New homes for ‘eyesore wasteland’ on ‘very busy’ Rotherham road spark mixed reactions

Members of Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council’s planning board will discuss the proposal for four new homes on Worksop Road in Swallownest, opposite the Aston All Saints Church of England Primary School.

The development site, labelled an eyesore and wasteland by those in favour of the scheme, is around 0.32ha and has an existing two-storey detached home.

The applicant, a report said, was seeking outline permission to keep the existing house (147 Worksop Road) and build up to four new homes – with specific details about how the houses will look decided at a later date.

Part of the plan is the creation of a private drive by modifying the existing access off Worksop Road.

For this, the existing attached and detached garages on site would be demolished and replacement parking for 147 Worksop Road was proposed to be provided to the rear of the property.

The application has drawn interest from people objecting to and supporting it.

The objectors (a document said 17 letters were submitted) said the main concerns were – among other things – drainage, flooding, the felling of trees, people parking on “very busy” Worksop during school hours, the loss of wildlife, privacy and more.

At the same time, those in favour of the proposed development (13 letters were submitted) added that the land was currently a “wasteland and an eyesore”, more housing was needed in the village and developers should build on lands like that instead of using the green belt.

Officers recommended that planning permission should be granted.

RMBC’s planning board will sit at 9am on Thursday at Rotherham Town Hall.