What does anyone think?

The frozen food shop on bellhouse rd is going to close and be demolished to make way for even more flats. The land behind nos 93 -99 will likely be included in the development.

We will lose local jobs (5 I think), local trade, vital local parking.

The flats will dwarf local houses as the hill rises well above them already.

There will be an increase in traffice using this stretch of the road, already an apalling bottleneck and already dangerous and difficult to cope with for us who live here.

It will be the third such development bordering my house, and local people have already suffered the heavy goods traffice, noise, and dirt etc associated with the first one (The Willows)for over a year now.

I don't object to new homes being built but this is all about profit and nothing about it seems likely to benefit the area, or us people who live here. Its being developed by two blokes from Leeds who buy up small businesses and asset strip them for anything they can get. They also tried to bully us neighbours into selling our gardens, drives and parking space to them,. I used to keep animals, including horses on my paddocks at the back, but since, without warning, they chopped all their trees down and razed their land with a JCB, I had to move my animals out as we don't think its safe to subject them to such noisy, scary and unpredictable situations. They also removed the nesting site of breeding owls, a fox, bats, sparrows, and various other wild birds which we kind of appreciated having around.

I wouldn't mind if local people would gain something from all this building but its all detrimental for us. In a few years my house will be overlooked by three or four blocks of flats all higher than my house, and my paddocks and garden will be overshadowed and viewed by at least 40 households and have up to 40 vehicles parked on either side. Its only 33 feet wide and I can't see how I can maintain its current use as a smallholding in those circumstances. Will they appreciate my geese on their lawns? What if they feed my horse something toxic by mistake? How can I enjoy the privacy and peace of my little haven if its completely overlooked and how can I be sure its safe and secure once the surrounding trees and walls have been removed and its open on all sides?

Am feeling pretty fed up with it all, it was a real little paradise not just for us but for all the kids who played in the trees they felled and and neighbours who enjoyed the air of tranquility and wildlife they provided.

These apartment blocks seem to be springing up everywhere and it is most annoying to see yet another bit of greenery rooted up and replaced with a bland boxy building and the obligatory car park spaces.
Two developments over here at Woodseats have gone up in the last year, the last one took over a rather handy dog walking field, just as well Max and I are well behaved as otherwise i'd be tempted to let him start doing his business on their ornamental lawn.
A third development however has recieved a lot of active disapproval from local residents, some of the houses that were going to be overshadowed by a totally out of keeping apartment block kicked up a real fuss. There was a meeting in the local club which over 100 people attended. The councillors at the meeting said that the existing plans would not be approved but we as an area now have to sit and wait to see how the plans will be altered and then find legitimate reasons forcomplaint again..

i live on the mentioned 'The Willows' on bellhouse road and personally i'm not so fussed about more building! with the population getting higher all the time people need more places to live! i also think they look better than some of the houses round here! modern and clean! i dont mean that in a nasty way by the way!

Originally posted by graceomally
I don't object to new homes being built but this is all about profit and nothing about it seems likely to benefit the area, or us people who live here. Its being developed by two blokes from Leeds who buy up small businesses and asset strip them for anything they can get. They also tried to bully us neighbours into selling our gardens, drives and parking space to them.

Originally posted by graceomally
I used to keep animals, including horses on my paddocks at the back, but since, without warning, they chopped all their trees down and razed their land with a JCB, I had to move my animals out as we don't think its safe to subject them to such noisy, scary and unpredictable situations. They also removed the nesting site of breeding owls, a fox, bats, sparrows, and various other wild birds which we kind of appreciated having around.

Have you aired your concerns to your local councillor (http://www.sheffield.gov.uk/sys_upl/templates/PT_Councillor/PT_Councillor_details.asp?mapid=49&tid=153&pgid=921)?

Not sure how the quote thingy works i'm afraid!

Know what you mean skala but your houses are in a nice space and improved the area, despite taking away green space, altho' we don't appreciate the noise, lorries, mud on the road etc. but that's temporary. Is good that people up there keep an eye on the backs of our yards though, very neighbourly.

Thanks Abdul will try going to area panel too, if I can find the time quickly enough.

And thanks Wallbuilder, you're right every complaint is listened too, but they just keep coming back with ammended plans until you give up or are away when they get passed. Fought tooth and nail against the blocks on the old council yards, but we're getting 34 flats in 3 three storey blocks as close as 10 feet to our boundary. It took three meetings and two letters and two visits to Howden House to avoid 4 storey blocks.

Ah well just have to keep trying. Wouldn't mind but its a tiny space, mostly sloped anyway and most of it is prime grazing, if small and quite unsuited to building on.

Worst thing really is the jobs going, local work is such a valuable commodity. It makes a huge difference to the local community every local job improves life in the area and these people have been working there for years. They suggest every local person visits and spends up to £5 just once and that will help them to keep open. I suspect they have as much chance as a snowball in hell though. I'll give it a go for a while and see what happens.

Originally posted by graceomally
Not sure how the quote thingy works i'm afraid!



Worst thing really is the jobs going, local work is such a valuable commodity. It makes a huge difference to the local community every local job improves life in the area and these people have been working there for years. They suggest every local person visits and spends up to £5 just once and that will help them to keep open. I suspect they have as much chance as a snowball in hell though. I'll give it a go for a while and see what happens.

Hiya , I will miss the shop if it does go, it's one of the shops where the staff say hello with a smile and nothing is too much trouble . I will go in and buy my shopping, and I hope it helps.

good luck
deecee

Of course, the alternative is to build new houses on greenfield land like your paddock?

Originally posted by WallBuilder
A third development however has recieved a lot of active disapproval from local residents, some of the houses that were going to be overshadowed by a totally out of keeping apartment block kicked up a real fuss. There was a meeting in the local club which over 100 people attended. The councillors at the meeting said that the existing plans would not be approved but we as an area now have to sit and wait to see how the plans will be altered and then find legitimate reasons for complaint again..

Where is this third development - I didn't think there was any room left in Woodseats to build on. The traffic is bad enough already without more people moving there.

Have you noticed that the Gleesons building on Chesterfield Rd is being sold as a possible development site.......

I would advise looking at this (http://www.planingportal.gov.uk) this will give you all the details necessary to find out if you have a reason to object based on planning law.

You should certainly get in contact with your local councillors and raise your objections with them and the planning officers. You may want to ask question regarding the effect the increase in houses/cars will have on the local infrastructure. What will the traffic increase do, are there enough school places available etc. If any green areas are effected as your post seems to indicate then insist on an environmental assessment. If all this fails and the building goes ahead then ask your councillors where the section 106 money is going to be spent (this is money that developers bust give to the council to pay for improvement in roads & local facilities), if you have a view on where it should be spent then state your preference. Section 106 money should be spent on things within the immediate vicinity, however itv would appear that this is not always the case.

I'll also miss the "freezer shop" when it goes, although I don't shop there regularly I do shop there occasionally.

Grace while I agree with you that it's really not on putting flats that high close to houses you have to be realistic. You live in a large city you can't expect not to be overlooked at all that is part and parcel of city life. If you don't want to be overlooked move to the country. Sorry if that sounds mean but if you want to live in a city you have to accept these things - at least you have the paddock which is more than most people have some don't even have a garden!

Originally posted by Knoxville
Where is this third development - I didn't think there was any room left in Woodseats to build on. The traffic is bad enough already without more people moving there.

Have you noticed that the Gleesons building on Chesterfield Rd is being sold as a possible development site.......

When you go down Woodseats Road near the bottom on the left is an old firm 'Tool and Steel Products', it has been derelict for several months and has been bought by Leaver Homes [sp] Three storey apartments alongside the river running parallel to Ulverston Road. Woodseats Road is quite a speed area already down at the bottom and so the idea of another junction is worrying.
Land nearer to Woodseats shops? How about going up Scarsdale Road on the left or there are loads of bits of greenery around the Fraser Estate that could conceivably be built on. On Holmhirst Road on the left there is quite a large area of land that looks as though it's connected with the small disused? firm at the end there. None of the above area's to my knowledge have had any planning applications on them but with the apartment building craze going on at the moment, 'watch that space'!!