Woodland site ordered to pull down holiday cabins

The owners of a woodland site have been ordered by the council to pull down holiday cabins and plant 300 trees.

Bradford Council has issued an enforcement notice demanding that works to Jacobs Wood Farm in Silsden are stopped and for buildings, access roads and concrete poured onto the site to be removed.

The authority said that concrete pads had been laid, holiday lodges had been built and septic tanks had been fitted without planning permission.

However, an appeal has been lodged by the owners claiming they are an "innocent party" and works had been completed before they acquired the site.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the work to remove the changes would need to be done within six months.

The notice also requires the owners to plant 300 trees on the site, off Holden Lane, to help repair the damage done to the "irreplaceable" woodland by March 2027.

Following the appeal by AZARA GIDA SAN.VE TIC.LTD.ŞTİ, a public hearing will be held in July to decide whether the notice stands, or should be dismissed.

The enforcement notice said: "The unauthorised 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 urbanising effect that diminishes the special character and appearance of the Airedale Landscape which is typically upland pastures with wooded inclines."

It added the development was on land comprising of ancient woodland, with a rich ground flora which was important for wildlife.

The appeal argued it was "too late" for enforcement action, as the development had "become immune, due to the passage of time".

"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 added.

The appeal also raised concerns about the number of trees needing to be planted, adding 300 trees had not been removed.

In response, Bradford Council said the "small benefit" of tourism would not outweigh the "demonstrable harm to the greenbelt".

"The appellant contends that the development is immune from enforcement action by reason of the passage of time, however, Google Earth images demonstrate that there is no evidence of development taking place on the land prior to May 2025," the authority added.

"Three hundred trees are required by the notice because this is the number necessary to restore the woodland character of Area 6, not to replace individual trees on a like‑for‑like basis."

The planning inquiry is expected to be held on 21 July.

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