A boy, aged 12, has issued a heartfelt plea to those behind controversial plans to build thousands of new homes on Sheffield’s green belt.

Franklin Evans, from Wharncliffe Side, has joined a growing band of campaigners fighting against Sheffield Council’s plans for 3,500 new homes on 14 green belt sites in a blueprint for development called the Local Plan.

It guides where new homes, jobs, transport links and community facilities should go between now and 2039.

The council says all brownfield plots have already been spoken for, so building on green space is necessary.

Campaign groups have been formed across the city to object to the plans.

Joining in now is 12-year-old Franklin, who has issued a heartfelt plea for a re-think.

He has also urged those campaigning against the plans to “keep fighting,” “keep going” and to not “give up.”

“If you want to keep it that bad, then you need to fight for it,” he said.

Franklin plays on green space in Wharncliffe Side, known locally as the horse field, and he walks his friend’s dog there.

It is an area of land between homes on Don Avenue and Glen Howe Park.

He called it his “safe place”.

The youngster added: “I like watching the birds and the owls hunting as well. I like that it's a quiet place.”

He said he feels sad at plans to build on the land.

“This is people's quiet space and with my autism I like quiet spaces and like space to chill out and stuff...and it's quite fun there to be honest,” he added.

When asked what he would say to developers and planners about building on the city’s green belt, he added: “I am wondering why you would take this place away, it's a safe place and I think they should go there and see how good it is and see what they're taking away and see they're taking everyone's safe place away that lives here.”

In a plea to other campaigners, he added: “Keep going and not give up because if you want it to keep it that bad you want to fight for it. You need to fight for something if you really want it.

“I wouldn't want to live here if they build houses here because it would be a bit too noisy for me.”

Wharncliffe Side resident, Julie Harris, 62, also objects to housing plans for the same field.

“We use the field as a community - we have sledged, walked and played in the field as a community,” she said.

“During covid it was a great place to meet at a distance, I see lots of people every day use this field, either walking their dog, getting down to the bus stop or coming home from school.

“It’s great for nature walks, I’ve seen schools use this route for nature walks, the local Brownies come to see the bats and owls flying around. Lots of people use this field and lots of people will be upset if it goes.”

Julie also believes that access to the field in the village is the safest route for children and people to get to and from Glen Howe Park.

“We’re away from the road, it's open - people can see you. The other routes would involve crossing major roads that are very dangerous around here, there’s no crossings on that part of the road. It's not a place I would like my children to have to use,” she said.

Jo Tunstall, moved to nearby Chapeltown in 1997 and chose it for its wide open green spaces and strong sense of community.

“This plan does not serve our community, instead the plan burdens our community to the point where we have two options - fight or flight,” she said.

“Flight would be the easy option, but I cannot stand by and watch the Sheffield City Council rip the heart out of our community, take livelihoods away from our farmers and kill off our wildlife so I choose to fight.”

Explaining the need for the Local Plan and new homes, Council Leader Tom Hunt previously said: “Sheffield needs a Local Plan because we are a growing city.

"Having a Local Plan means control over where development happens and what gets built. But growth needs to be inclusive, and the Plan will bring real benefits for communities. It will help us to provide more affordable housing, regenerate derelict land, create new jobs, improve public transport and reduce our city’s carbon emissions.

“The Plan has a clear focus on developing brownfield land that has already previously been built on. It is a long-term plan and the majority of development won’t happen until the 2030s.

“The Plan means that more housing developments will have to include affordable homes. It means ensuring that developments have the right infrastructure like public transport, children’s playgrounds, schools and health services.

“Continuing without a Local Plan means remaining at risk of speculative, unplanned development and developments built without any infrastructure and without affordable housing. This would be a failure and it is not what communities need.”