'Absolutely brilliant': Campaigners celebrate Wakefield Council U-turn on woodland clearance

More than 1,200 signed an online petition to stop the trees being felled on the old Parkhill Colliery site, off Park Lodge Lane, to make way for housing.

And the pressure to stop the plans paid off after Wakefield Council and developer Bridge Homes agreed this week to alter the plans to avoid clearing the area.

Campaigner Mohammed Ayub posted a blog this week and said: "Amazing news, it's absolutely brilliant.

"We have managed to save the 400 trees that young people from Eastmoor planted 20 years ago, so well done to everybody for all your hard work and sticking together."

Mr Ayub says that the people now need to ensure the wooded area, which is at the entrance to the Eastmoor estate from the Wakefield eastern relief road, is looked after.

He added: "We have saved the woodland, now we need to keep it nice and clean, so my promise was that I would work with the community to keep it clean.

"We will do a day of action at 2pm this Sunday (Feb 27), and do a litter pick, so please come down and support us.

"We have worked really hard to keep the trees, now what we need to do is keep it nice and clean."

Bridge Homes had been given planning permission in December to build 116 homes on the site, as part of the next phase of the City Fields development.

Opposition then began to mount against felling the trees on the site.

Last week the council said it would save around half of the trees due to pressure from campaigners, but has now relented to save the remainder.

Following discussions, Bridge Homes has agreed to alter their plans, which means the community woodland planted on the Parkhill site will remain untouched by the housing development.

The new proposal will require an amendment to the submitted planning application, a period of consultation and further consideration by the committee before any development can go ahead.