A THIRD generation vegetable farmer has vowed to keep fighting for his land after the council earmarked it for future housing. 

Shaun Walker, whose family has been using the land since 1945 has vowed to continue fighting plans which would see his land bought and used for housing. 

The farmer has been in talks with Wychavon District Council for years to remove his land from the plans before it gets to the Planning Inspectorate.

A formal letter from his solicitors has now been sent to the council asking for his land to be removed.

(Image: Newsquest)

Mr Walker owns 140 acres in and around Throckmorton but under government plans 25 acres would be bought and used to build some of the 5,000 proposed homes.

The plans are part of the Throckmorton allotment of the South Worcestershire Development Plan, the district council's vision for the future of the area, signposting areas in the county for "sustainable developments". 

Mr Walker Said: "Nobody around here wants it. 

"They put some of my land in and I can't bring myself to let them take it off me. 

"I've been asking them for years to take out my land but they just keep on talking. 

"To me it looks like they are stalling but when it goes to the Planning Inspectorate there will be nothing I can do.

"There's already loads of new houses in Pershore it's a nightmare. 

"I'm going to fight this in the long run and not going to let them get it. 

"They have tried every trick in the book but once the decision is made I will be powerless."

Mr Walker bought the land 15 years ago and said it was not about the money but about the principal, also stating he is the sole spring cabbage farmer for Kane Foods in the Littletons and indirectly employs more than 300 people. 

Should plans go ahead without Mr Walker's permission, he has threatened to start a judicial review. 

The Throckmorton allocation is centred around the former RAF Pershore Airfield and is a very very poor plan according to district councillor Dan Boatright-Greene.

(Image: Newsquest)

Councillor Boatright-Greene said: "It's just the wrong site to put thousands of houses. 

"All the four parish councils in the area are in agreement with me that it's a very very poor plan. 

"There is a landfill and it has some of the richest archaeology in the county amongst other reasons. 

"Who wants to live next to a landfill?

"A lot of the surrounding landowners are not onboard and from what I can tell Wychavon seems to just be driving it through.

"By big worry is that there will be no green space left and we will be left with Perpinmorton (Pershore-Pinvin-Throckmorton).

(Image: Newsquest)

Wychavon District Council said it understood Mr Walker's frustrations but could not remove his land as it had already sent a final draft to the Planning Inspectorate.

Ian MacLeod, director of planning and infrastructure for Wychavon District Council, said: “We understand the frustration of the landowner but unfortunately, we are locked into a legally binding process.

"The land has now been submitted to the Planning Inspectorate as one of our site allocations in the final draft of the South Worcestershire Development Plan Review (SWDPR).

"Because the Plan has been submitted, we are no longer able to make major changes to it, such as withdrawing a piece of land or changing a site allocation.

“If the inspector believes this site, or any other site, should be removed they will make a recommendation to do so, along with any other changes the inspector feels are needed to ensure the plan is sound.

"We have advised the landowner to engage with the scrutiny stage of the SWDPR, including asking to speak at the public hearings, where a request to have the land withdrawn can be properly considered by the inspector.”