Campaign to save Linton Pound from demolition

Transcript

00:00Earlier this year notices appeared at the Linton Pound requesting that its owner

00:04undertake repairs within a given period with the implication that the future of the structure

00:09was under scrutiny. It was quite clear renovation work would not happen as there was no legal

00:14documentation indicating ownership. The Historical Society sent a letter expressing concern and other

00:20residents have made representations too but these have been ignored. Following a visit to the

00:26Herefordshire Archive evidence was found that the Pound had been the care of the Linton Parish

00:30Council and its precursor divestory meeting for generations. We attended parish council meetings

00:36to let our parish councillors know what we'd found and to raise our concerns. Understandably the parish

00:43council didn't want to claim legal title because there are considerable cost implications and they

00:48say they've no money. There's a difference between care for a monument and legal ownership and the

00:54legal advice sought by the parish council confirmed the position that they don't actually own it but

00:59nobody owns it. It's all on land. We made it clear that it would be our intention to raise the necessary

01:04funds for the Pound's preservation. The council did not, the Herefordshire council did not respond in

01:11any meaningful way to the proposal and questions around the Pound's future remained. On the 14th of

01:17April 2025 a detailed letter signed by over 70 residents was sent to building control requested

01:23the preservation of the Pound for posterity. This too was essentially ignored. So a lot of

01:29signatures, a lot of signatures here were just ignored. Since then building work has commenced on

01:35the plot adjacent to the Pound. This has seen works on the flat area next to the building using heavy

01:40equipment. In early July a meeting was called in Linton by building control where discussions took place

01:45with the property development but with no other Linton involvement. It was noticed there had been recent

01:51movement in the structure that's not surprising that all the earth movement went on and so a

01:56decision was made to demolish the Pound. The parish council was not invited to the meetings nor were

02:02local Linton representatives in spite of over 70 residents expressing concern. Earlier this week we

02:08wrote to the chief executive of the council expressing our continuing concern and requesting a meeting between

02:14Linton recognizes building control built in natural environment and planning. The chief executive was

02:19very responsive and is looking into the matter.