Cattle farmer fights council over ‘ageing’ wooden gates

A cattle farmer is involved in a bitter dispute with his local council over ageing wooden gates that put his cattle at risk of escaping on to busy roads.

David Robinson rents 202ha from Brighton and Hove City Council at Stanmer Park to graze his pedigree British White Cattle.

But he said the wooden gates that provide access to fields are in such poor condition that they run the risk of cattle escaping on to the nearby A27.

Over Christmas, livestock escaped onto the A27 but he was able to catch them before anything serious happened.

Under the terms of his farm business tenancy (FBT) agreement, the council is responsible for maintaining the gates. But by law, farmers are responsible for any damage or accidents caused by cattle escaping from fields.

See also County council farm tenancies – still an option?

Mr Robinson farms four large fields on the council-owned land that average more than 40ha each. On one field there are 12 wooden gates.

However, the two-way wooden access gates have shifted following the dry summer of 2013 and the recent prolonged wet winter. The ground around them is heavily trodden and because the posts are no longer totally upright, the gates do not close effectively.

Many open on to roads or paths leading to roads and there is a risk of cattle escaping, said Mr Robinson, who farms more than 1,012ha at Northhease Farm, near Lewes, East Sussex.

On some fields, he has inserted temporary stakes to prevent gates opening outwards to roads. On one field, he installed a metal gate, which he said the cash-strapped council tried to dig up.

Mr Robinson believes installing metal gates would be the best solution for roadside sites.

He has suggested metal gates, designed for bridleways, with an integral U-shaped frame with hanging posts linked by a horizontal shaft buried under the path and concreted over to prevent movement of the posts.

On top of concerns for the welfare of his cattle, Mr Robinson said the poorly secured fields effectively give “open access” to dog walkers and other members of the public. Up to 1,000 people, including 250 dogs, access the land each day, he added.

Mr Robinson, who runs a suckler herd of 800 British Whites crossed with Aberdeen Angus, told Farmers Weekly that neospora in dog faeces was spreading disease to his cattle, causing infertility and abortion among the herd. A blood test of 40 heifers showed 25% were infected with neospora from dog faeces.

See also Farmer builds 300ft fence to keep out dogs

Because the council has not replaced the wooden gates, Mr Robinson has called in lawyers and the NFU to help him resolve the dispute.

James Osman, NFU East and West Sussex adviser, said: “The NFU is still seeking an urgent meeting with Brighton and Hove City Council this summer, to try to agree a swift resolution to the problems that Mr Robinson has experienced with these wooden gates.

“We do not want to see a repeat of last year’s situation when cattle got onto the main A27 road, posing a risk to public safety.

“We hope the council will act promptly to remedy this situation so that Mr Robinson’s cattle can continue to graze the chalk downland of Stanmer Park this coming autumn and winter.”

A council spokesman said: “We are working with Mr Robinson to resolve the situation regarding the gating that surrounds land in Stanmer Park, where he grazes cattle.

“The open public access to the land necessitates a large number of gates, approximately 80, to inspect and maintain.

“However, we have been looking into a variety of ways to use the resources we have to keep the gating in adequate repair.”