GRAN REFUSES TO SELL GARDEN LAND TO PROTECT 500-YEAR-OLD OAK

Jean Harris, a 79-year-old retired school secretary and piano teacher, has declined to sell part of her garden in Allensmore, Herefordshire, to developers behind a £45 million road scheme. The proposed Southern Link Road would cut through her property and threaten a 500-year-old oak tree believed to date from the reign of Henry VIII. Harris has lived at her three-bedroom bungalow since 2003 and is determined to protect both the ancient tree and the wildlife that inhabits the area around it.

The two-mile road scheme is designed to reroute the A49 around Hereford to ease city centre congestion. According to one report, developers seek one-seventh of Harris's garden; another states the property covers two-thirds of an acre with the bottom section at greatest risk. The proposed road would run at 60 miles per hour close to her home, with an embankment potentially positioned near the property boundary. Harris argues that planning rules have tightened on environmental harm since the scheme received initial approval in 2015, and contends the project would not effectively alleviate Hereford's traffic problems.

Harris emphasises the ecological significance of the site, citing regular sightings of bats and owls and describing it as a key wildlife area. She stated that losing the ancient oak and associated habitats would be catastrophic for local fauna. The council-backed scheme remains subject to her refusal to sell the land required for its completion.