A WEST Yorkshire businessman has denied allegations that he ordered the chopping down of 25 protected trees on land at Ilkley.

The trees, including varieties of cypress, willow and sycamore, were allegedly felled in January on the site of the former Grove Convalescent Hospital, without the permission of Bradford Council.

Brian Whitaker, of Wine Beck Farm, Bolton Road, Addingham, is chairman of the local committee of the national charity, the Abbeyfield Society, which plans to build a £7.5 million elderly housing scheme on the site.

He has pleaded not guilty to 19 charges of permitting the cutting down of a tree in a conservation area and six charges of breaching a tree preservation order.

If convicted, he could face a fine of up to £20,000 on each charge.

Richard Winter, prosecuting, told Bradford magistrates on Thursday that Whitaker allegedly made arrangements for the trees to be cut down. A survey was carried out, but no agreement had been sought with the council.

"The council would not have agreed to all of them being cut down anyway," said Mr Winter.

Defence solicitor Robin Irvine told the court that Whitaker had been chosen as the person to be prosecuted because of his position as chairman of the committee.

He said it was accepted that during the process of negotiations about building homes for the elderly and the infirm some trees were knocked down. But there were technical matters to be resolved in court.

The case was adjourned for an all-day trial on November 23.

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