'Bulldozers at bay' after green belt plans delayed

Sheffield's long-awaited Local Plan - a blueprint for the development of the city in the next decade and beyond - has been further delayed.

Planning inspectors want further information from Sheffield City Council about certain aspects of the draft plan.

It would see more than 3,500 homes along with cemeteries and schools built on 14 green belt sites, with the majority of the development in two postcodes.

Campaigners say the delay would "keep the bulldozers at bay" for a while longer. The local authority said not having a Local Plan meant there was a risk of developments being built without infrastructure or affordable housing.

Sheffield has not had an updated Local Plan since the Sheffield Unitary Development Plan in 1998 and later the Sheffield Core Strategy in 2009.

Planning inspectors have been examining the latest draft Local Plan since 2023.

Residents teamed up to form a new Sheffield Greenbelt Alliance, with the community campaign dealt a blow in January when inspectors said the council could proceed to the next stage of the plan.

• Why is Sheffield's Local Plan so controversial?

It was due to go before councillors for a final decision over summer but has now been delayed - potentially for several further months.

Inspectors asked the council to carry out a further public consultation, which runs until 26 October.

Both the council's Labour and Green Party groups are supporting the Local Plan.

Labour said rejecting it could lead to new, higher housing targets being imposed that would require even more green belt land.

The Greens said the plan was essential to stop substandard planning applications, with the Liberal Democrats opposing it.

Once inspectors have completed their examination, they will publish a final report.

If they find the modified plan to be sound, councillors will then decide whether to adopt it.

Jo Tunstall, from the Sheffield Greenbelt Alliance, said campaigners believed the delay could only be positive.

"The number of consultations the plan has gone through is unprecedented, which we feel is a direct consequence of it being rushed, under-resourced and far from the level of quality our city deserves," she said.

"We are now 19 months down the road and still the plan has not been found sound with yet another round of consultation underway.

"This continues to weigh heavy on the affected communities, but it also means we are keeping the bulldozers at bay from ripping up farmland, trees, hedgerows and wildlife habitats for longer."

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