Labour council leader and Green Party chief tour Sheffield green belt sites set to disappear under Local Plan
Sheffield Greenbelt Alliance took decisionmakers on tour of the green belt sites at risk of vanishing
Sheffield green belt sites earmarked to disappear under controversial housing plans were visited by politicians.
Sheffield City Council leader Fran Belbin [Labour], along with the city’s Green Party group leader, Angela Argenzio, visited some of the at-risk plots which stand to be lost under the much-protested Local Plan.
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The Sheffield Greenbelt Alliance, a collective of concerned residents opposed to the greenbelt plans at 14 sites across the city, arranged the meetings to confront the politicians with the 327 hectares of key green space earmarked for development.
Councillor Fran Belbin said: “No-one wants to see the Sheffield Plan fail, but we want it to be the right plan. We have a long list of questions to raise back at the Town Hall, and lots to reflect on over the next few weeks."
Councillor Angela Argenzio said: "We want a Local Plan that supports the city and is right for all of us. Fran and I will meet to compare notes and put questions forward to ensure that we make informed decisions.”
It comes after the council’s Labour Party backed the plan when it was first proposed in 2025, in spite of huge objections from angry residents.
Sheffield Green Party in particular were then criticised for voting in favour of greenbelt housing - something which later led to a promise by Green Party Leader Zack Polanski to “look into it.”
The visit, on Saturday, August 8, was organised to show both leaders first-hand what the communities stand to lose if the plan is adopted - a decision which will be decided by a full council vote later this year.
Meanwhile, Labour MP Clive Betts (Sheffield South East) has been in support of protest groups in his community, and has slammed the Local Plan for falling hardest on less-affluent areas of Sheffield.
In one postcode alone, S13, the community are expected to lose all their greenbelt and accommodate half of the additional homes planned for the city.
Handsworth-born Hollywood star Sean Bean has also spoken out about the plans and donated £5,000 to help fund the legal fight.
Last weekend, Ms Belbin and Ms Argenzio also visited the S35 area where seven greenbelt sites are under threat, with 1,400 new homes proposed.
This was followed by Handsworth Hall Farm (SES29) and Bramley Common (SES30), which together stand to build more than 1,700 houses, business parks and a multi-faith cemetery.
Campaigners say together the combined effect of these sites will lead to massive overdevelopment in Handsworth and a 50 per cent increase in its population, straining roads and schools.