Sheffield Greens react to the news that councillors yesterday rejected the planning application by Avant Homes to build 74 executive houses on a greenfield site at Owlthorpe.
Cllr Douglas Johnson:
“Refusing Avant Homes’ application was the right result. The plans were a poor quality offering that wasted the opportunity for good transport links and would have meant the destruction of land that is highly valuable for biodiversity, science and recreation.
“Ten objectors spoke superbly and were congratulated by the committee for being concise. This shows why it is vital for the public to be able to put their case directly to councillor at a planning meeting.
“It is evident this area means a lot to local people – I received dozens of emails about it. It is absurd to build on greenfield sites like Owlthorpe just because it was set aside for car-driven urban sprawl in the 1960s.
“Once again, this situation need not have come about if the council had an up-to-date local plan where Owlthorpe could have been respected for the greenfield site it is.”
Brian Holmshaw, who addressed the meeting,
“A powerful and far-reaching decision. I’m so pleased for the residents of Moorthorpe Way and users of Owlthorpe Fields that this application has been refused. The damage to the ecology of the site would have been enormous. Sheffield now needs to be looking at making brownfield sites the focus of appropriate and sustainable development, not well-loved and characterful green spaces like this one.”
Green Councillor Peter Garbutt, a member of the committee who voted against the development:
“No-one wants to stop the building of homes; but developers need to enter the twenty-first century and start taking real responsibility for addressing the problems of the future, such as inequality, biodiversity loss and climate change, instead of reproducing bland, car-centred plans from the 1980s.”
Graham Santer, a Green Party member who lives near Owlthorpe:
“Such awesome news! I’m so relieved that these egregious plans have been rejected.”
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