The chairman of one of Bristol City Council's planning committees has been slammed by one of the region's biggest developers after he wrote to fire chiefs and police calling on them to investigate alleged links between the developers and a series of fires on the edge of Bristol.
Housebuilder Redrow described the letter from Cllr Richard Eddy to Avon's Chief Fire Officer as 'deeply insulting and false', following an arson attack on farmland on the south western edge of the city.
Fire chiefs and police said they are investigating around six or seven individual fires that were set in one go along hedges and a boundary fence near Yew Tree Farm, right on the border between Bristol and North Somerset, on the edge of Bedminster Down on Sunday.
Read more: Arson attack near Bristol's last farm 'really weird' says farmer
Local farmer Catherine Withers, who tackled the flames before firefighters arrived, told Bristol Live she thought the manner in which the fires were spaced out along the fences and hedgerows of her boundary was 'really weird'.
But it is a letter sent by the local councillor Richard Eddy to Chief Fire Officer Simon Shilton that has sparked fury at the offices of Redrow Homes.
Redrow has controversial plans to build around 200 homes on different land nearby at Bridgwater Road - land which is rented and farmed as part of Yew Tree Farm, but not owned by Catherine Withers. She has been a staunch campaigner against the new homes plan, which she said would make farming the rest of the land she does own unsustainable.
She and other campaigners have been backed by Cllr Richard Eddy, who is chairman of one of the city council's two planning committees. Cllr Eddy secured a council resolution at City Hall for Bristol City Council to not permit any development on green spaces last autumn.
But after the fire on Sunday, Cllr Eddy wrote to the Chief Fire Officer, and copied in local police, urging a 'full investigation' and saying the possibility that the fires could have something to do with the development plans should be investigated.
"I was horrified to learn that, during the late afternoon of Sunday 3rd April 2022, my constituent and Yew Tree Farm-owner Catherine Withers was forced to summon help from AFRS when large amounts of her hedging and fences was set alight by apparent arsonists," he wrote. "At the same time, there were reports of similar arson attacks on the hedging of nearby fields across the NSC boundary. I am delighted to report that firefighters from AFRS responded promptly and (with Catherine and her family) managed to put out the fires and limit the damage.
"However, the situation could have been far worse and one can only imagine the harm which could have occurred in summer, when the vegetation may have been very dry and combustible and dry hay found on the ground. Catherine has video-coverage of the incidence and I imagine AFRS firefighters have evidence as well.
"Whilst I freely admit there is not so far conclusive proof to link the arsonists to the potential developers, there is ample ‘previous’ where similar developers have sought to maximise their prospect of profit by destroying wildlife, eg adders, in hedgerows - where they perceived that the wildlife manifest in the hedges might persuade council planners not to grant planning consent.
"Accordingly, you can understand my fears and concern about future arson-attacks and Cllr Quartley’s and my desire to work with AFRS and Avon & Somerset Police to prevent the likelihood of future ‘repeat-performances’ - especially as they risk having more serious and devastating consequences," he added.
Cllr Eddy told Bristol Live: “The arson-attack on Yew Tree Farm was serious enough in early spring, after some rain had fallen and the fires were swiftly put out. I dread to think what might have happened in high summer, with dry and combustible vegetation and hay."
The land proposed to be built on by Redrow Homes was not part of the land targeted by the arson attack on Sunday - the hedgerows and fences set ablaze are on the other side of the lane into Yew Tree Farm and actually in parts form the border between North Somerset and Bristol.
Redrow Homes was left outraged by Cllr Eddy's comments in the letter. "These are deeply insulting and false comments by Councillor Eddy towards our colleagues and the thousands of decent people who are working across the housebuilding industry to create quality homes, both affordable and private, throughout the wider Bristol area.
“We don’t propose to dignify these remarks with any further comment," they added.
Avon Fire & Rescue Service said earlier this week they were treating the blazes on Sunday as arson. A spokesperson said two crews from Bedminster Fire Station were called to reports of a fire.
“On arrival, firefighters found three hedgerows well alight,” she said. “Crews used one high pressure hose reel, three aquapacks and grass beaters to extinguish the blaze. The cause of the fire is thought to be deliberate.”
Avon & Somerset police said they began their investigations into the blaze this week. “We'd ask anyone who saw a person or persons acting suspiciously in that area to call 101 and give reference number 5222080584,” a spokesperson said.
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