No early movement on sow stalls

9 July 2001



Farmer vows to defy developers

By FWi staff

A DISABLED farmer is vowing to defy developers due to start work at
his farm on the first stage of a multi-million pound housing scheme.

An archaeological survey of John Phippss land was due on Monday (July 9) before bulldozers start work on the project at Quedgeley, Gloucestershire.

But Mr Phipps, 75, says he will now allow the work to be carried out on his
land and he will obtain an injunction to stop it.

“I can assure you they will be stopped in their tracks,” he said.

Agents Bruton Knowles, representing the development consortium of four companies, have notified Mr Phipps that contractors want to dig 27 trenches.

Each trench will be 100 metres long, 2 metres wide and a metre deep to give archaeologists a chance to explore the site prior to development.

They say it is a necessary first step before work begins because Gloucester city council has insisted on a full archaeological survey before building begins.

It is believed that the remains of a Roman settlement lie beneath the ground.

Taywood Homes, Westbury Homes, Robert Hitchens, and George Wimpey plan to build 2,600 homes at the site of the former RAF Quedgeley airbase.

They also want to build two primary schools, a shopping centre and a business and industrial park to accompany the homes.

But Mr Phipps says he is not prepared to allow the archaeological survey because it will disrupt his farming business.

His agent Chris Turney said “If the new owners get planning permission for change of use, that is fine. But they cannot just charge in and dig up the place.

“Once these trenches are dug you wont be able to drive a tractor in a
straight line anywhere without falling into a trench.

“The farm will become unworkable.”

• Farmers lukewarm on Rural Paper, FWi, 28 November 2000
• Rural Paper to relax planning rules, FWi, 23 November 2000
• 600,000 more homes in the countryside, FWi, 27 May 1999