​Musician Peter Gabriel today joined the campaign to stop development at a spot where he composed one of his best-known songs.

The singer-songwriter has spoken out against the growth of chicken sheds in the hamlet of Woolley, below Solsbury Hill - the inspiration for his 1977 hit.

He backed villagers and other campaigners who this afternoon staged a protest at the Guildhall aimed at persuading Bath and North East Somerset Council to crack down on building work by Golden Valley Paddocks at Woolley Farm.

The former lead singer of rock group Genesis, who lived in the hamlet at the time of writing the song, turned out to support residents at a press conference in Bath.

Mr Gabriel, who lived in and around Woolley for 13 years, and now has a home in Box, said he had many good memories of the area and was distressed to hear of the developments on the land.

The 60-year-old said: “Our daughters grew up in Woolley. It had the best sense of community of any place I have ever lived.

“It was a wonderful experience and a very beautiful valley.

“I have a lot of personal attachment to this valley.”

He said he was upset to hear so much “destructive” work had been done at the farm.

“I have many wonderful memories and spent a lot of time there and I would love for it to remain.”

Residents and environmentalists then staged a placard-waving protest outside the council offices to voice their concerns about the developments.

More than 700 people have signed a petition and a website and campaign group have been set up as a result of the development.

The demonstration came just a day before a temporary stop notice halting any development, which was issued by B&NES to Golden Valley Paddocks, came to an end.

Five different retrospective planning applications have been put in for the site since the land changed hands two years ago – and all have been refused by the council.

The most recent development has seen the erection of 10 chicken sheds, but agent of Golden Valley Paddocks Marc Willis, insisted that because they were mobile buildings there was no need to apply for planning permission.

Resident Charles Grimsdale, who has lived in Woolley for six years, said: “All of the planning applications were made retrospectively and they were all rejected.

“If the council had enforced their rejections and had been firm they probably would have stopped long ago.

“People get very angry when they see a development which has flouted the planning process.”

Writer and journalist Bel Mooney, who previously owned the farm with her ex-husband Jonathan Dimbleby before he sold it to Golden Valley Paddocks, also supported the cause.

She said: “The message is not just that this will allow everyone to do what they want but that every flower, every tree and every stream matters and when we lose this we are losing something which is precious.”

Leslie Forrest, of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, who was at the protest, said he was shocked at the level of development.

He said: “It is quite shocking in an area of outstanding natural beauty and close to a city of such important heritage.”

Mr Willis says the firm wants to set up an alpaca farm and to build a house so that someone can look after the valuable animals.

He has denied the alpaca farm idea is a smokescreen for development and accused local residents of refusing to engage with him.

In a statement, he said: “Despite the assertions of some residents, Golden Valley Paddocks is working within national and local planning policies. We have not ‘repeatedly ignored’ the council and we are working hard with B&NES to seek a satisfactory conclusion. We mean to farm this land, which has been sadly neglected for some years. Much of what is being done is necessary simply to bring the land back into active agricultural use.

“Farming is the major land use across the 2,000 square kilometres of the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and some 11 per cent of England is green belt, almost all of it cared for and managed by farmers at no cost to the public purse.

“Government policy recognises that flexible, viable farming is vital to maintaining the character and appearance of the countryside.”

He said the work done so far at the site did not need planning permission and had been done in agreement with B&NES.

The spot where missing woman Mary Mumford’s body was discovered submerged is on the firm’s land and Mr Willis said that it had presented a significant danger.

“It would have been irresponsible for any owner not to have set about clearing the stream and improving the land drainage without delay.”

He added: “This is not intensive agriculture. The maximum recommended density for free range hens is 1,000 hens per acre. We are working at below 50 per cent of that density, below 500 hens per acre.

“What we find most disappointing is that Charlcombe and Swainswick parish councils have refused to discuss our plans with us and that the leaders of the protest group will not communicate with us and have found it necessary to launch legal action against the council.”

A council spokesman said: "The council have taken this matter very seriously. It has taken the unusual step of serving a temporary stop notice.

"The council have also refused planning permission five times.

"We have written confirmation from the agent that no unauthorised work will continue after the temporary stop notice expires, pending a further meeting with officers.

"The council is currently considering further enforcement action in relation to activities on this site and have forwarded a report to council legal services for further action.

"We are considering a further stop notice and other options. The council does need to operate within the terms of planning law and associated guidelines."