Residents oppose neighbouring green belt developments

Campaigners have said it would be "catastrophic" to build more than 300 houses on green belt land either side of the Derbyshire/South Yorkshire border.

North East Derbyshire District Council (NEDDC) is consulting on a development in the village of Ridgeway as part of its Local Plan and Sheffield City Council (SCC) is doing the same for a site in the Charnock area of the city.

“If those sites are built on the compounding impact would be catastrophic,” said Jonathan Hobson from the S12 Green Belt Action Group.

SCC said 80% of homes in its current Local Plan would be built on brownfield sites. NEDDC said it needed to find land for 12,000 homes in a largely rural district.

NEDDC said an initial assessment of the land at the Ridgeway site deemed it "unlikely developable” but said that could change after its Green Belt Review was carried out.

Local authorities can carry out the review as part of national policy to determine whether green belt land can be released or developed.

The two adjoining sites are close to a primary school, nursery, a SEND facility and a playground, which has led to campaigners raising traffic safety concerns.

Both councils said they will continue their consultation processes and consider all evidence.

If approved, planning applications would then have to be submitted before any final decisions are made.

SCC proposed building 304 houses on 25 acres (10 hectares) of green belt fields either side of Robin Brook in May 2025.

This proposal was part of the city's Local Plan to develop 3,500 houses across 14 rural sites.

S12 Green Belt Action Group raised concerns about the impact on traffic, children's safety and access to education, amongst other issues.

Inspectors at a public hearing in January said the planning document was "sound" with minor adjustments to road access onto Carter Hall Lane, a public bridleway beside playing fields and a playground.

A public consultation continues until 5 May. The inspectors will submit their final report, then the city council will vote on whether to adopt the Sheffield Local Plan.

NEDDC explored the option of building up to 350 houses, along with business and retail units on 42 acres (17 hectares) of green belt fields beside SCC's earmarked development site.

The council said it had looked at more than 500 possible sites, including about 40 other green belt sites across the district.

NEDDC's Land Availability Assessment concluded that building on the Ridgeway site would have a "major" impact on "a large area of intact agricultural land that has a strong sense of character".

The assessment gave the lowest "red" rating for the site's potential to create a sustainable community and its suitability for development.

"However, this status may change pending the outcome of a new Green Belt Review," said NEDDC.

The district council said it will decide whether to proceed with the site in the summer, after taking account of issues raised during public consultation.

The S12 Green Belt Action Group said it planned to contest both developments by encouraging residents to sign a petition, submit a response to each council's consultation and suggest brownfield sites to develop instead, with the support of other groups.

"The solution to the housing problem is to exhaust all brownfield first," said Hobson

"Also, 20 plus years ago, there was a number of high-rise flats in Sheffield, they're now all gone. You can't easily replace that, but if they can optimise, they should."

SCC said 80% of homes within its current Local Plan would be built on brownfield sites.

A SCC spokesperson added: "The council has carried out extensive work to identify opportunities for development on brownfield sites, including doubling the number of homes planned in the central area of Sheffield from around 10,000 to 20,000 new homes (as part of the City Centre Strategic Vision published in 2022)."

A NEDDC spokesperson said: "At this stage no final decisions have been made around the amount of housing or employment development that we are planning for in the district, or which sites will be allocated.

"The council's cabinet will need to make these decisions this summer (taking account of issues raised during public consultation) in order to publish the Publication Draft Local Plan in September this year in line with the Local Plan Timetable.

"This version of the Plan will then be subject to a further period of public consultation before we submit the plan to the government for independent examination by the end of the year."

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