Richmond & Twickenham Times – April 5, 2013
Cows victorious in cattle battle
The cows have come out as champions in the lengthy
battle for a place on Petersham Meadows. The
Petersham Herd will not be returning but a new untested herd. The old herd has
been broken up and the farmer completely disillusioned by his experience with the National Trust.
Cows can resume grazing on the meadows along
Richmond riverside this month, following a joint agreement between Richmond
Council and the National Trust.
The announcement has come just months after farmer
Ian Brown, who looks after the cows, was told his stock would be turfed out of
their usual grazing spot because of wrangling over an electric fence. Herdsman Ian Brown will not be employed for this season
after more than a decade looking after the cows on the meadows.
The new plan is welcome news to the National Trust,
which has been in discussion with the council for months about letting the cows
stay.
Regional director for the National Trust for London
and south-east Hilary McGrady said: ‘The National Trust always wanted to see
the cows grazing on Petersham so we are delighted that this is now possible’.
The agreement allows for a temporary fence, running
along the flood defence wall, to be installed at the start of grazing season
and will be taken down when the cows have gone to pastures new.
Cabinet member for the environment and planning
Councillor Virginia Morris said: ‘It will be wonderful to see the continuation
of cows grazing in the meadows’.
‘We have worked with the National Trust to agree a
solution that safeguards the interests of visitors and users of the meadows
and, importantly, the cows.’
The National Trust put up an unpopular fence on the
meadows following a dog attack on a cow in May 2011. Dogs are currently allowed
on the meadows but must be on leads.
Richard Parkes from Twickenham said: ‘As a dog
walker I would say we are spoilt for choices in the borough for where we can
walk our dogs, so cows enjoy’.
Our heritage is cows grazing on the
Petersham Meadows, which on the face of it will occur for part of 2013. Work on
the fence has not yet started so how it will look and function is unclear. The
National Trust is still confused about the nature of the meadow and thinks its biodiversity
is reduced by grazing even though it ceased to be a water meadow years ago. Plans to section off the small meadow remain active. The interests
of the public have not been well served by this agreement between Richmond Council
and the National Trust. There were no reports of members of the public being
injured by the Petersham Herd and visitors always found them very docile. It is
unlikely that this group of cattle will prove to be just as passive and the National
Trust has been warned.
The herd's final day on Petersham Meadows, November 2012
