Dept Highways and Transport have some serious questions to answer in regard to works undertaken at Royds Hall Lane . We seek to ascertain what work was undertaken to survey any plants or breeding birds which would have been sited under the numerous ancient hawthorn and in the unique shade and water gradient provided at this spot.
We are now in position of some facts Royds Hall Lane is an Ancient Highway on the Councils Street list to be maintained in character . Current and previous owners have spent a lot of time and effort in keeping the lane consistent with the overall heritage of the 13th century listed building and the wildlife habitat on its perimeter. (Orb Spiders, Wall Browns, Pink Purslane and numerous over wintering Finches
During the course of safety work the council have taken it upon themnselves to remove aproimatley 200m of 12 ft high dry stone walling , removing it off site and destroying the Mature Hawthorn Hedgegrow and 3 mature Sycamore that was located on site . The Council refuse to replace this walling which in the first instance is a retaining .Because of the hill slope nature of adjacent fields and run off it is highly likely ( Top soild removed , Scree left with shallow soil) that root bases of any hedgegrow will not root and this soil will run off
The Council have claimed to have undertaken the work outside the provision of the Town and Country Planning Act on " safety grounds" we point out that a site Inspection was undertaken in April and the work carried out in September ,
We draw attention to environmental waste , which consist of Mine Workings and or waste potentially from the Low Moor Works which was moved without any appraisal or survey in open topped lorries in dusty conditions accross the path of a Primary School and Local reseidential estate presumably by a contarctor who was not licenced to handle or dispose such wastes which may now be in your environment
We are concerned that considerable Plant and Earthworks have been uundertaken on Private Land at the public expense . We seek to understand the nature of negotiations and footing of the bill the occurred between the land owner and the council in regard to the lane
If t the council have no claim on the Walling as they suggest inly the surface of lane then they should not have undertaken works or should have done so in the full understanding the the adjacent land Owner was responsible for slippage
We draw attention to the Capital Receipt generated from the Drystone which we believe is being held in a compound nr Haworth for other jobs and will seek to ask the District Auditor to look into these matters if satisfactory reinstatemnet is not made .
During the course of this work extensive plant works where undertaken on the
On a realted subject The current use of Royds Hall Farm as a Heavy Plant centre is currently illegal and outside Change of Use , numerous PPG 's ( Planing Guidelines) would preclude such a use which is on the site of a disputed Public Footpath and to date the council have NOT enforced.
HEDGEGROW PICTURES TO FOLLOW
Substantial Hedgerow Lost ( Hawthorn) including 3 mature Sycamore) Ugly Fencing on Skyline ( Public Money Private Land ) We will be insisting that the boundary is restored to where it should be not 15 ft on Private land Damage to the Wall on Royds Hall Side this is a private structure and part of the fabric of a Grade 1 Listed Building
