Skip to content

Memories will be lost if orchard is axed - girl

Hattie McCann,in West Yellandand
Cameron Weldon,South West
Supplied A little girl with plaits, wearing a black raincoat is hugging a tree with a fairy on it. Next to her is a hand-painted sign with a hedgehog on it and the words "save our home".Supplied
Jasmine started a group called Green Earth with her friends to support the campaign to save the orchard as well as other environmental causes

Nine-year-old Jasmine has been campaigning to save a community orchard that is under threat from being bulldozed.

Developer Pearce Construction (Barnstaple) Ltd has proposed building 160 homes in West Yelland, near Barnstaple, Devon, including removing the Lagoon View Community Orchard to create an access route for plant and building materials.

"Me and my Green Earth Group, we wrote letters to the King, the council, the government, we just said how we love this place, how it's just amazing and why I want it to stay here," said Jasmine, from Fremington.

Pearce Construction previously said it would undertake replacement planting, create a new orchard and improve community facilities.

Supplied A little girl in a black coat and pink trainers sits in an apple tree. She is holding a painted sign with birds and bats on. Under the pictures is the word "Home".Supplied
Jasmine said she loved coming to the orchard to climb trees and eat apples
The community orchard is a rectangular green space with a circular path in the middle. Around the path are several mature apple trees.
The tarmacked path around the orchard makes the space wheelchair-friendly and is used by children learning to ride their bikes

Jasmine said she was "extremely sad about all the habitats that will be destroyed, all the squirrels, all the insects and birds, and nobody will get to play here again and all the memories that everybody's had will be gone".

The land is owned by Pearce Construction, and was earmarked for a children's playpark but was given to the community 13 years ago.

It has since been given Public Open Space status and it is an Asset of Community Value.

Pete Thorn, campaigner and chair of the Lagoon View Community Orchard Association, said it would be "devastating" and "the loss to the community would be enormous".

He said the space was regularly used by children riding bikes and exploring, and hosted community events such as barbeques, picnics, carol singing and Morris dancing.

Charlie Binder Rios, Pete Thorn and nine year-old Jasmine are all stood in the orchard in front of an apple tree. They are all looking at the camera and smiling.
Charlie Binder Rios, Pete Thorn and nine year-old Jasmine have all campaigned against the proposed plans

Concerns have also been raised by residents about the safety of pedestrians if the road was built through the orchard.

Charlie Binder Rios, who lives near the orchard, said: "If you look at that corner, it's on a blind bend already. It's already dangerous for children on bikes, people crossing the road.

"It's just alarm bells really that they might want to put large trucks through there."

North Devon District Council said the application was in a consultation period and it would assess all planning considerations while balancing the application's "benefits and impacts".

It added: "To date, 197 objections have been submitted by members of the public.

"The application will be determined by the council's planning committee at a later date."

Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk.

More on this story
Related internet links