Farm protesters dance their way to court

[Tony Gosling]

The Land Is Ours
Balham  Hill Farm Shop   

PRESS RELEASE                                                             
  Chiselborough,  Somerset 
Tuesday 25 April  2006                                           tel: 07881
636834            
       
Farm protesters plan barn dance in the run up to court appearance.
Squatters occupying a County Council owned farm in Somerset,  today learnt
that the council is applying for a possession order  at Yeovil County Court
on 4 May at 9.45.

If the council are successful in court they are likely to proceed with
eviction some days later.

The protesters, who are occupying Balham Hill Farm at Chiselborough, South
Somerset,  described themselves as “unphased” by the council’s move.  One
of them Chris Black stated: “We shall be continuing to run the shop and
serve hearty local food at the café. We do a good line in BLTs.”

On Sunday 30 April at 3pm, the farm is holding a barn dance with local folk
band Fiddlesticks. All members of the public  are invited and children are
welcome.

The protesters have occupied the farm and reopened its farm shop, because
the County Council is planning to break the farm up into small lots and
sell it off, in the face of widespread public disapproval. The auction is
scheduled for 16 May.

The protesters say that they have been phoning up County Councillors to
gauge their opinion about the sale of the farm. According to protester
Simon Fairlie:
“We have already talked to about half of the 58 county councillors. Quite a
few  conservatives are openly opposed to the sell off, but it is clear that
there are also a number of Liberal Democrats who privately are very
concerned about the wisdom of selling off county farms.” 

The policy of selling off  the majority of the Council’s 75 farms was
approved by the Lib Dem dominated council in 2003, and has recently been
championed by Lib Dem leader Cathy Bakewell, who angered Chiselborough
residents last year by declaring that “farming is dead.”
The Conservative county councillor  for Langport, Derek Yeomans,  stated
that he would be happy to talk to the press about the county farm policy.

For information phone: Balham Hill Farm Shop, 07881 636834, 07792 924847,
01460 249204; or e-mail  chapter7 at tlio.org.uk
For more background information about the Balham Hill Farm occupation,
please request our earlier press releases dated Friday 14 April, and
Tuesday 18 April.
 


 Simon Fairlie
Hats: Chapter 7, The Land, The Scythe Shop

The Potato Store, Flaxdrayton Farm,
S. Petherton, Somerset TA 13 5LR

01460 249204
chapter7 at tlio.org.uk
www.thescytheshop.co.uk
www.tlio.org.uk