Loxley Valley: Developers unveil £40m plan for Center Parcs-style homes in Sheffield's green belt

A developer has unveiled £40m plans for Center Parcs-style woodland homes costing up to £1.5m in Sheffield’s green belt.

Sky House wants to build 60 houses on the 70-acre Hepworth refractories site along the River Loxley in the Loxley Valley. They would have small, unfenced gardens within a woodland setting, much like the popular resorts, the firm says.

Factory operations ended almost 40 years ago and trees have grown up among 20 crumbling buildings which are popular with urban explorers.

A plan for 300 homes in 2021 faced huge opposition before a planning inspector upheld Sheffield Council’s decision to refuse permission.

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Now, Sky-House and landowner Patrick Properties hope their smaller scale proposal will strike a balance between using a brownfield site, helping to meet housing demand and protecting the natural environment.

David Cross, of Sky House, said the 'sustainable' homes would cost between £150,000 and £1.5m, with 10 costing £1m or more. They would also make a contribution to off-site affordable housing, he added.

He said: "There’s no housing development like this in Britain, it’s closest to Center Parcs with low density single-storey homes in green belt. 

"It’s a contaminated site that offers nothing at the moment. I can’t see another way of doing this. I accept it’s contentious with the community. We want to be open and do everything right."

The plan includes a community centre, cafe bar, sports facilities, footpaths and ponds open to everyone, he added.

If approved, the project would start with a £5m clean up of the contaminated site between Loxley Road, Rowell Lane and Storrs Bridge Lane.

Sky House has built homes in Oughtibridge, Kelham Island, Waverley and is starting a scheme on Egerton Street in the 'Devonshire Quarter' between Fitzwilliam Street and Hanover Way in Sheffield city centre.