Sheffield Council has been warned that it faces “sleepwalking” into another street trees-type scandal over any sale of grass verges or small green spaces.

The On the Verge campaign protested outside Sheffield Town Hall with flower-patterned sheets and duvets laid on the floor to the exact 23.8m-long size of a grass verge on Dobbin Hill, Greystones that they opposed being walled off as part of a garden.

More than 2,100 people signed an online petition against the plan. Protesters said that the verge is an important community asset that helps people to cross the road safely.

The issue went to a specialist Department of Transport hearing to allow the verge to be set aside from highways use. The application was made by the Owner of the Coach House in Dobbin Hill, which adjoins the verge.

Campaigners from On the Verge protesting outside Sheffield Town Hall (June 15) against the potential loss of a grass verge in Dobbin Hill, Greystones. Sheets and duvets were laid out to show the exact size of the land.

placeholder image — Campaigners from On the Verge protesting outside Sheffield Town Hall (June 15) against the potential loss of a grass verge in Dobbin Hill, Greystones. Sheets and duvets were laid out to show the exact size of the land.

They won permission from the council in 2024 to wall off the grass verge as part of their garden. Legally, a non-landowner can apply for speculative planning permission for land they do not control.

On the Verge fear that if the council now agrees to sell off the land it will cause a precedent where other small green areas of land could be lost to developers.

Sue Rumfitt, who is a public rights of way expert working with the campaign, presented the petition to a meeting of Sheffield City Council’s finance and performance committee today (June 15).

She told councillors that locals who oppose the loss of the verge regard it as a vital community asset. Green spaces of that type are also an “essential part of the environment”.

“The council has no policy in place to protect small areas of land such as this,” Ms Rumfitt said.

“You are sleepwalking into another environmentally-damaging policy for residents,” she added, in reference to the street trees scandal that rocked the council and caused huge protests.

Prominent street trees campaigner Calvin Payne was among supporters watching in the public gallery who applauded her speech.

The petition said: “The pavement is narrow (1.1-1.3m wide) so the much wider verge (min 3.1 wide) is used to avoid parked cars and the dangers of walking in the road. “The bottleneck by the house will be extended. Blocking in the pavement with a high wall and metal fence will be dangerous and annoying.”

It accused the council of “poor scrutiny” of decisions.

Committee chair Coun Elle Dodd said there is an established process of getting permission to set aside grass verges from highways use that the council follows.

She said that no decision has been made to sell off the land on Dobbin Hill, so the committee had nothing to consider. Therefore the land will continue to be in public use for the time being.

Coun Dodd said that the council will keep in touch with campaigners and also offered to meet up with them. She praised their “creative, engaging” protest.

Nicola Adams, who launched the petition, said at the protest: “It’s terrible for the local people for safety concerns, and it’s a terrible precedent, and it’s part of our history.

“Developers will be emboldened, they’ll start nibbling away at our precious green spaces. “And so, it’s really important on for lots of different reasons, but you know, partly because it’s ours.

“It’s public space, it shouldn’t be sold, shouldn’t go to a private developer.”