News / Yew Tree Farm

Bristol leaders: ‘We cannot find another Yew Tree Farm’

By Karen Johnson  Wednesday Oct 9, 2024

Several noteworthy names have signed a letter ahead of a council meeting on Friday about the possible expansion of South Bristol Cemetery onto land currently used by Yew Tree Farm.

The letter has been signed by ex-mayor of Bristol, George Ferguson; ex-chair of Bristol Green Capital, Alastair Sawday; ex-chair of the Soil Association, Helen Browning; CEO of the Sustainable Food Trust, Patrrick Holden; founder and director of Save Bristol Gardens Alliance, Carrie Winter; and author of the recently published The Farm Shop Guide, Kerry O’Neil.

South Bristol Cemetery & Crematorium in Bedminster Down is located next to Yew Tree Farm – photo: Emily Brown

While the need for a dignified burial space is pressing, campaigners are “alarmed” at the potential loss of farmland and have urged for “a far better and long-term solution” to the problem.

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The full letter says:  “This Friday a Council committee will consider the case for the expansion of the South Bristol Crematorium into large part of Yew Tree Farm.

“We the undersigned are alarmed by the potential loss of Yew Tree Farm. Part of it is land of Special Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI) which would be permanently lost as a result of the proposed expansion of the South Bristol Crematorium burial ground. It is a much-loved part of Bristol’s eco-system, run for decades as a small scale provider of good food and education for countless Bristolians.

“We fully appreciate the requirement to find additional land for the burial of Bristol citizens whose beliefs exclude the option of cremation.

“However, there are far better and longer-term solutions that can satisfy both the need to respect the dead and to maintain Bristol’s ecological and environmental heritage.

“It is both unacceptable and unnecessary to take back land from the last remaining farm within Bristol, a treasured resource within the city, without an exhaustive investigation into alternative solutions for short, medium and long-term burial requirements. Surprisingly, this has never been properly done.”

The letter continues: “So we ask that time be given to commission an independent review of alternatives, with particular emphasis on acquiring less sensitive land outside the city boundary that would enable burials to take place in the foreseeable future.

“This would include the possibility of sharing facilities with neighbouring authorities, bearing in mind that burial is deemed a permissible use within Green Belt.  It should report back within 6 months.

“Only then can a fully informed final decision on the fate of Yew Tree Farm be taken.”

“Let this not be yet another case of short-term expediency being the enemy of our environment.

“Bristol needs a long-term solution to a long-term problem, not the permanent loss of a superb small farm to a short-term solution to our burial problems. We can, and must anyway, find another place to bury our dead.

“We cannot find another Yew Tree Farm.”

Main photo: Rob Browne

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