New bypass would cut through heritage orchard

Cider apple conservationists are calling on Herefordshire Council to change its mind over a decision which would see the proposed new bypass rip through the middle of an important heritage orchard.

Council bosses chose a route for the proposed bypass earlier this year which would go through one of the Pippin Trust orchards in Breinton and nip the corner of the other, if current plans remain as they are.

The orchard contains a total of 142 varieties and was set up by Gillian Bulmer as a gene bank to preserve a wide range of rare species.

She said the first the trust heard about the proposed road was in a newspaper article two years ago and it would not have been planted there if they had known.

“They just don’t care about what’s anywhere. It rather saddens me,” she said.

“I saw seven original routes and I was frightened from the very word go.

“It was a hell of a lot of hard work to plant the orchard. The trees had to be grown, we had to dig the holes and plant them and we didn’t know anything about this bypass.

“I would like them to not put the road across our orchard.

“And if they are going to put it across it, they would have to produce enough money to buy land of the right quality which is grade I and II, in the right area and of the right soil to plant another one.

“We don’t know if the trees would survive anyway.”

Ms Bulmer explained the many of the varieties were taken from an orchard which was first propagated in 1933.

“A Long Ashton Research Station pomologist said there were unique species there, they have been DNA tested but we don’t know the results yet.

“It was planted because the cider factory at the time thought they needed a variety of trees.

“A large number of the trees they found and propagated into that orchard come from all over the place.

“They have got quite a good variety which came from France.”

A Herefordshire Council spokesperson said the potential for a bypass has been in the public domain for a number of years.

She said: “The Local Plan Core Strategy 2011-2031 was adopted by Herefordshire Council in 2015 and this includes the relief road corridor in which the adopted preferred route for the bypass is located.

“Following the adoption of the preferred route by cabinet in July, we are working to develop the detailed design of that route.

“We have had discussions with the Pippin Trust, as well as other stakeholders in the vicinity of the preferred route, seeking to mitigate wherever possible the impact of the proposed bypass.

“These discussions will continue as we develop the design and we will also further consult on the developed proposals in late 2018/early 2019.”