Green light for Sheffield nursery development

Intake Primary School, in Mansfield Road, Intake, had applied to build the 44-space nursery on an area of playing field, for youngsters aged from two to five years.

Planning officers have recommended more than a dozen conditions on the build, including the submission of a community use plan to outline how the development can be used by residents outside of school hours.

Equipment must also be installed to ensure lorries are washed clean before they exit the site to avoid soiling surrounding roads, and the school must submit a detailed travel plan to " reduce the need for and impact of motor vehicles" with an anticipated increase in vehicles visiting the site.

Vehicle access to the site will be from Sharrand Drive, and 12 parking spaces will be provided as part of the development.

Two letters of objection were received from residents on Sharrand Drive, stating that the development would lead to an increase in traffic and add to already existing parking problems.

Sports England initially objected to the proposal as the school will lose a small portion of its playing field, but later withdrew their concerns because "it is satisfied that there will be no harm to the sport and recreation provision on site and that the proposal will deliver sporting benefits for a local football club and the wider community through making the changing rooms and playing field available for community use."

The nursery currently operates from a methodist chapel.

Ward councillor Mike Drabble attended the meeting to speak in favour of the development.

He said: “It’s a dickensian building. It’s so dilapidated that the Methodist Church want to close it down. This is a new build for the children and there will be green spaces for them to play on.

“This is as good as it gets in terms of of what a development can do for the community.”

The application was considered by Sheffield City Council's planning and highways committee on Tuesday, May 1.