Rotherham Council’s planning board to approve 320 homes

The 14.5 hectares of former greenbelt land off Moor Lane South was earmarked for development in Rotherham’s local plan.

If the scheme is approved during the planning board meeting on May 19, developer Redrow Homes will be required to provide 25 per cent affordable housing – equal to 80 properties.

As part of the S106 agreement, RMBC will also require £25,600 towards sustainable transport measures; £100,000 per year for a period of three years for bus services; £63,389 for bus shelter improvements on on Moor Lane South and Braithwell Road; £670,728 for education provision at maltby Academy; and £15,000 for the improvement of football pitches at Ravenfield Recreation Ground.

An officer report to the planning board states that the development will be made up of two to five bed properties.

It is proposed that 46 two bed, 26 three bed and eight four bed properties make up the affordable housing allocation.

All properties will be provided with electric vehicle charging points, and access is proposed from Moor Lane South.

The report adds that 15 letters of representation have been received from residents, as well as Braithwell With Micklebring Parish Council and Ravenfield Parish Council.

Residents are concerned that the proposal will increase traffic on Moor Lane South; will “impact negatively on local amenities such as shops, schools and health care facilities”; “have a negative impact on wildlife”; “will result in increased flood risk”; and “will cause prolonged noise pollution”.

Braithwell with Micklebring Parish Council raise concerns in the planning documents that the scheme will “have a significant impact on the villages of Braithwell and Micklebring as the road network through both villages will be used as a bypass”.

Rotherham NHS officials were also consulted as part of the planning process, and the officer report states that: “Rotherham NHS acknowledge that the proposed development could theoretically add circa 800 patients into the local community and whilst they note that practices within the area are operating beyond capacity, they are working with them to find a solution and as such raise no objections to the proposed development.”

However, the officer report adds that impacts on the road network were “assessed and considered ” at the outline stage by the council’s transport officers and Highways England, who found that the development would “not have a detrimental impact on highway safety or a [severe] impact on the road network.

“Two access points onto Moor Lane South from the development were also considered at outline stage and were both deemed to be acceptable from a highway safety perspective,” adds the report.

“An Air Quality Assessment….concluded there is potential to cause air quality impacts as a result of emissions during the construction phase, however theyare not predicted to be significant.

“The impact as a result of traffic generated by the development was predicted to be negligible.

“Objections have also been received stating that the proposed development will affect the views of residents from their existing properties. Whilst this point is noted, it is not a material planning consideration.”

The scheme is recommended for approval.