Developer offers a fresh start at old brickworks

The firm behind a controversial scheme of 88 homes in Sheffield's Green Belt has dropped a bid to challenge their obligation to offer affordable housing '“ offering instead to '˜start with a clean slate' on the development.
The former Dyson factory site, Stopes Road, Stannington, SheffieldThe former Dyson factory site, Stopes Road, Stannington, Sheffield
The former Dyson factory site, Stopes Road, Stannington, Sheffield

Sheffield Council approved the £10 million plan for the old Dyson Refractories site in Stannington in January.

A condition was that developer Avant Homes should contribute £1.8m towards affordable housing in the area.

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But last month Avant applied to the council seeking a review of the requirement.

In a letter, the firm’s agent said that providing ‘any affordable housing whatsoever’ would render the project ‘unviable’. A report to councillors suggested planning committee members and residents had been ‘misled’.

But a planning meeting on Tuesday will hear that Avant has withdrawn its request for a review.

“It is clear we misjudged the approach,” the council is told by Avant in another report. “We are sorry for that – it was never our intention to ‘play the system’.”

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The company said it had ‘two further choices’ – the first being to accept a refusal and submit an appeal. The second is to take a step back, start with a clean slate and seek to work towards an alternative solution for the site.”

The report says officers will work to ‘secure an appropriate and acceptable redevelopment scheme’.