Park Hill Sheffield: Council leader 'pleased' Phase 4 is moving forward as ward councillors object to plans

Sheffield City Councillors, including the council leader, have thrown their weight into the developing row over plans to pave over green spaces in Park Hill for car parks.

The firm behind the transformation of the brutalist Park Hill flats, Urban Splash, recently submitted plans, which involved building additional parking spaces at the expense of specific green spaces - prompting a scathing open letter from local Save Our Spaces campaigners to council leader, Tom Hunt.

The letter called for Coun Hunt to work with Urban Splash to find "more reasonable" parking proposals that wouldn't sacrifice the grassy areas, which are said to be used regularly by residents for picnics, football and cricket.

In response to the letter, which slammed the plans as "regressive", the Leader of the Council said: "I’m really pleased to see plans to redevelop Phase 4 at Park Hill moving forward.

"This will provide new homes and continue the regeneration of the neighbourhood. New people moving in at Park Hill will create some additional demand for parking but I understand the residents’ concerns about this and the importance of green spaces.

"The ward councillors for Park Hill have met with residents and with Urban Splash on several occasions. I know that Urban Splash are aware of the concerns and are currently gathering the views of residents from a survey. The Council’s Planning Service has also asked Urban Splash to provide further evidence about the demand for parking so that the proposals can be objectively assessed when the planning application is considered."

Yesterday, Urban Splash responded to the criticism and stated they would be meeting with residents and have issued a survey over the plans for them to respond to. The company said: "As our community grows, we are exploring parking provision, taking many views into consideration as we try to meet the needs of residents, businesses and visitors."

The firm said that by engaging the community, they hoped to "find a solution that both addresses demand for parking while preserving as much green space as possible".

The three Green party councillors representing the City ward (which neighbours, but doesn't include, Park Hill) have sided with Save Our Spaces, announcing in July they were objecting to Urban Splash's plans, which have been submited for approval.

Councillors Douglas Johnson, Ruth Mersereau and Martin Phipps all signed an objection saying the plan "completely undermines the city’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions".

Urban Splash said the Phase 4 plan includes 124 new homes, which "will include a garden area, increasing the green space further".