Sheffield should decide its own future, not ‘some idiot in London’ says councillor

Councillor Mark Jones made the comments ahead of a pivotal vote on the long-awaited local plan – which will guide where all developments can go in the city and which green spaces are protected for years to come – during a full council meeting yesterday.

Coun Jones is the chair of the climate change, economy and development transitional committee which made an advisory vote on the foundation of the local plan – known as spatial options – a few weeks ago.

Following a heated debate, full council agreed with the committee’s recommendation, choosing an option that will allow a limited number of brownfield sites in the green belt, next to urban areas, to be built on to meet housing and economic needs.

This approach is known as option three and it is halfway between choices that would have seen developments only on brownfield sites (which would have significantly limited housing), known as option one, and as much development in the green belt as necessary to meet the government’s housing supply targets (which council officers said would have harmed the environment and undermined Sheffield’s reputation as the Outdoor City), option five.

Why is Sheffield Council not aiming to meet the government’s housing target?

Councillors, campaigners and council officers have repeatedly criticised the government for increasing the city’s housing supply target by 35 percent last year, saying it was unrealistic, seemed as if it was written on the back of a fag packet and the city would need to build castles in the sky in order to meet them.

Coun Jones added to that criticism and explained why the committee chose option three and decided against meeting the government’s target in his full council speech.

He said: “We have tried to reflect exactly what the people of Sheffield have said but when government arbitrarily dumps a 35 percent uplift from a calculation that can’t be substainitated on us it shows total disrespect and ignorance of the wishes of the people of Sheffield. We have to challenge that.

“It is not acceptable. Government needs to look at itself, what are they playing at? The level of growth they are expecting Sheffield to undertake is not appropriate.

“That was very much covered by all the people within the committee. We heard evidence as to what Sheffield should be doing, how Sheffield should be growing and what our city should look like – as defined by the people of Sheffield, not by some idiot down in London, frankly.”

What option did each party vote for?

Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors voted for option three, in agreement with Coun Jones’ committee.

The Green Party voted for option four, which would have allowed more development in the green belt. This was the option recommended by council officers.

Sheffield’s only Conservative councillor, Lewis Chinchen, voted for option one, building only on brownfield sites.