Sheffield’s Green Belt will be protected, says Council Leader

The city’s long-awaited Local Plan is set to be published next year and while there has been a lot of discussion about housing, Council Leader Julie Dore says the plan will shape the city as a whole.

The blueprint for how the city will develop over the next 25 years will look at green spaces, industry, retail and commerce along with housing.

The council is due to announce a timetable for the Local Plan within the next few weeks but it will be 2020 before it’s fully published after consultation.

“We are looking forward to the expectations, aspirations, wants and demands from a variety of different stakeholders,” said Coun Dore.

“It’s not just about housing, but it looks at the future needs of housing, industry, commerce, public spaces and green land.

“Everybody is concentrating on house building but it’s more than that, it has to be infrastructure too. Housing brings people in and that means more schools, GPs, a transport network and jobs.

“We have a growth in population, an aging population and a very high student population so there are changes in demographics and it’s about meeting everyone’s needs.

“We also want to create jobs, public spaces, retail and leisure and we have to identify land use for all these different things.

“The city is growing and we do need that growth as that means more housing and jobs but we have to determine what Sheffield looks like as a place. It’s about place shaping for the whole of the city.”

Coun Dore says the environment will play a crucial part. “We have to consider the climate emergency. Forty years ago, people wanted more roads but that’s now changed.

“Building on the Green Belt should be an absolute last resort. We are very proud of being the greenest city in Europe and with the climate emergency, green spaces are even more important to people then they were even three years ago.”