S13 residents urged to take part in more consultation to help save greenbelt
Residents fighting controversial housing plans which would see the S13 postcode area lose 90% of its greenbelt are being urged to take part in further public consultation organised by Sheffield City Council.
The council have confirmed an extra round of consultation on their local plan - a blueprint for future housing development - because they submitted many key documents too late to be considered during the main consultation in July.
More than 100 documents were published past the deadline by the authority with a number of lengthy and technical documents being submitted during the planning inspector hearings - giving residents little time to read and understand them.
Residents in S13 have previously complained about the unfairness of the plan which will see 1638 new homes built on two areas of greenbelt land within a mile of each other in this one postcode area leading to traffic congestion, pollution, over-population, pressure on schools and GP services which are already struggling as well as ripping out an area well used for health and mental well-being.
The area stands to lose 90% of its green space - with 868 homes planned to be built off Bramley Lane and another 870 on farmland off Finchwell Lane - while more affluent parts of the city - with access to the Peak District - remain unscathed.
Residents opposed to the scheme in S13 formed the ‘Save S13 Greenbelt - The Sapphire McCarthy Campaign’ in April after hearing about the plans without consultation from the council and have gained support from Hollywood star Sean Bean who is from Handsworth.
They are now urging people to send in further objections to the scheme and these objections must link to the documents which were submitted late.
They will be putting suggested letters of objection templates on their Save S13 Greenbelt website and will also be leaving them at local businesses - including Handsworth Post Office - for people to sign and the group will deliver them to the council - as well as a number of charity fund-raising events the group are holding with funds raised going to finance any future legal battle.
MIchael Parkin, from the S13 campaign group, said: “This gives residents a fresh chance to comment on documents that may influence whether the S13 Green Belt sites (SES29 and SES30) are added to the plan.
“More than 100 relevant documents were published late, meaning no one could use them when submitting their original objections. Because of this the council has offered this extra window for comments.
“It is important to show that the community still strongly opposes removing Green Belt protection from these sites.
“We understand that people will not have time to go through all the documents so we will be offering template letters for people to print as well as leaving letters which can be signed at local businesses and events which we can then deliver to the council.”
Handsworth-born Sean Bean, star of The Game of Thrones and now featuring in the new Robin Hood TV series, met with campaigners and said he supported the fight citing how important greenery is for health and well-being to local residents and added: “Its common land is the people's land. The council owns it but what are they going to do - just flog it and keep the money? It will then be gone - they will have a bit of the money in the pockets and we have nothing,”
The Government's planning inspectors held a series of hearings in Sheffield at which residents were invited to attend and offer evidence. The S13 group has been supported by Sheffield South East MP Clive Betts who spoke passionately about why he believed this area has been unfairly targeted.
A spokesperson for the group added “We understand the need for housing but not on this scale meaning three separate communities of Handsworth, Woodhouse and Stradbroke become joined up in an urban sprawl at this side of the city which will connect from Sheffield into Rotherham and beyond - while the west remains unscathed.
“These plans have not been properly thought through - and we hope the planning inspectors see them for the shambles they are.”
The findings from the planning inspectors are due to be made public next year.
Those wishing to submit an objection should email them to [email protected] or by post to Strategic Planning Team, Planning Services, 5th Floor, Howden House, Sheffield, S1 2SH. The deadline is 5pm on Thursday 11 December - make sure you mention which document you are commenting on and include the document's "EXAM" reference number. You can get more guidance from our webpage https://saves13greenbelt.org.uk/new-consultation-faqs.html
Or members of the campaign group will be running a stall at the Christmas Market in the Old Rectory, near St Mary’s Church, Handsworth, on Sunday November 29, 11am–3pm and will be handing out letters to be signed which they can deliver to the council.