Sheffield green belt: Government inspectors issue statement on 13 new sites earmarked for homes
Planning inspectors have issued a statement after asking for information about 13 additional sites in green belt.
A spokesperson for the Planning Inspectorate said they were not being considered for inclusion in the Sheffield Plan “at this time”.
They had asked Sheffield City Council to provide them “to inform their consideration of alternative sites which could contribute to meeting housing and employment needs.”
But the authority was not proposing to allocate them for development in the Local Plan.
The Local Plan is set to be a blueprint for development in Sheffield over the next 14 years outlining how to meet government targets for 38,000 homes and 654 acres of employment land by 2039.
Some 14 sites in green belt have been controversially earmarked for 3,529 homes and business parks.
At hearings in September, Government Inspectors considered those proposals and heard appeals from residents. They are set to issue a report on the Local Plan early in the new year.
Last week they asked for the release of hundreds of pages of additional information including on 13 additional green belt sites previously ruled out by the council.
Sheffield’s Liberal Democrats said they were “concerned” about the “last minute” release of documents for “review and comment.”
A spokesperson for Sheffield City Council said the inspectors had asked the authority to complete “sustainability appraisals” for the 13 sites, but they had not been proposed for development.
The new documents are on the Sheffield Plan site.
Comments can be emailed to [email protected] by 5pm on Thursday, December 11.