Villagers’ fury over ‘carve-up’ of beauty spot
COTSWOLDS villagers are up in arms after claiming that they were being “misled” over the sale of a historic field.
Max Dyer, whose father is godfather to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s son, is accused of being involved in the purchase of a 10-acre field at the centre of Weston-sub-Edge in Gloucestershire.
Locals have said that the beauty spot is now being “carved up” and sold off in lots, and complained that nowhere in the marketing blitz did it mention that the plots were part of a site that includes a scheduled ancient monument.
The plots are also in an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB), meaning they will be virtually impossible to build upon. Flyers began appearing in the letterboxes of residents living adjacent to the field 10 days ago.
The parish council has complained that villagers could feel forced to purchase nearby plots, which typically range in size from 0.2 to 0.8 acres, to prevent developers from moving in.
The sale of two of the plots have already been agreed; it is understood that one fetched £104,000.
Villagers are also in uproar after a derelict caravan was dragged on to the ancient field in the middle of the night.
The formal legal purchase and sale of the land off Church Street in Weston-sub-Edge was made by Spooner Holdings, an Isle of Man-registered company directed by George Spooner, a friend of Mr Dyer. The Sunday Telegraph understands that Mr Dyer is linked to the sale of lots, although Mr Spooner is the legal purchaser of the land.
The scheduled ancient monument status of the land at Weston-sub-Edge protects the remains of a manor house, moat and carp pools that were razed to the ground in the 17th century.
The artefacts are buried, and the land is used only to graze sheep and for villagers to walk their dogs across.
Jane Saltmarsh, who lives in the current manor house, which may have been built partly from bricks taken from the old ruin, said: “Because we are a sleepy rural village, it hasn’t been fully explored archaeologically. It’s still talking to us. I’m thunderstruck that anyone would think of carving it up.”
She is among a slew of villagers who have written to Barney Estates, the land agents overseeing the sales, accusing the sellers of “misrepresenting the facts” of the land.
Weston-sub-Edge Parish Council wrote of “serious omissions” in the marketing of the sale. Barney Estates said the material that did not mention the monument and AONB was an “initial draft” that was later amended.
Mr Spooner did not respond to an invitation to comment in his own right, nor did Mr Dyer.