'Complete carnage' - Plans for new homes at end of ‘extremely quiet street’ given green light

The homes will be built on the former allotment site on Clement Street in Kimberworth, after Rotherham Council rubber-stamped the plans during a meeting on Thursday (October 31).

Eight objections were submitted by residents, and three residents spoke during the meeting.

Residents raised concerns that construction and extra houses will exacerbate existing traffic and accessibility issues on a narrow street, where residents already struggle to pass around parked cars.

Resident Andrew Sanders objected to the plans, in a letter read out to the meeting.

Mr Sanders wrote that Clement Street is ‘extremely quiet’, and that bin lorries already struggle to get down the road due to parked vehicles.

“How long are we going to have to suffer the inconvenience of this work, not to mention the noise? This is an extremely quiet street,” he said. “Why should we be inconvenienced? We did not ask for this and really shouldn’t have to put up with it. Are emergency services going to get down the street if needed?”

He warned the new homes will lead to ‘complete carnage’ on the street.

Claire Sanders, who objected at the meeting, said that the development will ‘have a terrible impact on us on a daily basis’.

Mrs Sanders added: “Is the road going to take the impact of extra cars? I really don’t think we should have to put up with it.”

Fellow resident Tracy Hutton said the street is so narrow cars cannot pass each other, and raised concerns that properties would decrease in value.

"We just don’t want it. It’s a big upheaval for all our lives,” he said.

Ms Hutton mentioned that residents had experienced rat infestations after trees were removed from the site, and they were concerned that the development could lead to even more pests.

However, the council’s planning officer Andrew West said: “Any development will involve some degree of upheaval for local residents. That’s got to be balanced against the need for housing within the borough,” he added.

Simon Gammons, transport manager for the council, told the meeting that while he does appreciate there are issues on Clement Street, the new development ‘can’t be expected to facilitate the existing, because if they did, there’d be no room to build houses’.

Mr Gammons added if the application was refused and the developer appealed the decision, a planning inspector hearing the case may question why restrictions such as double yellow lines could not be implemented to facilitate the development.

“There’s a turning circle, there’s on-site parking – I don’t feel there’s a reason we could justify refusal,” he states.

Mr Gammons added that if residents do experience parking and highways issues, they could contact their ward councillor to implement improvements.

The scheme was approved following a vote.