Developers appeal decision to reject controversial apartments plan on Sheffield green space

Planning officers used delegated powers to reject the nine apartments, a mix of one and two bedrooms, on a strip of land on the corner of Crookes Road and Weston View.

There had been 58 objections to the scheme, including local councillor Angela Argenzio who summed up residents’ complaints.

She said: “The site is not allocated for housing and is open space. In the climate emergency we are in, green spaces provide increasingly vital lungs and the council’s long overdue new Local Plan must prioritise their protection.

“I agree with local people who view this green space as an integral part of the Weston View development providing suitable amenity space in a well maintained, pleasant setting.

“It’s disappointing to see developers misrepresent this green space. Apparently it is ‘predominantly overgrown vegetation with little to no management, serves little purpose, is not well used, is highly unlikely to be valued and is therefore surplus, underused land’.

“In fact it is well maintained, highly valued and well used by Weston View residents plus many other local people who have easy access to it.

“I note the new apartment dwellers will have no such green space to enjoy noting the provision for gardens and amenity space says all of the proposed apartments with the exception of one, have private amenity space in the form of balconies accessed from the main living area.”

Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust had also objected about the lack of an ecological survey and loss of habitat for wildlife.

Officers refused the scheme saying the open space, which was part of the character of the area, would be lost and there was already a shortage of green plots of land in the neighbourhood.

Developers have now appealed and a planning inspector will make the final decision.