Red card for flats at Bramall Lane

Sheffield United FC had submitted an outline planning application for 52 one-bedroomed flats at the junction of John Street and Shoreham Street, which would back onto the football ground.

Blades chief executive Trevor Birch described the scheme as "part of the club's ongoing planning of a sustainable business model, which is focused on providing opportunities to support and benefit the club's footballing activities."

He added that a similar plan was included – but later withdrawn – when the club successfully gained planning permission in October 2009 for the Kop stand, alterations to the corner stand and the creation of a business enterprise centre.

This latest application had been recommended for approval by city planners, who said that the 15 car parking spaces would be acceptable as the site is so close to Sheffield city centre.

The planners said: "It is acknowledged that the locality experiences difficulties with on-street parking, though the Highfield residents parking scheme has recently been implemented and this should help alleviate on-street parking problems for residents in the locality of the ground.

"The applicant has been informed that no additional parking permits will be available to residents of this scheme, should it be granted permission, and a car-free directive should be a requirement of any permission."

However, councillors went against the advice of the officers and rejected the plans on the grounds of potential parking problems.

Their decision was welcomed by a group of local residents who objected to the scheme, as well as ward councillors Rob Murphy and Mohammad Maroof.

At the same planning committee meeting, which took place at Sheffield Town Hall, councillors backed plans to change the conditions on a planning application already granted for a shop off Archer Lane in Millhouses.

Numerous local residents and the Carter Knowle and Millhouses Community Group had objected to the application, which will now see a new store opening up at a retail park off Archer Drive, close to the existing Sainsbury's supermarket, Fitness First gym and McDonald's restaurant.

Planning permission for the store was granted in December 2006, but a condition was put on that consent which meant the shop would only be allowed to sell heavy goods such as DIY equipment, furniture, carpets and electrical goods.

Although building work has begun on the shop unit itself, a business had not been found to take it over. After the decision of the planning board, the owner now has planning consent to let the shop to any non-food business, rather than just a heavy goods retailer.

One of the objections to the application came from ward councillor Sylvia Dunkley, who said: "The sale of more general retail goods, as opposed to bulky goods, will create even more traffic congestion, air pollution and pressure on local shops at Millhouses and Woodseats."

The Carter Knowle and Millhouses Community Group also claimed that the new planning permission will "turn the neighbourhood into a retail park."

Planning officials, however, said the roads in the area were capable of accommodating the "negligible" increase in traffic the new shop would create.