A community group has pledged to stay together despite fears over the future of the site they pledged to save.
The Clayton Fields Action Group in Huddersfield will continue even though a court ruling has apparently cleared the way for developers to move on to the beauty spot.
Already, scores of trees and shrubs on the site between Birkby and Edgerton have been cut down or dug up in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling in favour of developers.
But the dozens of people who packed into the Ukrainian Club in Edgerton Road for the group’s annual meeting vowed to stick together and build on the community spirit they have developed over the years.
The news delighted Bill Magee, who with the late Mike Hardy set up the group to try and stop developers taking over the site more than 17 years ago,
“We had a show of hands about whether or not we should continue as a group and it was unanimous, apart from my vote.
“We had expected about a dozen people but the room was absolutely packed with dozens of people, including councillors and the former Environment Agency chairman and Kirklees leader Sir John Harman.
“There was a lot of sadness about what has happened over the past few days, when all the trees have been felled and left the site so desolate.
“What can we do? We agreed that we can do all we can to harass the council and the planning authorities at every opportunity to try and hold up plans for homes on the site.
“We are also going to develop our social side and we are planning a community barbecue on July 5”.
Developers Paddico took the case to the Supreme Court after the site had previously been granted village green status.
They are anxious to pursue a planning application for 55 homes which dates back to 1967.
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