Greens object to planning application for demolished community garden in Crookes

Sheffield Green Party is supporting the 682 signature petition from the local community by objecting to the planning application for 18 apartments at the corner of Cobden View Rd and Northfield Rd in Crookes. Crookes and Crosspool Green Party’s Roy Morris, who submitted the objection, comments:

“The applicants, Whitemoor Design Build have behaved deplorably and deserve to be named and shamed. Their actions included demolition of the community garden tended by volunteers, tree cutting in spring impacting nesting birds and the unsightly 8ft fence blotting the landscape. Responding to these actions has required the significant involvement of key workers, including police, during a national crisis.

Save Cobden View Community Garden have done good work in compiling evidence to establish a Public Right of Way in use over past decades. This should now be fully verified by the council before any consideration of this application.

Officers need to seriously examine the need to scale this down to a 2 floor building to fit in with adjacent housing and limit overlooking. They also need to look at the Travel Plan which claims that “being in such a sustainable location, the development does not require off-street parking of vehicular access”. We know from experience this will not be the case. On-street parking is already over-stretched across this area of tightly packed terrace houses on a road that is a busy cut through from Crookes to the University and Hospitals. “

Notes:

1. The planning application is 20/01651/FUL | Erection of mixed use development comprising three commercial units (use classes A1-A3) and 18 residential units (use class C3) in a 3/4 storey block and associated works | Land At The Corner Of Cobden View Road & Northfield Road Sheffield S10 1HP
2. The Save Cobden View Community Garden group submitted a 682 signature petition to Sheffield City Council Cabinet on July 15th.
3. The full Sheffield Green Party objection is:
   Sheffield Green Party objects to this application. We are told “the site makes no positive contribution to the vitality and vibrancy of the area”. This ignores the bench, grassed area, flower bed and trees where the community planted, cultivated, played, rested, picnicked and crossed in their daily routine. The destruction of the green space has had a totally negative effect on the lives of people living near the site and the Crookes community as a whole.

   The applicants, Whitemoor Design Build have behaved deplorably and deserve to be named and shamed. Their actions included demolition of a community garden nurtured and cared for by volunteers, tree cutting in spring impacting nesting birds and then the unsightly 8ft fence blotting the landscape. These actions have required the significant involvement of key workers, including police during a national crisis.

   We request that the Public Right of Way is fully verified before any consideration of this application noting the evidence of use over decades provided by the local community.

   We note the concerns raised by neighbouring households about scale and overlooking. We request that officers examine in detail the need to scale this down to a 2 floor building for their amenity and to fit in with the scale of adjacent housing.

   We note that the applicants are “happy to discuss any options for renewable energy generation that may be appropriate”. We suggest that council officers maximise this option via suitable conditions for the benefit of the city and the climate emergency we are in. We expect council officers to also mandate a suitable BREEAM rating to ensure the applicants can meet their claim that “the scheme in itself contributes to energy efficiency and carbon reduction by being a wholly sustainable form of development”.

   We note “Being in such a sustainable location, the development does not require off-street parking of vehicular access”. We know from experience this will not be the case. On-street parking is already over-stretched across this area of tightly packed terrace houses on a road that is a busy cut through from Crookes to the University and Hospitals.

   In a post-virus scenario, more people are likely to shun public transport. While Crookes has some good bus service access on Northfield Rd, routes and services changes are driven by the bus operators. Few people will have jobs in locations where they feel certain public transport and other active travel will meet their employment and personal needs. Assertions that “staff required for the commercial units will be sourced and recruited from the immediate vicinity with no requirement of a vehicle for commuting” clearly depend on what the commercial units are used for and the skills required.

   We note that the applicants think car sharing is a good idea but no action is proposed as “It is perceived that private car use will be at a minimum.” We request that the travel plan proposals, including appointing a Travel Plan Coordinator, paying for travel passes and helping pay for bikes, are suitably conditioned with the Sheffield Council Travel Plan Officer ensuring they are fully discharged on behalf of the local community.