Green Belt & Urban Sprawl; Is Grenoside a Village or Part of Urban Sheffield?

The Grenoside Green Belt Hearing

On Wednesday 1st October, a stage 4 hearing took place regarding the green belt sites surrounding Grenoside earmarked in the Sheffield Local Plan. The hearing was hosted by planning inspectors at the Town Hall in Sheffield, and contributors included representatives from Sheffield City Council and CEG Community Action Group, among others.

A key point of contention arose regarding the concept of urban sprawl. Development on site NES37 (Townend Farm), which lies between Creswick Lane and Wheel Lane, would link Grenoside with Ecclesfield and Parson Cross (S5). Development on site NES38 would link Grenoside with Fox Hill (S6). Development on NES39 would link Grenoside with Ecclesfield.

The Sheffield Local Plan intends to build 1,666 homes on green belt in the S35 area of Sheffield - 609 of these on site NES37, 188 on site NES38, and 148 on site NES39. That totals 945 homes planned on green belt in the Grenoside area. The remainder lie in Chapeltown, Oughtibridge, and Wharncliffe Side.

Is Grenoside a Historic Village With Special Character?

Contributors from CEG Community Action Group highlighted the long-standing history and heritage of Grenoside as a village, noting that it was home of the internationally recognised Grenoside Sword Dance, and providing a copy of the Grenoside News to the planning inspector, Katie Child. Grenoside resident Mr Chris Birkby said:

"I've lived in Grenoside for 72 years and during that time I have seen many changes. Building has taken place within the village but building has taken place gradually and they've been assimilated, and the village has retained its character and identity. As an example, I produce a copy of the Grenoside News... It's a monthly publication that is delivered to most houses. It contains news from the church, a very thriving community association, the Scouts and Guides Group, and societies in the village. Grenoside has a nationally renowned sword dance team and hosts the Bianial International Festival of Village Carols. So, you'll see that Grenoside is very much a strong village community. Indeed, despite being transferred into Sheffield from the West Riding over 50 years ago, people still talk of travelling "into Sheffield"...."

"To speak of the effect of the proposed plan upon the character and identity of village is somewhat subjective, but I can do no more than look at the geography and speak as a long-term resident. And it must...include NES37 and NES39, as well as NES38. At present, the village is an almost discrete entity surrounded by fields and woodland, and that in large part is what gives it its character. Its only connection to Sheffield is a ribbon of housing along the A61. If the plan were to be accepted, then that would be lost. Grenoside would stick out of North Sheffield like someone far more famous than me once described as a monstrous carbuncle. It would no longer be a separate geographical entity."

"Moreover, whilst the village has absorbed past building whilst retaining its character, there's no doubt it would not be able to do so with building in the green belt on this scale. If the allocation were to be proportionate....while Sheffield as a whole with 500,000 residents could easily absorb it, Grenoside with 5,000 residents cannot. It's a wholly disproportionate, unfair, and inequitable allocation. The inevitable result would be that a treasured village would become yet another suburb of the city. It would lose its character and identity."

You can watch this aspect of the discussion by skipping to 6 hours 19 minutes here.

It is worth noting that paragraph 143 of the NPPF states that one of the five core principles of the green belt is"to preserve the setting and special character of historic towns" and another is "to check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas". To be classifed as grey belt, green belt land must not meet these conditions (National Planning Policy Framework).

Is Grenoside Part of Urban Sheffield?

Later in the hearing, Inspector Katie Child asked Sheffield City Council if they consider Grenoside a separate village or part of urban Sheffield.

"I would like the council's views, please, on whether you see Grenoside as a separate settlement, with a separate identity or just part of the wider Sheffield area, and I'm interested in your reasons why, specifically."

Laura Stephens from Sheffield City Council responded:

"......it's considered to be part of the main urban area of Sheffield for planning purposes."

Inspector Katie Child then asked (referring to housing on Halifax Road):

"......there is a narrow ribbon joining Grenoside, but just the one area, isn't it?"

Laura Stephens from Sheffield City Council replied:

"......yes it links along Halifax Road without a break... It has been part of urban Sheffield in previous iterations of the Local Plan.".

Skip to 8 hours into the hearing to watch this section.

Later in the discussion, Mr Dunn from the CEG Community Action Group highlighted that Grenoside has clear borders, marked by signage containing the sword lock symbol.

"............The Grenoside Sword Dance was published in Volume One of The Sword Dancers of Northern England by Cecil J. Sharpe in 1911 and is now performed literally all over the world..... One of the things that we erected.... was at the top of Salt Box Lane where it joins Fox Hill Road, there is a big sign and it says "Welcome to Grenoside, home of the Grenoside Sword Dance" and there is a six sword lock.....and there are other marker stones as well, up by the Top Red [Lion Pub] as you come along Woodhead Road. There are two big marker stones as well. One up by the crematorium, which also has a sword lock. And one just below my house, which also has a sword lock [refers to Wheel Lane]. Colleagues here have said that the boundaries of the village are very distinct, and that reinforces that."

Inspector Katie Child acknowledged that she had seen the signs when she visited the proposed sites and had heard of the dance.

Skip to 8 hours 59 minutes into the hearing to watch this section.

Watch the Entire Hearing About Green Belt Sites Surrounding Grenoside

You can access most of the documents referred to at the hearing via this link, and the agenda for the day is available here. You can watch the hearing regarding plans to build on green belt around Grenoside in the video below.

Donate to Support the Campaign to Save the Green Belt in Chapeltown, Ecclesfield, & Grenoside

The CEG Community Action Group need your support to fund legal advice and representation, independent technical reports (on transport, flooding, ecolofy, heritage and more), and to collate expert evidence. It is very possible that the stage 4 hearings are not the end of this fight, and further action will be needed. You can make a donation here.