Thousands of homes approved for green belt sites

Campaigners have been fighting plans by Sheffield Council to build on green belt land

Controversial plans to build on fourteen green belt sites across Sheffield have been approved by councillors.

Thousands of residents had objected to plans to build 3,500 homes, as well as schools, cemeteries and industrial units on green belt land across the city.

On Wednesday, crowd of protesters gathered outside Sheffield town hall ahead of a special meeting to approve the Local Plan, a blueprint for how the city will be developed over the next 15 years.

"Residents are furious - we have 160 angry, worried and upset villagers," said campaigner, David Thornton, from Wharncliffe Side.

Rob Hallam is one of those protesting council plans to build on green belt land

The Wharncliffe Side campaigners are protesting plans to build more than 100 houses on a field in their village.

Mr Thornton said: "Almost 1,000 houses have already been built nearby, and our village infrastructure is just not capable of coping with this huge growth.

"This field has been a popular public space for as long as people can remember, in the oldest part of the village, and is treasured by everyone who uses it."

Government inspectors said the council would need to build 3,529 additional new homes above its initial target – meaning more than 38,000 homes need to be constructed by 2039.

The council said it had explored all available opportunities to develop brownfield sites ahead of submitting the new plan.

Labour, Liberal Democrats and Green Party councillors had all identified sites and worked together on the plan, but the Lib Dems subsequently voted against it.

Campaigners at Wharncliffe Side, where more than 100 homes are planned

Council leader Tom Hunt said: "This is emotive, and I understand the depth of feeling. None of us take this lightly.

"The sites must have affordable homes, and we will ensure there is good public transport, road improvements, schools and GP surgeries. The sites must also have good access to green spaces."

Green Party Leader and chair of the housing committee, Douglas Johnson, said if councillors had rejected the Local Plan, it could have led to even more building.

"Sheffield's current Local Plan is extremely out of date and is made up of documents produced in 1998 and 2009. This leaves lots of loopholes open for developers to exploit.

"Without a new Local Plan, ultimately the government could step in and set its own plan, which would be much worse for the city."

There will be a public consultation over summer and public hearings in autumn. Any developments would still need to go through the planning process.

The 14 green belt sites

Land between Bramley Lane and Beaver Hill Road - 868 homes, a mainstream secondary school and a multi-faith burial site

Land between Creswick Avenue and Yew Lane - 609 homes, a mainstream secondary school, a special needs school and a multi-faith burial site

Handsworth Hall Farm, land at Finchwell Road - 870 homes

Land to the east of Chapeltown Road - 549 Homes

Land to the south of White Lane - 304 homes

Land between Lodge Moor Road and Redmires conduit - 258 homes

Holme Lane Farm and land to the west of Grenoside Grange, Fox Hill Road - 188 Homes

Land between Storth Lane and School Lane - 103 homes

Land at Wheel Lane and Middleton Lane - 148 homes

Land to the north of Parkers Lane - 82 homes

Forge Lane - 69 homes

Land bordered by M1, Thorncliffe Road, Warren Lane, and White Lane - general employment

Hesley Wood, north of Cowley Hill, S35 2YH - general employment

Land to the south of the M1 Motorway Junction 35 - general employment

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