Sheffield green belt: Mosborough villagers fight plan to convert meadow into homes or travellers' site
Residents in a Sheffield village are fighting a proposal to remove a 15-acre meadow from green belt and use it for houses, business, or a gypsy and travellers’ site.
Campaigners in Mosborough claim they have not been consulted and are being ‘denied a voice’ over the plot on Gashouse Lane, which is just over the border in Derbyshire.
John Rotherham, of Mosborough History Group, said the meadow - which could probably fit 200 houses - was a “living, breathing space for wildlife, a green corridor for people, and a vital link in our community’s heritage.”
He added: “We’re not against new homes – but they should be built where they make sense: on brownfield sites, where regeneration can breathe life into neglected areas without taking away what we already cherish.”
He has set up a petition called Save Mosborough's green belt which has been signed by more than 1,200 people.
It comes as 14 green belt sites in Sheffield could be developed for more than 3,500 homes and business to meet government housing targets.
Bryn Robinson-Morgan said he was concerned North East Derbyshire District Council had asked residents if they wanted developments “around the edge of Sheffield,” claiming this was like asking “would you like it to be someone else’s problem?”
He added: “One local authority should not be able to pass their responsibilities on to their neighbours.
“The people closest to the proposed development site, which sits between Sheffield Road and Gashouse Lane, are the residents of Mosborough and Halfway.
“With these areas falling under the remit of Sheffield City Council, residents weren’t notified or consulted on the NEDDC draft plan, denying them the opportunity to comment.
“Given the amenities closest to the proposed development site lay within the Sheffield border it is vital that the voices of those who will be impacted are heard.
“The invaluable benefits of the Moss Valley must be preserved for future generations.”
A North East Derbyshire District Council spokesperson said the site was one of several hundred that had been put forward by landowners and they were “duty bound” to assess it for development for housing, employment, retail and for gypsies and travellers.
They added: “We are in the early stages of assessing the suitability of all the submitted sites and more information is needed before we can positively select preferred sites for allocation.
“Furthermore, it is the case that sites that lie within the green belt, as is the case for Gashouse Lane, would only be considered once all options outside of the green belt have been exhausted.
“Any sites put forward within the green belt will also need to be assessed against the purposes of including land within the green belt, through a formal green belt review.
“Those sites that perform well against those purposes are less likely to be suitable for development.
“Despite this lack of clarity, we decided to include them in the recent round of consultation in the interests of openness and transparency and to give local people the opportunity to raise their comments and concerns about sites early in the process.
“It is important to stress that this consultation is not the only opportunity for engagement. There will be a focussed consultation on those sites that look to have the most potential as suggested allocations early next year, in advance of the consultation on the draft Local Plan planned for next summer. The focussed consultation will also present the full assessment result for all sites, not just those selected for further consideration.”