Road safety fears over plans for more than 100 new homes in Sheffield

Two neighbouring schemes were for 70 homes on the site of Intermet Refractory Products at Platts Lane, Oughtibridge, and 34 homes at the junction of Oughtibridge Lane and Platts Lane on land used for cereal crops.

There were 22 letters of objection from local residents, plus complaints from Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust, The Woodland Trust Bradfield Parish, Loxley Valley Protection Society and Grenoside Conservation Society about the 70 home scheme.

And the other scheme attracted 60 objections, plus two petitions, one with 247 names and one with 438 names.

One of the main concerns was plans to use traffic lights on the bridge. Campaigners said it wouldn't be safe and there needed to be a separate full width footbridge.

They said the traffic lights would also cause queuing on Station Lane blocking access to existing housing and the pedestrian crossing at the bottom of Oughtibridge Lane was already an accident blackspot.

Planning officers said following extensive discussions with the developers, an acceptable solution to providing safe access to and from the site hadn't been found.

In a report, they say: "The existing arrangements, which involve pedestrians having to walk in the carriageway to cross the existing rail bridge on Oughtibridge Lane, are considered hazardous.

"The applicant’s proposals to signalise the bridge has been considered by officers and independently reviewed through a road safety audit.

"It gives rise to multiple safety concerns for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles and detrimentally affects the free and safe flow of traffic on Oughtibridge Lane.

"The highway safety impacts of the development are considered to be severe and have not been reasonably mitigated by the applicant's design solution.

"A separate footbridge could be delivered which would provide a safe route for pedestrians and cyclists and minimise the need to make any major changes to the existing road bridge and Oughtibridge Lane.

"Putting to one side officers' safety concerns with the applicant’s highways scheme, as third party land - which is not currently not in the applicants ownership - is required, the proposed highways works are not actually considered to be deliverable."

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