Loxley valley township

15
Sep
2020
Sheffield Planning Committee REJECTS Loxley Valley township application

Sheffield Planning Committee REJECTS Loxley Valley township application

Sheffield city councillors have today REJECTED plans for a township of up to 300 homes in the Loxley valley.

The council’s Planning and Highways Committee voted unanimously to refuse permission for redevelopment of the old Hepworth refractory works.

The old factories have stood empty in the Loxley valley bottom since Hepworth plc ended production in the 1990s.

New owners Patrick Properties wanted permission to demolish the factories and replace them with a township of up to 300 homes.

But the 12 councillors at today’s planning meeting voted unanimously to reject the plans.

They backed their officers’ report recommending refusal of outline planning permission.

The officers’ report set out strong reasons for refusal. They said:

  • The proposal would damage the openness of Sheffield’s Green Belt and harm the special character of the Loxley valley;
  • The development would be unsustainable. It had too few on-site services to support it, and existing local services would be inaccessible;
  • Building on a flood plain was not justified by wider sustainability benefits to the local community;
  • There was too little information to judge the impact on biodiversity, landscape, climate change, design quality, pollution and the remediation of derelict land.

Friends of the Loxley Valley welcome the verdict

The decision follows a long campaign by Friends of the Loxley Valley.

We regretted having to fight the application, and would have preferred to work with developers for a consensual solution.

Some of the old factory buildings are derelict and do need attention.

But much of the site has returned to nature, and some of the buildings remain in use.

And the site is in an exceptionally sensitive place, in an area of special character and on the boundary of the Peak District National Park.

We would like to thank everybody who took the time and trouble to object to the planning application.

Objectors included our two local MPs, local councillors, the Peak District National Park Authority, CPRE South Yorkshire, the Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust, and numerous other local groups.

And around 900 local people also wrote to the council to express their concerns.

What happens now?

The developers may choose to appeal against the decision. They also have the option of going back to the council with a more acceptable proposal.

We hope they will choose to work with local people to do something green, sustainable and outstanding, in keeping with this unique Green Belt site.

But for now, we’re very pleased and relieved. We’re going to raise a glass or two to celebrate, and we hope you do too. Cheers!

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21
Jul
2020
Countryside charity CPRE South Yorkshire condemns plans for Loxley valley township

Countryside charity CPRE South Yorkshire condemns plans for Loxley valley township

Our campaign partners CPRE South Yorkshire have posted a scathing objection to plans for a new township of 300 homes in the heart of the Loxley valley.

They say the township proposed by developers Patrick Properties would damage Sheffield’s precious Green Belt countryside.

And they warn it would transform the beauty and openness of a much-loved valley on the edge of the Peak District National Park.

The developers claim the new township on the site of long-abandoned old factories would create a ‘sustainable’ new settlement.

But the CPRE dismiss this claim as ‘laughable’. They say it would be remote from the local services needed by hundreds of new residents.

They say it would swamp local roads with extra cars. This would add to congestion and air pollution at a time of climate emergency.

The CPRE urge Sheffield councillors to throw the plans out

The comments from CPRE South Yorkshire are contained in a detailed objection to the Sheffield City Council planning department.

The council’s planning committee must decide whether to approve the planning application. CPRE South Yorkshire say it should be thrown out.

Their main points are as follows:

  • The township would encroach on open countryside and would breach both local and national Green Belt policies
  • It would be remote, isolated and unsustainable, pushing up dependence on car journeys at a time of climate emergency
  • The site is not designated for housing and is not needed for housing, as Sheffield is now building enough houses elsewhere
  • It would do little to meet local demand for affordable housing
  • The township would urbanise a quiet site on the edge of the Peak District National Park and would damage nature conservation and biodiversity

The CPRE also say the plans are far too vague, as the developers are seeking only ‘outline’ planning permission.

They warn the developers would then sell the land to housebuilders, who would not be tied to detailed planning approval.

Who are CPRE South Yorkshire?

CPRE South Yorkshire are the local branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, otherwise known as the ‘countryside charity’.

Their aim is to make the countryside a better place for everyone to live, work and enjoy.

CPRE South Yorkshire have a sister organisation, Friends of the Peak District, who work to safeguard Britain’s first national park.

The Peak District is of course on our doorstep here in the Loxley valley!

We have worked closely with CPRE South Yorkshire and Friends of the Peak District for many years.

Our joint goal is to celebrate and safeguard our beautiful valley and to protect it from damaging development.

The CPRE is an independent charity. It has a small team in Sheffield who are all experienced and passionate experts on the city’s countryside.

If you share our joint goals, we would urge you to support the charity in its work.

You can make a very real difference by making a modest donation. Or perhaps you might like to become a member?

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18
Jul
2020
Friends of the Loxley Valley deliver thousands of ‘No Township!’ leaflets

Friends of the Loxley Valley deliver thousands of ‘No Township!’ leaflets

Friends of the Loxley Valley have printed thousands of leaflets to let people know that there is now more time to comment on plans for a new township in the heart of the valley.

Our members are now delivering the leaflets to every home and business in the valley, and to neighbouring areas like Hillsborough and Walkley.

The leaflets give guidance on how to make your views known to the Sheffield City Council planning committee.

They explain why there is more time to comment – the official statutory consultation period now ends on July 30th.

And they summarise progress in the #NoLoxleyTownship campaign so far.

Nearly 800 individuals and organisations have objected at the time of writing this post.

They include the Peak District National Park Authority, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, the Rivelin Valley Conservation Group, plus our two MPs and local councillors.

The leaflet is also available electronically. It includes links that you can use to make comments to the planners.

You can download it here. Please feel free to share it widely if you know people further afield who might help with our campaign.

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06
Jul
2020
Deadline for township comments is extended AGAIN to 30th July

Deadline for township comments is extended AGAIN to 30th July

STOP PRESS: The planning department has now completed a new set of site notices around the Loxley valley. So far as we can tell, they have updated them ALL with the date when the last notice was posted.

The photograph above shows one of the new notices at Rowell Bridge. It’s slightly smeared by the rain, but you can see that the new date of posting is 30th June.

This replaces the notice posted a little earlier on 24th June, (see our last news post).

The notice wording makes it clear: you now have 30 days from 30th June to submit comments on the proposed new Loxley valley township.

So if we’ve calculated correctly the NEW new deadline is now Thursday 30th July.

The planning application for the old refractory works would mark a huge change for life in the Loxley valley. If you have not yet commented, we would urge you to do so.

For details on HOW to do this, and WHY we think the new notices have gone up, please see our previous news post.

Do you want to know more about the planning application?

Developers Patrick Properties have proposed a township of up to 300 homes. We have summarised their plans, and our concerns, in an earlier news post on this website. You can also view the full planning application, and all associated documentation, on the Sheffield City Council website. The reference number for the planning application is 20/01301/OUT

Would you like to make your views known to the planners?

If you feel ready to make your views known to the planners, you can do so by posting a comment on the council’s website.

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26
Jun
2020
Deadline for Loxley township comments is extended to 24th July

Deadline for Loxley township comments is extended to 24th July

GOOD NEWS: you now have more time to make your views known about the proposed new township in the heart of the Loxley valley.

You have until Friday 24th July to read the hundreds of pages of documentation and to make your views known to Sheffield City Council planners.

The council has now posted new notification notices around the valley.

We urged them to do this because we were extremely concerned that the original notification period was too short.

We wrote to the council saying that the original notification period did not meet legal requirements.

What are the legal requirements for a major development application?

The application for up to 300 homes on the old Hepworth refractory site is an application for major development.

This means the following legal stipulations apply:

  • The application must be accompanied by a Design and Access Statement (DAS). This must be submitted to the planning authority before the planning application can be validated and registered.
  • In this case, the application is accompanied by an Environmental Statement. This means people need more time to assess the documentation. So the ‘consulation period’ goes up from 21 days to 30 days.

The application from Patrick Properties was validated and registered before the DAS was submitted. The DAS appeared on the council website on 3rd June.

But the same website records the validation date as 23rd April.

The consultation period was also too short – 21 days rather than the 30 days for an application with an Environmental Statement.

We are pleased and relieved that the deadline has been extended.

The local community now have the time we need to properly assess the huge volume of documentation.

This includes a vitally important Ecology Report that was posted just four days ago on 22nd June.

How to make your views known

Any concerned person has the right to submit views to the planning department up to the date of the final decision, (i.e. the eventual meeting of the Planning and Highways Committee).

But your views will carry most weight if they reach the planning officer before the end of the new consultation period.

This is the date we refer to above, i.e. it ends on Friday 24th July.

Submission by this date means the planning officer must consider your views before preparing the report that they will submit to councillors.

If you have already submitted your views, you do have the right to post additional comments after reading the new documentation.

You can submit your views by posting them on the city council ‘planning portal’:

Many of you have told us that you have struggled to connect to the planning portal despite repeated attempts.

In this case, you also have the right to submit your comments by email, quoting planning application reference number 20/01301/OUT

This is the email address for comments: planningapps@sheffield.gov.uk

If you continue to have difficulties submitting your views, please let us know.

However you decide to do it, please do make your views known. Every local opinion counts!

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13
Jun
2020
Peak District National Park Authority opposes plans for Loxley valley township

Peak District National Park Authority opposes plans for Loxley valley township

The Peak District National Park Authority (PDNPA) has objected strongly to plans for a new township of up to 300 homes in the heart of the Loxley valley.

Developers Patrick Properties want to build on the site of the abandoned old factories below Damflask, on the edge of the Peak District.

The PDNPA voices serious concerns about the impact on the national park.

These concerns include carbon footprint, air pollution, public health, unsustainable car journeys, possible tree felling and the impact on biodiversity.

The park authority says Sheffield City Council has failed in its duty to consult over the impact on the Peak District.

It also says Patrick Properties claim wrongly to have consulted the national park about their plans.

“The applicant’s Statement of Community Involvement document states … that there has been direct engagement with the National Park Authority on this application,” says the PDNPA.

“This isn’t the case, and gives us cause for concern”

The PDNPA’s detailed concerns

The national park authority sets out its fears in a 2,000 word statement of objection.

It’s key concerns are as follows:

  • It says the developers and the council have failed to recognise the potential impact on the national park, even though the township would border the park boundary.
  • The PDNPA says it is “surprised” that Sheffield City Council is prepared to consider only an outline planning application. It says this means too much is left vague, to be agreed later between the applicant and council officers. “We consider this unacceptable for such a significant development in the green belt”.
  • There is uncertainty about how many trees will be felled. “This is not acceptable for a greenbelt site where tree cover is an integral part of the character”.
  • The development would do little to reduce carbon. Rather, it would increase polluting car journeys, harming air quality and public health in an already congested area.
  • New residents would be too dependent on car journeys. They would then try to avoid the notorious Malin Bridge bottleneck. This would encourage rat runs on small country roads.
  • Sustainable alternatives such as cycling are unrealistic because of hills and distance from the city centre.
  • The impact on the green belt is not justified by shortage of housing land elsewhere in the city.
  • The development would be in a priority corridor for woodland and wildlife, and the developers have produced no evidence that biodiversity would be protected.

MPs, councillors and and other organisations are also objecting

The PDNPA’s concerns follow detailed objections from the Sheffield Hallam MP Olivia Blake and from the Brightside and Hillsborough MP Gill Furniss.

Bradfield Parish Council are objecting too, as are local ward councillors in Stannington and Hillsborough.

Organisations objecting so far include CPRE South Yorkshire/Friends of the Peak District, the South Yorkshire Bat Group, Sheffield Friends of the Earth, Sheffield Climate Alliance, Sheffield Environmental, and the Walkley Green Party.

And at the time of writing, over 550 concerned local people have added their own objections. Thank you for your support! We’re so proud of our community!

You can object too!

If you share our concerns, please make your views known. Every single voice will make a difference!

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28
May
2020
Deadline for Loxley valley township planning objections is now mid June

Deadline for Loxley valley township planning objections is now mid June

This planning notification on Long Lane (above) confirms that the deadline for comments to Sheffield City Council over the proposed Loxley valley township is now mid June.

The extended deadline follows correspondence between Friends of the Loxley Valley and the council’s planning department.

We were concerned that site notices were missing and neighbour notification letters had arrived late.

We understand the pressures facing planning officers as they try to work from home during lockdown.

But we also think it’s vital that local people have time to properly assess the 1400 pages of planning application documents.

We are pleased to say we had a constructive response. The deadline for comments has now been extended.

The new deadline is mid June

The planning notice in the photograph is dated 22nd May. It says clearly that comments on the planning application “must be received (by the council) within 25 days” of that date.

By our calculations this means the end of the ‘Standard Consulation Period’ is now Tuesday 16th June.

But we think it would be prudent not to leave things to the last minute. We suggest you submit your views no later than Monday 15th June.

How to make your views known

Any concerned person has the right to submit views to the planning department up to the date of the final decision, (i.e. the eventual meeting of the Planning and Highways Committee).

But your views will carry most weight if they reach the planning officer during the ‘Standard Consultation Period’.

This is the date we refer to above, i.e. it ends on Tuesday 16th June.

Submission by this date means the planning officer must consider your views before preparing the report that they will submit to councillors.

You can submit your views by posting them on the city council ‘planning portal’:

Many of you have told us that you have struggled to connect to the planning portal despite repeated attempts.

In this case, you also have the right to submit your comments by email, quoting planning application reference number 20/01301/OUT

This is the email address for comments: planningapps@sheffield.gov.uk

If you continue to have difficulties submitting your views, please let us know.

However you decide to do it, please do make your views known. Every local opinion counts!

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