How Common is The Severn Ham
A high court judge is being asked to make a decision over who should be able to get onto, and tend, a huge area of grassland just to the west of Tewkesbury Town Centre.
The Severn Ham is 177 acres of common-land, used by dog-walkers, and looked after by local farmers.
But the owner of a neighbouring mill has gone to court over the route the farmers use to get their tractors in to cut the grass. For a look at the site click here for our 360 view of Severn Ham.
Comment number 1.
At 11th Mar 2011, Alan Purkiss wrote:Your report is a little misleading. ADM have gone to Court with the stated aims of determining that their OWN property has no common rights on it (that it was wrongly registered as Common in 1965)
It is in local's interests that ADM are successful in their STATED aims, because the property can be easier sold and beneficial development take place.
They have given assurances (one read out on your programme) that they are not attempting to stop vehicular access across their property. Of course pedestrian access is anyway not via the Mill but across two public footpath bridges (something not mentioned by Cllr. Cromwell).
The lawyers advising the Town Council are right to advise that in the drafting of the claim ADM may have risked some rights for the public on the Ham proper and the Judge is asked to pronounce on that.
However, there is a deal of scaremongering going on right now (could imminent elections have an influence there?)and we should all relax and await the judges pronouncement which hopefully will give ADM what it has stated it wants but in no way reduce public rights.
If he doesn't pronounce that way we can get excited then but only then!
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