New City Fields housing plan to be considered after U-turn to save children's woodland

Hundreds of trees which were planted by youngsters to create the Park Hill Woodland on the site of a former mine two decades ago are to be saved under the redrawn scheme.

Last year Bridge Homes was given planning permission to build 116 homes as part of the City Fields development.

After the decision was made more than 1,200 people added their names to an online petition to save the trees on the former Parkhill Colliery land, off Park Lodge Lane, in Eastmoor.

Following the controversy Wakefield Council agreed to hold talks with Bridge Homes, leading to the scheme being withdrawn and plans re-submitted.

The Castleford-based firm was set up as a partnership between the council and social housing supplier Wakefield District Housing.

The council’s planning and highways committee are to consider an amended plan to build 95 properties on the site at a meeting on Thursday (December 15).

A report states: “Local residents raised concerns with the council about the loss of the section of community woodland located to the southern part of the application site.

“In response, the applicant amended the site layout to exclude the community woodland.”

The proposal is for a mix of two, three and four-bed properties.

Cycle storage sheds are planned where properties do not have a garage and electric vehicle charging points are proposed for all homes.

The scheme also includes 27 affordable homes.

There are 19 objections to the new plan, with some residents still unhappy about a loss of green space.

Other objectors have raised concerns about the City Fields area being overdeveloped with no schools, doctors or other facilities being built to accommodate more residents.

Eastmoor residents campaigned to save the woodland when the original plan was approved last December.

Speaking at a full council meeting in February, Wakefield East councillor Akef Akbar said: “In Eastmoor, trees are being ripped down over and over and over again.

“What message are we sending out over the environment?

“The residents of Eastmoor are quite disappointed.

“I understand there’s a balancing act for residential development, but when will we stop hammering Eastmoor?”

Deputy leader of Wakefield Council, Coun Jack Hemingway, said after the U-turn: “Meeting the challenge of balancing the housing and welfare needs of our communities, alongside our determination to protect the environment will always be challenging.

“But I am very pleased that as a result of this decision, we are able to preserve this woodland on council-owned land that means so much to the community.”