Green light for scheme to build hundreds of home on edge of city

PLANS TO build 320 homes on the edge of Sheffield have been approved despite objections from campaigners.

Councillors voted in favour of the redevelopment of the old Oughtibridge Mill site, off Langsett Road North in Oughtibridge.

But the Campaign to Protect Rural England said the scheme did not fit into the council’s vision for the future of the Upper Don Valley and that the land was being “wasted on unsustainable development”.

Steve McBurney, head of planning at developer Commercial Estates Group, said the approval would regenerate the site, delivering up to 320 “much needed” new homes and “opening up public access to this attractive waterside and woodland setting for the first time and providing new walks, cycle paths and open spaces in a sustainable way”.

The developer previously moved to allay fears over flooding from the nearby River Don, saying the chances of homes flooding in a single year would be one in 1,000.

Andrew Wood, planning officer for the South Yorkshire branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, said: “We’re disappointed this scheme is going ahead without fitting into the vision that Sheffield Council is working on for the future of the Upper Don Valley.

“This is one of a few brownfield sites in the valley and it should not be wasted on unsustainable development.

“The council should now crack on with their masterplan for the public transport and local services the area needs if it’s to support new housing.”

Councillors added a condition requiring the developer to pay more than £5m towards affordable housing in the area.