Campaigners vow to continue their fight to protect Sheffield’s green spaces after losing appeal

A planning inspector this week ruled 71 houses could be built on Owlthorpe Fields at Moorthorpe Way, Crystal Peaks.

Councillors had overwhelmingly voted against the plans but Avant Homes appealed and won.

Christine Rippon, on behalf of the Group, said: “We are devastated and consider it to be an absolute travesty that at a time of crisis in biodiversity and climate change, a pandemic and a mental health crisis, decisions continue to be made to build on tree-abundant, green and biodiverse areas such as Owlthorpe Fields.

“The decision includes a condition for a financial contribution of £230,400 to be made by the developer for offsite biodiversity, but no amount of ‘biodiversity net-gain funding’ can compensate the wildlife for their loss of habitat, if indeed they survive at all.

“Owlthorpe Fields may only be a small area of Sheffield but the destruction of our green spaces and farmland is happening all over the UK and is unsustainable.

“We are heartbroken but we will continue our efforts going forward – we’ll be back.”

Dr Nicky Rivers of Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust said she was very disappointed.

“The fields are of huge value to local people. It has been fantastic to use our expertise to support the Group, who have put in so much work to collect evidence on the ecology and to campaign to protect the fields.”

And Andrew Wood, director of Stride Works and a planning witness, said: “At the appeal we showed that building on Owlthorpe Fields would throw away the amazing opportunity that is there for wildlife regeneration.

“I hope the council will now work closely with the local people, who’ve fought so hard for nature and greenspace at Owlthorpe, to get a much better solution for the rest of the site.”

The Group has thanked Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust, Campaign to Protect Rural England, Friends of the Earth, Professor Ian Rotherham and many more for their time, donations and expertise.

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