Owlthorpe housing: Sheffield Council promises to talk with campaigners about development plans

It follows a petition started by Ecological Owlthorpe urging the council to protect a 22 acre Grassland Grazing Project which has so far gathered more than 1,400 signatures at the time of writing.

The authority earmarked the greenfield site at Moor Valley for housing with capacity for 151 homes in its draft local plan.

Michael Meredith, who started the petition, said. “Surely it is difficult to understand why Sheffield Council wishes to destroy our open space, used and loved by the local community.

“If allowed to proceed this project would completely destroy the Owlthorpe Grassland Grazing Project which is a major component of the award winning Owlthorpe Heritage and Nature Trail – a rural oasis in the urban south east of Sheffield.”

Responding to the petition, councillor Ben Miskell, chair of the regeneration committee and climate change, said the council would contact Ecological Owlthorpe to discuss the group’s concerns.

He added that if the draft local plan is approved at full council on September 6 it will be submitted to the government for public examination and a planning inspector will consider all the objections made and invite those who submitted comments to appear at public hearings.

“Petitions are an important part of our local democracy,” Coun Miskell said.

“When developing the draft local plan and identifying possible housing sites, we have considered several factors including the impact on the environment, availability of outdoor spaces and the provision of infrastructure to support an increased population. Each site has been carefully considered and meets the required criteria to be a viable site.

“Although a large proportion of the city’s housing needs over the next 15 years can be met on brownfield sites, some development on greenfield sites is still needed to provide the new homes our city needs.”

The site has been proposed as a housing site for many years, the council said.

It added that several conditions must be met for a housing plan to be approved at the site. This includes creating a new public open space, providing an environmental buffer between housing and the nearby wildlife site, keeping the ecological corridors and ensuring there is at least 10 per cent biodiversity net gain.

There is also an infrastructure delivery plan detailing the need for services such as schools and health facilities across the city and specific requirements would be assessed if a planning application was submitted for this location.

Supporters backing the campaign said it was a special place.

Size Huggins said: “I have walked here, laughed here, cried here and mourned here. It has saved my life and sanity. If it has done this for me how many other people are mentally healthy because of this beautiful space.”

Shirley Sherwood said: “I was born in Hackenthorpe and stayed in this area for nearly 69 years because of the wonderful countryside, wildlife and excellent walks. I want to leave my children and grandchildren the experience of the outdoors I have had. It would be a travesty to build on this historical site.”