Another shocking 'landowner' tale

Given, what we have described elsewhere as "the arrogantly dismissive attitude adopted by the potential developers of the Moorsfield/Tollgate site shown at last Monday's Parish Council meeting towards the emerging Neighbourhood Plan", here's another true story about the landowner in question which may be of interest to Audlem and district residents.

Some years ago, a well-known local resident, we will call him 'our correspondent', whose garden backs on to part of the agricultural land now threatened, went on a walk across the fields, as many did in those days before it was fenced off with 'Keep Off' signs.

While walking, he was confronted by the current landowner who said he was trespassing despite him claiming he was doing no harm whatsoever.

Imagine, however, his surprise when shortly afterwards, a notice was erected on the land immediately facing his garden which said: "Private Property – Piss Off."

Our correspondent explains that he had been friendly with Mr Matthews, who had owned the fields for many years, while he was alive and was always allowed access to the land. That changed dramatically after Mr Matthews' death and the land was inherited by the current landowner, Della Brookshaw, a niece of Mr Matthew's sister. She, curiously, used our correspondent's drive on Whitchurch Road to gain access to her field on a number of occasions – always without permission!

We suspect our correspondent is another Audlem resident that will not respond positively to the potential developer's request for assistance with their bid for planning permission.

Perhaps the moral of these stories about the landowner in question is: How you have behaved in the past may well come back to haunt you much later when you need a bit of support.

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