Protected trees in a Haworth wood will be saved from the axe when houses are built on the site, pledge Bradford council and developers.

The reassurance came this week after a woman living near the land off Springhead Road, Mytholmes, expressed concern about the trees' future.

Plans for 18 new homes show that more than 20 mature trees could be cut down to make way for an access road. The road would climb steeply from Springhead Road, cutting through an area protected by a Tree Preservation Order, before reaching the houses.

Bradford council planners are expected to discuss the application from developers Manor Holdings at a meeting on Thursday, May 13.

Planning officers have called for a rethink on details of the access road to protect as many trees as possible.

Sarah Hutton, whose North View Terrace home borders the wood and grassland site, is concerned not only for the trees but associated wildlife. She says the protected area has several ponds and is home to bats, squirrels, owls and several other species of birds. She believes more than 30 trees, including several saplings, would be destroyed due to the work needed to support the steep road.

Miss Hutton, who is standing as a Liberal Democrat in next month's Bradford council elections, points out that the council is a key partner in the Forest of Bradford initiative, which aims to increase the amount of existing local woodland.

A spokesman for Keighley planning office this week told the Keighley News: "It's our absolute intention to protect the trees. What we're trying to achieve is a development that doesn't affect those trees. The council's concern is to protect the environment."

Manor Park boss Russell Rowe says his company has altered its plans 27 times in a bid to satisfy the concerns of planning officers. He says Springhead Road affords the only safe access, and his architect is trying to 'design out' any problems regarding the trees.

He says: "The trees that are to come out are not preserved. We are building outside that protected area."

Mr Rowe has also agreed to plant two trees on the site for every one that must be felled, creating a clearly-defined woodland area.

Planning chairman Councillor John Cope says: "I'm sure the committee will be very keen to see that environmental aspects are carefully considered."

Property, page 17

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