Bungalows plan for ‘exclusive’ cul-de-sac set to be rejected

Plans have been submitted for the site on the junction of Wortley Road and Farlow Croft in High Green by Cero Architecture. which says the development has been designed to have “minimal impact to surrounding properties.”

However, people living in the smart cul-de-sac and surrounding neighbourhood point out that the site in question is “on the edge of the green belt” and say that the new homes will “destroy the exclusivity of Farlow Croft”.

A spokesman for Ecclesfield Parish Council said that the parish council was “supporting the residents’ concerns” and added that the bungalows would constitute “over-development of the site”.

They added: “The proposed materials are not complementary to neighbouring properties.

“The properties on Farlow Croft comprise of stone buildings and the proposed development is brick.

“There is a lack of car parking provision, given the well-known problems with parking on Wortley Road.”

A total of 13 letters of objection have been submitted to Sheffield Council in relation to the plans, as well as a separate joint objection signed by 12 people.

One letter of objection reads: “Currently the area is a mature garden with borders onto Farlow Croft provided by mature shrubs and trees, which reflects the area bordering the brook opposite the site.

“The current environment creates a leafy entrance to the road, complementing the surrounding area.

“It appears that the plans are designed in a way to maximise revenue from the plot, which is currently a mature garden to a property.

“It appears that no consideration has been given to safety, the environment, the character of the area, desirability of the properties to prospective buyers or respect to the local area and its homeowners.”

Other concerns cited by residents include potential traffic congestion as the road is a cul-de-sac; that the removal of trees could lead to a lack of privacy and that the development, on the edge of the green belt, would be “garden grabbing”.

According to the outline plans submitted by Cero Architecture on behalf of the applicant, the three detached houses would each have a garage and an off-street parking space.

However, planning officials at Sheffield Council say the proposed garages would be “of an insufficient size to be used for the purposes of housing a car”.

In their report, the city planners say: “As such, it is probable that they will be used as storage areas, resulting in the provision of only one off-street parking space, which is likely to lead to an increase in on-street parking in the locality.”

City planners have advised council members that they should refuse the application when it goes before a meeting of Sheffield Council’s west and north area planning board tomorrow.

In the report which is set to go before tomorrow’s meeting, the officers add: “It is considered that the proposal would break the established building line that is formed by the west elevation of 218 Wortley Road and front elevations of dwellings in Farlow Croft.

“As such, the scheme would result in a prominent and obtrusive development.

“Furthermore, the dwellings would fail to provide adequate living conditions for residents as they would be overbearing to one another and would result in a loss of privacy to 218 Wortley Road as a result of the restricted garden length.

“Additionally, insufficient off-street parking provision has been shown and therefore it is considered that the development could lead to on-street parking problems.”