Residents of a York village were left shocked after waking to find construction work underway on a patch of green land.
Locals in Appleton Roebuck claimed they received no prior notice before machinery arrived at a space on the east side of Broad Lane.
Work began on 1 May to clear the area of trees and vegetation but was abruptly halted when North Yorkshire Council issued a Temporary Stop Notice.
Villagers from the nearby Ebor Park estate contacted the machinery’s owners in an attempt to find out what was happening.
The rental company that owns the machinery told the residents that the equipment was hired using the Ebor Park address, which they were unaware of.
John Richards, an Appleton Roebuck resident, told YorkMix that the police were contacted soon after.
“The police turned up and initially stopped the work because they believed there might have been some fraudulent goings on in relation to the hiring of the machinery. So everything stopped on the Saturday I think,” he said.
Although the machinery was removed and work paused, John later noticed it had returned as he walked by the site on Bank Holiday Monday (5 May).
“The digger was back clearing the ground, and one of the residents approached me quite distraught,” John told YorkMix.
A woman who had recently bought a home on the site was upset over the removal of the trees and the disturbance to wildlife.
Following a site visit on Tuesday, 6 May North Yorkshire Council planning enforcement officers issued a temporary stop notice.
The notice was served due to a breach of planning control, specifically “the unauthorised creation of an access onto a classified road.”
The order prohibits any further work on the site until 1 July, when the notice expires.
John said residents are eager for clarity about the developers intentions, as speculation and rumours continue to circulate.
YorkMix has been informed that the landowner is now in communication with North Yorkshire Council’s planning team.
The landowner has requested permission to clear the remaining debris from the site.
A resident said, “Apparently they can, as long as they are not doing any further developments.”
Both North Yorkshire Council and the machinery company declined to comment.
