A HOLMFIRTH man has lost another fight in a long-running battle to develop a nature reserve for the disabled at Birdsedge.

Retired builder Steve Sellars has used £20,000 of his own money to create the wildlife haven off Birdsedge Lane.

He has already laid hundreds of metres of path and planted thousands of trees on the green belt site.

But his second bid to build on the 12-acre reserve was turned down at appeal.

The 66-year-old had hoped to build a holiday home for the disabled but was refused permission by Kirklees Council.

A report by planning inspector Karen Baker said the proposed eco-cabin would intensify the use of the site.

Mr Sellars, 66, argued that his site would create a part-time job, cater for the needs of the disabled and help bring tourism to the area but Mrs Baker said the reasons were not strong enough for overturning the presumption that the green belt should not be built on.

The blow comes less than four years after his bid to build a home on the site was also rejected at appeal by the Planning Inspectorate.

At the time Mr Sellars said he wanted to live on the nature reserve so that he could work longer hours and be on hand to safeguard equipment left at the site.

It is now almost 13 years since he bought the land but Mr Sellars has vowed to battle on.