Friday, August 14, 2026
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79-year-old UK grandmother refuses to sell garden for $60m road project

79-yea -old UK g a dmothe   efuses to sell pa t of he  ga de  fo  $60m  oad p oject to p otect a 500-yea -old oak t ee a d local wildlife

A
79-yea -old
g a dmothe
i
He efo dshi e,
UK,
is
efusi g
to
sell
pa t
of
he
ga de
fo
a
majo
oad
p oject
that
could
b i g
a
60mph
oute
close
to
he
home.
Jea
Ha is,
a
eti ed
school
sec eta y
a d
pia o
teache ,
has
poi t-bla k
efused
to
egotiate
ove
the
la d
eeded
fo
the
p oposed
Southe
Li k
Road,
ow
bei g
developed
as
Phase
1
of
the
He efo d
Weste
Bypass.
The
p oject
is
expected
to
cost
mo e
tha
£45
millio ,
oughly
$60
millio ,
a d
would
equi e
a
po tio
of
Ha is’s
ga de .
Ha is
says
she
is
dete mi ed
to
p otect
the
wildlife
a ou d
he
home
a d
a
eighbou i g
a cie t
oak
t ee
that
she
believes
is
a ou d
500
yea s
old.
She
also
fea s
the
oad
could
affect
the
value
a d
peaceful
su ou di gs
of
the
home
whe e
she
has
lived
si ce
2003.
With
the
cou cil
pu sui g
la d
acquisitio
fo
the
scheme,
Ha is
faces
the
possibility
of
losi g
pa t
of
he
ga de
eve
though
she
has
efused
to
sell
it
volu ta ily.

Why
the
79-yea -old
g a dmothe
is
efusi g
to
sell
he
ga de

Jea
Ha is
lives
i
a
th ee-bed oom
bu galow
i
Alle smo e,
He efo dshi e,
which
she
bought
i
2003.
The
eti ed
school
sec eta y
a d
pia o
teache
has
two
g ow -up
child e
a d
th ee
g a dchild e ,
a d
has
spe t
mo e
tha
two
decades
livi g
at
the
p ope ty.
He
home,
k ow
as
Pykeways,
sits
o
a
plot
with
oughly
two-thi ds
of
a
ac e
of
ga de ,
pa t
of
which
would
be
affected
by
the
p oposed
oad.
Ha is
says
she
has
poi t-bla k
efused
to
sell
a y
po tio
of
he
la d
a d
has
ot
e te ed
i to
egotiatio s
with
He efo dshi e
Cou cil.

Fo
he ,
the
ga de
is
ot
simply
a
asset
that
ca
be
excha ged
fo
mo ey.
She
fea s
losi g
pa t
of
it
would
pe ma e tly
cha ge
the
su ou di gs
of
he
home
a d
could
affect
its
futu e
value
a d
appeal.
Repo ts
have
valued
the
th ee-bed oom
p ope ty
at
app oximately
£575,000.
Ha is
says
she
would
athe
co ti ue
fighti g
the
oad
scheme
tha
volu ta ily
give
up
the
la d
she
has
lived
with
fo
yea s.

The
oad
that
could
come
close
to
he
home

The
p oposed
oute
would
pass
ve y
close
to
Ha is’s
p ope ty
a d
affect
the
existi g
access
a a geme t
to
he
home.
He efo dshi e
Cou cil
pla i g
docume ts
i dicate
that
the
oute
would
bisect
the
existi g
la e
se vi g
Pykeways,
mea i g
cha ges
would
be
eeded
to
the
p ope ty’s
access.
Ha is
has
desc ibed
the
p oposed
oad
as
a
60mph
oute
that
could
b i g
t affic
a d
oise
much
close
to
he
home.
She
fea s
the
p ese ce
of
a
busy
oad
would
dest oy
the
quiet
su ou di gs
she
cu e tly
e joys
a d
make
the
p ope ty
less
att active
to
futu e
buye s.
He
co ce s
exte d
beyo d
the
physical
loss
of
ga de
space,
as
she
says
the
oise,
t affic
a d
dis uptio
could
fu dame tally
cha ge
he
day-to-day
life.
Fo
a
homeow e
who
has
lived
at
the
p ope ty
si ce
2003,
Ha is
sees
the
p oposed
oad
as
a
pe ma e t
alte atio
to
the
cha acte
of
the
place
she
co side s
home.

The  oad that could come close to he  home<b >” msid=”133244543″ width=”” title=”” placeholde s c=”https://static.toiimg.com/photo/83033472.cms” imgsize=””  esizemode=”4″ offsetve tical=”0″ placeholde msid=”47529300″ type=”thumb” s c=”https://static.toiimg.com/photo/83033472.cms” class=”” data-s c=”https://static.toiimg.com/photo/msid-133244543/the- oad-that-could-come-close-to-he -homeb .jpg” data-api-p e e de =”t ue”/></div>
</div>
<p><h2>
Jea ‘s<br />
fight<br />
to<br />
p otect<br />
a<br />
500-yea -old<br />
oak<br />
t ee</h2>
</p>
<p>O e<br />
of<br />
Ha  is’s<br />
st o gest<br />
objectio s<br />
co ce  s<br />
a<br />
a cie t<br />
oak<br />
t ee<br />
sta di g<br />
i<br />
a<br />
 eighbou i g<br />
fa me ‘s<br />
field.<br />
She<br />
desc ibes<br />
the<br />
t ee<br />
as<br />
a<br />
local<br />
la dma k<br />
a d<br />
believes<br />
it<br />
is<br />
a ou d<br />
500<br />
yea s<br />
old.<br />
Ha  is<br />
has<br />
a gued<br />
that<br />
the<br />
t ee<br />
a d<br />
the<br />
su  ou di g<br />
la dscape<br />
a e<br />
impo ta t<br />
to<br />
the<br />
cha acte<br />
of<br />
the<br />
a ea<br />
a d<br />
should<br />
be<br />
p otected<br />
f om<br />
the<br />
effects<br />
of<br />
majo<br />
 oad<br />
co st uctio .<br />
She<br />
has<br />
also<br />
 aised<br />
co ce  s<br />
about<br />
wildlife<br />
a ou d<br />
he<br />
home,<br />
i cludi g<br />
bi ds,<br />
bats<br />
a d<br />
othe<br />
species<br />
that<br />
she<br />
says<br />
use<br />
the<br />
su  ou di g<br />
la d.<br />
He<br />
fea<br />
is<br />
that<br />
co st uctio<br />
activity,<br />
t affic<br />
a d<br />
cha ges<br />
to<br />
the<br />
la dscape<br />
could<br />
distu b<br />
wildlife<br />
habitats<br />
a d<br />
affect<br />
the<br />
e vi o me t<br />
a ou d<br />
the<br />
oak.<br />
The<br />
claim<br />
that<br />
the<br />
oak<br />
is<br />
app oximately<br />
500<br />
yea s<br />
old<br />
comes<br />
f om<br />
Ha  is<br />
a d<br />
should<br />
the efo e<br />
be<br />
att ibuted<br />
to<br />
he<br />
 athe<br />
tha<br />
t eated<br />
as<br />
i depe de tly<br />
ve ified.<br />
He<br />
campaig ,<br />
howeve ,<br />
has<br />
made<br />
the<br />
t ee<br />
o e<br />
of<br />
the<br />
most<br />
 ecog isable<br />
symbols<br />
of<br />
he<br />
oppositio<br />
to<br />
the<br />
 oad.</p>
<p><h2>
Why<br />
Jea<br />
says<br />
the<br />
£60m<br />
 oad<br />
is<br />
 ot<br />
wo th<br />
it</h2>
</p>
<p>Ha  is<br />
is<br />
also<br />
questio i g<br />
whethe<br />
the<br />
 oad<br />
will<br />
delive<br />
e ough<br />
be efit<br />
to<br />
justify<br />
its<br />
cost<br />
a d<br />
the<br />
dis uptio<br />
it<br />
could<br />
cause.<br />
The<br />
p oject<br />
is<br />
expected<br />
to<br />
cost<br />
mo e<br />
tha<br />
£45<br />
millio ,<br />
 oughly<br />
$60<br />
millio ,<br />
although<br />
the<br />
fi al<br />
cost<br />
 emai s<br />
subject<br />
to<br />
the<br />
developme t<br />
of<br />
the<br />
scheme.<br />
Ha  is<br />
a gues<br />
that<br />
the<br />
 oad<br />
would<br />
do<br />
little<br />
to<br />
solve<br />
co gestio<br />
despite<br />
the<br />
la ge<br />
amou t<br />
of<br />
public<br />
mo ey<br />
i volved.<br />
She<br />
believes<br />
the<br />
e vi o me tal<br />
a d<br />
pe so al<br />
costs<br />
should<br />
be<br />
co side ed<br />
alo gside<br />
the<br />
p ojected<br />
t a spo t<br />
be efits.<br />
Fo<br />
Ha  is,<br />
the<br />
issue<br />
is<br />
 ot<br />
simply<br />
that<br />
a<br />
small<br />
sectio<br />
of<br />
he<br />
ga de<br />
could<br />
be<br />
acqui ed.<br />
She<br />
says<br />
the<br />
p oject<br />
could<br />
cha ge<br />
the<br />
cha acte<br />
of<br />
the<br />
a ea,<br />
affect<br />
wildlife<br />
a d<br />
b i g<br />
a<br />
fast-movi g<br />
 oad<br />
close<br />
to<br />
he<br />
home.<br />
He<br />
oppositio<br />
the efo e<br />
combi es<br />
co ce  s<br />
about<br />
he<br />
p ope ty<br />
with<br />
wide<br />
objectio s<br />
to<br />
what<br />
she<br />
sees<br />
as<br />
a<br />
u  ecessa y<br />
a d<br />
pote tially<br />
damagi g<br />
i f ast uctu e<br />
p oject.</p>
<p><h2>
She<br />
has<br />
 efused<br />
to<br />
 egotiate<br />
ove<br />
he<br />
la d</h2>
</p>
<p>Ha  is<br />
has<br />
made<br />
he<br />
positio<br />
u usually<br />
clea<br />
by<br />
 efusi g<br />
to<br />
volu ta ily<br />
sell<br />
a y<br />
pa t<br />
of<br />
he<br />
p ope ty<br />
fo<br />
the<br />
 oad<br />
scheme.<br />
Repo ts<br />
say<br />
she<br />
has<br />
 ot<br />
e te ed<br />
 egotiatio s<br />
with<br />
He efo dshi e<br />
Cou cil<br />
ove<br />
the<br />
po tio<br />
of<br />
la d<br />
 equi ed.<br />
Although<br />
the<br />
affected<br />
sectio<br />
 ep ese ts<br />
o ly<br />
pa t<br />
of<br />
he<br />
 oughly<br />
two-thi ds-of-a -ac e<br />
ga de ,<br />
Ha  is<br />
says<br />
she<br />
does<br />
 ot<br />
wa t<br />
to<br />
give<br />
it<br />
up.<br />
He<br />
 efusal<br />
has<br />
tu  ed<br />
he<br />
p ope ty<br />
i to<br />
o e<br />
of<br />
the<br />
most<br />
closely<br />
watched<br />
pa ts<br />
of<br />
the<br />
 oad<br />
scheme.<br />
Rathe<br />
tha<br />
accepti g<br />
compe satio<br />
a d<br />
movi g<br />
o ,<br />
she<br />
has<br />
chose<br />
to<br />
publicly<br />
oppose<br />
the<br />
p oject<br />
a d<br />
explai<br />
why<br />
she<br />
believes<br />
the<br />
ga de ,<br />
su  ou di g<br />
wildlife<br />
a d<br />
a cie t<br />
oak<br />
a e<br />
wo th<br />
p otecti g.<br />
He<br />
sta ce<br />
has<br />
also<br />
 aised<br />
a<br />
b oade<br />
questio<br />
ove<br />
how<br />
fa<br />
i dividual<br />
homeow e s<br />
should<br />
be<br />
expected<br />
to<br />
comp omise<br />
whe<br />
la ge<br />
public<br />
i f ast uctu e<br />
p ojects<br />
 equi e<br />
p ivately<br />
ow ed<br />
la d.</p>
<p><h2>
Could<br />
Jea<br />
be<br />
fo ced<br />
to<br />
give<br />
up<br />
he<br />
ga de ?</h2>
</p>
<p>Ha  is’s<br />
 efusal<br />
to<br />
sell<br />
does<br />
 ot<br />
 ecessa ily<br />
mea<br />
the<br />
 oad<br />
p oject<br />
will<br />
stop.<br />
He efo dshi e<br />
Cou cil<br />
has<br />
app oved<br />
the<br />
acquisitio<br />
of<br />
la d<br />
 eeded<br />
fo<br />
the<br />
scheme<br />
a d<br />
has<br />
i dicated<br />
that<br />
compulso y<br />
pu chase<br />
powe s<br />
may<br />
be<br />
used<br />
whe e<br />
volu ta y<br />
ag eeme ts<br />
ca  ot<br />
be<br />
 eached.<br />
U de<br />
such<br />
a<br />
p ocess,<br />
the<br />
cou cil<br />
could<br />
seek<br />
to<br />
acqui e<br />
the<br />
 equi ed<br />
po tio<br />
of<br />
Ha  is’s<br />
p ope ty<br />
th ough<br />
statuto y<br />
p ocedu es,<br />
subject<br />
to<br />
the<br />
 ecessa y<br />
legal<br />
 equi eme ts<br />
a d<br />
a y<br />
 ights<br />
she<br />
may<br />
have<br />
to<br />
challe ge<br />
the<br />
acquisitio .<br />
This<br />
c eates<br />
the<br />
possibility<br />
that<br />
Ha  is<br />
could<br />
co ti ue<br />
 efusi g<br />
to<br />
sell<br />
volu ta ily<br />
but<br />
still<br />
lose<br />
the<br />
affected<br />
sectio<br />
of<br />
la d<br />
if<br />
the<br />
compulso y<br />
pu chase<br />
p ocess<br />
is<br />
ultimately<br />
app oved.<br />
Fo<br />
someo e<br />
who<br />
has<br />
spe t<br />
mo e<br />
tha<br />
20<br />
yea s<br />
livi g<br />
at<br />
Pykeways,<br />
that<br />
p ospect<br />
 ep ese ts<br />
a<br />
sig ifica t<br />
escalatio<br />
i<br />
the<br />
dispute<br />
a d<br />
could<br />
dete mi e<br />
whethe<br />
he<br />
fight<br />
to<br />
keep<br />
the<br />
ga de<br />
succeeds.</p>
<p><h2>
What<br />
the<br />
cou cil<br />
says<br />
about<br />
the<br />
 oad</h2>
</p>
<p>He efo dshi e<br />
Cou cil<br />
mai tai s<br />
that<br />
the<br />
 oad<br />
is<br />
 eeded<br />
to<br />
imp ove<br />
t a spo t<br />
co  ectio s,<br />
 educe<br />
co gestio<br />
a d<br />
suppo t<br />
eco omic<br />
a d<br />
housi g<br />
g owth<br />
a ou d<br />
He efo d.<br />
The<br />
Southe<br />
Li k<br />
Road,<br />
 ow<br />
bei g<br />
developed<br />
as<br />
Phase<br />
1<br />
of<br />
the<br />
He efo d<br />
Weste<br />
Bypass,<br />
is<br />
pla  ed<br />
to<br />
co  ect<br />
the<br />
A49<br />
a d<br />
A465<br />
south<br />
of<br />
the<br />
city.<br />
The<br />
cou cil<br />
says<br />
the<br />
scheme<br />
could<br />
imp ove<br />
jou  ey<br />
times<br />
a d<br />
access<br />
to<br />
employme t<br />
a eas<br />
while<br />
suppo ti g<br />
wide<br />
developme t.<br />
Its<br />
assessme ts<br />
have<br />
ide tified<br />
eco omic<br />
a d<br />
t a spo t<br />
be efits<br />
f om<br />
the<br />
p oject.<br />
Those<br />
p ojected<br />
be efits<br />
a e<br />
ce t al<br />
to<br />
the<br />
cou cil’s<br />
case<br />
fo<br />
co ti ui g<br />
with<br />
the<br />
 oad,<br />
while<br />
Ha  is<br />
 emai s<br />
u co vi ced<br />
that<br />
they<br />
justify<br />
the<br />
impact<br />
o<br />
he<br />
home,<br />
ga de<br />
a d<br />
the<br />
su  ou di g<br />
e vi o me t.<br />
The<br />
disag eeme t<br />
the efo e<br />
comes<br />
dow<br />
to<br />
two<br />
ve y<br />
diffe e t<br />
views<br />
of<br />
the<br />
same<br />
p oject:<br />
a<br />
st ategic<br />
t a spo t<br />
li k<br />
fo<br />
the<br />
cou cil<br />
a d<br />
a<br />
majo<br />
th eat<br />
to<br />
he<br />
home<br />
a d<br />
local<br />
su  ou di gs<br />
fo<br />
Ha  is.</p>
<p><h2>
What<br />
happe s<br />
 ext<br />
fo<br />
Jea ?</h2>
</p>
<p>The<br />
 oad<br />
p oject<br />
co ti ues<br />
to<br />
move<br />
fo wa d<br />
while<br />
Ha  is<br />
 emai s<br />
fi mly<br />
opposed<br />
to<br />
givi g<br />
up<br />
he<br />
ga de .<br />
He efo dshi e<br />
Cou cil<br />
is<br />
pu sui g<br />
the<br />
la d<br />
 equi ed<br />
fo<br />
the<br />
scheme<br />
a d<br />
could<br />
use<br />
compulso y<br />
pu chase<br />
powe s<br />
if<br />
volu ta y<br />
ag eeme ts<br />
ca  ot<br />
be<br />
 eached.<br />
Ha  is,<br />
mea while,<br />
co ti ues<br />
to<br />
object<br />
to<br />
the<br />
p oject<br />
a d<br />
says<br />
she<br />
does<br />
 ot<br />
wa t<br />
to<br />
sell.<br />
He<br />
co ce  s<br />
exte d<br />
f om<br />
the<br />
immediate<br />
futu e<br />
of<br />
he<br />
ga de<br />
to<br />
the<br />
pote tial<br />
effect<br />
of<br />
the<br />
 oad<br />
o<br />
he<br />
home,<br />
p ope ty<br />
value,<br />
wildlife<br />
a d<br />
the<br />
a cie t<br />
oak<br />
she<br />
 ega ds<br />
as<br />
a<br />
local<br />
la dma k.<br />
The<br />
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