Plans to build houses over land occupied by farming family for ‘300 years of history’

David and Karen Yates were first served notice saying they would have to leave the land at Earls Farm off Stitch-Mi-Lane in Harwood back in March 2022.

They say that despite plans having been put forward for permission in principle to build nine new houses on part of the land, their appeal against is still active at Manchester County Court.

Mrs Yates said: “This is yet another clear example of the inept behaviour of Bolton Council and the leaders within the organisation while once again riding roughshod over us.”

Since having been first served their eviction order in March 2022, Mr and Mrs Yates said they believed they could take ownership through an adverse possession order.

The Yates family have occupied the land for around 300 years (Image: Public)

This was because they had occupied the land for more than 12 years, with Mr Yates having taken over as tenant farmer after the death of his father in 1995.

They say that the Yates family have occupied the land for more than 300 years.

Mrs Yates said earlier this year that the family had “300 years of history” on the farm land.

The couple then took their case to the civil courts, while a petition supporting them garnered thousands of signatures.

In September this year Bolton Council brought forward plans that have been in place since 2020 to sell the land for housing.

This was nearly five years after Earls Farm was one of several sites approved for consideration for the council to sell as part of a strategic assets management plan, or SAMP, process.

An application has gone in for permission in principle to build nine new houses (Image: Edgeplan)

They were to be sold for “housing delivery and for consideration with suggested housing provider partners”.

The sale was approved in early October this year along with various other sites.

An application for permission in principle to build nine new homes was then received by the council on Wednesday, October 22 and validated on Friday, October 24.

According to a design and access statement by Edgeplan they envisage that the houses will be bungalows for the “age restricted market”.

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The statement said: “The site could deliver both open market and age-restricted general market housing in a sustainable location that would materially benefit the council’s housing land supply position.

“This benefit must be afforded significant weight in support of the site’s development for residential purposes.”

Bolton Council will aim to decide whether to approve the bid by Friday November 28 this year.

A council spokesperson has previously said: “Bolton Council reached a confidential agreement with Mr and Mrs Yates via mediation, and we are unable to comment further on the terms of that agreement.”

Source – INDIA TV