Plan for shops and takeaway at eyesore site divides community

A COMMUNITY is divided over plans to build a development of shops, restaurants and a takeaway alongside a busy road in Birdwell, Barnsley.

More than 1,000 people have signed a petition in favour of Hartwood Estates' plans for the six units on its own land at Hangmanstone Depot, Sheffield Road.

However, more than 200 people have also signed a petition opposing the scheme.

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The planning application was deferred by Barnsley Council's planning board at a meeting in December, pending the submission of further information, and is now set to be decided at a meeting on Tuesday.

Coun Steve Sylvester, who is backing the scheme, said: "Birdwell has a very basic selection of retail and can only benefit by more choice.

"Over the years housing has increased and the community has grown, but not shops and retail, so people have to travel to the food giants to get a better selection."

He added that the development would create more than 60 jobs for local people and said: "At the moment in Barnsley jobs are hard to get as businesses are folding on a weekly basis.

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"Barnsley Council should be welcoming all local businesses to invest in the borough."

A petition of 1,012 signatures and 10 letters have also been submitted in favour of the scheme, saying that the site is an eyesore and needs to be developed and the location is ideal as it will "create a good impression to anyone visiting the town".

However, objectors who have handed in a 202-name petition and six letters to the council say that the development would impact on existing businesses, would result in traffic congestion on the already-busy Sheffield Road and the takeaway "would attract anti-social behaviour and litter".

Coun Jim Andrews said: "The application would, if granted, lead to loss of industrial land. Given that insufficient land remains for future employment use within the area, this development would reduce it even more.

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"The traffic that the site would bring in is also unacceptable. The A61, at most times of the day, is busy and cars turning right from both directions to access both this application and also the theatre would lead to confusion and accidents."

Entrance to the new development, which would have 41 parking spaces, would be directly off Sheffield Road and also from Rockingham Row, a relatively new road which serves the Rockingham Business Park.

In the report set to go before next Tuesday's planning meeting, Barnsley Council's planners say that Birdwell is "quite unique" as, although it is an established area with 4,500 residents, it has no recognised local centre.

Existing shops and services are "scattered throughout the settlement" and have "little to no parking provision".

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The report says: "Whilst it would perhaps be more desirable that the site was located more centrally within Birdwell, it is accepted that there are no recognisable or available sites at the present time to do so.

"The site is well situated in terms of the strategic highway network and is also well served by public transport."

Recommending that the scheme should be approved, the planners add: "The dilapidated state of the existing building forms somewhat of an eyesore at a relatively strategic site on a main arterial road through

Birdwell to Barnsley town

centre.

"In addition, the development exhibits a sufficient design quality that will regenerate a long-standing derelict site, bringing both economic and environmental benefits to the township of Birdwell."

A final decision will be made at the planning committee meeting at Barnsley Town Hall on Tuesday at 2pm.