6 days ago
Developers accused of forcing residents out of town
Residents of an idyllic UK village made famous by a hit TV show have accused 'faceless developers' of ruining their town.
Disgruntled locals in Littlebredy, Dorset, have said their picturesque town has become 'totally different' after a number of changes, The Sun reports.
Set in the heart of the 2,047-acre (828ha) Bridehead Estate, the tiny hamlet was thrust into the spotlight when it featured in ITV crime drama 'Broadchurch'.
But now residents say their tranquil slice of rural England is under siege – and they are already fighting back.
Until recently, the estate had been in the hands of Sir Philip and Lady Catherine Williams – the seventh generation of the family to live there since 1797.
The couple were seen as part of the village's fabric, opening up the stunning grounds and waterfall to locals and visitors alike.
But the large number of Broadchurch fans descending onto their home and gawping at the houses saw them become increasingly frustrated.
It meant the £30 million ($A62 million) estate – which includes a manor house and thatched cottages – was sold by the popular owners to a 'faceless' investment company called Belport Ltd, the Telegraph reports.
Just last month, the path to the lake and a tumbling waterfall -which was used as a crime scene in 'Broadchurch' – was closed, piling on misery for residents.
However, locals have vented their frustrations after the multimillion-dollar estate was sold off, fearing their community is being ripped apart in a secretive land grab.
Oxfordshire-based Belport Ltd have padlocked the gates to the estate and slapped up warning signs telling walkers to keep out.
Belport said it may reopen the path if 'issues' could be addressed.
The firm claims it's for 'health and safety' reasons, but villagers say it's nonsense.
Protester Russell Giles, 65, from Dorchester, told the Telegraph: 'They are taking away land that's been used by the public for 65 years.
'It feels so heavy-headed and unnecessary, a faceless corporation taking over. The idea that they are doing it for health and safety is ludicrous.
'If we don't fight for our rights, we lose access to nature. And here, people might also lose their homes. It feels like an injustice.'
The first casualty was longstanding resident and well-known cookery writer Christine McFadden, who was forced out after her tenancy wasn't renewed.
'I lived in Littlebredy for 21 years and absolutely loved it. But now it is totally different,' she said.
Her old home has now been turned into an office for the new estate managers.
She added: 'I was so upset when I got asked to move, but now I'm glad I don't live there. No one knows what's happening.'
And Christine isn't the only one. Dozens of worried residents fear they could be next, with many living in homes under rolling short-term tenancy agreements.
One local, who didn't want to be named, admitted they have 'no idea who the new owners are' and confessed that residents are 'completely powerless'.
Belport has claimed it has no plans to evict anyone and is simply carrying out upgrades to bring the homes up to 'minimum energy and safety standards'.
Last week, around 70 campaigners and locals took part in a mass Right to Roam protest.
Frustrated residents scaled a stone wall, enjoyed a picnic by the waterfall and read poetry in protest.
Locals fear the upgrades will push rents sky-high, pricing them out of the homes their families have lived in for generations.
'POWERLESS'
The anonymous local said the community feels 'at the mercy of the investors' and it seems like 'an end of an era'.
Organiser Nadia Shaikh blasted the move from Belport as morally wrong, saying: 'Of course the new owners have the legal right to take access away, but to do so is, in our view, morally wrong and deeply sad.'
In a statement, Belport said: 'Belport's background is in estate management and we have the goal of modernising and improving our assets through ongoing investment.
'Having bought the Bridehead estate, our principal focus is to orchestrate a sequence of upgrade works to each of the estate properties in Littlebredy, which will bring them up to current and anticipated minimum energy and safety standards required of all landlords.
'Contrary to reports, there are no plans to evict anyone.'
The statement adds that access to the waterfall and lake, which has been accessible since the 1950s, had been 'temporarily suspended pending a health and safety review of access routes, trees and open water'.
However, the company states that if any issues that arise can be addressed 'sufficiently [then] we intend to reopen the area to the public'.
