Appeals over farm dismissed

A Government minister has paved the way to an end to the so-called battle of the strawberry fields after dismissing four planning appeals.

Ruth Kelly, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, dismissed the appeals by Herefordshire strawberry producer S&A Davies.

Two were against refusal of planning permission for 300 caravans, ancillary buildings and a sewage treatment works at Brierley Court Farm, Leominster, north Herefordshire.

The other two were against the service of enforcement notices on S&A Davies for the removal of caravans, ancillary buildings and sewage treatment works because they have no planning permission.

Mrs Kelly called in the planning appeals after an inquiry carried out by a government inspector. She said in her decision that developments such as the one at Brierley Court Farm require planning permission.

She said growers cannot rely on permitted development rights because the strawberry growing season is too long.

The decision has given S&A Davies longer to comply with the enforcement notices. The firm now has 274 days from the date of the decision to comply.

The row blew up in May 2005 when Herefordshire Council's Northern Area planning committee refused retrospective planning application from S&A Property Ltd on an 18 to 1 vote.