Farmer’s bid to fill ravine opposed

Permission is being sought to fill a steep ravine currently used for grazing within a field at Farfield Farm, Bolton Road, Addingham, Ilkley, for agricultural improvement.

According to a report, the applicant says tipping 160,000 tonnes of inert waste, comprising soil, sub soil and stones, means the whole field could be used for meadow instead of a limited pasture and allow the field to be farmed with modern machinery.

But critics have raised objections over concerns including highways safety, noise, dust, pollution and the impact on the surrounding landscape.

North Yorkshire County Council has received 31 letters of objection and one of support for the proposal. The Yorkshire Dales Society and Addingham Parish Council have also raised concerns.

Members of the county council’s planning and regulatory functions committee will be advised to refuse planning permission when they meet tomorrow. The report says that the development “is not essential for the efficient operation of agriculture.”