PLANNERS may be forced back to the drawing board over proposals for a multi-million pound link road to the new Waverley township after Sheffield Council voted to protect playing fields on the route.
Residents of Woodhouse Mill mounted a fierce campaign to save the park, off Retford Road, and are now celebrating after councillors passed a motion that the authority - which owns the site - would oppose all plans to build a link road "on or around W
oodhouse Mill playing fields".
Councillors also want full consultation to be carried out with the local community once Rotherham Council, which is to build the road, comes up with an alternative route.
They have also approved residents' calls for the site to be nominated as one of Sheffield's sites to be protected through the Queen Elizabeth II Fields scheme - a national initiative which aims to preserve green spaces for the future as part of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations next year.
The motion, supported by all parties, was proposed by Labour Woodhouse councillor Mick Rooney, who said: "The local community is overwhelmingly opposed to the proposals for a link road through Woodhouse Mill playing fields."
Former Sheffield Steelers ice hockey player Gavin Farrand was one of the residents who campaigned to save the fields.
He said: "It's really good news. Myself and one of the other residents, Derek Hutchinson, have worked so hard on this."
Mr Farrand, whose home is one of four on Retford Road which would be demolished if the road goes ahead, added: "It's excellent that all councillors have come together to support us."
"The road is one of a number of projects on hold as the Government reviews spending on highways projects."
If the scheme is allowed to progress, Rotherham Council will have to re-draw the route or apply for a compulsory purchase order to take the fields.
A Rotherham Council spokesman said: "Any progress of the Waverley Link Road scheme is subject to the government's comprehensive spending review."
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