Ashton Court Estate
Ashton Court is a massive stately home and park on the western edge of Bristol that was bequeathed to the people of the city in the 1950s. It is owned by the City Council and is home to annual events such as the Bristol Community Festival (Europe's largest free festival), the Balloon Fiesta, the North Somerset Show and the International Kite Festival.
Top Park Field
The field is located on the western edge of the estate. Sloping to the south, it is meadow that is home to the rare green winged and pyramid orchids as well as the bee orchid. The slopes support a range of grassland plants including broomrape, toadflax and greenwinged orchids. In the recent courtcase, the High Court described the site as comprising natural grassland "containing many uncommon species and a grassland community of regional importance". It is protected under the Avon Structure Plan.
Ashton Court (Durnford) Quarry
To the west of Top Park Field there is an existing quarry operated by Pioneer Aggregates (UK). Pioneer say that this will soon be worked out.
While Ashton Court Estate is owned by Bristol City Council, it is actually located in the district of North Somerset. It is therefore N.Somerset which is the local planning authority to which planning applications must be made.
The Planning Application
The campaign to save Top Park Field, at the far end of Ashton Court Estate, started in 1994, when Pioneer Aggregates submitted a planning application to expand their Durnford Quarry by 34 acres. After a certain amount of lobbying,attendance at Bristol City Council committee meetings and mass demonstrations, the Council, who are the landowners, refused to support the application and the application was withdrawn.
A further application was submitted in November 1995, for 20 acres. The City Council had granted an option (signed in 1985) to Pioneer allowing them to lease it for quarrying. The lease states that the council "would use their best endeavours" to support the planning application for it to be quarried. Top Park Field was identified in the Avon County Council Minerals Plan as a "preferred area of mineral extraction" (under the name "Failand Ridge) but also in the Avon County Structure Plan as protected under conservation policies C4, C5, and C10.
In April 1996, when Avon (the minerals planning authority) was abolished, the application was passed to North Somerset Council, based in Weston-super-Mare.
Despite lobbying and a site visit attended by 60 eloquent and well-informed objectors (videoed and observed by Pioneer's security guards!), the Planning Committee resolved to grant planning permission for the expansion on 31st July 1996.
Updated 27 March 1997