A GROUP of householders have vowed to fight to protect their back gardens

The residents in the Taylor Hill area of Huddersfield aim to prevent Kirklees Council from selling the leased land for housing.

More than 60 people who live in Taylor Hill Road have said they will fight the plans.

Their spokesman, John Covell, said that behind the houses on the west side of Taylor Hill Road were garden plots, which residents lease from the council.

He added that in many cases the leases went back to when the properties were built, about 45 years ago.

The plan to sell the land only came about after a business closed and vacated the site.

Residents applied to lease some of the empty land and a planning inspector came to look at the site.

Mr Covell said a survey in the 1980s said the site was no good for housing.

He added: "As a result of this report, residents leasing the land from the council were reassured that the land would not be used for housing.

"Because of this statement the residents have, over the intervening years, spent considerable amounts of money developing their leased plots, creating beautiful gardens, constructing garages and pigeon lofts," he said.

"All these features enhance the wellbeing of the area in general and the lives of the people living in the adjacent properties.

"When people bought their houses in Taylor Hill Road they took over the leases of the land rented by the previous tenants.

"There was no indication from their solicitors' surveys that the land would one day be the subject of a housing development proposal."

Mr Covell said residents were in shock at potentially losing their gardens and having new homes built on their doorsteps.

He added: "It's difficult to express the extent of the distress felt collectively by the tenants of Taylor Hill.

"They feel threatened by this proposal and want their voice to be heard and their concerns listened to in a compassionate manner."

Mr Covell said people could end up out of pocket as property prices in the area had already been hit, as well as for the improvements already made to the leased land.

Labour's Barry Sheerman, who is bidding to retain his seat as Huddersfield's MP, has backed their campaign.

A Kirklees spokesman said: "The demolition of the fat-rendering building provided an opportunity to consider the possible development of council-owned land to the rear of properties on Taylor Hill Road.

"Some of this land is held on garage and garden tenancies by local residents. The council's design and property service is working towards submitting a planning application for residential development, which will give residents an opportunity to comment in detail," the spokesman added.