Sheffield green belt: Campaigners to stage town hall protest after inspectors' decision
Campaigners are set to hold a protest at Sheffield Town Hall over green belt housing plans.
People fighting to save green belt in Grenoside and Ecclesfield say a government inspectors’ report approving the vast majority of the city council’s proposals hasn’t ended their campaign.
A protest will be held from 1pm on Wednesday, February 4, ahead of a full council meeting at 2pm.
A post on the Save Grenoside Ecclesfield Green Belt Land group on Facebook states: ‘We’ll be raising questions, making statements, and holding the council to account’.
It adds: ‘We’re not going away’.
Sheffield City Council has put forward 14 sites in green belt for more than 3,500 homes and employment land as part of a blueprint for development called the Local Plan.
Last week, government inspectors said the plan was ‘sound’, apart from minor amendments, and it can move forward to the next stage.
Public consultation on the proposed modifications is expected to start in early March and last for six weeks, the city council says.
Responses will be sent to the inspectors for review before a final report is delivered to the council.
A final decision to adopt the plan is set to be taken by elected members at a full council meeting in July.
The Star asked the city council if there was a right of appeal on the green belt decision.
A city council spokesperson said: “The Local Plan will now go to a further round of consultation, looking to begin in March, where residents will be invited to submit their views on the plan as a whole.
“The independent inspectors will then assess those responses before providing the council with their final report.
“The public will also be able to have their say should the plan be adopted, when planning applications for development of each piece of land begin as per the standard planning process.”