Latest news with #Oxfordshire-based
Scottish Sun
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Our idyllic village was made famous by hit ITV show… but we're DISGUSTED with ‘faceless developers' who's forcing us out
Until recently, the estate had been in the hands of the same family for more than two centuries ON A WARPATH Our idyllic village was made famous by hit ITV show… but we're DISGUSTED with 'faceless developers' who's forcing us out Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) RESIDENTS of an idyllic village made famous by a hit ITV have slammed "faceless developers" who are ruining their town. Disgruntled locals in Littlebredy, Dorset, have said their picturesque town has become "totally different" after a number of changes. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 8 Protesters organised by Right to Roam access the closed Bridehead Estate amenity grounds on Saturday Credit: Getty 8 The picturesque village of Littlebredy in Dorset Credit: Alamy 8 The mansion at the heart of the Bridehead Estate in Dorset was sold by its popular owners Credit: Carter Jonas 8 They accessed the closed Bridehead Estate amenity grounds in a mark of protest Credit: Getty Set in the heart of the 2,047-acre 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 £30million estate - which includes a manor house and thatched cottages - was sold by the popular owners to a 'faceless' investment company called Belport Ltd, reports the Telegraph. 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 multi-million pound 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 claim it's for 'health and safety' reasons, but villagers say it's nonsense. Neighbours vs. New Builds: The Bradford Planning Showdown 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 long-standing resident and well-known cookery writer Christine McFadden, who was forced out after her tenancy wasn't renewed. She said: 'I lived in Littlebredy for 21 years and absolutely loved it. But now it is totally different.' 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. 8 The Bridehead Estate was bought for about £30million Credit: Alamy 8 But locals are not giving up without a fight Credit: Getty 8 The entrire village of 32 homes are facing problems Credit: Alamy 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'. On Saturday, 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'.
The National
29-06-2025
- General
- The National
Rule-breaking mega farms in Scotland revealed as polluters told to pay
MEGA farms in Scotland, including some with more than a million animals, have repeatedly leaked excrement and failed to monitor contamination, putting humans, wildlife and the environment at risk, The Ferret can reveal. By failing to responsibly contain or dispose of slurry, wastewater and harmful air particles, these industrial-sized farms were responsible for 126 breaches of green regulations between May 2022 and November 2024. The rule-breaking is revealed in inspection reports compiled by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa), which The Ferret obtained under Freedom of Information law. Campaigners and an MSP argued that polluters should face greater penalties for allowing more serious breaches to occur. Scotland's megafarms 'pollute rivers, degrade soils, fail to deliver nutritious food and drive biodiversity loss,' according to wildlife charity WWF. READ MORE: 'Completely unprecedented': BBC cuts live feed for Kneecap Glastonbury performance In reply, Sepa said intensive farms are 'regulated closely' and repeat rulebreakers face 'enforcement' from the environmental regulator. Farming sites that have the capacity for more than 40,000 poultry birds, or either 2000 pigs or 750 sows, must obtain a permit from Sepa and face inspections. Smaller operations, and beef and dairy farms, do not require such permissions, despite being major polluters, although they are subject to other rules. Some 114 intensive pig and poultry farms currently have permits and are collectively allowed to keep nearly 19 million birds and 109,000 pigs, according to Sepa's data. HOOK2SISTERS THE worst offending intensive farm company was Hook2Sisters (H2S). The Oxfordshire-based firm, which is permitted to keep nearly 7.5 million birds at its 19 Scottish sites, was responsible for more than a quarter of all intensive farm environmental breaches. At its poultry complex, near Eccles, Berwickshire, H2S polluted the environment with 'chicken litter and dirty water' in 2022, and was not treating surface water to remove pollutants. Around two years later, Sepa found that operators were failing to check whether the site was contaminating soil and groundwater. Polluted groundwater can threaten drinking water supplies, according to Sepa's English counterpart. No pollution monitoring was taking place at the H2S intensive farm near Balado, Kinross in 2022. In each of the two years that followed, the firm contaminated ground via cracked concrete at the site. Further monitoring failures were discovered at the H2S mega farm, near Meikleour, Perthshire, in 2023. More cracked flooring and a lack of drainage systems designed to prevent water pollution were found at its poultry complex near Broxburn, West Lothian, in both 2022 and 2024. The Broxburn site is allowed to hold nearly 1.3 million birds. (Image: Archant) At Balado, a 'significant build-up of dust and mud' had formed under the fans ventilating four chicken sheds in 2023. Poultry farm dust contains faeces and other pollutants, which can harm humans, according to a 2023 study published in the Science Of The Total Environment journal. At its Gogarbank poultry complex in western Edinburgh, dirty water was not being properly contained and 'waste material' and rubbish littered nearby woodland in 2022. H2S had also not adequately concreted the ground to stop pollution. An H2S spokesperson said: 'As of June 2025, we can confirm remedial action has been taken at all farms and all locations as listed are compliant. We remain committed to upholding the highest environmental standards and continuing to invest in our Scottish farming base.' The Ferret previously revealed that between 2015 and 2017, H2S sites at Alloa, Balado and Broxburn were among the biggest polluters of ammonia. The harmful gas combines with other pollutants in cities and creates a deadly form of air pollution called PM2.5. 2 Sisters Food Group, a separate entity which runs chicken abattoirs, also has a history of flouting Scotland's environmental regulations, as we have previously revealed. It has received millions of pounds in taxpayer subsidies from the Scottish Government. OTHER BREACHES FACTORY farms that flouted environmental rules included those run by PD Hook, which acts as a supplier to H2S and other firms. PD Hook's Helensfield Poultry Farm near Clackmannan, which houses 133,000 birds, failed to monitor soil and groundwater in 2022. Cracked concrete flooring was discovered at PD Hook's Mossbank Farm, near Cowdenbeath, in 2022. PD Hook said that this and all other environmental issues discovered by Sepa had since been resolved. At pig producer DW Argo's Ellismoss Farm near Kinellar, Aberdeenshire, which can hold up to 4277 pigs, slurry was found to be leaking into surface water in 2023 – an issue that Sepa officers had 'raised at several previous inspections'. DW Argo declined to comment. In 2022, Sepa found that Welsh poultry firm Annyalla Chicks allowed dirty wastewater to flow on to land neighbouring its Addinstone complex, near Earlston. Operators of the site – which can house up to 382,000 chickens – put soil and groundwater at risk due to the 'exceptionally poor condition' of concrete surfaces, and allowed dust to accumulate beneath chicken shed ventilation fans. The farm also lacked a suitable way to store dead chickens and the liquid waste produced by their corpses. In 2024, Sepa found that York-based Warrendale Eggs Ltd was releasing dust and particulate matter – air pollution which is harmful to humans – via exhaust fans from its chicken sheds at Swinton Poultry Farm near Greenriggs, Duns. Sepa also found a blocked and broken drain, ground surfaces in poor condition and large cracks in a drainage channel, both of which risked pollution to soil and groundwater. Poor drainage and cracked and worn surfaces were also found in 2022 at Warrendale's Cottage Wood farm near Earlston. Fragments of polystyrene were discovered in blocked drains on the site and in nearby water. Meanwhile, 'significant quantities of dust and feathers' had formed on fans, outside surfaces and nearby vegetation. CALL FOR POLLUTERS TO PAY CAMPAIGNERS and an opposition MSP argued that polluters should be made to pay for environmental breaches, or have public funds clawed back. Kirsty Tait, Scotland director of the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission, an independent charity, said: 'The challenges of avoidable pollution highlighted in this investigation are ones that citizens involved in The Food Conversation, the UK's largest public dialogue about food, want addressed. 'Notably, there was frustration from citizens in the Lothians about the lenient treatment of polluters, and support for making serious ecosystem damage a crime was high.' Tait added: 'Citizens want government and industry to be accountable for their actions and to protect people and planet.' Jenny Hawley, policy and advocacy manager at Plantlife, also called for Sepa to charge polluters 'for the devastation they are inflicting on our natural environment and to extend the permitting system to smaller poultry units and intensive beef and dairy farms'. She claimed that 'uncontrolled air and water pollution from this kind of intensive livestock farming is driving Scotland's wildlife ever-closer to the edge of extinction'. WWF Scotland branded the rise of intensive farming 'a warning sign that our food system is heading in the wrong direction'. 'We've built a system where the most harmful forms of agriculture are also the most profitable – megafarms that pollute rivers, degrade soils, fail to deliver nutritious food and drive biodiversity loss,' said Ruth Taylor, WWF's agriculture and land use policy manager. She added: 'What we urgently need to see is farming with nature, through nature-friendly methods that restore ecosystems, build resilience and ensure farmers stay profitable.' The Scottish Greens spokesperson for rural affairs, Ariane Burgess MSP, said: 'These industrial-scale operations, which cram millions of animals into confined spaces, are clearly failing in their responsibilities' 'The fact that these firms continue to ignore basic environmental protections while raking in taxpayer money is completely unacceptable. There must be consequences for those who break the rules, and that includes the removal of public funding and the suspension of operations until environmental practices are improved.' Sepa expects 'all regulated operators to understand their impact on the environment and to comply with their obligations in legislation, and conditions set out in authorisations'. 'Intensive agriculture is regulated closely due to the potential risks it poses to the environment,' said a spokesperson. 'Our experience is that most of those we regulate respond to our advice and guidance and come into compliance, preventing repeated patterns of behaviour. 'However, when necessary, we will escalate our enforcement response, and have served enforcement notices and final warning letters as required. This has already led to compliance being restored at some sites. 'All sites that are currently non-compliant are scheduled for inspections in 2025.' Every intensive farming company named in this article was asked to comment.
Miami Herald
19-06-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Company creates $92K Ferrari wall sculpture for car fans
By Dean Murray A British company has created the ultimate wall-hanging for car fans - a $92K Ferrari. Crafted as a 75% scale representation of the legendary 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa J, the 3.1m-long piece will be limited to just 19 examples worldwide. Oxfordshire-based Hedley Studios says each piece is created using traditional hand-forming and polishing techniques, taking over 300 hours of skilled craftsmanship. Officially recognized by Ferrari, the sculpture features authentic details including the Prancing Horse badge, front and rear light lenses, and bonnet straps. Ben Hedley, Founder and CEO of Hedley Studios, said: "The Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa is a car steeped in history and magic, and with our stunning wall sculpture, we've aimed to capture the spirit of the original icon's creation. "The legends of Maranello that masterminded and crafted the 250 Testa Rossa were meticulous and delicate in their technique, and our team of engineers have emulated this focus and dedication in their hours spent crafting our wonderful Testa Rossa J sculpture." The post Company creates $92K Ferrari wall sculpture for car fans appeared first on Talker. Copyright Talker News. All Rights Reserved.
South Wales Guardian
18-06-2025
- Sport
- South Wales Guardian
My Cloud overshadows the rest in Royal Hunt Cup
Roger Varian's charge was sent off the 3-1 market leader for one of the betting highlights of the week and was ridden with plenty of confidence by Silvestre de Sousa. The 30-strong field split into three groups and while My Cloud was clearly in front on his side of the track, Bullet Point was running him close on the other side, with the favourite edging in front of the 11-1 second by three-quarters of a length, with Bopedro taking third at 50-1. My Cloud had won over the course and distance on his penultimate start and Varian said: 'The horse likes it here and we all do, we all enjoy winners at this meeting. 'Patience has been key and he had a few niggles as a young horse. We couldn't get as busy as we would have liked on the racecourse aged two and three and he only really got going late last year. 'He's done well this year which is a great team effort at home. There's a lot of people to thank but mainly his owner who has been the most patient of everyone. 'I was at pains to tell Silvestre not to be in a rush with him, as races on the straight mile can develop late, and this is a horse with a lot of class who moved through the race well. 'We will have to hope he keeps improving and progressing and that was a mighty performance for an inexperienced horse. We hope he could progress out of handicaps one day, but there won't be a rush to do so. 'He's had three races now so I think we will regroup, enjoy today and then work out a plan.' The Windsor Castle Stakes brought day two of the meeting to a close and for the second time the Listed prize went to Eve Johnson Houghton, this time with Havana Hurricane (7-1). The Oxfordshire-based trainer saddled Chipotle to strike gold 2021 and her latest contender was prominent in the market after supplementing a successful debut at Goodwood with a runner-up finish behind Maximized in the Woodcote at Epsom less than a fortnight ago. Ridden by Charles Bishop, the Havana Gold colt quickened up smartly to grab the lead inside the final furlong and was well on top at the line, with Dickensian best of the rest in second. Johnson Houghton's thoughts immediately turned to her late father, Fulke, who died in February this year at the age of 84. She said: 'I'm missing my dad, he'd have been proud. He'd be the first person I'd ring. 'Didn't he (Bishop) give him a beautiful ride? He got slated for his ride at Epsom, unfairly, and he gave him an absolute corker; couldn't be more proud of my jockey.'
North Wales Chronicle
18-06-2025
- Sport
- North Wales Chronicle
My Cloud overshadows the rest in Royal Hunt Cup
Roger Varian's charge was sent off the 3-1 market leader for one of the betting highlights of the week and was ridden with plenty of confidence by Silvestre de Sousa. The 30-strong field split into three groups and while My Cloud was clearly in front on his side of the track, Bullet Point was running him close on the other side, with the favourite edging in front of the 11-1 second by three-quarters of a length, with Bopedro taking third at 50-1. My Cloud had won over the course and distance on his penultimate start and Varian said: 'The horse likes it here and we all do, we all enjoy winners at this meeting. 'Patience has been key and he had a few niggles as a young horse. We couldn't get as busy as we would have liked on the racecourse aged two and three and he only really got going late last year. 'He's done well this year which is a great team effort at home. There's a lot of people to thank but mainly his owner who has been the most patient of everyone. 'I was at pains to tell Silvestre not to be in a rush with him, as races on the straight mile can develop late, and this is a horse with a lot of class who moved through the race well. 'We will have to hope he keeps improving and progressing and that was a mighty performance for an inexperienced horse. We hope he could progress out of handicaps one day, but there won't be a rush to do so. 'He's had three races now so I think we will regroup, enjoy today and then work out a plan.' The Windsor Castle Stakes brought day two of the meeting to a close and for the second time the Listed prize went to Eve Johnson Houghton, this time with Havana Hurricane (7-1). The Oxfordshire-based trainer saddled Chipotle to strike gold 2021 and her latest contender was prominent in the market after supplementing a successful debut at Goodwood with a runner-up finish behind Maximized in the Woodcote at Epsom less than a fortnight ago. Ridden by Charles Bishop, the Havana Gold colt quickened up smartly to grab the lead inside the final furlong and was well on top at the line, with Dickensian best of the rest in second. Johnson Houghton's thoughts immediately turned to her late father, Fulke, who died in February this year at the age of 84. She said: 'I'm missing my dad, he'd have been proud. He'd be the first person I'd ring. 'Didn't he (Bishop) give him a beautiful ride? He got slated for his ride at Epsom, unfairly, and he gave him an absolute corker; couldn't be more proud of my jockey.'
