Rail maintenance centre supported by MP is on green belt, not wasteland

The so-called ‘industrial wasteland’ is classified as green belt in the Sheffield City Council Unitary Development Plan which should protect it from any development other than recreational.

The firm has not said 200 jobs will be created.

It was quoted at the Limes public meeting as bringing 150 jobs to the area, most of which would be transfers, in the first year of operation there were to be four apprenticeships, then three for the susequent three years, a total of 13 jobs.

Furthermore these apprenticeships are to be taken via Sheffield Hallam University, which at the last count didn’t have its entire engineering course intake from Beighton village.

Clearly Mr Betts does not sympathise with us. If he did he would not be supporting this proposal.

The ‘derelict eyesore’ was covered in bushes and trees until the site was recently cleared.

The 20,000-square-metre facility may well be built to proper environmental standards but that will not counteract the visual impact on this pleasant valley.

The building as proposed is 19 metres tall and, according to the construction company, will still be clearly visible above the screening trees after 15 years.

Mr Betts’ keen attitude towards the Network Rail development may in some way be explained by his recent appointment as chair of the new all-party parliamentary East Midlands Rail Franchise Group, who “hope to work closely with the new franchisee and Network Rail to make the East Midlands line a really competitive and well-used service”.

Reference http://www.clivebetts.com/ press_releases?PageId=4c5d847b-d92f-a8d4-558b-5e7f9b9ca462)

A Concerned Neighbour