The old part of the former Brincliffe Oaks pub on Oak Hill Road is under threat from a new planning application. Although a planning application which would have kept the old building was approved last year, a new application has now been submitted that would instead see the old building demolished.

I urge all local residents to write to the council and object to this new application.  Nether Edge has a unique character and this building is an important local historic building.  It is vital that it is retained.  What is particularly frustrating is that the application that was approved last year was supported by many local residents and would have seen the site brought bank in to use with a small-scale housing development and would have renovated the old farm in a really sensitive way.

You can find out more about the application here on the Sheffield City Council website.  You can give your views on the application either via this same part of the council website or by writing to: Sue Barker, Development Services, Sheffield City Council, Howden House, Union Street, Sheffield, S1 2SH.   The final date for the neighbourhood consultations is 19th March 2010, but objections received shortly after this date will still be considered.

The objection I have submitted states:

I would like to record my objection to the proposal to demolish the old farmhouse at the former Brincliffe Oaks pub on Oak Hill Road.

This is an important historic building, (it was the original Nether Edge Farm), and is one of the few buildings left from the time when Nether Edge was still rural before its later development as a residential area.

The building is important to the character of the Nether Edge Conservation Area, and is even outlined as “a building of historic interest” in the city council’s own conservation area appraisal.  For that reason any development on the site should, (as was the case with the application approved last year), retain this building and ensure it is preserved as completely as possible.

Anders Hanson
Nether Edge Liberal Democrats

At recent community meetings, Sheffield Hallam University have announced new plans to redevelop their former Psalter Lane Campus. The plans are currently at an early stage, and they have yet to make public any specific plans or designs. However, what is clear is that:

• Sheffield Hallam University are working with developers Bellway Homes.
• Their current proposals include over 100 properties - mainly 3-4 bedroom homes, but also apartments in the old art school.
• They are expecting to demolish the current buildings on the site (except the old art school) in December 2009.
• They are expecting to submit an application for planning permission in the New Year.

I was at the recent meeting of Banner Cross Neighbourhood Group, when Sheffield Hallam University displayed drawings of the proposed redevelopment. Despite this, the university says these are just very initial drafts of what could happen on the site rather than specific architects designs, but that they welcome comments from residents. It’s therefore important that local residents contact the university now to make clear what their views are and what want they want to see on the site. The demolition in December has also come around very suddenly and they don’t need any permission to go ahead with it, and so again residents should contact the university now to iron out about any problems it may cause.

You can make your views heard and be added to Sheffield Hallam University’s redevelopment mailing list by emailing fd-marketing@shu.ac.uk including your name, email and postal address quoting “Psalter Lane Campus Redevelopment” in the subject line. Also, copy any comments you make to the local Liberal Democrat team at netheredgelibdems@gmail.com as we want to know what people think.

The Banner Cross Campaign Group have organised another meeting to discuss the future of the former Gilders site at the junction of Ecclesall Road South and Psalter Lane.  I understand the meeting will also include a discussion about the former Sheffield Hallam University site on Psalter Lane.

The meeting will take place on Monday 2nd November 2009 at 7pm in Banner Cross Methodist Church.

The Jacobs factory off Troutbeck Road

Today I was talking to residents of Troutbeck Road and those nearby on Abbeydale Road.  Although they raised a number of issues the main one was the planning application for the old Jacobs site.

The current application is for the “erection of retirement village, including nursing care home, EMI/dementia care home, sheltered accommodation for the over 55’s, doctors surgery or hospital for the terminally ill.”  This is such a wide range of different facilities that it’s hardly surprising that there is some confusion on the part of local residents as to exactly what will happen.  However, at the moment this is an outline application rather than a detailed application, to get the principle agreed that it could be any one of these things on the site.

Despite the vagueness of the application there does however seem to be general support for doing something with what is currently a derelict site that brings down an otherwise nice area.  The latest proposals are also far more popular than a previous plan to build 201 apartments on the site.  There is however still concern over traffic and parking.

As with most areas of terraced housing, parking in the area is not easy.  This is not only an issue for the residents of Troutbeck Road, but also those residents of Abbeydale Road who have to park on Troutbeck Road because of the peak-time parking restrictions outside their own homes. A lot of residents are concerned that this application will lead to more restrictions on parking on Troutbeck Road, such as putting double-yellow lines down one side.   This would mean there were completely insufficient parking spaces for the number of cars that need to park on the road, and even more so if all the offices at the bottom of the road are occupied.

The previous application for 201 flats was withdrawn but that time the highways issues were again a major issue.  This time around the building of a residential care home or similar is likely to cause fewer parking problems, but if restrictions are placed on Troutbeck Road there could still be big problems.

I have written to Development Control in the council to emphasise the importance of the highways issues, (as well as to ask that the development results in the opening up of access to the River Sheaf), and to pass on the views of local residents, but it would also be a help if local residents also made their views known directly.  Although the official deadline for comments has passed, there is still time to make your views heard before the meeting of the Planning Board.  To comment, you should write to Stewart Greenslade at Development Services, Howden House, Union Street, Sheffield, S1 2SH.

You can find full details of the application on the city council’s website here.

Cllr Colin France & Anders Hanson examine traffic problems around the Gilders site

Many residents in the Banner Cross area will be pleased with the decision by the council’s planning board to reject the proposed food store and housing on the former Gilders site on Ecclesall Road South.  This was a good example of local residents working hard with local councillors and MPs of all parties to affect a decision made about the local community.

However, understandably Gilders cannot leave the site as it is and so I am pleased that their Managing Director Gary Scotting has offered to sit down with local residents to discuss the future options for the site.  Thank you to those residents who have got in touch with me with their suggestions.  Cllr Colin France and I have also knocked on a lot of doors in the area to find out the opinions of people in the area.

With the current economic difficulties it is understandable that Gilders need some return on their sale of their site.  However, it is also important that any plans do not generate extra traffic and damage the quality of life of existing residents.  There is also the affect that any new supermarket may have on local retailers in Banner Cross and Greystones.  I understand that there is however a possibility that the site could be put back in to use as a car showroom, rather than being sold.  So there are a number of options for the site.

The new Banner Cross Campaign Group is hoping to organise a meeting  later in September or at the start of October.  Your local Liberal Democrat team will make sure that as many people are aware of the date, time and venue for the meeting as possible.