2 weeks Ago
A farming couple who are fighting to stay on land their family has occupied for centuries have been filming a documentary highlighting their plight. David and Karen Yates have been opposing their eviction from Earls Farm on Stitch-Mi-Lane in Harwood since receiving notice in March 2022. They have since set up a petition highlighting the issues they and other tenant farmers are facing and earlier this month welcomed a film crew to produce a documentary.
Karen Yates said: “We have been filming in Bolton , raising the plight of us, the Yates family. “For over 300 year we have been tenant farmers, with landlord Bolton Council who intend to evict us and demolish our 500-year-old home, which is steeped in wattle and daub.” The crew are working on a documentary (Image: Public) She added: “We will battle for us and other UK Tenant Farmers until Defra, and the government make the necessary changes to protect farmers and their human rights.
” The family have occupied the land for around 300 years with David Yates having taken over after the death of his father William in 1995. According to Mrs Yates, Bolton Council took over part of the land in 2007. She said that she and her husband believed they would be put on a new contract when building work was done on the new St Catherine’s Academy but heard nothing more until 2020.
In March 2022 the couple were served with an eviction order giving them just days to leave the land. They believed they would have been able to take ownership of the land having occupied it for more than 12 years, thanks to an adverse possession order . ALSO READ: Thousands support farm couple facing eviction from land family ran for 300 years ALSO READ: Couple fighting for 'heritage and family home' highlight farmers' eviction plight ALSO READ: Farm couple face court in fight to stay on land occupied by family for 300 years But the couple were still told that they would have to leave by April 30, 2022, and having refused to do so, took their case to Manchester Civil Justice Centre.
Mr and Mrs Yates have also since set up a petition highlighting their plight which has garnered over 3,500 signatures. The petition can be found by searching Protect Farmers' Tenancy and Human Rights on Change.org.
The documentary is expected to be finished by later this year. A spokesperson for Bolton Council said: "We have reached a confidential agreement with Mr and Mrs Yates via mediation, and we are unable to comment further on the terms of that agreement.”.
