Early outline of long-awaited Sheffield local plan released

Sheffield Council has published a document which details the aims and challenges of the long-awaited local plan - taking into account climate change, Covid-19 recovery, affordable housing, heritage and other issues.
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The Issues and Options document is an early outline of the Sheffield Plan and will be the basis of the its main consultation phase which is due to start on September 1 and give the public a say over a period of six weeks.

The 72-page release can be read in full on the council’s website and there are videos, guides and translated options due to be available soon.

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Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the consultation will mostly take place online with the option for it to be posted out to those who do not have internet access.

A document detailing the council's aims for the long-awaited Sheffield local plan has now been published. Picture: Scott MerryleesA document detailing the council's aims for the long-awaited Sheffield local plan has now been published. Picture: Scott Merrylees
A document detailing the council's aims for the long-awaited Sheffield local plan has now been published. Picture: Scott Merrylees

In the meantime, here are the highlights:

Key aims

Sheffield Council has outlined eight key aims which it hopes the Sheffield Plan will achieve.

Those are:

Any development of the centre will be alongside existing schemes such as Heart of the City Two,. Pictured is Charter Square situated in Phase 1 of Sheffield City Council’s Heart of the City II. Picture: Brian EyreAny development of the centre will be alongside existing schemes such as Heart of the City Two,. Pictured is Charter Square situated in Phase 1 of Sheffield City Council’s Heart of the City II. Picture: Brian Eyre
Any development of the centre will be alongside existing schemes such as Heart of the City Two,. Pictured is Charter Square situated in Phase 1 of Sheffield City Council’s Heart of the City II. Picture: Brian Eyre

- Fair, inclusive and healthy city

- Environmentally sustainable city

- Thriving neighbourhoods and communities

- Strong economy

Any development of the centre will be alongside existing schemes such as Heart of the City Two. Pictured is Charter Square situated in Phase 1 of Sheffield City Council’s Heart of the City II. Picture: Brian EyreAny development of the centre will be alongside existing schemes such as Heart of the City Two. Pictured is Charter Square situated in Phase 1 of Sheffield City Council’s Heart of the City II. Picture: Brian Eyre
Any development of the centre will be alongside existing schemes such as Heart of the City Two. Pictured is Charter Square situated in Phase 1 of Sheffield City Council’s Heart of the City II. Picture: Brian Eyre

- Vibrant city centre

- Connected city

- Green city

- Well-designed city

The council wants to enable more journeys to be made by public transport, cycling, and walking, as part of its local plan for SheffieldThe council wants to enable more journeys to be made by public transport, cycling, and walking, as part of its local plan for Sheffield
The council wants to enable more journeys to be made by public transport, cycling, and walking, as part of its local plan for Sheffield

- Housing

Where people live is a huge part of the plan, and a big challenge with an increasing demand for homes and less land to build on.

The council has committed to not build on greenfield sites unless as a “last resort”. It added that for the past 15 years, 95 percent of new homes were built on brownfield sites and it intends to continue this.

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Over the next 18 years the city needs nearly 40,000 new homes to match a growing population.

There is also a large demand for more affordable housing and the council predicts it will need 900 extra affordable homes per year over the next five years to meet this.

It is also a legal requirement for local authorities to allocate sufficient sites for gypsies and travellers and therefore the council has factored in a need for 44 additional pitches.

The council noted much of recent housing was student accommodation and said it recognised a need for more variety in the type of homes it approves.

Economy and jobs

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Sheffield City Region’s economic plan aimed to create 70,000 more jobs across its area between 2015 and 2025, of which 25,550 jobs were set to be created in Sheffield.

Ideally, the council hopes these will be skilled and better paid jobs and said its strengths were in higher education, the outdoor city, health and medical services, financial and professional services, advanced manufacturing, creative and digital industries.

It plans to make 140 hectares of employment land available to help achieve this.

Environment and the green belt

The city aims to be carbon neutral by 2030 and the council said it is keen to ensure the plan helps deliver this.

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At Sheffield’s current rate of energy consumption it would use all 16 million tonnes of its future carbon budget in less than six years and statistics show air pollution is contributing to 500 deaths in the city each year.

Policies in the Sheffield Plan will aim to make new developments meet standards for renewable energy and carbon reduction. The council also said it will consider the impact different locations of developments have on pollution and flood risk, such as making sure people can easily commute to work.

Green belt:

Sheffield Council said the plan will “protect areas important to Sheffield’s environment, ecology and heritage” and where this is unavoidable, it will demand extensive mitigation in developments.

It said it will not accept building on the green belt except in “exceptional circumstances when all other reasonable alternatives have been exhausted” and that it will aim to provide residents with green spaces close to people’s homes.

City centre:

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It is possible to deliver around 20,000 new homes in the city centre, according to council research, which would release pressure from the edges of Sheffield.

The same research also showed it was viewed as a place for work but people thought it could have a stronger community to make it more attractive as a place to live.

As well as creating homes in the city centre, the council is keen to cement the its identity as a place for “innovation, entrepreneurialism and inward investment”.

A need for improved public transport and active travel infrastructure was also identified.

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Any development of the centre will be alongside existing schemes such as Heart of the City Two, HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail.

Transport:

In the Issues and Options document, the council said: “We need to reduce the number and length of journeys that are made, and enable more journeys to be made by public transport, cycling, and walking. Not only does this improve health and the environment, it also frees up road space for essential trips, such as deliveries to businesses.”

To achieve this, the council has pinpointed a number of areas to prioritise linking together with better rail, tram and cycling and walking routes. For the full list of where these are, see page 37 of the document.

It also aims to place new developments in areas where people are close to amenities to reduce the need for car journeys.

To read the full document, click here.