Sheffield nursery plan refused because of concerns about traffic and parking
Permission has been refused to turn a house in Millhouses, Sheffield into a nursery and family centre because of parking and traffic on a busy road.
The proposal for Malik House on Springfield Road was refused by Sheffield City Council’s planning and highways committee on Tuesday (December 9). Councillors were split about the decision and four voted to support the application.
Planning permission for the nursery, which would cater for up to 47 babies and children per session, was recommended for refusal because it could generate “a significant increase in parking demand,” said a report to the committee.
“In the absence of suitable drop-off facilities, the proposal is likely to result in inappropriate parking which would be disruptive to the free flow of traffic close to the busy junction of Springfield Road, Millhouses Lane and Abbeydale Road.”
The applicants wanted to convert the house from a four-bedroomed family home, building on a single-storey side extension.
Amended proposals included adding acoustic fencing in the side and rear gardens and replacing garden hard surfaces with rubber playground surfacing to help deal with noise issues.
Support
Planning officers said that noise was no longer a concern following the changes. An independent acoustic engineer, Matthew Gascoigne, told councillors that his investigation had found that the nursery would have “a negligible impact on the acoustic environment”.
The applicants also offered to have staggered drop-off and pick-up times and to use a minivan, in order to lessen parking concerns.
The meeting heard from people who both supported and opposed the application.
The proposal also included a before and after school club for up to eight children per session. The nursery would be open from 7am to 7pm Monday to Friday.
The report to the committee said that it is understood that one ground-floor room and the garden is currently used for a childminding business for up to 12 children.
Support
Eric Clement, who said he has lived opposite Malik House for 36 years, stated that residents are extremely concerned. “A WhatsApp group was formed and not a single resident has expressed support for this application.”
He said that Springfield Road now functions as a commuter route and it is also a bus route.
As well as being concerned about increased street parking which already forces pushchairs and wheelchairs out into the road, Mr Clement said that the minibus would have to reverse into or out of traffic.
Paul McGrath, chair of Sharrow Community Forum, said a parking assessment was “misleading” because it looked at a single point in time. He said that the church attracted a lot of street parking, especially for weddings and funerals.
He said: “Residents are rightly asking when there will be any quiet at all”.
Speakers for the proposal included a supporter who said that there is already a high demand for childcare, including for children with protected characteristics.
Inclusive
One parent who uses the current childminding provision at Malik House said that its ability to provide inclusive care for children, including those with SEND needs, is very important for parents and carers.
She added: “Springfield Road is not a retirement village, it hasn’t been designated or designed for a retirement village, it’s a mixed age residential area.”
Parking concerns are very much overrated, she stressed.
Another supporter said that the facility would be important for kinship carers, who look after children of family members, because of its expertise in providing trauma-informed early care.
The proposal was also backed by charity Sparkle Sheffield, which supports children and young people with autism spectrum and other social communication difficulties and their families.
A statement read out from founder Liesje Dusauzay said there is a sizeable population of SEND children in the area but there is a shortage of specialist early years childcare for them.
Fantastic
“Families repeatedly tell us, and as we know from our own work in the area, that they are unable to find appropriate places locally”. As a result, families are forced to travel across the city or sometimes outside it.
Coun Mark Whittaker said: “The nursery’s fantastic but I’m familiar with the road crossing.” He said he used a local takeaway and has a good friend living nearby.
He added: “I’ve personally witnessed near accidents and incidents on the actual light-controlled crossing because the junction is so busy that people keep trying to jump the lights.”
Coun Mary Lea said she was “disappointed” with the recommendation to refuse the application because of the need for the nursery in the area.
Coun Mike Chaplin said: “I don’t think anyone in this room would doubt that there is a need fo this type of educational provision, especially one for SEND. That’s to be commended.
“Mitigation can be put in to decrease the worst of the children’s noise.”
Welcome
Coun Marieanne Elliot said that the area is not entirely residential because of a nearby pub, cafe and shops. She said the council’s children’s commissioning team had said it would be a welcome addition to the area.
Coun Elliot added: “The reason for refusal [is] on traffic grounds being too significant.
"It does seem that with other applications we’ve often heard that traffic impacts are tolerable and that’s not a reason to reject and it does seem an inconsistent approach, so for that reason I won’t be voting with the officer recommendation.”
Coun Cliff Woodcraft said he would support the application “if it was round the corner on Grove Road”.
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