property.

"It's a massive tree, you can see it from all angles from the roads outside. It's lovely and it's been here hundreds of years - why should they come and remove it?" she asked.

The council said the majority of landowners along the route have already agreed terms or are nearing deals.

It has also launched compulsory purchase proceedings where necessary.

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A spokesman said: "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.

"Beginning this process now helps keep the project on schedule while negotiations continue."

Construction of the first phase is expected to begin in December, with a contractor already appointed to connect the A465 and A49 to the south-west of Hereford city centre.

Council bosses claim peak-time congestion could fall by as much as 20 per cent once the first phase is complete.

The project would also unlock 150 hectares of employment land, supporting around 10,000 jobs, alongside 14,000 new homes.

But Ms Harris has disputed the road's value, arguing it would bring a 60mph carriageway just yards from her home and devastate local wildlife.

"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 added.

Some residents and environmental groups have also criticised the scheme over its costs and impact on British wildlife.

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