Hearings open into plans to build on green belt

Mark Ash and Jo Tunstall are among campaigners concerned about the development proposals

A series of public hearings have begun into Sheffield Council's controversial proposals to build on 14 green belt sites in the city.

The planning inspector will hear evidence from both Sheffield Council and campaigners on the Local Plan, which has earmarked green open space for thousands of new homes, schools and cemeteries.

Campaigners have expressed anger that 90% of the sites falls in just two postcodes in S13 and S35 and claim it will "put a massive strain" on a handful of communities rather than developments being spread across the city.

The city council said plan would help grow the economy, create regeneration and bring in investment.

The hearings are being held at the town hall and are expected to last for two to three weeks and will consider whether the Local Plan, a blueprint for how the city should be developed up to 2039, can go ahead.

Planning inspector Katie Childs said: "I am aware the sites have generated a lot of public interest, and I am here to hear your concerns.

"Once the hearings are over, the inspectors will write to the council and advise whether the plan is able to be adopted or advise the council to withdraw it."

The first of several public hearings into Sheffield Council's Local Plan has started

Campaigners from the S35 area, which includes Ecclesfield, Chapeltown and Wharncliffe Side, spoke outside the first hearing.

Jo Tunstall said: "Within S35 we have nine of the 14 allocated green belt parcels which are being assigned for additional housing, so over 1,600 new homes and three employment sites.

"S35 and S13 have primarily got 90% of the allocation so that's clearly not fair and puts a massive strain on our communities.

"The sites include working farms, ancient woodland, local wildlife sites, people use them for dog walking, leisure and wellbeing. They are really well used."

'Unplanned development'

Fellow campaigner Mark Ash said: "We want the planning inspector to really look at how the council distributed the allocation because the original sites the council looked at were actually all the way around Sheffield.

"The south west of the city gets zero sites because no one wants to build on Dore and Totley so it looks like it's one sided towards the working class, northern end whereas more affluent areas seem to be getting away with it."

S13 campaigners also spoke at the hearing against plans to 1,700 new homes, a mainstream secondary school and a burial site in the Handsworth area.

Actor Sean Bean has backed their campaign as he grew up in the neighbourhood.

Sheffield Council leader Tom Hunt said: "The Local Plan is a plan to ensure we have the homes and employment sites that our city needs."

He said it would also ensure new homes were supported by local services such as GPs and schools.

"Without a Local Plan we are at risk of unplanned, speculative development.

"The vast majority of new development will be on brownfield land and having a Local Plan will provide better protection for our green spaces.

"It will also help the city to grow our economy, support regeneration of more brownfield land and bring in new investment."

He said the council would continue to work with the inspector as the plan is examined during the hearings.

The planning inspector will report her decision in early 2026.

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