AN environmental group is the latest to object to plans for a new pub at Castle Hill.

Local officials of the Campaign for the Protection for Rural England are bitterly opposed to the plans – currently being considered by Kirklees Council.

They say the plans for a pub and for traffic lights to control vehicle movements would ruin the landmark.

The group’s Kirklees branch had objected last summer to plans by the Thandi Partnership to rebuild the pub and hotel.

Now they have again been in touch with Kirklees planners to voice their fears.

The final date for people to have their say on the proposals is Friday.

The Thandis have submitted a new plan to rebuild the hotel, having had to demolish a previous new-build because it fell foul of planning regulations.

Charles Tunbridge, chairman of the CPRE branch, said: “We abhor the politicising of this matter and urge that everyone involved steps back and judges the situation objectively and rationally.

“To justify the building of a modern pastiche of a Victorian equivalent is untenable.

“We live in a different age when hopefully there is greater appreciation of the spirit and history of such iconic sites; sadly, the Victorians had no such inhibitions”.

He added: “If anything the situation regarding the site’s status as being of enormous historical and archaeological importance has become even more relevant. The issue is much too important to be decided by local political interests, influenced by rent-a-mob pressure.

“We understand that this latest submission relates only to the relatively minor matter of access. In this regard we would make the following comments: the traffic light system would not solve the problem at the junction with Lumb Lane which is a narrow, minor country lane with poor sight lines.

“The access ‘road’ is a multi-purpose track serving pedestrians, cyclists etc and not just motor vehicles. A one-way system would have inherent safety issues because of the potential for motorists to feel it "safe" to go faster.

“The long delay necessary to allow egress from Castle Hill would seriously inconvenience local traffic going about their business

“We strongly object to the introduction of lights on both aesthetic and on

environmental grounds; it is anathematic even to consider it!”