Bristol's last working farm under threat from crematorium expansion

  • Watch Max Walsh's report

The owner of Bristol's last working farm says its future is under threat if plans to expand a crematorium are approved.

Catherine Withers and her family have been farming land owned by Bristol City Council for decades, in what's been described as a "temporary informal arrangement".

But now the council have proposed to use twenty acres of the farm for extra burial space and drainage for South Bristol Crematorium, where they say it is "nearing capacity".

A decision was due to be made at a council meeting this week but it has been postponed following "a large number of representations".

Catherine Withers said: "We've already lost thirteen acres from fighting a housing development where we've had an eviction from there.

"If we're now going to be evicted from another twenty acres that leaves us with twenty-eight acres. So in less than a year we've more than halved the farm in size and we just cannot carry on like that.

"I'm trying to provide amazing food for the city, doing what this farm has always done for 500 years and what my family has done for 500 years. I'm going to lose my heritage, my culture, it's everything."

This is the latest in a series of battles for Yew Tree Farm which was recently evicted off thirteen acres of land and lost part of an ancient hedgerow when Bristol City Council mistakenly granted the landowner permission.

The farm is also a designated a Site of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI) due to the rare wildlife and species that exist there.

Investigation launched after thousands of fish die at popular lake
Key hedgehog sanctuary to close unless thousands raised by end of summer

A spokesperson for Bristol City Council said:“Yew Tree Farm does not have a tenancy for this Bristol City Council owned land but has had a temporary informal arrangement to use it.

"The site has been allocated as the future expansion space of South Bristol Cemetery since the 1960s.  The temporary arrangement is one that Yew Tree Farm acknowledged and accepted.

 “Council cemeteries, including South Bristol Cemetery, are nearing capacity. South Bristol cemetery has space to expand into because of this long-sighted approach.

"Officers have been in touch with the farm over a number of years about the site, and have always been clear about its future use.”