Four new homes can be built on a plot of land in Sheffield despite objections

Sheffield Council’s planning and highways committee members have decided to grant permission to development on Brooklands Avenue following a lengthy discussion about issues such as access, traffic and potential overdevelopment.

The members heard that the developer wanted planning permission to build four detached homes, as well as a detached double garage to serve the home on plot four and a flat-roofed linked garage to the front of the home on plot one. The remaining houses would have integral garages.

A report said: “The dwellings would each have four bedrooms with either a study or playroom on the second floor (which could readily be made into a bedroom). Residential accommodation would be spread over three floors with the uppermost floor being within the roof space.”

The site is accessed via a long driveway between 45 and 47 Brooklands Avenue and houses a bungalow with accommodation in the roofspace, 45A Brooklands Avenue, and its extensive land.

A planning document uploaded before the hearing said the most recent application (23/00198/FUL) for the demolition of the home, erection of four detached houses including garages and one detached garage, associated landscaping and access improvements was refused in July 2023.

The reason given was the site would have been “overdeveloped” and “harmful” to the living conditions of the occupiers of neighbouring properties.

Also, it would have resulted in “an unacceptable degree of noise and disturbance, light disturbance and a loss of amenity and privacy to adjacent properties and gardens”.

During the consultation process, the application received 47 letters of representation of which 42 were against it.

Among the main reasons, residents living nearby said there was minimal change made since the previous submission.

Also, there was fear of overdevelopment, it being “out of character”, design issues, the loss of light, traffic and more.

One of the main issues raised was noise, and according to the planning officer at the meeting, the developer conducted a noise survey and is willing to erect acoustic fences to help resolve that.

Although councillors raised a number of the issues with the plan (access was the main topic), they narrowly (with the chair having to decide due to the vote being a tie) voted in favour of the development.