Farmer who could be made homeless reminds Sheffield Councillors who they should work for
A Sheffield farmer of 44 years, who says she could be made homeless and lose her livelihood due to controversial Greenbelt development proposals, strongly reminded city councillors not to forget who they represent.
During the public questions segment of a full council meeting on September 3, Adele Riddle of Town End Farm in Ecclesfield addressed the chamber, saying “you councillors down there are there to represent us up here and this is what you clearly try to forget about.”
Mrs Riddle accused the council of putting her farm, her home, and her entire business at risk.
She criticised the decision to target productive farmland while, she said, brownfield sites in areas such as Chapeltown, the Ski Village, and Fulwood had been overlooked.
“These sites ought to be used rather than building on good farmland that produces your food,” she added.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) after the meeting, Mrs Riddle described the situation as “appalling”, revealing that she and her husband were only contacted by the council’s agent a few weeks ago to conduct environmental surveys.
She explained that when they first took over the farm, it was derelict. Today, it’s maintained under a three-generational tenancy — securing it for themselves, their children, and grandchildren.
“We are very proud of it. I invite every member of the council to visit, have a cup of tea and walk around because it goes back to 1771, the farm, and the fields go back to Medieval times,” she said.
If the proposed plan goes ahead, the Riddles stand to lose not just their home, but the entire farm and the business tied to it.
“It would leave us with almost no business because we can’t carry on without a base farm…” she said, adding that the situation is so severe, she and her husband could end up homeless.
It’s that serious, she reiterated.
Mrs Riddle believes the motivation behind the plan is financial, not based on real housing needs: “[For the council] it’s not about the need for housing, it’s all about the money.”
And what about compensation?
According to Mrs Riddle, no amount of money could make up for the loss of everything they love — their home, their land, their livelihood.
So what’s next?
She said: “We are waiting for the inspectors to come and we will fight.
“Well, it will be over my dead body if they get a bulldozer to build on that farm.”