Nearly 92 per cent vote to adopt neighbourhood plan in Sheffield suburb

A blueprint for Broomhill, Broomfield, Endcliffe, Summerfield and Tapton will now be implemented to guide future developments in the area.

It was voted for in a referendum, the results of which were announced today, with 2,543 votes to 224.

Councillor Shaffaq Mohammed leader of Sheffield Liberal Democrats, was an elected representative for the area when the plans were first being drawn up.

He said: “It’s been a long time coming but what it does do is gives the community a lot more power over developments.

“Local plans are the way forward, it can be frustrating in terms of how long it takes to get there.

“The Dore plan is about to go as well so we will soon have another similar referendum this year.

“It’s about empowering communities so it’s not always centralising power and control at the Town Hall or with councillors.”

The BBEST neighbourhood planning forum, a group of more than 200 local residents, developed the plans over a period of around eight years.

They have mapped out where they wanted to see things like shops, houses and travel routes built in a district stretching from Ranmoor student village to Weston Park – an area lauded as ‘the prettiest suburb in England’ by the late poet Sir John Betjeman.

The plan focuses on five main themes: enhancing green and open spaces, maintaining a sustainable and balanced community, boosting the retail centre of Broomhill, offering a better experience for walkers and cyclists, and preserving and enhancing the area’s character.