The History of the Green Belt In Sheffield

Sheffield’s Green Belt History: How It All Began

The history of the green belt in Sheffield starts with two local heroes — Ethel and Gerald Haythornthwaite. Ethel founded what became the local division of the CPRE (for the Peak District and South Yorkshire).

In 1935, plans to build 900 houses near Dore Moor were stopped thanks to Ethel Gallimore (later Haythornthwaite), who pushed for the land to become a ‘green gateway’ to Derbyshire. She persuaded the Council and others to buy up more threatened land—like the Limb, Mayfield, Porter and Rivelin valleys.

Sheffield Council Accepts a Green Belt Plan: A Key Moment In Green Belt History

In 1937, CPRE surveyed land around Sheffield and proposed a green belt. By the end of World War II, most of the land identified in the 1938 plan was secured. Back then, keeping local farms close to the city was vital for fresh food and milk. The City Council accepted the plan in 1938, protecting farmland, moorland and woodland all around the city. As far back as the 1930s, Sheffield residents were using buses or walking from town to reach the countryside.

In 1938, the former Sheffield County Borough Council created a Provisional Green Belt Map. This early version focused on protecting the countryside south and south-west of the city, as well as green space between Sheffield and Rotherham. It even included some city parks, even though many were surrounded by buildings.

When Was a Full Green Belt Plan Adopted for Sheffield?

A full green belt plan wasn’t officially adopted until 1983. Before 1974, the areas north and north-west of Sheffield were managed by West Riding County Council. Different aspects of Sheffield’s green belt history came from several Local Plans. For example, areas like Stocksbridge were labelled for their landscape value in the 1960s. Other areas—like Chapeltown, Grenoside and Oughtibridge—were included in interim green belt proposals from the early 1960s, and officially recognised in the 1970s.

Over time, these separate plans were brought together by Sheffield City Council and approved by the government as part of the city’s official green belt, helping to protect local countryside from overdevelopment.

Sheffield City Council carried out a full green belt review in January 1978. This led to plans to add more land to the breen belt, including areas near High Green, Parkin Wood, Hartley Brook, Handsworth, Normanton Spring and around Stocksbridge. These places were protected as green belt before the Draft Plan was officially approved in January 1982, marking an important step in Sheffield’s green belt history.

Sheffield City Council officially adopted the Sheffield Green Belt Plan in December 1983. This was based on the South Yorkshire County Structure Plan from 1980, along with older local development plans. These helped shape how the green belt was defined and protected from urban sprawl.

During the 1970s and 1980s, several district plans also influenced Sheffield’s green belt history, including plans for Stocksbridge (1983), Chapeltown/High Green (1976 draft), the Lower Don Valley (1981), and Woodhouse (1976).

2025: Sheffield's Green Belt is Now at Risk

Before now, governments and councils have generally made it clear that green belt should be protected and that housing land shortages should be addressed elsewhere in South Yorkshire. However, changes in government policy in 2024 and ambitious house building targets for the UK, places pressure on Sheffield to build on green belts. Now is a key moment in the green belt history of Sheffield and the UK as a whole. Do we want to protect it or are we going to allow it to be chipped away at for years to come?

The Sheffield Local Plan includes plans to build an additional 3,539 homes on green belt in Sheffield plus multiple industrial (aka "employment") units. Much of this plan is focused on green belt in S13 and green belt in S35. The clock is ticking - the consultation period ends on 11 July 2025. Make sure you raise an objection to plans to build on green belt in Sheffield before this date - and take advice from your local campaign as the type of specific objections you can make.

There are a number of key green belt events you can drop-in to in June and July 2025 to learn more about the plans - details here.