Housing plan for factory abandoned 30 years ago

A housing estate could be built on an old factory site in Sheffield abandoned decades ago.

Hepworth's brick-making factory closed in the 1990s and the industrial buildings were left to rot by the Loxley Valley green belt.

Sheffield developer Sky-House has now submitted plans to build 73 houses and community facilities by the River Loxley, which weaves in between the derelict and vandalised factory units.

Sky-House says it is committed to preserving the woodland and wildlife with the eco-homes, but the plans have prompted more than 60 objections from local residents and conservation groups.

The Campaign to Protect Rural England, Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust, South Yorkshire Bat Group and the Friends of Loxley Valley are among those who have submitted an objection.

In 2020, a previous application by Patrick Properties to build 300 homes on the site received 1,000 objections and was rejected by Sheffield City Council.

Friends group chair Joanne Lee described the woodland as "the green lung" for residents in north Sheffield.

She said their members have a range of views about the site and said they had lodged an objection as there were "too many unanswered questions".

"We are not against development on the site but it's about the detail of this scheme," she said.

Lee said there were hundreds of documents with the application and the group had examined them, but said the details were "really vague".

"For instance, each property would have a leasehold area running down to the river like a wild woodland garden. The developer has talked about various protections and some sort of legal status but how would that actually be enforced?

"What is there to prevent people domesticating the land right down to the river? We don't know how the river would be protected."

She said there were also concerns about the "commercialisation" of the valley with shops, a padel court and café which "would bring a lot of additional traffic to a very quiet, rewilded area and there are issues around light pollution".

Sky-House said the development would create a "unique once in a lifetime neighbourhood" with a mix of one to five-bedroomed properties.

Chief executive David Cross said: "It will offer a combination of riverside residential, commercial and leisure spaces, including the potential for self-build plots, all set within 40 acres of rewilded landscapes.

"Sky-House is committed to restoring nature, creating biodiverse landscapes, extensive footpaths and establishing an attractive village centre to serve the community.

"There will also be two new vehicle bridges and a dedicated pedestrian crossing to connect the valley with the wider area."

Sheffield City Council will make a decision on the application at a future date.

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