Plans to build 14 new houses near historic Sheffield barn and sports ground

Quinta Developments Limited applied to build the four-bedroom detached houses in the garden of Ingfield House, 11 Bocking Hill, in Stocksbridge near the sports ground.

In a statement provided with their plans they said: “The proposed development would make a positive contribution to Sheffield’s housing stock, on a designated site for housing and in an established residential area.

“The proposed units will complement the existing housing stock in Stocksbridge, being a contemporary development that accords with the prevalent scale and typology of housing surrounding the site.

“The design of the site layout ensures that there will be a good level of amenity for future occupants, as well as preserving the existing amenity of nearby residents.”

Councillors on the planning and highways committee will decide whether to grant permission in a meeting next week.

Ahead of the meeting, planning officers recommended approval saying there is a tilted balance in favour of housing developments because Sheffield currently falls short of the government’s supply targets.

In a report they added: “The scheme would have an acceptable visual impact on the locality, an acceptable impact on heritage assets, and on the amenities of surrounding occupiers and highway safety.

“The disbenefits of the scheme relate to the slightly compromised amenity of some units within the development owing to the depth of gardens, heights of boundary structures and perception of privacy.

“To some extent level changes within the site contribute to these as does the amount of development proposed. However, living conditions are considered to be acceptable.”

They said the site was cleared of vegetation – removing biodiversity – before an ecological survey was carried out which was “undesirable” and went against the spirit of the National Planning Policy Framework but some measures had been put in place to improve this.

What neighbours think

There were two rounds of consultation and 21 letters of objection, including from Stocksbridge Town Council, were received during the first.

Concerns raised included a lack of affordable housing, overdevelopment, increased traffic, harm to the historic barn, access and parking problems.

The meeting will take place from 2pm on Tuesday, May 24.