Sheffield residents erect HUGE scaffolding tower in extreme move to oppose building plans

They have put up a scaffolding tower to show the height of the proposed three-storey blocks in Dore which they say would ‘obliterate’ views, block sunlight and wipe tens of thousands of pounds from the value of existing homes.

The planners behind the project on Dore Road, where a four-bedroom detached house would be demolished to make way for the 20 luxury apartments, has accused objectors of displaying ‘pretty poor behaviour’ by trespassing on private land during a national lockdown.

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But those responsible, who invited a council planning officer down to take a look on Tuesday, November 17, claim it was the only way to get their message across and show the true impact the development would have.

Alan Disney, whose home is one of those which the planned apartments would overlook, said: “It was all about showing the impact these apartment blocks would have, which it’s hard to appreciate from the designs which have been submitted.

"They would absolutely obliterate the outlook for most of the houses and cause overshadowing and loss of amenity value. It would devalue all the properties surrounding the site by well into six figures.

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"The residents of Dore also want to preserve the character of the area and don’t want blocks of flats destroying the village atmosphere.”

Mr Disney said homeowners on the street had teamed up to erect the scaffolding tower, which would be removed the day it was built, and they were also delivering around 3,000 flyers to homes in Dore setting out their opposition to the planned apartments.

More than 50 people have objected to the plans from Southernwood Dore Limited, with Sheffield Council having received four comments in support of the proposals.

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Adam Murray, managing director of Urbana Town Planning, which submitted the planning statement on behalf of Southernwood, defended the proposed apartments and criticised the objectors’ actions.

"The scaffolding can't in any way reflect how this proposal's going to look,” he said.

"The visuals do that and show the high quality designs that take cues from the local architectural vernacular and show a contemporary design based on the local materials and things like that.

"There's a huge need for homes for downsizers in S17, which aren't readily available, and that also frees up larger homes for families to move into.

"At the moment, you may have older people living in residences which are too big for them but they have nowhere to within their community.”

Mr Murray added that residents should have objected in a ‘more pleasant manner’.

"Trespassing on other people's property and causing a nuisance as they have done is pretty poor behaviour at any time but especially during a national lockdown,” he said.

"Nobody who's trespassed on that property is aware if there's anyone in that property who was isolating or particularly vulnerable.

"I would expect that people do things in a more pleasant manner than taking matters into their own hands and trespassing on someone else's property."