Councillor warns 'there will be complications' as permission granted for 320 homes in Rotherham

Rotherham Council's planning board has granted outline approval for up to 320 homes on Moor Lane South.

A report to the council outlined a number of conditions attached to the application, including S106 funding required from the developers to pay for secondary school places, as the nearby Maltby Academy is already oversubscribed.

This prompted Coun John Turner to tell the meeting "there will be complications," after asking planning officers what provisions will be made for GP surgeries, as well as junior and infant schools.

"Certainly Wickersley School will not be taking any of those pupils, because there's already people battling to get in there as it is," Coun Turner told the virtual meeting.

However, planning officers said the council's education officer had viewed the catchment area and there was no comment made about Wickersley School.

Coun Turner also said he was "surprised" GP surgeries in the area will be able to accommodate the development, because it is already "difficult" to get an appointment.

"There will be complications. The A631 the Maltby Road from about 4 o'clock onwards get terribly congested," he added.

"The momentum is towards building, building, building, so that we can develop a country which is in economic disarray.

"We're just piling traffic in and just shutting our eyes and saying 'hey ho'."

The land, which was greenbelt but has now been earmarked for development in Rotherham's local plan, is subject to a dispute between Bramley and Ravendale Parish Councils, who both believe residents of the new development will use their facilities.

The site could accommodate one and two bed apartments, three and four-bedtownhouses or semi detached dwellings and three, four and five-bed detached houses, although the details are not yet agreed.

The planning department has received 18 letters of representation , including one from Bramley Parish Council.

One objector states: "We pay a high price to live in such a lovely village and we cannot help but feel that this planning is going to make Ravenfield just anothercouncil estate which is definitely not why 95 per cent of the residents boughtproperty here in the first place."

Janet Hodson, speaking on behalf of the applicant, said the application was submitted in May 2019, in accordance with the guidelines set out in the local plan.

Ms Hodson added that public exhibitions were held at the parish hall for parish councils to inform residents of the plans.

"Those exhibitions were well attended and they resulted in us making further considerations over highways and drainage matters," she added.

Outline planning permission for the site was granted, and it is expected the developers will now submit detailed plans for approval.

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