Yorkshire council orders £1.05m woodland holiday homes torn down after illegal build

The enforcement read: ’The unauthorized works are considered to have a harmful effect on the openness of the green belt to the extent that it is not preserved.

’The development of the wooded area has resulted in substantial tree loss, altering the character and appearance of the area, resulting in a harmful urbanizing effect that diminishes the special character and appearance of the Airedale Landscape which is typically upland pastures with wooded inclines.’

But the owners of the site are fighting the decision and have lodged an appeal which will be considered at a public hearing on July 21.

The appellant said the holiday homes will encourage tourism in the area and that all the new works were finished before the landowners bought the site.

The appeal said: ’The appellant is an innocent party, with all works completed prior to their acquisition of the site.

’The erected buildings on site provide holiday let accommodation, which will complement the existing permitted holiday lets on site and support the local economy through job creation and the wider network through the use local suppliers.’

It also added that the demand to plant hundreds of trees was excessive. ’The planting of 300 trees without any calculations as to how the council achieved this figure is not acceptable,’ the appeal reads.

But the council maintains the development has caused loss of ground flora, trees, and has negatively impacted the biodiversity of the South Pennine Moors.

The local authority also said Google Earth images show there was no development on the land before May 2025.