Sheffield council\u2019s planning committee have unanimously decided to impose a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) to protect the trees surrounding the former Hepworth factory site in the Loxley Valley.<\/p>\n
This comes as a victory for local campaign groups who are amidst an ongoing battle to stop Patrick Properties from building hundreds of properties on the green-belt land, a plan that city bosses initially rejected.<\/p>\n
The order will protect the oldest trees that cover a half-mile stretch alongside Storrs Bridge Lane, near Loxley Valley Road.<\/p>\n
Tina Gillian, chairperson of Friends of Loxley Valley said: \u201cOne of our members put the application in because these trees are in a part of the site that would have to be demolished if the plans went ahead.<\/p>\n
\u201cBuilding 300 houses means an awful lot of land clearance would have to happen, and we wanted to save as many of the trees in our area as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the report, council officer Jack Foxall said that the trees in question are \u201care of significant local amenity value\u201d for both the local community and the environment.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Gillian also added: \u201cApart from that the UK is also trying to meet its carbon reduction target, so we can\u2019t have trees to be cut down unnecessarily.\u201d<\/p>\n
Patrick Properties have issued an appeal against the rejection, but the TPO means they will have to rethink their plans and approach.<\/p>\n
A Government Planning Inspector will hold a meeting in April to decide whether the appeal gets approval.<\/p>\n
The Friends of Loxley Valley and their CPRE partners have also launched a crowdfunding campaign called ‘Save Loxley Valley Appeal’, which they hope will be a ‘fighting fund’ to raise the money needed to fight the appeal.<\/p>\n
They are hoping to raise at least \u00a315,000, \u00a310,000 of which they have raised already.<\/p>\n