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Sheffield Development Framework
SHEFFIELD: TRANSFORMATION AND SUSTAINABILITY
PREFERRED OPTIONS FOR THE CORE STRATEGY
Development Services Sheffield City Council Howden House 1 Union Street Sheffield S1 2SH Draft 11 January 2005
21/03/2012 WORKING DRAFT
Availability of this document
The Core Strategy Preferred Options Document can be obtained in various ways:
• It is available on the Council’s website at –
www.sheffield.gov.uk/in-your-area/planning-and-city- development/planning-documents/sdf/core-strategy
• It is available at all Sheffield Library Branches, including the local studies section of the Central Library
• It is available at First Point at – o Howden House, 1 Union Street in the City Centre o Chapeltown (on Station Road) o Hillsborough (in the Barracks)
• It can be purchased in whole or in extracts. If you wish to buy a hard copy please – o either e-mail: [email protected] o or telephone Sue McGrail on (0114) 273 4404 o or write to:
Development Services f.a.o Sue McGrail, Administration Services Manager Howden House 1 Union Street SHEFFIELD S1 2SH
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CONTENTS
Page
1. Introduction to Preferred Options 1 2. How to Comment on the Options 5 3. Policy Context and Overall Vision 7 4. Aims and Objectives 11 5. A Spatial Vision for Sheffield 19 6. Preferred Options: Topics 27 Business and Industry 27 Retail and Built Leisure 32 Housing 37 Open Space and Sports Facilities 43 Environment 45 Waste Management 49 Transport 50 7. Preferred Options: Areas 61 City Centre 61 Lower Don Valley 70 Upper Don Valley 75 Sheaf Valley and Neighbouring Areas 80 North East Urban Area 83 South East Urban Area 87 South and West Area 88 Mosborough/Woodhouse 89 Chapeltown/Ecclesfield 91 Stocksbridge/Deepcar 93 Rural Settlements 95
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1. INTRODUCTION TO THE PREFERRED OPTIONS
What is the Sheffield Development Framework about?
1.1 The Sheffield Development Framework is the City’s response to its new statutory requirement to prepare a Local Development Framework. The Local Development Framework comprises a set of planning documents, which will include Development Plan Documents to replace the existing Unitary Development Plan.
What is the Core Strategy?
1.2 The first of these Development Plan Documents is known as the Core Strategy. This will provide the overall spatial strategy for the city. It will answer the question, ‘At a strategic level, what is going to happen, where, and how is it going to happen?’ So, the Core Strategy will:
• contain the aims and overall strategy and high-level policy • make connections with other major strategies such as the:
- National planning policy and guidance - Securing the Future: the UK Government sustainable development strategy. - Regional Spatial Strategy - Regional Economic Strategy - The Sheffield City Regional Development Programme element of the Northern Way - South Yorkshire Spatial Vision - City Strategy (Sheffield’s community strategy) and other strategies under its umbrella - Housing Market Renewal ‘Pathfinder’ strategy - second Local Transport Plan
• identify the main spatial patterns over the next 15 years • set out locational criteria where it is not possible to be more specific about spatial policy.
1.3 It will not include development control criteria, though its policies may still be used to support specific decisions on planning applications.
What about the issues not covered by the Core Strategy?
1.4 Some issues will be dealt with in other Development Plan Documents:
• City Policies – setting out all the regulatory policies to guide planning decisions and preparation of planning briefs • City Sites – including all the site allocations (housing, business etc.)
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• Proposals Map – providing the spatial dimension for the policies and proposals of all the Development Plan Documents, showing areas and links on an Ordnance Survey map base.
Emerging Options for these documents will be available for consultation at the same time as the Preferred Options for the Core Strategy. The timetable for completing these documents is contained in the Local Development Scheme (April 2005 – March 2009).
1.5 At a later stage, we will be preparing Area Action Plans and Supplementary Planning Documents, but these will be started when the main citywide documents have been drafted.
How do the Preferred Options fit in?
1.6 Government guidance requires the Council to involve communities in the development of options for its Local Development Framework. This involvement should be a continuous process rather than one discrete exercise. In practice, there need to be defined stages within this process and the first of these was the consultation on Emerging Options for the Core Strategy in June and July 2005. This consultation explored the choices that are available between different types of development and different areas.
1.7 The present stage of the preparation process narrows the Emerging Options down to Preferred Options. These are not yet fully developed policies but indicate the broad directions that the Council has in mind. They take account of:
• Comments received on the Emerging Options and earlier consultations • Sustainability Appraisal • Equality Appraisal • The new City Strategy • The new draft Regional Spatial Strategy • Other strategies and masterplans, including the second Local Transport Plan and development frameworks for the Housing Market Renewal ‘Pathfinder’ area • Consideration of the prospects for making the options happen in practice • Ongoing technical work.
The status of Preferred Options
1.8 Unlike the Emerging Options, the Preferred Options have been approved by the Council, but only as a basis for consultation. They provide an indication of the policies that the Council is thinking of submitting to the Government.
1.9 The options will begin to influence other plan preparation and if there is significant clear support in the consultation, they might even be considered material in some planning decisions. But, it must be emphasised that they do not replace the Unitary Development Plan. This remains the statutory
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development plan for the city until the new policies are formally approved. Although the Preferred Options are more recent and take account of changing circumstances they do not carry statutory weight because they have not yet been through the public scrutiny required for that.
1.10 In some areas, there are few or no Preferred Options. This is usually for one of two reasons:
• It is envisaged that the area will remain fairly stable – no major choices are anticipated and the emphasis will be on regulatory policies in the City Policies document to safeguard the character and conditions of these areas.
• In other areas, there is a lot of regeneration activity but the impacts are generally quite local. This activity will bring about significant improvements and, hopefully, greater stability to these areas. But there may not be meaningful strategic options for their basic character or land uses.
1.11 We have tried to identify all the strategic spatial choices for the next 15 years. But it is still possible that we have omitted some, for example, because we are not yet aware of new initiatives that major stakeholders are hoping to take. The Preferred Options consultation will help to show if there are still any foreseeable options that we have overlooked.
1.12 But most of the underlying principles that need to inform planning strategy are becoming fairly clear and these have influenced the choice and evaluation of the Emerging Options. These are outlined in Chapter 4, on Aims and Objectives.
What about the consultation on issues for the UDP Review?
1.13 Many comments were received in 2002 about the questions posed for the now superseded review of the Unitary Development Plan. Comments made then are being fed into the new process and we will report on this as the work proceeds. That consultation was about the questions that needed asking in considering new policies. The present consultation goes on to pose answers to those questions that are about Core Strategy matters.
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2 HOW TO COMMENT ON THE OPTIONS
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3 POLICY CONTEXT AND OVERALL VISION
City Strategy
3.1 The Government requires Local Development Frameworks to have regard to the Community Strategy for their district, which in the case of Sheffield is the City Strategy. This is produced by the local strategic partnership, the Sheffield First Partnership, which includes representatives of the private, public, community, voluntary and faith sectors. It sets out the overall vision, aims and targets for the city and provides the wider context for the Local Development Framework. But the relationship between Community Strategies and Local Development Frameworks is complementary, in which the Local Development Framework provides a spatial expression of the Community Strategy.
3.2 In keeping with this complementary relationship, the Sheffield Development Framework shares the vision of the City Strategy, that:
“Sheffield will be a successful, distinctive city of European significance at the heart of a strong city region, with opportunities for all.
Our approach to achieving this vision will be built upon three key principles:
• Prosperity: We will actively seek to make the city competitive in economic terms, attracting investment and providing an environment that enables wealth to be created. • Inclusion: We will promote access to opportunities and services, so that all residents can take advantage of the benefits of living in and around Sheffield. • Sustainability: Our actions will meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
3.3 The Strategy identifies five big ambitions for Sheffield’s future where gradual improvement is not sufficient and a ‘step’ change is needed over the next 10 years:
• Sheffield to have an economy that matches the best cities in Europe • Learning to be a part of everyone’s life • Every neighbourhood to be a successful neighbourhood • Sheffield to re-establish its excellent public transport system • Sheffield to be an exciting, magnetic city.
Regional Spatial Strategy
3.4 The Local Development Framework has to conform generally with the Regional Spatial Strategy. The draft Regional Spatial Strategy for Yorkshire and Humberside identifies the regional and sub-regional centres as the prime focus for housing, employment shopping and other activities and facilities in the region and to concentrate the majority of development there. Aspects of its overall approach will be to:
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• Reverse the long term trend of population and investment dispersal away from cities and major towns • Transform cities and major towns as attractive, cohesive and safe places where people want to live, work, invest and spend time in • Better connect excluded communities with the benefits and opportunities arising from growth • Raise environmental quality, increase biodiversity and enhance natural and heritage built assets • Improve people’s accessibility to housing, employment, shopping, cultural, health, education and leisure facilities and services • Diversify urban and rural economies to help retain, attract and create more and better jobs in the region • Facilitate fewer and shorter journeys with less reliance on the car and increased opportunities for using public transport, cycling and walking.
3.5 These themes are re-inforced in its sub-regional strategy for South Yorkshire, which also draws on the South Yorkshire Vision, agreed by the Leaders of the South Yorkshire councils. The key components of the spatial strategy for South Yorkshire seek to address the following objectives:
• Urban Centre focused and lead sub-regional renaissance • Radically improve connectivity • Addressing housing and housing market failure • Develop comparative advantages of the four centres • Environmental Quality
Securing the Future: UK Sustainability Strategy
3.6 Planning has a statutory responsibility to “contribute to the achievement of sustainable development”. What the Government means by sustainability is set out in the UK Sustainability Strategy. Sustainability is also one of the three key principles of the City Strategy (see paragraph 3.2 above) and a recurring theme of the draft Regional Spatial Strategy. Sustainability is about the use and management of the environment but, as the UK Strategy emphasises, it is also about social and economic issues. This approach reminds us that our immediate ambitions need to be informed by a broader and longer-term view so that the quality of life of others, in present and future generations, is not prejudiced by our own and so that the benefits for ourselves in the short term can be sustained into the future. A sustainable strategy is one that will stand the test of time. The Sheffield Development Framework strategy is intended to be one that will deliver its aims and objectives in the long as well as the short term.
3.7 This long-term view is recognised in the UK Sustainability Strategy definition of sustainable development, which means enabling people throughout the world to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life, without compromising the quality of life of future generations. The Strategy’s guiding principles are:
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• Living within environmental limits • Ensuring a strong, healthy and just society • Achieving a sustainable economy • Promoting good governance • Using sound science responsibly
These principles lead to four priority areas for action:
• Sustainable consumption and production • Climate change and energy • Natural resource protection and environmental enhancement • Sustainable communities.
Spatial planning as implications for all four priority areas.
Vision for the Sheffield Development Framework: Transformation and Sustainability
3.8 The vision for the Sheffield Development framework draws from these and other strategies and is summed up in two words: ‘Transformation’ and ‘Sustainability’.
3.9 Transformation is about making the step changes that are at the heart of the City Strategy’s aspirations and means making more than gradual improvements. Considerable changes have taken place in recent years in the City Centre and in many housing areas. Sheffield is now increasingly recognised for its green environment and setting. But the process of radical change needs to continue. The structure of the economy needs to be transformed so that sectors with good growth prospects replace those that are static or declining. There are still large areas where the housing market needs to be revived to make them places where more people want to live. This is the challenge for the Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder initiative in South Yorkshire, ‘Transform South Yorkshire’. Transformation is also about design and giving character and identity to areas that lack it. And it means radical transport solutions to enable people to move about the city as the demand to travel continues to rise.
3.10 Transformation is an ambitious long-term goal and to be achieved if it must also be sustainable. Sustainability is the guiding principle for bringing together the economy, social inclusion, the environment and resources into a single integrated strategy. The Sheffield Development Framework now has a critical role in this, encouraging patterns of development and land use that help to create sustainable communities for today’s and future generations. Sustainability will determine how different land uses relate spatially, how the environment is managed and conserved and how areas and individual buildings are designed. So, options put forward now are with a view to the longer-term potential for economic transformation, community cohesion and access to work and services, both recognising the benefits of mobility and minimising the need to travel. They take account of congestion and pollution
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levels and of natural resources and habitats. They embrace diversity and equality. They promote quality in construction materials, design of layouts, and green spaces and corridors. And they look to protect and enhance those things that we value now and bequeath them to future generations.
3.11 In summary, our vision is of:
Transformation and sustainability, through which Sheffield becomes a city that:
• is economically prosperous and attractive to business, sustaining employment for all who seek it • has sustainable neighbourhoods that are good places to live, offering everyone a range of facilities and opportunities • prizes, conserves and enhances its distinctive heritage and natural environment, that respects the global environment and promotes sustainable, high quality buildings and spaces • enables people and goods to move about the city conveniently and by sustainable forms of transport • enriches the city region of which it forms the core, as the most sustainable location for regional services and facilities.
3.12 The implications of this vision are developed in the next chapter, which draws out five clusters of related objectives as five broad aims.
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4 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
4.1 To develop the vision of transformation and sustainability, five broad aims are proposed and within each one of these aims is a set of planning objectives to be achieved. The aims have been designed to bring together the clusters of issues which can be most influenced by planning. The five aims are:
1. A strong economy 2. Opportunities for all 3. The natural environment conserved 4. Improved accessibility and connections 5. Places well designed, distinctive and revitalised.
4.2 These aims are closely related to each other and each one depends on the others to achieve the vision of transformation and sustainability. The boundaries are not hard and fast and some of the objectives could relate to more than one aim. Some of the aims and objectives are potentially in tension with each other. Sometimes it is possible to find ways of bringing them together to achieve ‘win-win’ solutions. In other cases, choices have to be made between them. Sustainable transformation is the integrating principle and these choices will be informed by the sustainability appraisal.
Aim 1 A strong economy
4.3 This aim is the same as in the City Strategy, which looks to Sheffield being a strong driver of a prosperous city region with a balanced, sustainable, high growth, high value economy. It means promoting and enabling development that will contribute to economic transformation as an internationally recognised innovative producer city. In relation to the city region, it means retaining its own population and being increasingly a net importer of employees and a net exporter of wealth.
4.4 Without a strong and transformed economy, the prospect would be one of economic stagnation or decline and the return of rising unemployment, which is not sustainable and would create greater imbalances between communities. The UK Sustainability Strategy states that its goal will be pursued in an integrated way that includes a sustainable, innovative and productive economy that delivers high levels of employment. This means that growth must be sustainable and the other aims and objectives of the Sheffield Development Framework will help to achieve this. Sustainability and balance both also feature in the City Strategy aim for a strong economy.
4.5 This aim relates not only to the city but also to the city region. This is recognised, in the City Strategy, the City Region Development Programme and the Northern Way programme, as crucial for Sheffield’s future role. The emerging Regional Spatial Strategy will depend on collaboration between areas of the region. In the past, Sheffield has tended to be seen as a freestanding manufacturing city that happened to be large enough to attract people from a wider area. Its future and that of the region now require much closer integration. The well-being and sustainability of the city now depend on
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serving the city region and the well-being and sustainability of the region depend on having a healthy core city. This will require transformation of the Sheffield economy, recognition of the distinctive and complementary roles of all the urban centres of the city region and the improvement of connections within the region and with other cities.
4.6 The aim of a strong economy will mean the following planning objectives:
1.1. Conditions created for a balanced, diverse and sustainable high- growth economy in Sheffield city region
1.2. Land provided for modern and high-technology manufacturing and knowledge-based services, including opportunities for the creation of dynamic business clusters
1.3. Environments created, improved and conserved to attract high- technology manufacturing and knowledge-based services
1.4. Provision for transport and other services to support economic transformation and get people to their work
1.5. Housing provided to support economic transformation and provide for key workers
1.6. The City Centre regenerated as the core location for major expansion of business, shopping, leisure and culture, complemented by the Upper and Lower Don Valley
1.7. Economic and development initiatives also promoted at the district neighbourhood level to support local communities and small businesses
1.8. Land provided for education and training facilities for developing a skilled workforce
1.9. Existing successful businesses enabled to thrive
1.10. High quality design of spaces and buildings to consolidate economic transformation
1.11. Cultural and leisure facilities and tourism expanded and improved
1.12. A sustainable rural economy supported in the local countryside.
Aim 2 Opportunities for all
4.7 This aim means promoting access to opportunities and services for all and encouraging development and environments that allow everyone to benefit. This includes transforming conditions for the more deprived communities of the city, making improvements to close the economic and social gap between
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them and their more affluent neighbours and breaking the link between being poor and having a poor environment. It means supporting improvements to health for all and particularly in communities where it is below average. Quality of life is for everyone, including those who could get overlooked in decisions about development.
4.8 The aim of opportunities for all reflects the City Strategy’s key principle of inclusion and includes aspects of its aims of ‘Inclusive and cosmopolitan city’, ‘A great place to grow up’, ‘Good health and well-being for all communities’ and ‘Attractive successful neighbourhoods’. It contributes to the ambition for every neighbourhood to be a successful neighbourhood. The draft Regional Spatial Strategy objectives seek social equity and inclusion. This is supported by the UK Sustainability Strategy, which seeks a just society that promotes social inclusion, sustainable communities and personal well-being.
4.9 Some of the needs of potentially disadvantaged groups and communities will depend on improved accessibility and the improvement of local environments. These are also taken up under Aims 4 and 5 below.
4.10 Opportunities for all will mean the following planning objectives:
2.1. Quality of life improved in neighbourhoods that lack adequate facilities and services or suffer from an unsatisfactory environment
2.2. Investment and renewal directed to disadvantaged communities
2.3. The benefits of new development made available to those who are currently excluded
2.4. Neighbourhoods planned to encourage healthy lifestyles for all
2.5. Community, health, education, training and leisure facilities and services provided locally where appropriate and where people can get to them by walking, cycling or public transport
2.6. Wider choice of housing provided through more mixing of housing types and tenures, to meet the needs of the whole community, including vulnerable people
2.7. Successful housing markets across all tenures in all areas of the city and increased demand for housing in currently deprived areas
2.8. Unfit or low-demand housing replaced or improved so that everyone has the opportunity to live in homes that meet at least decency standards
2.9. Buildings and the spaces around and between them designed to be safe and safely accessible for all, including disabled people
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2.10. Workplaces located where they are accessible to all by a range of transport options, including from areas of high unemployment.
Aim 3 The natural environment conserved – and resources used and managed responsibly
4.11 This aim recognises the intrinsic value of the natural resources and setting of the city and of the contribution of its plant and animal life. A well protected, conserved and enhanced natural environment contributes directly to a better quality of life and is a distinctive asset for Sheffield in developing a strong economy. Related objectives for design, heritage conservation and the built environment are taken up under Aim 5 below about the places that make up the city. Both aims support the City Strategy’s aim of an ‘excellent environment’, placing environment at the heart of all its decisions.
4.12 There is both a global and a local aspect to the natural environment. Globally, we will all be increasingly affected by climate change and the impacts of emissions and resource consumption over the plan period and they will continue to have major implications for generations well after that. This aim seeks to encourage measures that will help to reduce and offset the impacts of what happens in Sheffield on the global environment, which will mean transforming the way we think about issues such as design and transport. The draft Regional Spatial Strategy objectives include addressing the causes of and responding to the effects of climate change and helping to meet the Region’s target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 25% below 1990 levels by 2015. The City Strategy’s aim of an ‘Excellent environment’ includes reducing the city’s dependence on non-renewable resources. Attention to this aim will have local benefits, for example, the effect on health of better air quality in the city.
4.13 Sheffield is increasingly renowned for its green environment and it enjoys an unparalleled location next to the Peak Park with topography that sets it apart from any other city in the country. These distinctive attributes contribute to the character of the city and are cherished by residents and visitors alike as shown by the recent consultation by the Sheffield First Partnership. So, the City Strategy’s aim for the environment includes enhancing the city’s natural asset and its ambition to be an exciting magnetic city draws on its closeness to the Peak District. To develop this aim, the Sheffield Development Framework seeks to protect the natural environment, preserve and enhance resources and habitats, maintain the general extent of the Green Belt and affirm the relationship with the Peak Park.
4.14 This all accords with the guiding principle of sustainability set out in the City Strategy. The UK Sustainability Strategy also seeks natural resource protection and environmental enhancement.
4.15 Conserving the natural environment and using and managing resources responsibly will mean the following planning objectives:
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3.1 Natural and landscape features, including valleys, woodlands, trees and water, safeguarded and enhanced
3.2 Biodiversity and wildlife habitats enhanced and protected throughout urban and rural areas
3.3 Features of particular ecological or scientific value conserved
3.4 Open space protected and improved and, where necessary, created
3.5 An encircling Green Belt to prevent urban sprawl connected to a green network of areas and routes for wildlife, movement and recreation penetrating the built up area and linking with the countryside
3.6 Carbon and other harmful emissions cut by reducing distances that people and goods need to travel, encouraging walking, cycling and energy-efficient and low-polluting forms of travel
3.7 New development concentrated where it can be served by sustainable forms of transport
3.8 Efficient use of existing transport and of water, electricity, gas and telecommunications infrastructure
3.9 Air and water quality improved in excess of legal or best practice limits
3.10 Contaminated land restored
3.11 Previously developed land and existing buildings reclaimed and re- used for all types of development in preference to greenfield land
3.12 Developments laid out, designed and constructed to minimise carbon emissions and other harmful impacts on climate and the local environment, to reduce obsolescence, to use energy efficiently and to work with natural processes
3.13 Renewable energy (including solar and wind power) generated in a variety of schemes and by new buildings, and in excess of regional targets
3.14 Waste reduced, reused, composted or recycled and land requirements for disposal minimised
3.15 Flood risk reduced by appropriate drainage, by flood prevention measures and by avoiding building in areas where the risk is unacceptable.
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Aim 4 Improved accessibility and connections
4.16 This aim means improving connections and access to services, increasing the choice of means to travel between areas and locating development where it would reduce the need to travel and stem increases in congestion and pollution. It contributes to all three key principles of the City Strategy (prosperity, inclusion and sustainability) and it embraces the City Strategy’s ambition to re-establish Sheffield’s excellent public transport system. Not everywhere can be equally accessible but this aim means locating developments and providing transport services to meet the needs of all.
4.17 The City Strategy aims that Sheffield should be ‘well connected’ and this relates to its aim of a strong economy. Effective connections internally, across the city, and externally, throughout the city region and beyond, are crucial for strengthening the economy. Government transport policy aims to support an efficient economy and sustainable economic growth in appropriate locations.
4.18 Development must be accessible to all to achieve the City Strategy’s aspiration for prosperity and inclusion and its aim to be ‘inclusive and cosmopolitan’. It also helps to fulfil the Sheffield Development Framework aim of opportunities for all (Aim 2 above). One of the overriding objectives of the Government's national transport policy is 'promoting accessibility to everyday facilities for all, especially those without a car.' Planning for accessibility is central to the second round of Local Transport Plans and is one of the Government’s key shared priorities for transport. The draft Regional Spatial Strategy seeks to facilitate a reduction in travel demand and a shift to modes with lower environmental impacts. The aim of ‘opportunities for all’ depends on accessibility for all which means keeping costs of travel and dependence on private transport as low as possible.
4.19 Accessibility is also fundamental for sustainability and responsible use of resources (see Aim 3). Reducing the impact of fuel consumption and emissions requires reducing the need to travel where possible and the distances travelled. Where trips are over short distances more sustainable and healthier forms of local travel, mainly walking or cycling, become possible. Improved accessibility and connections will mean making the best use of road space and transforming the way we choose between different forms of travel.
4.20 The aim of improved accessibility and connections would mean the following planning objectives:
4.1 Excellent connections with sub-regional, regional, national and international transport networks
4.2 Improved access by sustainable transport to areas for economic development that are currently poorly served
4.3 Effective and efficient movement around the city, making best use of routes and limiting development where congestion would increase unacceptably
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4.4 Public transport improved and sustainable modes of travel given priority
4.5 Development located to limit the distances people need to travel, with mixing of land uses and increased opportunities for single journeys to serve several purposes
4.6 High-density development focussed on the most accessible locations
4.7 New development that generates significant trips carried out only in areas accessible by a choice of sustainable forms of transport
4.8 Services and open spaces located where they can effectively serve communities
4.9 Walking and cycling, encouraged by design of places, routes and networks
4.10 Access to natural areas and countryside improved
4.11 Facilities located to be accessible by all, including disabled people.
Aim 5 Places well designed, distinctive and revitalised
4.21 This aim is about the places that make up the city and the ways in which they contribute to the quality of life. It focuses on the cultural, designed and built environment. Quality of life means quality of places and making the city more attractive, healthy, safe and functional. Also, the different parts of the city need to become increasingly places where people feel at ease and with which they can identify. Where areas of the city have become run-down, this aim means bringing new life, new character and identity and renewal of the physical environment. It contributes significantly to the aims of a strong economy and opportunities for all, it has a close relationship with the aim of a conserved natural environment and it will contribute to the aim of improved accessibility.
4.22 The aim applies Government policy for urban and rural renaissance, helping to reduce pressure for urban sprawl by making existing neighbourhoods and villages more attractive places to live for all social groups. This means ensuring places are safe and healthy, bringing new life to run-down areas, conserving what is valued, enhancing what is distinctive, and transforming what is characterless.
4.23 The aim contributes directly to two of the five ambitions of the City Strategy, for every neighbourhood to be a successful neighbourhood and for Sheffield to be an exciting magnetic city. Several of the Strategy’s aims support this, including ‘Attractive successful neighbourhoods’, ‘Good health and well-being for all communities’ and ‘Low crime’. The vision of a distinctive city means
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conserving and developing Sheffield’s special heritage and character. The revitalising of run-down areas supports the draft Regional Spatial Strategy, which seeks to reverse the trend away from cities and to transform them into places where people want to be.
4.24 The aim of places that are well designed, distinctive and revitalised will mean the following planning objectives:
5.1 High quality achieved in all aspects of the design of new buildings and the spaces around and between them
5.2 A healthier environment, which includes space for physical activity and informal recreation and does not subject people to pollution, noise or disturbance
5.3 A safer and more secure environment, minimising physical hazards and opportunities for crime
5.4 Enhanced character and distinctiveness of neighbourhoods, taking advantage of existing local character and features to provide the context for new development
5.5 Conservation of buildings and areas that are attractive, distinctive or of heritage value in urban and rural settings
5.6 The environment maintained and safeguarded where it is already acceptable
5.7 Improved environment in areas that need to attract business investment and in key ‘gateway’ corridors and approaches to the city
5.8 Attractive, revitalised and successful neighbourhoods in areas that have become run-down or where there is low demand
5.9 Services and open space provided to support new and regenerated housing development
5.10 The landscape and character of the villages and countryside, including the urban/rural fringe, protected and enhanced.
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5 A SPATIAL VISION FOR SHEFFIELD
Introduction
5.1 The spatial vision is informed by the overall vision, aims and objectives and shows in general terms how they apply to broad areas of the city. The vision and the more specific spatial policies are also presented on the Key Diagram.
Main Features
5.2 Major features of the spatial vision for transformation and sustainability are as follows:
• The city will develop its role as a major core city providing higher-order shops, services and employment to serve the city region.
• Land and buildings within the existing built-up areas will be re-used and average densities increased rather than spreading out into the countryside. The surrounding countryside will continue to be protected as one of the most valued distinctive features of the city.
• The transformation of the city’s economy and securing of sustainable employment will be supported by focussing economic development in the City Centre, with complementary strategic locations in the Lower and Upper Don Valleys.
• Major new shopping, service, leisure and cultural development will be focussed on the City Centre, further enhancing Sheffield’s core city role. Appropriate smaller-scale shopping, service and leisure development will be focussed in district centres.
• Priority for investment in housing areas will be given to the designated Housing Market Renewal Areas and City Centre to help reduce the contrasts between neighbourhoods and achieve sustainable levels of demand for housing throughout the city.
• Green Belt will be retained and extended where appropriate. A network of green corridors and parks and open spaces will be protected and improved to secure the city’s distinctive landscape, enhance its biodiversity and provide accessible areas for leisure and recreation.
• Sustainable forms of travel will be promoted in key corridors into the City Centre through improvements to public transport and facilities for pedestrians and cyclists. Best use will be made of the existing road system with few additions by managing demand for car trips to maximise the numbers of people who can travel in a sustainable way.
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Overall Settlement Pattern
5.3 In keeping with the emphasis on urban centres, the priority for development will be in the main urban area and especially in the City Centre. Major housing investment will also continue to be directed primarily to the north and east of the main urban area, including the designated Housing Market Renewal Area. The more outlying areas of Mosborough (part of the main urban area) and Chapeltown and Stocksbridge (both separate settlements) will be encouraged to support employment and housing for local needs. This will help to reduce the need to travel into the main urban area, particularly at peak times. However, all three areas will remain closely integrated with the rest of the city and provision will still be needed for commuting.
5.4 The future development of the city will be principally through the re-use of land within existing settlements rather than expansion into the countryside. Priority will be given to using previously developed land and existing buildings, wherever possible, so long as they would be accessible by all forms of transport and relate well to neighbouring development and existing communities.
The City Centre
5.5 The principal focus for new economic and commercial development will be within and immediately adjoining the City Centre (which includes the area within the Inner Ring Road and the Central Riverside area). This will attract many of the new businesses with the best prospects for the knowledge-based services that will play a key role in transforming the economy and achieving sustainable employment. It is also the most accessible location for regional services from other parts of the city region and beyond. It offers the greatest prospects for maximising trips by public transport to make the best use of finite road capacity, to help minimise congestion and to contain the emission of pollutants and gases that contribute to climate change. Within the City Centre, there will be strategic concentrations of major office development and the pattern of distinctive Quarters will be further developed whilst allowing a mixing of complementary uses. Residential development will continue where it would add to the vitality and viability of the City Centre but not in locations where it would prejudice its economic transformation.
5.6 A key part of the vision for the City is to enable the central shopping area to better serve its city region. The City Centre will be the principal focus for new shopping development, taking advantage of the consolidation and expansion that are already committed through the proposed New Retail Quarter. The attraction will be further strengthened through the improvement of cultural and leisure facilities, raising the quality of design of buildings and public spaces and improving and creating open spaces. Much has already been achieved in the Heart of the City and elsewhere and this progress will be maintained through the plan period.
5.7 The vision will depend on workers, shoppers and other visitors being able to get to the City Centre. This will mean making the most efficient use of route
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capacity with improvements to major radial routes and the Inner Relief Road. Radial routes will be designated as Quality Public Transport Corridors, pedestrian routes and enhanced gateways will be developed into the centre. Park-and-ride facilities will be provided for peak-period travellers (with long- stay parking limited within the centre and neighbouring areas) and car-parking within the City Centre will give priority to shoppers and others arriving at non peak periods and for people with disabilities.
Other Employment Areas
5.8 There will be several additional focuses for economic development to cater for businesses and workers requiring different kinds of area. So, there will be additional locations for offices at an appropriate scale near public transport interchanges (Meadowhall, Crystal Peaks and Hillsborough) and at the Sheffield Business Park on Europa Way.
5.9 Manufacturing will continue to play an important part in the changing economy and will be concentrated away from residential areas but in locations that can be reached by public transport. In the main urban area the largest concentrations will be in the Upper and Lower Don Valley (including the Sheffield Business Park) with additional locations in more outlying areas and settlements (Holbrook/Oxclose at Mosborough, Thorncliffe and Smithywood at Chapeltown, and Stocksbridge).
5.10 The mix of employment uses in the Lower Don Valley will also reflect its existing distinctive role and the need to encourage development that is least likely to congest the motorway junctions, especially at peak periods. A ‘green’ business park setting in the river/canal corridor will help to attract modern forms of manufacturing at densities consistent with road capacity constraints and the need to improve air quality. Large-scale leisure development that cannot be accommodated in the City Centre will be located here. A wide range of transport measures will be introduced to maximise the capacity for new businesses and jobs. This will include improved public transport and Travel Plans to ensure this is used fully, trip demand management measures such as parking controls and a new road under Tinsley Viaduct.
5.11 Employment will also be the main role for the Upper Don Valley with some new housing at the lower end of the valley adjoining the City Centre and a leisure/education cluster centred on existing facilities near Hillsborough. Development in the Valley will be complemented by major investment in the highway network in order to access major development sites, and the Penistone Road/Upper Don Valley Quality Bus Corridor, proposed in the Local Transport Plan. This will improve accessibility to key regeneration areas and from local communities and help to channel traffic away from Hillsborough District Centre.
5.12 To help provide more local employment, new businesses will also be developed outside the main concentrations including, for example at Burngreave, Orgreave and in the Sheaf Valley. This will help to reduce the distances people need to travel at peak times. But these locations will not be
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used for major office developments, as these require more accessible locations due to the high number of trips that they generate.
Shopping Centres
5.13 Although most of the investment in shopping will be in the City Centre, opportunities will be taken to renew the District Centres to help develop neighbourhood economies and provide services and jobs more locally than is possible in the City Centre or superstores. Large-scale expansion of most of the District Centres is not anticipated. But the local environment and accessibility will be maintained and, where possible, improved, particularly at Firth Park, Spital Hill, Darnall and Manor Top. Some expansion may occur at Spital Hill and Manor Top and a new District Centre will be created at Buchanan Road/ Chaucer. All these developments and improvements will contribute to the overall transformation of the Housing Market Renewal Area (see below). Small neighbourhood centres will cater for the most local needs for shops, services and community facilities with new investment in the most viable.
5.14 Meadowhall will continue to be a major regional draw but shopping space will remain at around its current capacity with no major expansion. This will ensure that new retail investment is focussed on the City Centre, which is the more accessible and sustainable location.
Housing Areas
5.15 The emphasis on housebuilding on recycled rather than greenfield land complements the greatly increased demand for city living. New flats and apartments will continue to be built in appropriate areas in the City Centre, taking advantage of its highly accessible location.
5.16 The main areas for new building outside the City Centre will be cleared sites within the Housing Market Renewal Area but land will be released in other parts of the urban area to provide choice, so long as it would not jeopardise housing market renewal in areas of low demand. The growth of owner- occupied housing will be encouraged in the Housing Market Renewal Area and a range of uses encouraged to make these neighbourhoods more sustainable places to live.
5.17 Housing will contribute to the regeneration of the Attercliffe and Darnall area. Elsewhere in the Lower Don Valley new housing will only be located where it would not conflict with the economic transformation of the city or environmental objectives. So, major new housing development is not proposed in other parts of the Valley.
5.18 The density of housing will be greatest in and around centres and along high- frequency public transport routes, e.g. near to the Supertram route and Quality Public Transport Corridors. This will help to support these facilities and services and may help reduce the number of car journeys.
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5.19 In other areas in the south west of the city, the amount of new housing will be largely limited to infill sites and will not be at high densities. This will help to safeguard the distinctive character of its neighbourhoods, reduce the increases in demand on roads that are already at, or near, capacity and encourage demand to expand into new areas to support the citywide economy and help create more balanced communities.
Outlying Urban Areas
5.20 Mosborough is more remote from the main services and employment centres than most other parts of the main urban area but has significant employment areas of its own and a strong district centre. Opportunities will be taken to safeguard or increase local employment to complement the larger concentrations in the main urban area. But significant further expansion of the district centre is not envisaged. New housing will be limited in order to safeguard greenfield land and the Green Belt will be extended here.
5.21 There will be some new housing in the freestanding settlements of Chapeltown and Stocksbridge and local jobs will be promoted and business land set aside to support a degree of self-containment to reduce the need to travel out to work. However, the number of jobs in Stocksbridge is not expected to grow and it will take on more of a commuter role, requiring improvements to transport connections with neighbouring areas of Sheffield and Barnsley. Improvements to the town centre will be encouraged to reduce the need to travel out of Stocksbridge for shopping and other services.
The Green Setting
5.22 A network of green corridors will be preserved and enhanced including strategic links along the main rivers and this will serve a range of purposes including movement of wildlife in the city, leisure and recreation and walking and cycling. Woodland areas will be safeguarded and new trees will be planted. Diversity of wildlife will be encouraged across the city and areas of special ecological or geological value will be protected. The capacity of open space, including playing fields, will be maintained and increased where needed and improvements will be made to district level parks and facilities in particular.
5.23 The city’s rural setting will be safeguarded and enhanced and the Green Belt will be protected to support urban and rural objectives. Small-scale infill housing will be provided in the smaller settlements of Oughtibridge, Worrall and Wharncliffe Side but larger infill schemes will only take place where they would make a significant contribution towards meeting needs for affordable housing.
Design
5.24 High quality design will be promoted throughout the city but the approach will reflect the characteristics and needs of the individual area. Three main types of action can be summarised as ‘Respect’, ‘Repair’ and ‘Regenerate’.
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‘Respect’ will be the emphasis in parts of the city with a distinctive character that needs to be reinforced. Large areas of the south west of the city fall into this category but it may also include areas of traditional terraced housing. ‘Repair’ areas are those with elements or buildings of distinctive quality that provide either context or character but also include unsatisfactory additions that are out of character with the overall setting. The approach in these areas will be to help to restore their predominant character. ‘Regeneration’ areas are the most run-down parts of the city, with little distinctive character though perhaps with some unique features, such as topography and key views. The emphasis in these areas will be on more radical improvements, transforming them through innovative projects and initiatives.
5.25 In all areas, development will be designed to be safe, to respect its setting, to have a clear image and be easy to understand. Tall buildings can have a positive role in highlighting the topography of the city but their use must be selective and of sufficient quality. Spatial aspects of design will all be subject to the requirements of sustainability (see the forthcoming City Policies document for full coverage of sustainable design).
Resources
5.26 The city will contribute towards more sustainable use of the environment by providing extra services and facilities to encourage recycling of waste and minimising landfill disposal. It will take advantage of the new energy-from- waste plant to expand the district heating system in the City Centre and provide a new household waste recycling centre in the southwest of the city to complement kerbside collections. Generation of renewable energy will be encouraged to attain and, if possible, exceed the target set in the Regional Spatial Strategy. This will be achieved partly through the design of new buildings but larger-scale wind energy will also be generated, and encouraged in identified locations where conditions favour it but with protection for the most sensitive environments.
Transport
5.27 The development of a sustainable city will include providing for increased mobility to support economic transformation and enabling opportunities for all to participate and benefit. It is Council policy to promote choice in transport and, to be sustainable, this means making the best use of existing network capacity, maximising opportunities for travel by walking, cycling and public transport, reducing dependence on the car and locating development so as to reduce the distances people need to travel. It will also mean ensuring that jobs and services are accessible, particularly for those who, for reasons of income, age, disability or other reasons, have less personal mobility. Specific action will be taken in certain areas to ensure air quality is acceptable. Improvements to transport networks and infrastructure will be provided in conjunction with major new housing developments where necessary to improve sustainability.
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5.28 Measures to reduce congestion will be focussed on the Key Routes in Sheffield identified in the provisional South Yorkshire Second Local Transport Plan. These are the A57 Manchester Road, A6102 Middlewood Road, A61 Penistone Road, A6178 Don Valley Link, A57/A630 Sheffield Parkway, A61 Chesterfield Road, A621 Ecclesall Road and A6102 Outer Ring Road.
5.29 Quality Public Transport Corridors will improve the facilities and infrastructure that support public transport into the City Centre and business developments along the corridors. If approved, the extensions to Supertram will help to reduce the pressure on bus and rail services between Sheffield and Rotherham and help to take local traffic from the congested Junction 34.
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6. PREFERRED OPTIONS: CITYWIDE
Introduction
6.1 The Preferred Options are presented in two sections. The first section takes up themes and land uses that apply across the whole city. The second (in Chapter 7) identifies how the themes and land uses come together in particular areas.
Business and Industry
Introduction
6.2 Policies for business and industry are one of the major contributions of the Sheffield Development Framework to achieving the economic aims of the City Strategy. But land for employment uses is under pressure from a strong housing market and there is Government guidance to release surplus employment land for new housing. A major study has been carried out for the Regional Spatial Strategy to assess employment land requirements and a follow-up study has been commissioned for Sheffield by the Region’s consultants, to translate their analysis to the city. The results will inform the policies of the draft Core Strategy.
Land for Employment and Economic Development
6.3 Regeneration can only take place if there is suitable land available in the right locations. Specific sites will be identified in the forthcoming City Sites document and Proposals Map but this will be in the context of the overall requirement for this land.
Preferred Option PB1
6.4 ## hectares of land will be provided and protected for new business and industry including around:
• ## hectares for offices • ## hectares for other businesses (including ## for advanced technology associated with the teaching hospitals and universities), • ## hectares for industry • ## hectares for storage and distribution.
6.5 The target level of development that the city should aim for is reflected in its economic aspirations, based not only on current trends in employment numbers but also anticipating higher growth for the future. The total figure needs to be broken down by types of business because they each have
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different locational requirements. Consultants have been appointed to assess requirements using the methodology already employed for the Regional Spatial Strategy. The figures will also be informed by regeneration partners and their requirements.
6.6 Policies in the forthcoming City Policies and City Sites documents will be used to safeguard and release the land that is needed.
6.7 The following options have been rejected:
• Provision based solely on past land take-up (with or without adjustments for future prediction or policy) • No target set or provision for safeguarding industry and business land.
Business and industry development on brownfield and greenfield land
6.8 New development can take place either on brownfield land – land that has been previously developed, or greenfield land – land that has either not been previously developed or has been left vacant for long enough for it to return to a natural state. The use of brownfield land is generally more environmentally sustainable, but it is often more expensive to develop than greenfield sites. Greenfield land is less likely to have physical constraints, such as contamination and existing structures to remove. It is also likely that brownfield sites will be in more accessible locations.
Preferred Option PB2
6.9 Priority will be given to brownfield over greenfield land for new business and industry development where it would also be accessible by public transport.
6.10 The priority in this option reflects the spatial vision for the city, based on recycling and renewal rather than new land and urban expansion. Giving priority to brownfield land for business and industry development is essential to achieving this. ·Greenfield sites often have environmental and recreational value that would be protected if brownfield sites are favoured for development.
6.11 This option will be delivered through robust phasing of the development of sites through the forthcoming City Policies and City Sites documents. Sheffield has a relatively large proportion of brownfield sites when compared with many other towns and cities, so the option should be deliverable. However, there is a need to co-ordinate this approach within and adjoining the region, in order to ensure that the city is not disadvantaged when bidding for regeneration opportunities.
6.12 The following options has been rejected:
• No preference to either greenfield or brownfield sites for business and industry development.
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Locations for office development
6.13 The location of offices is important for developers, as this is a fundamental consideration for occupiers and it influences rental levels and the viability of schemes.
6.14 Government planning guidance1 identifies offices as a key town centre use and the City Centre should be the preferred location. However, demand is expected to be such that land will also be needed outside the City Centre, following the sequence of priorities set out in Government guidance. The guidance suggests that local authorities define a hierarchy of centres that perform different roles – this would include different roles for different types of centres in terms of their suitability for varying scales of office development.
Preferred Option PB3
6.15 Large-scale office development will be located in the City Centre. Significant office development with a smaller floor area will also be located in accessible locations at the edge of the City Centre, around Meadowhall, Hillsborough and Crystal Peaks transport interchanges, and in the Sheffield Business Park, south of Europa Link, to which public transport will be improved. Smaller-scale office development will be located elsewhere in the city on appropriate high-frequency public transport routes including other district centres.
6.16 Major offices should, wherever possible, be located in the single most accessible location in the city, so jobs would be more readily available and accessible to workers that use public transport. Focussing major office development in the City Centre creates jobs, improving the City Centre economy. Workers use the other facilities that the City Centre has to offer, such as shops and leisure facilities. A thriving City Centre benefits the whole city, as there are roles that only the City Centre can perform. It is the economic driver for the whole of Sheffield and beyond. The definition of ‘large-scale’ will be developed further for the draft Core Strategy in the light of the review of employment requirements (see PB1 above).
6.17 Concentration of major office development in the City Centre makes possible more efficient use of the city’s transport infrastructure as most public transport routes run to or through the City Centre. Transport interchanges and accessible locations at the edge of the City Centre are the areas that are the most accessible, after the City Centre, so smaller-scale offices may be suitable here.
6.18 Some businesses prefer an out-of-centre location, preferably readily accessible from the motorway network. This would be convenient for operational reasons and for the business‘s customers. Such businesses would still need to be accessible by public transport to provide an alternative
1 PPS 6
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to commuting by car. A single complementary location is proposed to form a significant centre able to attract new bus routes. It is considered that the Airport Business Park satisfies these combined requirements.
6.19 Investors and developers will be crucial players in delivering this option, but the public sector through the City Council, its regeneration partners and funding regimes will play an important role. Compulsory Purchase Order powers will be used if necessary.
6.20 The following options have been rejected:
• Office developments only in the City Centre and near transport interchanges at Meadowhall, Hillsborough Barracks and Crystal Peaks • Offices developed anywhere in the city.
Clustering of innovative new and expanding businesses
6.21 Economic benefits can result from companies that operate in similar fields, producing the same kind of product, locating near to each other and working closely together. Often these businesses are in fields that involve leading- edge technology, so are often associated with the universities or teaching hospitals. Where such clustering occurs, ‘spin-out businesses’ that grow from the cutting-edge research can also be created.
Preferred Option PB4
6.22 Innovative new and expanding businesses (including high technology manufacturing and knowledge-based services) will be targeted to and promoted in areas close to the universities and the Hallamshire and Northern General hospitals.
6.23 A geographical area can develop a reputation for high quality production and business in a certain field, and this can help businesses to be identified with quality. The universities, colleges and teaching hospitals are key to the delivery of this option. The Sheffield Development Framework will not be able to deliver the clusters on its own but will aim to create the conditions that encourage them.
6.24 The following option has been rejected:
• Any clustering occurring without encouragement from the local authority.
Locations for manufacturing, distribution / warehousing and other non-office businesses
6.25 Distribution / warehousing uses have particular locational requirements that mean they are best suited to particular parts of the city. Manufacturing also
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has particular characteristics and potential effects on neighbours that also make it more suited to particular locations.
Preferred Option PB5
6.26 Manufacturing and distribution/ warehousing and non-office businesses will be located away from housing and close to the strategic road network in the Upper Don Valley, Lower Don Valley and Blackburn Valley, Stocksbridge, Thorncliffe, Smithywood and Holbrook/ Oxclose. Non-office businesses will also be located in the Sheaf Valley and at Orgreave.
6.27 Significant amounts of land will be needed for new and relocated manufacturing and distribution / warehousing uses. Previously developed land will be preferred for these uses and the need to separate them from housing means that the main locations are likely to be in areas that have already become established for such uses.
6.28 These uses require good transport links for moving workers, customers, products and raw materials, so a location close to the local, regional and national transport network would benefit their operation. Locations close to rail and canal links would allow these more environmentally friendly forms of transport to be used more.
6.29 Concentrations of development in the Don Valley can be more readily served by frequent public transport. Locations in the Upper Don Valley would benefit from the improvements proposed to this corridor in the second Local Transport Plan. The lower numbers of employees per hectare and weaker concentration at peak times means that such development in the Lower Don Valley would cause less congestion at the motorway junctions.
6.30 Locations elsewhere in the city would provide opportunities for people to travel shorter distances to work, for example those living in Stocksbridge, Chapeltown and Mosborough.
6.31 Light industry and business uses other than offices are suitable in areas such as the Sheaf Valley and Orgreave, where it could be possible that housing uses are nearby.
6.32 Most of these locations are well established, so delivering them and maintaining them should be possible, as long as policies can protect these areas from other uses that are not suitable in these locations.
‘Traditional’ manufacturing
6.33 ‘Traditional’ manufacturing includes industries that may not be well suited to certain areas of the city where it has existed for many decades, particularly where it produces high levels of noise, smells, traffic etc. This is particularly the case where it is close to housing.
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Preferred Option PB6
6.34 Where manufacturing uses in inner Sheffield are becoming obsolescent and unsuitable for their location, particularly where they are in conflict with residential uses, they will be encouraged to relocate to a more suitable part of the city.
6.35 Some areas of Sheffield are in a state of transition with a trend away from traditional manufacturing, towards more sensitive uses, including housing. The renewal of these areas means managing and encouraging this process. Industry is unsuitable close to sensitive uses such as housing. In the City Centre, where housing is expected to develop, there is a direct conflict.
6.36 If housing were to be encouraged in these areas, the land values would increase, which would assist the relocation of companies from the area. Relocation could improve the competitiveness and viability of companies, where they relocate to premises and areas that are better suited to their requirements.
6.37 Delivery of this option would depend on commitment to the transformation of the affected areas and an effective strategy to provide land and sites for relocating companies. It would require the help of the City Council’s regeneration partners and using funding options wherever possible.
Retail and Built Leisure
Introduction
6.38 Spatial policies for shopping and leisure are strongly influenced by Government guidance on centres and the existing commitment to the New Retail Quarter. These factors are critical to regenerating the City Centre and enabling it to serve its distinctive role at the heart of the city region.
6.39 The preferred options allocate a role for centres that depends on the type of shopping they provide. They promote the City Centre as the most suitable centre for infrequent purchases of non-food items, since it is the most accessible centre for most people and its variety of shops provides a good opportunity to compare goods. On the other hand, district centres are well distributed around the city and are accessible for everyday purchases where comparison is less important. Neighbourhood centres are useful for top-up shopping within walking distance of a large number of households. The options below outline the hierarchy.
Hierarchy of centres: the City Centre
6.40 Town centres are the preferred location for shops and leisure development, but there is still the choice of whether to distribute facilities evenly in centres throughout the city or promote them in just the larger centres. The preferred
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option for the City Centre role promotes it as the major location for non-food shopping.
Preferred Option PS1
6.41 New shops and leisure facilities with large catchments to which trips are less frequent will be concentrated in the City Centre. Major non-food shop development will be located in the Core Retail Area, which will be strengthened through a major retail-led mixed-use regeneration scheme, which will form the New Retail Quarter. Large shops that cannot be located within the Core Retail Area will be located at suitable sites at the edge of the Core.
6.42 The scale of new facilities should be related to the role and function of the centre and the catchment that it seeks to serve. So, for non-food shopping involving comparison of goods, the City Centre is the best location. This accords with the City Strategy’s aims of creating a vibrant City Centre and establishing the New Retail Quarter as the key to its regeneration.
6.43 Some retailers require large formats that cannot be accommodated in the City Centre. Locating them at the edge of the core would allow for linked trips and provide good accessibility without recourse to dispersed, out-of-centre locations.
6.44 The following option has been rejected:
• Focussing primarily on dispersed development in centres throughout the city with small shops encouraged outside existing shopping centres.
Hierarchy of centres: District Centres
6.45 Although District Centres developed in an age when people were less mobile than they are today the centres have been adapting to recent changes and can help to reduce the need to travel. They are likely to have a more secure future if they can attract both public and private investment and, in some cases, distinctive roles.
Preferred Option PS2
6.46 Retail and leisure development serving smaller catchment areas will be encouraged in District Centres if the scale is appropriate to the role and function of that centre. The District Centres are:
• Banner Cross • Broomhill • Buchanan/Chaucer (proposed) • Chapeltown • Crookes
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• Crystal Peaks • Darnall • Ecclesall Road • Firth Park • Heeley • Hillsborough • London Road • Manor Top • Spital Hill • Stocksbridge • Woodhouse • Woodseats
6.47 These centres are well distributed throughout the city. They are well served by public transport and near where people live. They are places where people can do everyday shopping. They usually comprise groups of shops with at least one supermarket and a range of non-retail services, such as banks, building societies and restaurants, as well as local public facilities such as a library.
6.48 The following option has been rejected:
• Define a higher level of ‘town centre’ between the City Centre and district centres for the larger or more detached district centres, such as Hillsborough, Crystal Peaks, Stocksbridge, Chapeltown to allow larger scale retail or office development.
Hierarchy of centres: Neighbourhood Centres
6.49 Neighbourhood centres are in residential areas and have a more basic range of facilities for e.g. top-up shopping.
Preferred Option PS3
6.50 New development for everyday shopping and local community facilities will be dispersed in Neighbourhood Centres, located to provide services and facilities within a reasonable walking distance.
6.51 The neighbourhood centres would be encouraged to include community facilities as well as shops to bring together a full range of local services. The number of such centres that are viable will depend on whether there is also a sufficient catchment population within walking distance. Some neighbourhood centres may also be supported by any non-local passing trade.
6.52 No alternative options for neighbourhood centres have been rejected.
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Location for large leisure developments
6.53 Major leisure and cultural facilities can attract a lot of people to the City Centre and support its vitality, so Government guidance would encourage such development in the City Centre, or at its edge, wherever possible. However some types of facility may be inappropriate or too large for a central location but still require a location that is easily accessible by public transport.
Preferred Option PS4
6.54 Major leisure and cultural development will be located in, or at the edge of, the City Centre where possible. Cultural development (theatres, cinemas, facilities for arts and music etc.) will be concentrated in the City Centre. Leisure development serving the city as a whole and wider region will be located in the Lower Don Valley if no sites are suitable or available in the City Centre or at its edge. Leisure development serving smaller catchments, such as the north or south of Sheffield will be located in the Upper Don Valley or Queens Road if no sites are available or suitable in existing centres.
6.55 ·Existing leisure and cultural development in the City Centre would provide and encourage other, sometimes large-scale, leisure attractions for the Centre and enhance the City Centre as a leisure destination. However, large sites are unlikely to be available in the City Centre and the locations named in the option would be able to support larger developments. They are accessible by a choice of means of transport, could attract other space-consuming leisure facilities and could draw visitors from a wide region.
Regeneration of the City Centre and the role of Meadowhall
6.56 Meadowhall is a successful regional shopping centre but expansion there could harm the prospects of investment in the City Centre and other town centres. Accordingly, the Regional Spatial Strategy states that large-scale expansion at Meadowhall, including the cumulative effect of smaller extensions, is unacceptable. Within these constraints, however, there are choices to be made on how ‘large-scale’ is to be defined, what type of development it is to apply to, and whether under exceptional circumstances, there might be reasons for allowing large-scale development at Meadowhall
Preferred Option PS5
6.57 There will be a strong focus on regenerating the City Centre and developing the New Retail Quarter. Only limited retail development will take place at Meadowhall. Leisure and employment development that cannot be accommodated in the City Centre will be appropriate at and around Meadowhall.
6.58 The draft Regional Spatial Strategy requires that there should be no large- scale expansion at Meadowhall. This is entirely consistent with the need to regenerate the City Centre, which is a key part of Sheffield Development
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Framework’s spatial strategy, and other town centres in the city region. So, where there is an overlap of functions, the City Centre should be given priority. However, large-scale commercial leisure development may not be suitable in the City Centre and the Lower Don Valley, and Meadowhall in particular, is one of the most accessible locations for such development.
6.59 The preferred option is a mixture of the emerging options. Some aspects of each have been retained while some have been rejected. The following options have been rejected:
• No expansion: no retail and leisure development at and around Meadowhall • Expand Meadowhall as a local facility with district centre status • Only limited retail and leisure development needed for Meadowhall to maintain its present role and share of the regional market
Regeneration of District Centres
6.60 District centres need to provide for everyday shopping needs and it is important to maintain their vitality and viability. This is particularly the case in Housing Market Renewal areas where they are needed to sustain revitalised communities.
Preferred Option PS6
6.61 Centres will be expanded and improved, particularly those that serve the Housing Market Renewal area, where there are suitable and available sites and where there is a need for further development. This will include Manor Top, Spital Hill and Buchanan/Chaucer District Centres. Improvements will be also be made to Darnall and Firth Park centres. Diversification and market-oriented specialisation will be encouraged in District Centres provided that basic facilities to serve the local catchment are maintained.
6.62 Where more retail floorspace is needed, expanding centres would improve the quality of their offer and could attract people to live in the surrounding areas. Where there is little scope for expansion, diversification and market-oriented specialisation may help maintain or improve the viability of the remaining shops· and could maintain the vitality and viability of declining centres.
6.63 Diversification that reflects centres’ distinctive characteristics could increase their popularity as retail and leisure destinations. Allowing them to specialise could satisfy citywide needs, e.g. small comparison shops, second-hand shops need low-cost premises which would not be available in other equally accessible locations.
6.64 The accessibility of community facilities can be improved if they are located in existing centres. They can help support centres’ vitality and viability.
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6.65 The preferred option is a mixture of the emerging options. Some aspects of each have been retained while some have been rejected. Nevertheless the following option has been rejected for a majority of the centres:
• Significantly increase the size of the shopping function of district centres (though without prejudice to the quality)
Regeneration of Neighbourhood Centres
6.66 Neighbourhood centres can act as service centres for the community, providing not only basic shopping facilities but also a variety of community facilities such as doctors and council offices.
Preferred Option PS7
6.67 The most viable neighbourhood centres in housing market renewal areas will be improved and strengthened to serve the everyday needs of the community (as, for example, three of the existing neighbourhood centres in the Southey-Owlerton area).
6.68 Promoting improvements to the larger more successful neighbourhood centres will help provide a focus for the community within an easy walking distance, allowing trips to the shops to be combined with trips to other community facilities.
6.69 No alternative options for neighbourhood centres have been rejected.
Housing
Introduction
6.70 The scale of housing in the city is set in the Regional Spatial Strategy and the latest indications are that this will be 1425 dwellings per year from 2004 to 2016 and 1500 per year from 2016 to 2021. Projections indicate that this will be sufficient for the population of the city to remain stable or to grow slightly. The main issues for the Core Strategy are about where it should be provided. A major issue is how spatial planning policies can support the aim of turning round housing market areas where demand is low and across-the-board area renewal is required.
6.71 Criteria for locating specific types of housing, such as mobility homes and travellers’ sites will be set out in the forthcoming City Policies document.
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Locations for new housing development and maintaining a supply of new housing land
6.72 Both national and emerging regional planning guidance require that new homes are concentrated on previously developed sites within the existing urban areas and not within villages and rural areas. Sheffield’s Urban Housing Potential Study (2005) indicates that it should be possible to provide enough land on such sites to meet Sheffield’s housing needs.
Preferred Option PH1
6.73 New housing will be concentrated in the main urban area of Sheffield and Stocksbridge. Infill housing development will take place in Chapeltown/ High Green but in the smaller settlements of Oughtibridge, Worrall and Wharncliffe Side, larger infill housing schemes will only take place where they would make a significant contribution towards meeting needs for affordable housing.
Sufficient land will be identified to accommodate 24,600 new dwellings over the period 2004 to 2021 (17 years). This requirement will be met by:
• building new housing on sites where housing has been demolished and on other previously developed sites in existing residential areas at:
- Parson Cross - New Parson Cross - Foxhill - Shirecliffe - Burngreave - Wybourn/ Manor Park/ Manor - Norfolk Park/ Arbourthorne - Brightside/ Shiregreen/ Wincobank - Darnall, Attercliffe and Tinsley
• redeveloping surplus vacant or under-used former industrial or commercial land where a satisfactory living environment can be created:
- in parts of the City Centre - around the Canal at Attercliffe and Darnall, and along the Canal towards the City Centre (in the Lower Don Valley) - at the Neepsend ‘gateway’ around Rutland Road (in the Upper Don Valley) - in parts of the Upper Sheaf Valley - in Stocksbridge
• building new housing on specific greenfield sites at Owlthorpe; and
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• building new housing at higher densities in the City Centre, in and around District Centres and along identified high frequency public transport routes; and
• developing small sites within existing residential areas.
6.74 The locations are predominantly on previously developed land within the main urban areas, in keeping with the overall spatial vision for the city. The option would involve some reuse of former employment land for housing but other vacant industrial sites still need to be retained for new employment uses. Greenfield land will only be allocated for housing at Owlthorpe where new homes are needed to complete a community that is already partly built.
6.75 The following options have been rejected:
• Keeping existing allocated greenfield sites (with the exception of Owlthorpe) • Building at significantly higher densities on all sites • Developing vacant or underused industrial or commercial land at Meadowhall, Neepsend, Claywheels Lane, Parkwood Springs and Ecclesfield • Meeting all the needs arising in the city within the district boundary by developing existing and new greenfield allocations.
Maximising the use of previously developed land for new housing
6.76 Although national and regional guidance means that local authorities should maximise the use of previously developed land, some greenfield development can sometimes be justified on sustainability grounds. However, this means that new homes would usually not be built where it would harm the environment or result in the loss of open space that is needed for recreation.
Preferred Option PH2
6.77 Priority will be given to the development of previously developed sites and no more than 10% of dwellings granted permission will be on greenfield sites in any five-year period during over the period 2004 to 2021.
Housing will only be developed on greenfield sites:
• at Owlthorpe • in the Housing Market Renewal Area and other housing renewal areas where the layout of the area is being changed and it is appropriate to exchange greenfield land for previously developed land
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• exceptionally, on small sites within the existing urban areas and smaller settlements, where it can be justified on sustainability grounds.
6.78 The draft Regional Spatial Strategy says that at least 90% of new homes in Sheffield should be built on previously developed sites. It is expected that these options would lead to even less new building on greenfield land and this would be consistent with the city’s spatial vision.
6.79 The following options have been rejected:
• No housing development on any greenfield sites • Develop greenfield sites within urban area where open space lost would be of little value and minimum quantities of open space would be maintained.
Priorities for releasing land for new housing
6.80 The draft Regional Spatial Strategy says that permissions for new homes should support the interventions in the housing market proposed by Transform South Yorkshire (the South Yorkshire Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder body). Significant numbers of new homes are planned in the Pathfinder area to help transform the market. This means preventing an over-supply of new homes outside the Pathfinder that could weaken demand for new housing in areas where it is most needed.
Preferred Option PH3
6.81 Priority will be given to the release of housing land where it would:
• support delivery of strategies for the Housing Market Renewal Area or the regeneration of other priority areas for housing renewal (Gleadless Valley, Lansdowne and Leverton estates, Lowfields, Sharrow and the Exeter Drive area); or • make a significant contribution to mixed-use development that would support the economic regeneration of the City Centre; or • be developed solely for affordable or ‘extra-care’ housing.
Outside the Housing Market Renewal Area, housing land will be released in a way that achieves an appropriate balance between new house building within and outside the Area.
6.82 The option recognises that new homes are still needed outside the Pathfinder area to provide choice and to support other economic and social objectives but existing committed land will already make a major contribution to this. More specific proposals for the release of specific sites will be contained in the forthcoming City Sites document.
6.83 The following options have been rejected:
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• Priority to the early release of housing sites on vacant land formerly used for industry or other non-housing uses • Allow the market to determine the release of previously developed sites for new housing within the urban areas
Efficient use of housing land and accessibility
6.84 National planning guidance advises against allowing development of less than 30 dwellings per hectare and encourages densities of between 30 and 50 dwellings per hectare. An even greater intensity of development is encouraged in city centres or around major nodes along good quality public transport corridors in order to encourage more sustainable ways of travelling. This option sets out how that guidance could be applied in Sheffield.
Preferred Option PH4
6.85 Higher density housing will be built on suitable sites:
• in the City Centre; and • within or near to District Centres; and • near to Supertram routes; and • near to Core Bus Network Routes
In other areas, housing developments will make efficient use of land but higher density developments will be appropriate only where:
• the density would be in keeping with the character of the area • it would be readily accessible by public transport.
6.86 The option makes the most of the opportunities for higher densities in the most accessible locations. But, it also recognises that high densities are not sustainable in all areas and will sometimes be inconsistent with the Strategy’s objectives for the quality of the environment in our neighbourhoods.
6.87 The following option has been rejected:
• Higher density development (more than 50 homes per hectare) allowed in all areas regardless of accessibility by public transport
Affordable housing
6.88 Affordable housing is housing that is accessible to people whose incomes are insufficient to enable them to afford adequate housing locally on the open market. It includes Council housing and homes provided by Housing Associations, either to rent or through various schemes involving shared ownership. Around 200 affordable homes per year will be provided through the building programmes of Housing Associations but around 400 more
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affordable homes per year will need to be negotiated through legal agreements with private house builders.
Preferred Option PH5
6.89 New affordable housing will be required as a proportion of all medium and larger housing developments in all areas of the city.
6.90 More specific requirements will be set out in fuller supplementary guidance.
6.91 The following options have been rejected:
• Require developers of private market housing to pay a commuted sum to be spent on providing affordable housing anywhere in the city (but, this may still be permitted in certain circumstances) • Affordable housing required as a proportion of private developments only in those parts of the city where house prices are very high (mainly the west of the city, outer suburbs and rural areas) • Rely on the Council’s land holdings and partnerships between the Council and developers to deliver new affordable housing in lower value areas of the city.
Student housing and houses in multiple occupation
6.92 Many of the inner suburbs (especially, Crookes, Crookesmoor, Broomhill, Broomhall, Hunters Bar, Nether Edge and Sharrow) have a high concentration of student housing and this upsets the balance of local communities and can cause problems for non-student residents (e.g. noise, anti-social behaviour, poor management of houses and gardens, parking and congestion). However, in other parts of the city, the construction of new student housing could help with regeneration, whilst helping to free-up family housing in the south-west suburbs.
Preferred Option PH6
6.93 New purpose-built accommodation will be provided as part of a mix of housing development, with a mix of tenures and sizes of unit on larger sites, primarily in the following areas:
• City Centre • Kelham Island • Infirmary Road/Shalesmoor • Bramall Quarter • Summerfield Street/ Pomona Street
Growth in the number of student households will be restrained in parts of Crookes/ Crookesmoor/ Broomhill/ Broomhall/ Hunters Bar/ Sharrow, where there will be no new purpose-built student accommodation or further development of houses in multiple occupation.
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6.94 The areas where new student housing would be encouraged are accessible from one or both of the universities and investment in student housing could play a significant part in the transformation of these neighbourhoods.
6.95 The following option has been rejected:
• No restraint on the locations where new purpose built student accommodation or houses in multiple occupation can be developed.
Open Space and Sports Facilities
Introduction
6.96 A major contribution of planning to provision of open space is through protecting open space when there are development pressures. These important issues are taken up in the forthcoming City Policies document, which will set out the criteria that must be met before such development could be allowed. The role of spatial policy is to identify where new open space would be provided and the spatial priorities for improving what already exists. The policies will be informed by audits of open space quality still to be carried out.
6.97 The first of the four issues considered in the Emerging Options was about the relative emphasis to be given to the themes of quantity, quality and accessibility. These issues are now covered in the following two options. The issue of type of open space was also raised but it is not proposed to proceed with this as a strategic issue. It is more appropriate to develop these priorities locally.
Quantity of open space
6.98 Sheffield is a relatively green city, which is an important part of the city’s appeal and character. However, some areas of the city still lack sufficient provision for sport and recreation, and opportunities will be sought to create more open space there. To achieve this, assessments of open space needs have to take account of the many demands on a finite supply of urban land and of the resources that are available to maintain it. Where the basic minimum standard is satisfied, improvement of existing open space is better value for money spent.
Preferred Option POS1
6.99 Improvement of open space will take priority over creation of new areas. But, as opportunities arise, new open space will be created:
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• in areas with a severe quantitative shortage (less than ## hectares per thousand people) • where it is required for the development of the City’s Green Network.
6.100 The minimum quantity target takes account of the needs of the more densely populated areas of the city. The standard, though not high, is set at a level that is achievable. A higher figure would mean fewer resources for raising the quality of existing open spaces. Open space may need to be created to complete links in the Green Network to encourage biodiversity and walking and cycling as well as other recreation needs.
6.101 The following option has been rejected
• Using the current city average as the target to define areas requiring additional open space
Quality and accessibility of open space
6.102 People’s experience of open space is not just a result of the quantity but also of its quality and the range of facilities that are available. So, a minimum target standard for quality is also needed. A hierarchy of open spaces can be defined in which a balance is struck between the size of the site, the functions it performs, the population it serves and the distances people have to travel to get there.
Preferred Option POS2
6.103 As opportunities arise, priority for improvement of open space and provision of new facilities will be given to:
• district parks and open spaces, including Sheaf Valley (at the edge of the City Centre) and Parkwood Springs • areas where the amount of open space of acceptable quality is less than ## hectares per thousand people • areas that are more than 1200 metres from a district-scale open space (20 hectares) that delivers a range of formal and informal recreational opportunities.
6.104 District parks present an opportunity to provide a variety of activities, both formal and informal, whilst still being relatively accessible. The Sheaf Valley and Parkwood Springs sites offer unique opportunities to improve accessibility to this level of provision and should be capitalised on. It is also important to ensure improvements to quality are made to bring existing district parks to a sufficient standard to serve the people in their catchment area. Also, where a full district park is not feasible, there still needs to be an adequate range of accessible facilities at open spaces.
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6.105 Delivery of high quality and accessible open space will mean audits of quality, which are required by Government guidance 2. Housing Market Renewal schemes will provide opportunities to improve quality and accessibility standards at this scale. Continuous monitoring of changes to open space will indicate how far standards have been met.
6.106 The following options have been rejected:
• Improving only the best of each type of provision, resulting in a few excellent quality sites in the city • Ensuring sufficient accessible provision at the local level but only improved to a minimum level
Environment
Introduction
6.107 The environmental options below are just those with a significant spatial aspect. They actually include only a small proportion of the Sheffield Development Framework’s total provision for the environment. Many environmental issues are about safeguards where development pressures arise and setting out requirements for design. These issues lend themselves more to regulatory policies based on criteria and they are presented in full in the forthcoming City Policies document.
6.108 Work is still in hand on some of these issues. In particular, studies will be commissioned shortly on air quality and renewable energy but the results will need to be included after the consultation on Preferred Options.
Additions to the Green Belt
6.109 Green Belts are intended to be permanent and amended only in exceptional circumstances. However, the present review of policy is the appropriate time to check this out and the draft Regional Spatial Strategy advises that localised reviews should consider whether such circumstances exist to include additional land as Green Belt. Several additions to the Green Belt are therefore proposed for consultation.
Preferred Option PE1
6.110 Existing open areas at Hollin Busk and Holbrook Colliery and surplus greenfield housing land on the edge of the urban area (east of Woodhouse and at Mosborough Village and Moor Valley) will become part of the Green Belt.
2 Planning Policy Guidance Note 17
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6.111 The areas fulfil Green Belt functions and are not required as long-term housing sites, as the city’s requirements can be met almost entirely on brownfield sites. They are in relatively unsustainable locations for housing development although on the edge of the urban area.
6.112 The following options have been rejected:
• Designating these areas as Open Space • Adding other greenfield land at Owlthorpe to the Green Belt.
Exchange of Green Belt land
6.113 One exceptional circumstance that could justify an alteration to the Green Belt boundary is where a boundary does not follow any identifiable feature on the ground. At Sheffield Airport, the original boundary was obliterated by the construction of the runway.
Preferred Option PE2
6.114 Existing Green Belt at Sheffield Airport will be exchanged for a larger area of new Green Belt in the neighbouring area of Tinsley Park south of the Airport.
6.115 The proposed change would create an identifiable and defensible boundary. The recently created open space at Tinsley Park is currently an Open Space policy area and an area where development would not be possible. But it performs Green Belt functions and could be added to the Green Belt to compensate for land to be removed at the airport.
6.116 The options of deleting land from the Green Belt at Norton/Lightwood and Hesley Wood have been rejected.
Strategic Green Network
6.117 The Green Network was originally devised as part of the Nature Conservation Strategy and incorporated into the UDP. Corridors through the main river valleys and other strategic links will form part of the Core Strategy, with all the local Green Links and Desired Green Links being shown in the City Policies document. The Green Network comprises the most important routes for wildlife but they are also recreational routes for pedestrians and cyclists and mark some of the main landscape features of the city.
Preferred Option PE3
6.118 A Strategic Green Network will follow the rivers and streams of the main valleys:
• the Upper Don • Loxley
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• Rivelin • Porter • Sheaf • Rother • Lower Don/Canal
and include other strategic links through:
• Shire Brook Valley • Shirtcliffe Brook Valley • Ochre Dike • Gleadless Valley • Oakes Park to Ecclesall Woods • Blackburn Brook valley and its tributaries • Birley Edge.
These will be complemented by a network of more local green links and desired green links and ‘stepping stones’ for wildlife.
6.119 Sheffield’s main river corridors are one of its most distinctive and valued features, and provide the means for wildlife and people to connect with the surrounding countryside. Policy advice and research shows that isolated islands of habitat are less effective than networks of linked spaces that allow species to move around the city. Delivery will be through the forthcoming City Policies for preserving and enhancing existing open space and creating new open space as part of new development.
6.120 All the alternative options have been brought together in this multifunctional approach. However, priorities for their use, for example to promote biodiversity, will be matters for the forthcoming City Policies document.
Improvements to gateway routes into and through the city
6.121 First impressions of the city are important in influencing potential investors. Some of the most frequently used routes into the city create an unfavourable impression. Targeted public area improvements and a higher standard of developments on specific landmark sites are needed.
Preferred Option PE4
6.122 Gateway routes with priority for improvements will be:
• Lower Don Valley routes, particularly at Attercliffe centre, and at landmark sites on the M1 junctions and at the end of the Wicker • Penistone Road and landmark sites on Shalesmoor • Inner Ring Road and landmark sites at Park Square • The railway line between Heeley and Blackburn Meadows.
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6.123 The routes chosen are those either in most need of improvement or with the greatest potential for improvement. They include routes from the M1 used by visitors from the north and east and passing through areas where significant regeneration is taking place, providing both the need and the opportunity for improvement. Delivery will be by means of a City Policy requiring high design standards and by securing funding for public realm improvements linked to economic regeneration.
6.124 The following options have been rejected:
• M1 Corridor • Parkway • Chesterfield Road
These are already of an acceptable standard, too extensive to make an impact or not of high enough priority for special action.
Air quality
6.125 Air quality in relation to land use and development is a material planning consideration. Poor air quality has a harmful effect on the environment and people’s health. A major contributor in urban areas is vehicle emissions.
Preferred Option PE5
6.126 Action to protect air quality will be taken in all areas of the city. Action to improve air quality will be taken across the urban area, and particularly where residents are exposed to levels of pollution above national targets.
6.127 The content of the final policy will take account of a study that is being carried out to inform the review of the current Air Quality Management Areas and possible introduction of Low Emission Zones. This will help to identify those areas where particular planning responses are most needed. Development criteria will be set out in the forthcoming City Policies document.
Scale of renewable energy generation in Sheffield
6.128 National planning guidance 3 encourages renewable energy developments to help meet national targets and expects Local Development Frameworks to indicate criteria for determining planning applications. The Regional Spatial Strategy sets sub-regional targets for renewable energy generation for 2010 and 2021 and those for 2010 are translated into targets for individual authorities. The City Strategy’s aim of ‘Environmental excellence’ includes working towards a low carbon economy and renewable energy generation is one means of achieving this.
3 PPS22
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Preferred Option PE6
6.129 The amount of renewable energy generated in the city will exceed its share of the sub-regional target of 10.6 MW by 2010 and 36 MW by 2021.
6.130 The target for 2021 assumes that Sheffield would account for the same proportion of the Regional Spatial Strategy’s South Yorkshire target as in 2010. A study into renewable energy is about to be commissioned to develop a strategy for achieving the target and the final Core Strategy policies will take account of the results of this. The forthcoming City Policies document will set out criteria for design to include micro-generation, for wind installations and for a range of alternative means of renewable energy generation.
Locations for renewable energy generation in Sheffield
6.131 At the regional level, the Regional Spatial Strategies identifies broad areas where developments of particular types of renewable energy may be considered appropriate. The issue for the SDF is what form of strategic spatial policy would be appropriate in a Local Development Framework.
Preferred Option PE7
6.132 Preferred areas for the sustainable generation of energy are ### and ### [to be identified, if required] . Local small-scale generation will be encouraged and large-scale developments should generate a proportion of their own electricity from renewable sources or be connected to the District Heating scheme, where possible.
6.133 If small-scale sustainable energy generation needs to be supplemented by larger-scale development, the identification of preferred areas would help to protect sensitive areas from development by guiding developers towards more suitable locations with known potential. This would respect the value people place on the city’s green setting. Local generation and the role of district heating will be supported by criteria for sustainable design in the forthcoming City Policies document and this will also deal with possible impacts of renewable energy generation on sensitive environments.
Waste Management
Introduction
6.134 The Council is committed to using waste as a resource, taking advantage of the new energy from waste plant at Bernard Road to expand the district heating system in the City Centre and providing land for recycling of household waste to complement kerbside collections. It is the latter issue that has an important spatial dimension.
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Distribution of Recycling Centres
6.135 The strategy for household waste aims to increase the amount that is recycled in the city and this requires facilities to which people can bring their waste as well as kerbside collection services.
6.136 The City Council plans to increase the density of local recycling points/bring banks and the five former civic amenity sites have recently been upgraded to transform them into multi-purpose centres for recycling household waste. But, some parts of the city are still relatively remote from these centres. It is important to explore whether the network can be made more sustainable for users and so help to recycle more.
Preferred Option PW1
6.137 The current network of major Household Waste Recycling Centres will be expanded by building a new facility to serve the south-west area of the city.
6.138 This option identifies the main area lacking a recycling centre. It would also help the Council to provide a more cost-effective kerbside collection scheme for recyclates in this less densely populated sector of the city. The City Council will need to fund this proposal through its Integrated Waste Contract with Onyx Sheffield Ltd.
6.139 The following options have been rejected:
• Adopt current guidelines in the Regional Spatial Strategy of one civic amenity site per 15,000 households, which would mean providing 10 new centres • Provide centres on the basis of catchment areas of 5km which would mean identifying a further two or three sites where gaps currently exist
Transport
Introduction
6.140 With an ever-increasing emphasis on producing a spatial development strategy that identifies key locations, it is critical to develop the transport connections and networks that will underpin and support this spatial vision and enable the delivery of the City Strategy. In recent years, the main emphasis in transport planning has been on the delivery of the Local Transport Plan. The South Yorkshire Local Transport Plan provides the overall transport strategy and delivery programme for a five-year period, with the second Local Transport Plan covering 2006-2011. The Local Transport Plan also looks beyond these timescales and informs regional and pan-regional investment decisions. The increased mobility, the sufficient choice of travel modes and improved access that are necessary for economic transformation will only be
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sustainable if there is sufficient long-term investment and policy priority in favour of improving public transport, particularly in view of the evident physical and environmental capacity constraints. This is a very major ambition. By demonstrating some of the critical connections between regeneration and transport, it is hoped that the Core Strategy will help to support future bidding through the Local Transport Plan process.
Key principles
6.141 The transformation of Sheffield through economic growth and employment is of great importance to the city. Promoting choice of travel by developing an effective accessible transport system is fundamental to achieving this aim, and securing inward investment and with it local job opportunities. But the economic aim must be achieved in the context of the other and complementary aims of the Sheffield Development Framework and of those of the Local Transport Plan.
Preferred Option PT1
6.142 The strategic priorities for transport are:
• Promoting choice by developing alternatives to the car • maximising accessibility • reducing congestion • minimising air pollution • improving road safety • delivering economic objectives through demand management measures and sustainable travel initiatives.
6.143 This option enables the benefits of regeneration to be realised, whilst promoting sustainable modes of transport. The option also reflects the Local Transport Plan and the priorities set at a national level.
6.144 The following option has been rejected:
• Achieving economic goals through the relaxation of demand management measures in favour of a demand-led approach to transport policy.
Strategic Road Network
6.145 An essential element of a high quality transport system for Sheffield is a Strategic Road Network of an appropriate scale to accommodate essential road traffic movements. A high quality network of routes which is safe and accessible is important to support a frequent and reliable public transport system.
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Preferred Option PT2
6.146 Through traffic and strategic traffic movements will be concentrated onto the main ‘A’ roads that form the Strategic Road Network. The Network will provide good quality, direct routes to the City Centre and to the regional and national road network.
6.147 This network of routes provides a clear hierarchy for road traffic and allows resources to be concentrated onto routes that experience congestion problems in the peak hours. It ensures that environment and safety are priorities within neighbourhoods. The Local Transport Plan 2006-2011 identifies a number of Key Routes and sets out a strategy for improving traffic flow along these routes.
6.148 The following option has been rejected:
• Establish a Strategic Road Network including all of the relatively extensive ‘Gold’ and ‘Silver’ routes identified in Sheffield’s Speed Management Plan.
Quality Bus Corridors
6.149 Improved bus priority remains crucial to improving movement along key corridors through the city and in encouraging modal shift to more sustainable forms of transport. Improvements to the main bus routes and services in Sheffield (and Supertram) are essential to provide choice through an attractive and realistic alternative to using the car.
Preferred Option PT3
6.150 The main bus routes in Sheffield (and Supertram where this shares on- street routes) will be improved to provide an attractive and realistic alternative to using the car. Bus priority measures will be developed along key corridors to remove buses from congestion and improve accessibility in the main urban area and economic regeneration sites. This will include park-and-ride sites and new transport interchanges where appropriate. Future Quality Bus Corridors will focus on the following:
• Penistone Road • Middlewood Road/Langsett Road • Ecclesall Road • between City Road/ Mansfield Road and Waterthorpe/ Mosborough • between the City Centre and Meadowhall via Brightside Lane • between the City Centre and Tinsley via Attercliffe Road • between the City Centre and Woodhouse Mill via Handsworth.
6.151 A range of priority measures will be introduced along these corridors, including traffic signal technology as well as the more traditional measures such as road space reallocation, e.g. bus lanes. These improvements will be delivered in
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partnership with Passenger Transport Executive and operators, through the Local Transport Plan.
6.152 The following option has been rejected:
• To maximize the amount of road space allocated to private vehicles, introduce no further public transport priority measures, including bus lanes and selective signaling.
Demand management
6.153 The economic transformation of Sheffield is likely to lead to increased car ownership and mobility, and movement must be carefully managed to make the best use of road space and maintain traffic flow so to support regeneration. Congestion that may arise from improved economic prosperity must be addressed by managing the demand for use of the car in parallel with providing quality alternatives.
Preferred Option PT4
6.154 Increasing demand for car travel in all parts of the city will be managed to meet the different needs of particular areas through:
• implementing Travel Plans for new developments • Controlled Parking Zones • Residential Parking Schemes • making best use of existing capacity.
Priority areas for Controlled Parking Zones are:
• the City Centre (including the area within the new northern sections of the Inner Relief Road) • the Peripheral Parking Zone around the City Centre • the Lower Don Valley.
6.155 A combination of demand management measures, as set out, needs to be applied consistently and coherently across the city. It will need to take account of the needs of disabled people who rely on their private vehicle for mobility. The approach reflects the strategy set out in the South Yorkshire Local Transport Plan 2006 – 2011. An essential part of Travel Plans is monitoring the success of their implementation, in particular in relation to targets for changing modes of travel to more sustainable options.
6.156 The following option has been rejected:
• Low priority for demand management measures, in favour of a demand led approach to support investment.
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Sustainable use of vehicles
6.157 The aim of this option is not to reduce travel or mobility but to reduce the impact of single occupancy car journeys. The aim is to make better use of vehicles through initiatives such as car clubs, where a pool of vehicles is available for use on demand by members of the club. This would reduce their need to own a vehicle and the growth in trips that would follow.
Preferred Option PT5
6.158 More efficient and sustainable use of vehicles will be achieved through innovative initiatives (such as car share clubs) particularly associated with new developments, both residential and commercial, and focussed on the City Centre.
6.159 Making more efficient use of vehicles, particularly by reducing the number of single occupancy car trips, has environmental benefits as well helping to reduce congestion. There are also financial and economic benefits for individuals and businesses, as fuel consumption, and therefore the cost of travel, can be reduced through the introduction of new fuel and fleet technologies. Some initiatives will be implemented through Travel Plans, whilst taking a partnership approach for larger scale initiatives.
Pedestrian movement
6.160 Walking is an important means of travel and should be encouraged as part of the strategy. It is important that improvements are made across the city, but the following areas have been identified as key priorities.
Preferred Option PT6
6.161 Improvements to the pedestrian environment will focus on access to:
• the City Centre, via Strategic Links • other major employment areas - University of Sheffield/ Museums/ Hallamshire and Children’s Hospitals/ Collegiate Campus - the Northern General Hospital - the new Sheffield College site on Penistone Road - Sheffield College site on Granville Road • railway stations and other key transport nodes • District Centres and areas within them.
6.162 Ensuring that the general pedestrian environment is convenient, pleasant and accessible to all will help to encourage people to make more trips as pedestrians and to build walking into their everyday activities. This not only has overall benefits in terms of reducing congestion and improving air quality but also has benefits for the health of individuals and communities. Improvements to the pedestrian environment will be brought forward through
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Local Transport Plan schemes, and, perhaps more importantly, through good design of new developments citywide.
6.163 Although none of the options put forward have been explicitly rejected, the cycling and walking options have been separated to reflect the differences in the two methods of travel
Cycling
6.164 Levels of cycling in Sheffield are below the national average. However, in contrast to the national trend, cycle use in Sheffield is growing. Despite the sometimes challenging topography of the city, cycling is a viable option for many journeys in Sheffield.
Preferred Option PT7
6.165 Improvement and development of the cycle network will be focussed on strategic links to key locations, particularly on routes:
• through the Upper Don Valley • between the Northern General Hospital and City Centre (via Riverside) • between the City Centre and Walkley and Hillsborough.
6.166 Provision for cyclists has already increased significantly in some parts of the city. However, the areas above have been identified in Sheffield’s Cycling Action Plan 2006-2011 as key strategic links where improvements will be focussed.
Rail connections
6.167 The aim for rail transport is to maximise use of the existing network and improve South Yorkshire’s access to the regional and national rail network.
Preferred Option PT8
6.168 Priority for development of the rail network within the city will be given to improving connections with other regions. Local stations and services will be improved where there would still be enough capacity for longer distance services.
6.169 Existing capacity constraints on the rail network mean that improvements to both local and national rail services are not always possible and can mean improvements to one would harm the other. The priorities set out in this option reflect the ambitions of the South Yorkshire Rail Plan as well as the Local Transport Plan, which recognises that the dominant mode for local journeys will continue to be bus. Both of these plans recognise that national investment in the network, and in particular rail capacity, is essential.
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6.170 Most of the following option has been rejected, although some elements have been kept.
• Internal connectivity within Sheffield to improve local access to jobs and services with provision for new or improved local stations and associated facilities (e.g. Dore, Darnall)
Protecting rail Infrastructure
6.171 Rail provides an efficient mode of travel for passengers as well as providing opportunities for moving freight in a more environmentally sustainable way. There are limited opportunities for re-opening disused lines in Sheffield, but where these exist, they need to be identified and protected.
Preferred Option PT9
6.172 The following former rail routes will be safeguarded for future transport use, either rail, or where suitable, walking and cycling:
• the Blackburn Chord near Tinsley • the City Centre to Stocksbridge line (currently freight only) • the Meadowhall to Chapeltown (former Great Central) line.
6.173 In order to be realistic in the current funding climate, the South Yorkshire Rail Plan does not specifically recommend the protection of any sites for new local stations, and only refers to the future potential of the Stocksbridge line. However, given the long-term vision of the Sheffield Development Framework, the above alignments are considered to be of sufficient strategic importance to be identified for protection in order to prevent losing future opportunities for transport use.
6.174 None of the alternative options have been fully rejected. Elements of both are included in the preferred option.
Supertram
6.175 On the routes that it serves, Supertram is a popular, high quality public transport system that is capable of moving large numbers of people in an environmentally efficient way. The potential extension of the network would expand this role in Sheffield. A major funding bid has been submitted to Government and a decision is awaited.
Preferred Option PT10
6.176 Subject to Government approval, the Supertram system will be extended to incorporate:
• the Broomhill loop via the Hallamshire Hospital • an eastern link towards Rotherham
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• a realigned route west of Meadowhall.
6.177 The proposed extensions will deliver a wide range of benefits, including improvements in access to healthcare facilities, improved access to existing and new employment in the City Centre and Lower Don Valley. It is acknowledged that the proposed extensions are subject to Central Government funding and that this funding for major schemes is limited.
Park-and-ride
6.178 Park-and-ride is an important part of the overall integrated transport strategy. Carefully planned park-and-ride schemes can help to improve accessibility and reduce congestion in key areas such as the City Centre.
Preferred Option PT11
6.179 Park-and-ride sites will be developed at strategic locations around the city, particularly where they would serve improved links arising from the development of Quality Bus Corridors. The broad locations are:
• Malin Bridge • Penistone Road • Dore rail station • Middlewood (extension) • Lower Don Valley/Attercliffe • off the Sheffield Parkway.
In addition, and where demand exists, new sites/locations will be developed as and when opportunities arise.
6.180 Park-and-ride forms a strand of the City’s overall car parking policies. Provision of long-stay parking outside the City Centre linked by high quality public transport can enable people to reduce the length of their car journey by combining it with public transport without reducing access to key locations. The broad locations have been identified in conjunction with the South Yorkshire Park and Ride Strategy. It is likely that delivery will be through the Local Transport Plan.
Freight
6.181 The distribution and delivery of goods throughout Sheffield is crucial to the operation and prosperity of local businesses and manufacturers. The negative effects of road-based freight distribution need to be reduced by concentrating it in areas, and along routes, where there is least impact on residential neighbourhoods.
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Preferred Option PT12
6.182 The movement of freight by sustainable modes is encouraged, primarily rail using Tinsley Rail Freight Terminal. Where there is no alternative to road-based freight, it will be concentrated onto the Strategic Road Network.
6.183 With the development of new facilities such as the Tinsley Rail Freight Terminal, there is now increased potential to transfer freight to more sustainable modes. New businesses will be expected to carefully consider their location in relation to access to freight distribution facilities. The Travel Plan process also provides an opportunity for businesses to consider their options for moving goods through the development, where appropriate, of a freight management strategy.
6.184 The following option has been rejected:
• Concentrate freight movements onto the road network, maximising usage of the Strategic Road Network (i.e. without action to reduce the amount of road-based freight)
New roads
6.185 The broad aim is to make best use of the existing road network although limited new road building in the correct set of circumstances may be required to support the economic aims of the Sheffield Development Framework. However, new roads are not a panacea for improving accessibility and reducing congestion and they may have damaging environmental impacts.
Preferred Option PT13
6.186 There will be no significant increase in the physical capacity of the city’s highway network. New roads will only be built and existing roads improved in a limited number of circumstances:
• to improve the movement of public transport, cyclists or pedestrians • to enable regeneration.
6.187 As part of the overall integrated approach to transport, any new road proposals that come forward through either the Local Transport Plan or new developments will need to be carefully assessed to ensure that they are necessary and provide the best solution to the identified problem.
6.188 The following options have been rejected:
• New roads developed to meet the growth in traffic over the period of Sheffield’s Development Framework (‘predict and provide’). • No further road building permitted
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Car parking and access to the City Centre
6.64 Car parking provision within the city as a whole, but particularly within the City Centre, is a highly sensitive, but critical issue that goes right to the heart of Sheffield’s strategic priorities. High quality access to the City Centre’s services and facilities is crucial to the city’s economic development and its role as a successful, distinctive city of European Significance.
Preferred Option PT14
6.189 Additional long-stay parking to serve the City Centre will be provided through park-and-ride facilities outside the centre. Short-stay parking provision in then City Centre will be increased and long-stay parking will be reduced accordingly.
6.190 The City Centre Parking Strategy sets out the future make-up and scale of parking provision required to support the redevelopment and economic growth of the City Centre. The existing parking supply will be consolidated whilst new multi-storey car parks mainly for short-stay parking, will be developed in conjunction with the City Centre’s transformational projects, such as the New Retail Quarter and the Heart of the City project. The overall policy is without prejudice to the needs of disabled people for parking to ensure they have mobility.
The preferred option represents a combination of previous emerging options but the following option has been rejected:
• Increase long-stay parking in the City Centre where necessary to attract developers.
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7. PREFERRED OPTIONS: AREAS
Introduction
7.1 A key aspect of spatial planning is how different themes are brought together in particular locations and areas. The options set out below would form the strategic basis for the broad policy areas to be shown on the Proposals Map.
7.2 The policies provide a broad-brush picture of what is proposed for the development of the city. It is not intended that they should be used on their own to regulate new development. Precise policies for this purpose will be set out in the forthcoming City Policies document.
The City Centre
7.3 The City Centre is crucial to the success of the spatial strategy and overall policy guidance is urgently needed. The Core Strategy policies will go into more geographical detail than in other areas of the city to make sure that the City Centre can make its distinctive contribution. Technical work is in hand to check out the implications of our economic and regeneration aspirations for the capacity of the routes into the centre.
7.4 The City Strategy vision includes ‘A Vibrant City Centre’. Its aim is to “create a welcoming and distinctive City Centre with a high quality environment and excellent commercial, residential, shopping, leisure and cultural opportunities. It will be valued and used by those who live in, work in and visit the city. It will be a driver for success across the rest of the city and the wider sub-region”.
7.5 The vision for the Core Strategy develops this and envisages the Centre’s retail role recovering from recent relative decline and traditional manufacturing employment giving way to high-tech and office employment. The cultural, social and leisure offer of the City Centre will consolidate and diversify to maintain activity around the clock. New housing will continue to expand to add to this vibrancy and the City Centre will capitalise on its accessibility to attract workers, residents, visitors and shoppers.
Offices in the City Centre
7.6 Achieving a significant level of new office development and new jobs will be crucial to the success of the city economy. The existing office stock in the city is limited.
7.7 Major office schemes need to be accessible to workers. Government guidance 4 requires offices to be in the most accessible locations where there is a need for them. The business and industry options identify the City Centre
4 PPS 6
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as the main location for major office development, but there are other key City Centre uses that also need to be accommodated, so office locations need to be specifically identified.
Preferred Option PCC1
7.8 New major office development will be concentrated in core office areas:
• In the Heart of the City • along the new northern Inner Relief Road, between Penistone Road and the Wicker • along Tenter Street and West Bar Green • along Eyre Street and Arundel Gate between Earl Street and Charles Street • The E-campus / Sheaf Valley area in front of the railway station between Leadmill Road and Pond Hill • Castlegate, between Exchange Street, Shude Hill and Park Square.
Major office development will be promoted and encouraged here and other uses strictly limited. Significant amounts of new office floorspace will be located in other areas of the City Centre, including as part of larger, mixed development schemes.
7.9 Well-defined office-dominated areas in central locations are necessary to attract the kinds of business needed to transform the city’s economy and enable Sheffield to become a major regional employment centre. Currently there are inadequate established ‘commercial zones’ in Sheffield, but most businesses would prefer to be located in areas that have a strong commercial character. These need to offer modern, high quality office premises.
7.10 Concentrations of offices can support complementary developments, such as hotels and conferencing facilities. Established commercial zones can also help to encourage the supporting uses that will attract workers, such as cafes, bars and restaurants.
7.11 There are parts of the City Centre that present immediate and identifiable opportunities for redevelopment, where land is underused and buildings are old and not suitable for any uses that are currently appropriate. Offices are more attractive and viable if located in prominent, high-profile locations.
7.12 Many of the sites in the identified areas are privately owned, so there will be a need for the City Council and its partners such as Sheffield 1, Sheffield First for Investment, Yorkshire Forward, etc., to work together with the private sector. It is likely that funding will be required to deliver a significant proportion of the sites that are likely to be identified.
7.13 The following option has been rejected:
• Offices dispersed throughout the City Centre.
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Shopping in the City Centre
7.14 Many people who travel into Sheffield City Centre do so in order to shop. The City Centre is a major retail location within South Yorkshire and beyond. However, there is no strong, distinctive ‘heart’ to the city for shopping. This needs to be addressed if the city as a whole is to develop economically and socially. This will mean consolidating and developing the core area as the focus and allowing the main role of the more peripheral areas to change.
7.15 The City Council and its partners have been working towards the creation of a New Retail Quarter, which is expected to comprise a significant part of the future retail core of the City Centre. The Quarter is a key element of the Sheffield City Centre Masterplan and the City Strategy and accords with the aims of national and regional policy 5 and the City Strategy.
Preferred Option PCC2
7.16 The focus of major new retail development will be in the retail core, extending from Moorhead to the north end of Fargate. This area will be strengthened as the heart of a regional shopping centre by the development of the New Retail Quarter. Retail uses on the shopping streets at the approaches to the retail core will be encouraged, but will have more limited levels of retail development. These are:
• The Moor (north of Fitzwilliam Gate) • Division Street and Devonshire Street • West Street between Carver Street and Fitzwilliam Street • Carver Street between West Street and Division Street • High Street • King Street/Angel Street/Haymarket
7.17 There has been serious under-investment in shopping in the City Centre in recent years. Consolidation of the retail core will encourage new investment that will enable the City Centre to provide a real alternative shopping destination to other town centres and Meadowhall. This new focus is likely to attract new occupiers and increase the range and value of the City Centre retail offer. Having the main shops located next to each other, without other uses intervening, is the most important factor in ensuring attractiveness and, therefore, viability.
7.18 Other important City Centre uses would locate near the retail core, performing a complementary role. Office workers will use shops at lunchtime and visitors can combine shopping trips with leisure visits.
7.19 The expected demand for non-retail uses in the City Centre over the next few years provides an opportunity to re-invent the more peripheral City Centre
5 PPG6 and draft Regional Spatial Strategy
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shopping locations and develop new functions including housing offices and leisure.
7.20 The New Retail Quarter has a development partner and a planning application has been submitted, so there is already serious commitment to establishing a new retail core into the City Centre. Further investment and consolidation is expected to follow from this.
7.21 The following option has been rejected:
• Continue to support shopping development in the existing larger central shopping area.
Housing in the City Centre
7.22 There is currently high demand for City Centre living and this is expected to continue, at least for the foreseeable future. City Centre housing can meet the needs of those who prefer not to live in houses in the suburbs. The Government has encouraged more City Centre, higher-density living as a key component of the ‘Urban Renaissance’ outlined in the Urban Task Force Report, and this has been reiterated in planning policy guidance.
7.23 But housing development affects the scope for developing and retaining other uses that are important for the City Centre and will need to be checked if the City Centre is to be strengthened as the main location for retail, employment and leisure destinations in Sheffield. One of the major benefits of City Centre living is to have facilities and attractions to hand but this only works if uses in the City Centre is truly mixed.
Preferred Option PCC3
7.24 Further expansion of City Centre living, with a mix of tenures and sizes of unit, will be concentrated:
• on the riverside at Kelham / Nursery Street • between Netherthorpe Road and Edward Street flats
Housing will form part of a mix of uses:
• between Netherthorpe Road and St. Vincent’s Church • around Devonshire Green • on upper levels along the Moor • around the Peace Gardens • at Victoria Quays • north of the Anglican Cathedral • between St Mary’s Road and the Railway Station.
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Limited housing will also be appropriate in other parts of the City Centre where needed as part of mixed scheme to achieve a viable balance of uses.
7.25 The locations for housing are identified where they would not conflict with other uses, such as industry and night-time uses. They are in areas of higher environmental quality, where there are lower concentrations of conflicting uses. The areas on the fringes of the City Centre are likely to be less attractive for alternative City Centre uses such as offices and shopping. Sheffield City Centre is relatively compact and housing has proved successful throughout, including the fringe areas.
7.26 The following options have been rejected:
• Further expansion of City Centre living in all parts of the City Centre if there is market demand • Limit City Centre living in favour of investment in jobs.
Industry in the City Centre
7.27 Sheffield grew predominantly on metal industries and many of these developed in areas that are now part of the City Centre. It is debateable whether the City Centre, given its topography, restricted accessibility for industrial traffic and competition from other more suitable and viable uses can meet the requirements of modern manufacturing and distribution. For example, in the St Vincents Quarter, businesses are located in old premises on sloping, restricted sites with poor access.
Preferred Option PCC4
7.28 Industry and distribution/ warehousing in the City Centre should not expand where it would detract from the regeneration of the centre and will be encouraged to relocate.
7.29 Industry in the City Centre, particularly when it is becoming run-down, can give a negative perception of the economic health of the City Centre. This does not fit in with aspirations to transform the economy of the city. Relocating industrial uses from the City Centre would remove the risk of conflict with housing and encourage the regeneration of these transition areas and the option if it became policy would give the signal needed to attract retail developers and raise values to a point where relocation becomes economic for businesses. The Strategy would make positive provision for industry in more appropriate areas outside of the City Centre, as identified in the business and industry options.
7.30 The delivery of this option would require a commitment from the City Council and its regeneration partners to comprehensive action in certain areas in the City Centre and to make alternative locations available.
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The Universities
7.31 Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Sheffield play a crucial role in the economic, cultural and social role in the City Centre in particular and the city and city region as a whole. The City Strategy has the ambition of learning to be part of everyone’s way of life and the universities make a significant contribution to this and raising the qualifications of people to take jobs in the new type of economy.
Preferred Option PCC5
7.32 Provision will be made for the two universities to consolidate and expand their teaching and research operations within their existing areas.
7.33 The character of the City Centre owes much to their presence and the importance of the academic sector is likely to expand as student numbers remain high and the universities continue to forge close links with innovative businesses. The have been tending to concentrate and expand their activities in their main City Centre campuses and this is encouraged to reduce pressures on other uses in neighbouring areas.
7.34 The two universities and the City Council will need to continue to work together to deliver this approach.
Transport in the City Centre and surrounding area
7.35 Transport is crucially important and has a massive impact on the City Centre. The City Centre cannot be successful if people cannot get to or from it without unacceptable delays.
Preferred Option PCC6
7.36 The transport network in and around the City Centre will be managed to enable the development of the City Council’s committed regeneration projects. Increased demand for trips will be managed by measures including:
• public transport improvements, including development of park- and-ride • extending the City Centre Controlled Parking Zone to cover the area inside the new Northern Inner Relief Road • A series of mini-interchanges to meet the needs of bus users at the following priority locations:
- Arundel Gate - Moorfoot - The New Retail Quarter - Howard Street/Sheffield Station
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• Travel Plans for new developments; • developments of car clubs and other initiatives that encourage more sustainable use of vehicles.
7.37 It is vital that the regeneration aims for the City Centre and the city as a whole are not stifled by the inability of the transport network to cope with the increased number of journeys that more employment, residents and visitors will bring. Management of the network will be required that ensures that people can still get around the city adequately to access jobs, homes, shops and leisure attractions. A wide range of measures is required to have sufficient impact and ensure that the best use is made of finite road space. Travel Plans provide an opportunity for new development to contribute to making its site more accessible by sustainable forms of transport. Car clubs have been successfully introduced into other city centres, reducing the need for city residents to keep a car in the centre.
Preferred Option PCC7
7.38 A Pedestrian Preference Zone in which a high quality environment will allow the safe, convenient and comfortable movement of pedestrians within and through the area, will be established in the following areas of the City Centre:
• New Retail Quarter • The Moor • Fargate • Castlegate/Victoria Keys • Riverside Exchange • Devonshire Street
7.39 The attractiveness and viability of the City Centre will be improved if there is a good quality pedestrian environment. Visitors and shoppers, in particular, will be attracted to the City Centre if it easy and safe to walk around.
7.40 Transport improvements can be delivered with the help of funding and priorities can be set through the second Local Transport Plan.
Tall buildings
There are currently a limited number of tall buildings in Sheffield, but they can create landmark structures that make a bold and confident statement about the economic vitality of the city.
Preferred Option PCC8
7.41 Tall buildings will be located in the City Centre where they:
• help to define gateway sites, • mark an area of civic importance,
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• mark a principle activity node, or • form the focal point of a vista.
The following locations have potential for tall buildings:
• Shalesmoor • Brook Hill / Broad Lane • Charter Row • Moorfoot • The New Retail Quarter • Heart of the City Arrival Point • Howard Street Entry • Granville Square • Midland Station Gateway / Sheaf Square • Park Square • Tenter Street North • Tenter Street South
7.42 Tall buildings make better use of limited land within the City Centre, allowing development to take place at higher densities. They also make a statement about a city that can encourage investment. Their presence can give an impression of wealth, prosperity, dynamism and vibrancy. Potential investors will see the presence of new tall buildings as an indication that a city is a positive place in which to invest in new development. The prominence of such buildings gives opportunities for bold design statements that can also send out very positive messages about Sheffield.
7.43 There are economic arguments for developers to build high and this, coupled with the guidance afforded by policies and the Urban Design Compendium, should ensure that tall buildings in suitable locations can be delivered.
Open Space in the Centre
7.44 Concerns have been expressed about the lack of open and especially of greenspace in the City Centre. Open space is particularly important in the City Centre, as it serves a large number of people who visit the Centre, and not just local residents.
Preferred Option PCC9
7.45 Informal, civic open space in the City Centre will be provided to cater for residents, workers, shoppers, tourists, students and other visitors and funded by new development in the City Centre.
7.46 The provision of open space, both greenspace and hard areas, of good quality and design, can greatly enhance the attractiveness of the City Centre and improve its viability and vitality.
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7.47 A combination of public finance and contributions from developers (where appropriate), should ensure delivery of improvements and maintenance of open areas.
Rivers and riversides
7.48 The City Centre has significant stretches of rivers – the Don, Sheaf and Porter Brook all flow within the City Centre. They are now often built or covered over (culverted), but in the last 20 years or so, there have been efforts to open them up the rivers and to improve their quality and flora and fauna have been returning. The Riverside developments have already taken some advantage of their location on the Don.
Preferred Option PCC10
7.49 Improvements will be made to the environment and accessibility of all rivers and riversides, opening up culverted rivers and providing walkways where appropriate. Rivers and riversides in the City Centre will be increasingly used as a natural, citywide resource.
7.50 Experience elsewhere has shown that accessible waterside areas are a key element in providing an attractive and vibrant City Centre that encourages development. Natural waterways form an attractive part of the urban environment and if rivers are incorporated into new development this will make new and existing buildings more appealing to residents, workers and visitors. This all helps to achieve a vibrant and attractive City Centre that is a major draw. They will also form important links in the Green Network for the city.
7.51 There are economic benefits of utilising the riverside settings of development sites that should ensure they are opened up, although this does rely on redevelopment. Action plans could address the issue of stretches that may not be likely to benefit from redevelopment.
City Centre Quarters
7.52 The City Centre currently has many different areas that each has a distinctive character. The promotion of ‘Quarters’ that can specialise in particular uses is a way of allowing as wide a variety of uses as possible in the City Centre, whilst still keeping certain potentially conflicting uses apart to some degree.
Preferred Option PCC11
7.53 The distinctive roles of different ‘Quarters’ of the City Centre will be strengthened, namely:
• Heart of the City, including the New Retail Quarter – the prime retail streets and main civic, arts and cultural buildings • Cathedral Quarter – the main professional, legal and financial district. This role will be strengthened by the introduction of an appropriate mix of uses including residential, leisure and retail
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• Sheaf and Cultural Industries Quarter – an area with a wide mix of uses and the main location for the city's creative and digital industries, as well as the academic focus for Sheffield Hallam University. • The Moor – a linear retail area catering mainly for the “value goods” end of the market but with several major anchor stores. • Devonshire Quarter – a thriving, distinctive and ‘young’ quarter with city living and niche shops, restaurants and bars. • St. Georges – a mixed area dominated by the University of Sheffield, with retail and business uses. • St. Vincents – a mixed business, residential and educational area with links to the University of Sheffield, hospitals and the legal and professional quarter. • Castlegate / Victoria Quays – to be redeveloped for offices, car parking and a hotel with Victoria Quays as a focus for mixed waterside uses. • Neepsend and Kelham – an old industrial area becoming a focus for new riverside housing and jobs. • Wicker/ Nursery Street – a gateway location on the Inner Relief Road and key business area with new housing.
7.54 Quarters that develop their own identity and functions can act as more of a draw than if the uses were dispersed, and be more vibrant and viable. The existence of such Quarters makes it clearer to visitors and residents where certain facilities are likely to be located and also make it easier to visit alternative establishments that together might be able to offer a range of goods or services. Quarters can attract particular users and develop niche markets.
7.55 This option accords with advice from the Government 6 that local planning authorities consider the roles of different parts of their centres.
Lower Don Valley
Introduction
7.56 The Lower Don Valley is an area of great opportunity but issues of air quality and the capacity of the nearby motorway junctions also need to be addressed. Both are the subjects of technical work that has still to be completed. The options below accept that there are likely to be limits to the intensity of development that is appropriate here.
7.57 A significant part of the Lower Don Valley was recently the subject of the Lower Don Valley Masterplan and Vision 7. This offers a long-term strategic
6 See PPS 6 7 Produced by Urban Strategies Inc for the City Council and British Land Plc
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plan, guiding investment and promoting new development. The City Council 8 endorsed the principles of the Masterplan and approved the taking forward of the key elements for consideration as emerging options for the Core Strategy. The vision for the Lower Don Valley as set out in the Vision and Masterplan document informs a large part of the vision for the Lower Don Valley as set out below. Some elements of the Masterplan are taken forward as preferred options. These include:
• maximising the areas natural heritage value by looking to the river and canal as a focus for a green setting for the whole area • looking to the area around Attercliffe and the canal as an opportunity to create new investment in residential communities • placing a greater focus on public transport, reducing reliance on the car, enhancing infrastructure provision across the area, and developing better connectivity through and within the valley all measures to help address poor air quality and contain traffic congestion.
7.58 Darnall, Attercliffe and Tinsley are also the subject of a Neighbourhood Development Framework for Housing Market Renewal and work on this has also informed the Preferred Options vision for the area.
7.59 The vision is of a high quality gateway into Sheffield from the M1 and an attractive location for inward investment including modern forms of manufacturing. Employment opportunities will be widely available, especially for local people. There will be a high quality environment and environmentally sustainable development, achieved by redeveloping brownfield land and using sustainable materials and building methods. The river and canal will be brought to the fore with a clear structure of landscaped pedestrian and transport routes which are well used for leisure and journeys to work and the setting for quality new development and centres of activity. People and activity will be brought back to Attercliffe with sustainable mixed-use development to provide housing and jobs. Attercliffe, Tinsley and Darnall will all be successful neighbourhoods that are attractive, safe and diverse urban residential areas, attracting new and returning households.
Business and industry in the Lower Don Valley
7.60 Due to its location beside the M1 Motorway, the area is a strategic location for economic activity. The land uses in this area benefit the whole city. This option confirms the Lower Don Valley as a significant location for employment by setting out the appropriate broad land uses.
Preferred Option PLD1
7.61 The Lower Don Valley will continue as a major area for industry, warehousing and distribution. There will be limited office development by the Meadowhall Centre and south of Europa Link. New business
8 Cabinet resolution, May 2005
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development around Meadowhall will be integrated, where possible, with the existing shopping centre.
7.62 The Lower Don Valley would retain its status and tradition as a major location for employment and reflects the preference of many businesses for this location. It recognises the continuing importance of the traditional employment sectors for the city’s economy as well as allowing for new forms of manufacturing and modern new businesses. Provision for office development reflects the option in Chapter 6. The proposed range of land uses also reflects the need to contain traffic congestion, especially at peak- periods and at the motorway junctions. The Meadowhall Shopping Centre would both benefit from and contribute to the success of the rest of the Valley by being integrated with neighbouring development.
7.63 The following options have been rejected, the preferred option combining aspects of both:
• Lower Don Valley continuing as a major area for industry. • Lower Don Valley becoming primarily a business area.
New housing in the Lower Don Valley
7.64 In past years, the area around Attercliffe was an area where people both lived and worked. After the decline of the steel industry in the 1970s Attercliffe lost most of its housing to clearance. Very few people live in this area now, but there is renewed demand and an opportunity exists to create new areas of sustainable housing close to where people work.
Preferred Option PLD2
7.65 A mix of uses including housing, services and employment will be promoted around the canal between Attercliffe and Darnall and the extension of this development will be encouraged, as opportunities arise, in the direction of the City Centre.
7.66 This extension of the Darnall housing area would help to broaden the appeal of this part of the Housing Market Renewal area, taking advantage of the canalside frontage and creating new types of living and working environment. It would share community facilities the existing housing area and help to support new facilities and the run-down Attercliffe centre. Any extension of this would need to be integrated with the existing community.
7.67 The option was not extended to Meadowhall, although it had been proposed in the Lower Don Valley Masterplan. The area suffers from unsatisfactory air quality due to the closeness of the M1, it is within an area of flood risk and it is not connected well to existing communities. The land is not needed to satisfy the citywide requirement for housing land and it would divert investment from the existing housing areas of the Housing Market Renewal Areas. The strategic emphasis is on employment uses and these should take priority in benefiting from such capacity as can be created at the congested motorway
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junctions. A very large amount of new development would be required to make the location more sustainable for housing and some problems such as air quality are unlikely to be readily resolved.
7.68 So, the following options have been rejected:
• No new housing in the Valley. • Create a new neighbourhood at Meadowhall
Darnall centre
7.69 The Darnall Terminus is the district centre for this area. Although it is very accessible from residential areas and contains a reasonably good mix of shops and services, there is room for improving the quality of the environment, the mixture of uses, accessibility and safety for pedestrians. These need addressing to ensure that the centre remains sustainable and can meet the needs of existing and new users.
Preferred Option PLD3
7.70 Darnall District Centre will be maintained and supported at around its present size through environmental and area management measures.
7.71 Expansion of the centre is not envisaged, as there is a lack of suitable sites around the centre. Other ways of improving the attractiveness and vitality of the centre for investors and shoppers will be pursued. Opportunities are expected to arise through current Housing Market Renewal initiatives as its spatial strategy attaches importance to the role of centres in the overall regeneration of the areas they serve. More specifically, the Darnall, Atttercliffe and Tinsley Neighbourhood Development Framework will identify ‘a new heart for Darnall’ as the focal point for the area as one of its five major themes. Revitalisation of Darnall Centre is identified as a proposed ‘transformational’ project to be taken forward into the draft Neighbourhood Development Framework in Spring 2006.
7.72 The following option was rejected:
• Promote significant expansion of the centre as the main shopping and service centre for East Sheffield.
Air quality and traffic congestion in the Lower Don Valley
7.73 The Lower Don Valley has a key role to play in the transformation of the city as a whole. But sustainable development will require addressing the issues of air quality and traffic congestion. There is already an Air Quality Management Area at Meadowhall and the Highways Agency has identified potential overloading of motorway junctions 33 and 34. A key issue for the Sheffield Development Framework is how to secure economic development and the jobs it brings whilst also improving air quality and limiting congestion.
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Preferred Option PLD4
7.74 Air quality will be improved and traffic congestion contained (especially around Junction 34) by complementary measures including trip demand management, improved public transport, additional road links and management of the mix and density of new development.
7.75 These factors will significantly affect accessibility in the Lower Don Valley, particularly at Junction 34, and the amount and type of development that can be accommodated here.
7.76 The option takes in all the possible alternatives, as no single solution would resolve these issues. It would not be sustainable simply to increase road capacity and the measures taken must also help to improve air quality. To make an impact, a range of complementary long-term and short-term measures will need to work together for maximum benefit. Success with the measured proposed will enable development to occur that might otherwise be unsustainable. Travel plans will need to be negotiated to take full advantage of the proposals in this option.
7.77 None of the options considered has been rejected – the preferred option includes all possible sustainable courses of action.
Sustainable development in the Lower Don Valley
7.78 The long-standing industrial activity in the Lower Don Valley has led to a low quality degraded appearance. It is one of the areas most in need of improvement and is a key area for regeneration. As a gateway to the city, the valley influences first impressions of Sheffield as a whole, further strengthening the case for action.
Preferred Option PLD5
7.79 The Lower Don Valley will be a focus for sustainable development and for measures to improve the appearance of the area and enhance the natural environment. The area between the river and the canal will form the heart of a green setting for the whole area.
7.80 The option is for a more attractive environment and more sustainable development. There are considerable opportunities to create a softer, more pleasant environment and at the same time address issues such as poor air quality and potential flooding problems. The improved setting could be an important asset for attracting new businesses.
7.81 No alternative options for achieving this have been rejected.
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Green Belt and economic regeneration at Sheffield Airport
7.82 The current review of policy is the opportunity to check that Green Belt boundaries remain appropriate. Major physical changes have taken place in the landscape around the airport since the Green Belt boundary was defined and a definable boundary needs to be restored.
Preferred Option PLD6
7.83 Tinsley Park Hill will be added to the Green Belt and land on the former runway will be released for business development.
7.84 The natural boundary of the Green Belt would be along the edge of the runway, which would mean taking out an area of Green Belt on the runway. The land at Tinsley Park Hill would more than compensate this for, as it is an integral part of the open land already in the Green Belt. The change would also be consistent with the economic regeneration of the area, adjoining the Airport Business Park.
7.85 The following option has been rejected
• Retain current Green Belt designation
Upper Don Valley
Introduction
7.86 The Upper Don Valley is one of increasing opportunity but there are important issues about the relative roles of employment uses and housing. The developing spatial strategy envisages this as an important area for a range of business, industry and other employers.
7.87 The vision for the Upper Don Valley is of a place for successful businesses including high technology companies and advanced manufacturing. Employment will continue to be the main purpose of the valley with some new housing close to the City Centre and a leisure/education cluster centred around existing facilities in the vicinity of Livesey Street. The surrounding densely populated neighbourhoods to the west of the valley will remain, with the valley bottom providing local jobs. Redevelopment in the Upper Don Valley will be supported by significant investment in the highway network to provide access to key development sites and improve the efficiency of local transport. New development will help to bring about environmental improvements, including attractive open spaces and access to the rivers. Housing, employment and leisure uses surrounding Hillsborough will support the District Centre and transport improvements will ease congested routes.
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Business and industry in the Upper Don Valley
7.88 The Upper Don Valley has been a key area for employment in Sheffield but has been in decline physically and economically for a number of years. There are still evident successes in the valley but these sit alongside a significant number of vacant and obsolete former industrial sites. The Upper Don Valley is still considered an important area for economic development and significant access and environmental improvements will help to promote it.
Preferred Option PUD1
7.89 High technology, employment and light industry uses will be maintained and encouraged in the North Neepsend/ Hillfoot Riverside and Wadsley Bridge areas, including improvements to access and the local environment.
7.90 This option maintains land and premises for existing key businesses within the valley to continue and expand, providing jobs within easy travelling distance of the City Centre and surrounding neighbourhoods. This area also borders Housing Market Renewal Areas where new housing will need to be supported by employment opportunities. Future development and investment would create opportunities to bring about high quality riverside settings and to improve frontages onto Penistone Road.
7.91 The key to delivering this option will be access improvements to and associated environmental improvements. Funding through the second Local Transport Plan would support works to improve the A61 corridor. Marketing of this area to attract new investment will also be important. Redevelopment of a few key sites and associated environmental improvements could significantly raise the profile of the area.
7.92 The Upper Don Valley Masterplan 9 proposed to maintain the Claywheels Lane area for business and industry and to enhance the attractiveness of the area by making significant access improvements and developing a competitive business environment.
Preferred Option PUD2
7.93 A new industrial/business estate will be created at Claywheels Lane with significant access improvements including bridging the River Don from Middlewood Road.
7.94 This area needs major investment in regeneration and provides an opportunity for businesses to relocate from unsuitable, declining premises to a modern and flexible employment location. A bridge over the River Don from Middlewood Road would greatly improve access and help to relieve congestion in other parts of the valley. This option would provide local jobs for surrounding residential neighbourhoods.
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7.95 It is envisaged that European funding will part fund infrastructure and access improvements for this area.
7.96 Residential development at Claywheels Lane has been considered as part of the option to allow new housing in the valley. It has been rejected, as it is anticipated that the land will be needed for employment and economic development and the Upper Don Valley is an area of strategic importance for employment uses. Research has been commissioned that will determine employment land requirements for the city. Development here would divert investment from the existing neighbourhoods of the Housing Market Renewal area and the land is not needed to maintain the citywide supply of new housing. The area does not score well on sustainability grounds, for example, due to problems of accessing services and ground contamination.
Education and leisure in the Upper Don Valley
7.97 There are a number of leisure and education uses in and around Livesey Street, close to Hillsborough. The new Hillsborough College is a major asset for the Upper Don Valley and brings thousands of students into the area each weekday. A number of leisure uses attract people through the day and into the evening. The pedestrian environment needs improving and the opportunity exists to improve links with Hillsborough Centre.
Preferred Option PUD3
7.98 New education and training uses and leisure that would not be appropriate in the City Centre or district centres, will be consolidated and encouraged in the Livesey Street area. The pedestrian environment and links with Hillsborough Centre will be improved.
7.99 This option provides an opportunity for centre uses to develop if they cannot be accommodated within the City Centre or Hillsborough Centre, in an area well served by public transport. This area provides services for surrounding neighbourhoods and attracting people to this area will help to increase the vitality of the neighbouring Hillsborough District Centre. However, industrial and business uses may still be appropriate here and future investment or expansion need not be restricted.
7.100 Delivery of this option would involve securing funding for projects to contribute towards an improved pedestrian environment. Funding through the Local Transport Plan 2 would support improvements in the A61 corridor. Marketing will help to attract new investment into this location.
7.101 The following option has been rejected:
• Retaining the area as a purely industrial/business location (not specifically identified in the Emerging Options consultation).
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Housing in the Upper Don Valley
7.102 The Upper Don Valley Masterplan 10 proposed a significant amount of new housing from the City Centre upriver to Livesey Street within areas that have traditionally been predominately industrial. This raised concerns about the loss of land for business and industry alongside the development of new housing in undesirable areas and isolated from existing housing and local services. Some housing in this area could help regeneration and improve the environment but the amount needs to be balanced with the other considerations.
Preferred Option PUD4
7.103 New housing (including student housing and with a mix of tenures and sizes of unit) will be developed in areas of the Upper Don Valley that are close to the City Centre or have good public transport links, including Infirmary/Langsett Road, Kelham Island and other land along the riverfront.
7.104 This option limits new housing in the valley to areas that are near established residential neighbourhoods and with good transport links. It also allows some residential development along the riverfront in these areas, which would promote access to the river. This option would encourage the reuse of previously developed sites that could otherwise be vacant, underused or contaminated.
7.105 Masterplans and market briefs will help to identify suitable sites for future housing developments. Actual proposals for new housing would depend on the desire of landowners to sell, the feasibility for businesses to relocate and the perception of development value by house builders.
7.106 The following options have been rejected:
• Resist any new housing in the valley and safeguard the area for employment uses • Allow residential expansion elsewhere in the valley in mainly industrial areas
Hillsborough centre
7.107 Hillsborough District Centre is the ‘hub’ of this area and the focus for regeneration proposals. It is a large district centre that has been relatively successful but there are a significant number of run-down and vacant premises and the area is in need of environmental improvements.
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Preferred Option PUD5
7.108 Hillsborough District Centre will be maintained and supported at around its present size by consolidating development and by continuing environmental improvements and centre management.
7.109 This option provides opportunities to develop trade and focus on improvement without requiring additional land to be made available for further growth. It helps to enable business success, provides employment opportunities and promotes the reuse of existing premises.
7.110 The Hillsborough Town Centre Strategy (due to be published early 2006) identifies local needs and develops a plan of action for allocating available resources to improve and promote Hillsborough Centre.
7.111 Some of the areas surrounding Hillsborough Centre are currently in transition and former uses are no longer dominant. This provides the opportunity to encourage new uses to support the District Centre. Also, improved pedestrian links with the new Hillsborough College at Livesey Street would encourage students to use the services that Hillsborough has to offer.
Preferred Option PUD6
7.112 Hillsborough District Centre will be further supported by:
• high-density housing and offices close by • improved links to the leisure and education area at Livesey Street • reduced through traffic.
7.113 New development (particularly housing) increases the possibility of high quality developments and environmental improvements alongside, encouraging the use of previously developed sites that could otherwise be vacant, underused or contaminated. Offices nearby would provide jobs and services in a sustainable location. New workers and residents in the area would help to increase the vitality of Hillsborough Centre. Transport proposals for the valley in Local Transport Plan 2 would help to divert through traffic from the centre.
7.114 Proposals for housing and offices would depend on the desire of landowners to sell, the perception of development value by house builders and attractiveness of this area as a business location. Funding through the Local Transport Plan 2 would support improvements in the A61 corridor.
7.115 No options for the area around Hillsborough centre have been rejected (all have been incorporated).
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Sheaf Valley and neighbouring areas
Introduction
7.116 The Lower Porter Valley, Bramall Quarter, Queens Road corridor and Upper Sheaf Valley (i.e. upstream from the Sheaf Valley area of the City Centre) are in transition and a clear framework is needed to establish where housing and jobs would have priority. The options show how the emphasis varies between these different parts of the city.
7.117 The long-term vision for this area is to accommodate employment and services in the south west of the city that cannot be catered for in established residential areas and shopping centres. At the same time, there are some opportunities for introducing new housing, and the planning issue is to what extent these opportunities should be taken.
Lower Porter Valley Business Area (near lower end of Ecclesall Road)
7.118 This area is already an established office location, close to the City Centre and both universities. This role can be strengthened by promoting offices as a preferred use, with associated housing.
Preferred Option PSV1
7.119 Offices will be promoted in the Lower Porter Valley, mixed with new housing as a secondary land use.
7.120 Business (office) development in this location is well served by public transport and cycleways, and is within walking distance of high-density residential neighbourhoods, encouraging commuters to use alternative modes to the car. Some residential development could help to make new business development viable. A mix of uses is encouraged to help create a more vibrant neighbourhood. It would be a highly sustainable location for new housing. New-build student housing here would be close to the two universities but away from established residential streets. The City Strategy identifies the need to accelerate the growth of knowledge-based businesses, capitalising on links with the universities. The Lower Porter Valley’s proximity to the universities allows it to contribute to meeting this need.
7.121 The following options have been rejected:
• Continue to use the current employment areas for business and industry, precluding housing • Include housing and compatible uses allowing business and industry to be replaced
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Bramall Quarter (between London Road and Shoreham Street)
7.122 New residential developments have been starting to replace traditional industry and warehousing, but small-scale business activity continues, especially in some of the historic industrial buildings in the proposed John Street Conservation Area. Being next to the Cultural Industries Quarter, the area offers opportunities for small firms in the creative sector to establish themselves. A large student village has already been completed, and other residential schemes (not all of them for students) are proposed in the area. New housing could help to underpin the economy of London Road District Centre.
Preferred Option PSV2
7.123 The Bramall Quarter will be promoted as an area of transition where new residential development is introduced, along with compatible businesses and activities.
7.124 A mix of uses is encouraged, again helping to create a vibrant new neighbourhood. It would be a highly sustainable location for new housing. The option allows the possibility of more new-build student housing close to the universities but away from established residential streets. New housing here would boost footfall in London Road District Centre, helping the centre to thrive, and also creates an opportunity for new affordable housing to meet local needs. Businesses that are compatible with housing include creative industries, which are already well represented in the area. The City Strategy states that ‘The city has an increasing number of independent (cultural) producers and promoters, which are essential to a thriving cultural city ‘: the Bramall Quarter has a concentration of these activities, and the preferred option will encourage them to stay and grow.
7.125 The following options has been rejected:
• Continue to use the current employment areas for business and industry, precluding housing • Promote office development, with housing as a secondary use
Queens Road
7.126 The Queens Road corridor accommodates a broad range of non-residential uses at present but is no longer dominated by business or industry.
Preferred Option PSV3
7.127 The Queens Road corridor will be non-residential and will accommodate business and industry and large-format retailing and leisure outlets not appropriate to a City Centre or district centre location.
7.128 It is not realistic to keep this area as for mainly business and industry but the local environment is not good enough for residential uses. Queens Road is a
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major transport route and this means that it can cater for traffic generated by businesses and activities in the corridor. If housing were allowed, it would limit the opportunities for new industrial development and such as car repairs, joinery workshops and warehouses. Retailing and leisure uses are generally town centre uses and should be located in or adjoining the City Centre or district centres. However, some large-format developments are inappropriate for existing centres and this area may be able to satisfy the sequential test.
7.129 The following option has been rejected:
• Allowing housing and uses compatible with it.
Sheaf Valley (between Lowfield and Archer Road)
7.130 The Sheaf Valley is an established business and industry area, but is susceptible to development pressures from housing developers.
Preferred Option PSV4
7.131 The existing business and industry areas in the Sheaf Valley will provide for local jobs and enterprises, especially for research and development and clean production.
7.132 This option maintains land and premises for a wide range of enterprises and jobs. Its unique value is in offering locations for enterprises and employment serving South West Sheffield. It offers alternative locations for business and industry to the City Centre and Don Valley, as well as offering jobs and services within easy travelling distance of South West Sheffield residents. This will help to reduce the number of cross-town trips and congestion on the Inner Ring Road. Most of this area is not within easy walking distance of the City Centre, the universities or a district centre, so it is not the best location for new, high-density housing. But the uses proposed would be compatible with existing housing in the area.
7.133 The following options have been rejected:
• Promote office development, with housing as a secondary land use • Include housing and compatible uses allowing business and industry to be replaced
Archer Road
7.134 The Archer Road Area consists mainly of employment, retail and leisure uses and the strategic issue is what its principal role should be.
Preferred Option PSV5
7.135 A mix of uses will be encouraged including housing and compatible business activities.
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7.136 A mix of uses would continue to be appropriate but need not preclude housing. The area is surrounded by housing areas and although all the existing uses are non-residential it could contribute to a choice of housing locations in a sustainable location close to a high-frequency bus route. Locations further down the Sheaf Valley provide alternative locations for mainly employment uses. However, business uses that are compatible with housing would still be appropriate.
North East Urban Area
Introduction
7.137 The North East Urban area includes extensive public and cheap private sector housing where demand has been in decline. It now forms a major part of the Housing Market Renewal area, where major initiatives are being taken to make the area more attractive. The options in this section have been developed in parallel with various stages of work on development frameworks for the Housing Market Renewal areas.
7.138 The vision for the North East Urban area is of balanced and sustainable communities and of a popular, desirable place to live, attracting new residents and retaining the existing ones by offering a mix of quality housing. There will be high design quality and high quality green spaces. The area will be well connected to other parts of the city, with good access for local people to jobs and services. Each neighbourhood will have a strong identity and focus. Strengthened neighbourhood centres will provide a range of services and facilities for local people, complemented by thriving businesses, which will be focal points for community activity.
Employment locations in the North East Urban Area
7.139 The issue of providing employment opportunities for residents in the North East Urban Area has been a key issue in the Housing Market Renewal Areas of north-east Sheffield. In the Emerging Options document, this issue was dealt with separately for the three constituent areas but the options have now been brought together to cover the whole of the North East Urban Area.
Preferred Option PNE1
7.140 New opportunities for employment, education and training will be promoted within Burngreave at:
• Parkwood Springs Business Area • Woodside • Spital Hill
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and by improved access to existing employment areas including the Northern General Hospital. . 7.141 The option identifies sites that are available on the edge of the Burngreave area for which employment uses would be appropriate. The Northern General Hospital is an important existing local employer for all parts of the North East Urban area.
7.142 The option has integrated several that were considered in the Emerging Options consultation. The following have been rejected:
• Housing, leisure, recreation or open space uses at Parkwood Springs • Housing or purely market-led uses at Woodside
Regeneration of the Blackburn Valley
7.143 The Blackburn Valley Masterplan 11 concluded that improved access to the valley was needed because its current relative remoteness discouraged new employment uses in the area.
Preferred Option PNE2
7.144 Economic regeneration of the Blackburn Valley will be promoted, subject to the capacity of existing transport links.
7.145 The valley contains a number of industrial uses whilst also being generally green in nature. The area has the potential to fulfill a strategic employment role. However, a range of environmental improvements are also proposed and the capacity of existing road links means that any future employment development must be limited. The Highways Agency has expressed serious reservations about any option for a new link road into the valley due to the potential increase in traffic congestion around junction 34(north) of the M1.
7.146 Regeneration should therefore consist of limited general industry/warehousing and distribution uses – these uses being less intensive in terms of traffic generation - whilst ensuring that any new development integrates with the existing landscape of the valley. New, well designed development, combined with environmental improvements, would help to achieve the City Strategy’s aim of environmental excellence as well as a strong economy.
7.147 The following option has been rejected:
• Major regeneration of Blackburn Valley, including new link road and improved connections with Brightside/Shiregreen
11 April 2003, not approved by the Council.
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Access to wider employment opportunities for residents in the North East Urban Area
7.148 Even with local opportunities for jobs, many residents of the North East Urban Area will continue to work elsewhere and the option for providing local employment needs to be matched by improvements to access jobs in the main concentrations in the Don Valley.
7.149 Preferred Option PNE3
Transport links will be improved to major employment areas especially at the Lower and Upper Don Valley. This will include improvements to public transport and the strategic road networks.
7.150 Apart from the employment locations identified within the North East Urban Area, there are few other available sites for the development of employment uses. The Housing Market Renewal programme promotes primarily residential development in the area, along with some other mainly non- employment related uses.
7.151 The form that improvements would take is still being considered. Improvements to public transport to the main employment areas are under discussion with the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive and they may involve improved better interchange facilities as well as direct links.
7.152 The following options have been rejected:
• Increase the number of jobs within the Brightside/Shiregreen area • Increase number and range of employment opportunities in Southey/Owlerton.
Spital Hill centre
7.153 As the District Centre for the area, Spital Hill has a key role as a focus for Housing Market Renewal.
Preferred Option PNE4
7.154 The Spital Hill District Shopping Centre will be expanded and renewed with a wider range of shops and services and other developments providing new jobs.
7.155 The renewal of Spital Hill will reinforce the regeneration proposals for this area in the Burngreave Fir Vale Master Plan. The Spital Hill District Shopping Centre is currently one of the lowest-rated District Shopping Centres in the city in terms of its vitality and viability and needs of intervention if it is to become the key service centre for the Burngreave Area. One of the key objectives of the Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder is to strengthen District Shopping
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Centres so that they can serve the restructured housing market and attract inward investment into the area.
Firth Park centre
7.156 Firth Park District Centre is a focal point for local financial, retail and administrative services and The North Sheffield Development Framework, produced as part of the Housing Market Renewal work, recognises that the District Centre serves a wide area of north Sheffield.
7.157 It currently functions reasonably well as a service centre. It has a comparatively high proportion of convenience retailers, a library, a church and a recently completed children’s centre next to the park itself. However, there are still issues regarding mix of uses, accessibility and gateways into the centre, that need addressing, to ensure that the centre remains sustainable and can meet the needs of both existing and new residents.
Preferred Option PNE5
7.158 Firth Park District Centre will be maintained and supported at around its present size with environmental and area management measures.
7.159 This option aims to further support and enhance the role of Firth Park District Centre to act as a focal point for the community but without significantly extending its influence. Given the scarcity of significant development sites in the immediate area, the potential for worsening traffic congestion and the potential for over-development in the area, the option to steadily enhance the district centre is considered the most appropriate. The provision and enhancement of community facilities and local services in the centre helps to ensure that the number and length of journeys to access such facilities is reduced, and small-scale opportunities for residential conversions in and around the centre would support the aim of ensuring that new housing occurs in a sustainable location.
7.160 The following option has been rejected:
• Significantly expand to increase its influence as the District Centre for North Sheffield.
Parkwood landfill site
7.161 The landfill site is a very contentious issue, especially for local people who are want reassurance that it is not harmful to health. It is still not clear how long it will be before the site is full but its long-term future merits early consideration.
Preferred Option PNE6
7.162 In the long term, the Parkwood Landfill Site will be developed as a country park/landscape.
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7.163 This option was largely favoured due to the technicalities of developing sites and high costs associated with developing sites previously used as landfill. It also addresses a local deficit of open space in the area. The current operators are obliged, under their permit, to restore the site after it is full. The issue of longer-term maintenance of the area after restoration still has to be addressed.
7.164 The following options have been rejected:
• Reserve the area for future ski village expansion • Develop the area for employment
South East Urban Area
Introduction
7.165 Spatial issues in large parts of the South East Urban area have been taken forward through the planning for Housing Market Renewal. This could be supported further through investment in the one District Centre in the area.
Manor Top centre
7.166 The Manor Top District Centre is focussed on convenience retailing, with few non-food stores, and a relatively limited mix of uses. Although it is at an accessible location, the quality of the physical and built environment is relatively poor and the layout of the surrounding roads presents a barrier to pedestrian movement. It is therefore relevant to review the prospects for this centre in the light of Housing Market Renewal work in South Sheffield and recent reports commissioned from retail consultants.
Preferred Option PSE1
7.167 The renewal and expansion of Manor Top District Centre will be promoted and priority will be given to improving its appearance and accessibility
7.168 Expansion of the centre, diversification of the retail offer and environmental enhancement would help to improve its vitality and ensure that South Sheffield retains a viable District Centre. This option also gives strong support to the Housing Market Renewal strategy and helps to bolster the quality of life in adjacent neighbourhoods by offering residents the choice of meeting more of their shopping needs locally.
7.169 Detailed improvement proposals to revitalise the centre together with suggested delivery mechanisms will emerge from a Housing Market Renewal masterplan commissioned for the City Road Corridor. This study should
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provide the support for third party funding applications to various organisations including English Partnerships.
7.170 The following option has been rejected:
• Consolidate its present role as a smaller district centre.
South and West Urban Area
Introduction
7.171 The south and west of the city consists mainly of stable and attractive housing areas and the issue here is not a choice between housing and other uses but a question of how much further housing development should occur.
7.172 The vision for the area is for the existing residential character to be conserved and enhanced with better community services and facilities and improvements to its accessibility by public transport. Opportunities will be taken for new development to improve the character and appearance of the residential environment in areas that need it.
Scale of future housing development in South and West Sheffield
7.173 The high levels of demand for housing in this area have created particular pressures, giving rise to concerns about the impact on local and sometimes distinctive character.
Preferred Option PSW1
7.174 The level of new house building will be constrained in the suburbs of South West Sheffield and in the inner areas characterised by larger Victorian houses. New building will mainly be limited to small-scale infill sites other than close to district centres and locations well served by public transport and will be in keeping with the character of the area.
7.175 The option would satisfy concerns about high-density developments but is also justified because it helps to encourage housing investment and demand in other parts of the city and reduces pressure on the congested radial routes here. The policy applies principally to the area between Manchester Road and Chesterfield Road. However, the character of housing areas in other parts of the city would be safeguarded by policies in the Housing section in Chapter 6.
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Mosborough/Woodhouse
Introduction
7.176 The Mosborough/Woodhouse area has experienced massive expansion over the past three decades but is now approaching the physical limits of growth. Although part of the urban area, Mosborough is somewhat semi-detached with a degree of self-containment through its large District Centre and significant employment areas.
7.177 The vision for the area is of a high quality place to live, consolidated at around its present size and providing a significant amount of its own employment and services. Accessibility to the rest of the main built-up areas by sustainable means of transport will be maintained and improved. Green spaces and the surrounding countryside will remain protected and be enhanced.
Employment for people living in Mosborough/ Woodhouse
7.178 The vision draws on both the original intention of providing jobs and services within the area and the changing demands that will need stronger connections with the rest of the city. An important issue is how far to promote each of these approaches.
Preferred Option PMW1
7.179 New jobs will be provided:
• within established industrial and business areas at Drakehouse and Holbrook/Oxclose; and • on sites close to Crystal Peaks District Centre.
Transport links will be maintained, and where practical improved, particularly for peak-period users, between Mosborough/Woodhouse and major employment areas elsewhere in Sheffield, particularly the Lower Don Valley.
7.180 Most of the areas in Mosborough originally proposed for employment uses have been developed, though some have gone instead to housing or other uses. The Preferred Option would keep the remaining employment areas to help reduce the need to commute to the more distant business and industry areas of the city. There are opportunities for new development in the existing industry and business areas (mainly for general industry and warehousing) and close to Crystal Peaks (including offices).
7.181 But, it is recognised that many residents will still wish to commute to suitable jobs. Connections with the rest of the city, including those by bus and Supertram, are already generally good, despite some localised peak-time congestion, and other areas in Sheffield merit higher priority for transport investment. So further action is likely to be limited but, subject to resources,
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might include measures to make peak-time public transport more attractive, e.g. development of Quality Bus Corridors, improvements to the Crystal Peaks transport interchange and park-and-ride at Woodhouse station. The South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive have identified significant demand for travel between Mosborough and the Lower Don Valley.
7.182 The preferred option combines aspects of the alternative options but the following has been rejected:
• Jobs and services on large peripheral greenfield sites
Shopping for residents of Mosborough/Woodhouse
7.183 A large amount of shopping development has occurred at the Crystal Peaks District Centre, Drakehouse Retail Warehouse Park and the superstore at Holbrook. There are two issues for future policy. The first is whether shopping in the area should expand further to accommodate increased spending and so reduce dependence on the City Centre. The second is what account should be taken of the impact of such growth on smaller neighbourhood centres in the area, which tend to be less well developed.
Preferred Option PMW2
7.184 Crystal Peaks District Centre will be maintained at around its current size and access by bus, cycle and foot will be improved. More local convenience shopping will be encouraged in neighbourhood centres, where possible, and off-peak links to the City Centre will be maintained and improved for ‘higher order’ shopping needs not satisfied in the District Centre.
7.185 The preferred option recognises that the potential for District Centre types of non-food shopping is largely taken up by the existing shops and committed expansion at Crystal Peaks, and that the shopping areas have also grown almost to their physical limits. The growth in non-food shopping would be better satisfied in the City Centre and the transport system is able to accommodate shoppers’ off-peak trips. On the other hand, the main need for improved food and other convenience shops is in the neighbourhood centres and Woodhouse District Centre, which have suffered from decline in number and variety of shops. The scope for expansion is limited, but improvements to access and the environment could strengthen the focus they provide for their communities and reduce the amount of travel for shopping. However, improvements do need to be made to foot and cycle access to Crystal Peaks.
7.186 The option combines aspects of both of the alternative emerging options but largely omits the element involving enhanced provision at Crystal Peaks.
Proposed additions to the Green Belt
7.187 Most of the areas in Mosborough/Woodhouse originally allocated for housing development have been built up. Those that remain are greenfield and mostly
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in areas that are valued by local people for their openness and for the access they provide to countryside. The UDP retained them for development to help satisfy the requirement then predicted for housing land. Since then, however, national policy has made it possible to achieve many more new houses on brownfield sites. So, for the foreseeable future, the additional greenfield sites are no longer needed and the issue is how they should now be designated.
Preferred Option PMW3
7.188 Greenfield areas east of Woodhouse, to the south-west and north of Mosborough Village (at Mosborough Moor and Moor Valley) and at the former Holbrook Colliery will be added to the Green Belt.
7.189 There are sound local grounds for completing the previously approved comprehensive development of Owlthorpe Township, even though this would mean building on greenfield land. The present half-finished township does not make up a sustainable community, able to support an adequate neighbourhood centre.
7.190 The preferred option for the identified areas is to add them to the Green Belt. They would all achieve the aims of Green Belt and conserve some attractive areas of countryside for the benefit of local residents and others. Although in theory there could be a longer-term need for this land for housing the sites are now considered relatively unsustainable. Essential infrastructure and site works would be costly and, as they tend to be relatively remote from services and public transport, extra car use by new residents would be likely. The natural qualities of these areas would support their indefinite safeguarding.
7.191 The case for providing local jobs in the area does not outweigh these considerations. The precise location of the Green Belt boundary adjoining the employment area at Holbrook/Oxclose will be determined in the course of preparing the forthcoming Proposals Map.
7.192 The following options for these greenfield areas have been rejected at a strategic level:
• Retain land other than at Owlthorpe for longer term housing • Provide land for local industry and business • Safeguard land as open space.
Chapeltown/Ecclesfield
Introduction
7.193 Chapeltown/Ecclesfield includes the freestanding urban area of Chapeltown/High Green/Burncross and the settlements of Grenoside and Ecclesfield on the edge of the larger built-up area of Sheffield. There are employment opportunities in and around the area, pressure from housing on
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employment land and good connections to the main urban area. The options take up issues around how the Chapeltown/Ecclesfield area can develop more sustainably.
7.194 The area will continue to consist of relatively stable residential neighbourhoods in suburban, semi rural/rural settings. Redevelopment will provide opportunities to improve the built environment and enhance the area’s distinctive rural settings. Smithywood, Thorncliffe and Ecclesfield will continue to be locations for businesses providing jobs for local people and reducing the need to travel. Improvements will be made to the accessibility and the general environment of Chapeltown District Centre, removing traffic where possible and making it safer and a more efficient transport hub for the area.
Housing and jobs in Chapeltown/ Ecclesfield
7.195 There is pressure to expand the urban area and develop more housing but this would involve either building on greenfield land or on land currently intended mainly for employment uses. The main strategic issue is how far the main settlements of the area should be encouraged to be self-contained, providing jobs as well as housing, and how far it should grow as a commuter settlement looking to jobs elsewhere in Sheffield.
Preferred Option PCH1
7.196 Land will be reserved in Chapeltown/ Ecclesfield for people to find work locally and new housing will be limited to the existing residential areas.
7.197 There is no need to expand the settlements the Chapeltown/Ecclesfield area as the main opportunities would be in attractive greenfield locations or Green Belt and there is enough previously developed land in the city for most of its projected housing needs. Previously developed land in the area would continue to be suitable for new housing.
7.198 But, existing employment land should be safeguarded not only to meet citywide needs (the overall need is being checked out – see Preferred Option PB1) but also to reduce the need for travel to work for those who could find suitable employment more locally.
7.199 The following options have been rejected:
• Accept the tendency to greater mobility and commuting from Chapeltown/Ecclesfield, providing more housing served by high frequency rail and bus routes.
• Allow significant housing in existing employment areas in Ecclesfield whilst meeting market demand for business development where compatible with housing.
• Extend the urban area by building new housing on brownfield land, in particular at Hesley Wood.
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• Part of the option to consolidate existing settlements by concentrating housing development on existing brownfield sites and allowing significant new house building on land currently allocated for employment uses, e.g.:
- At Stanley Tools site at the Common, Ecclesfield. - Off Green Lane and Station Road, Ecclesfield. - South of Butterthwaite Lane at Ecclesfield.
• No significant new house building within or adjoining the urban area.
Chapeltown centre
7.200 Chapeltown District Centre is a viable and vital shopping centre with a major supermarket and good levels of comparison, convenience and service goods. The centre retains many shoppers from its catchment area and it is potentially at the junction of three quality bus corridors. However, it is congested with traffic, which makes the centre less attractive for pedestrians, some of the shops are in old terraced properties and there is nothing of special architectural merit. The issue is how to maintain or increase the centre’s viability, vitality and attractiveness for shops and services and as an accessible public transport hub for the area.
Preferred Option PCH2
7.201 Chapeltown District Centre will be maintained and supported mainly by improvements to its environment and accessibility and the management of traffic passing through it.
7.202 There is currently no room for the centre to expand significantly and growth could lead to increased congestion. There is scope for making the centre more attractive and accessible at around its present size. This would be greatly helped by removing traffic that doesn’t need to be there, benefiting pedestrians and making it easier for buses to get in and out.
7.203 The following options were rejected:
• Expand, with high density housing within 200 metres of the centre. • Accept reduced role for the centre if there is little developer interest.
Stocksbridge/Deepcar
Introduction
7.204 Stocksbridge is in transition as jobs are shed by the traditional industries and the options, like those for Chapeltown, reflect how far it can be a self-
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contained settlement and how far it depends on becoming more of a commuter settlement depending on transport links to the main urban area and elsewhere.
7.205 Stocksbridge/Deepcar will continue to function as a small town in a distinctive Pennine setting, providing a proportion of jobs and services for its inhabitants. Redevelopment will be encouraged within the urban area, helping to improve the built environment and enhancing the setting. The existing industrial areas will continue to provide the primary locations for business but ongoing rationalisation will release some land for new housing. An expanded Stocksbridge District Centre will provide improved shopping choice and an attractive and vibrant centre.
Housing and jobs in Stocksbridge
7.206 Stocksbridge/Deepcar is relatively remote from the main built-up area of Sheffield but used to be more self-contained as local people tended to work in the town. But, the needs of industry in the area are changing and land previously used for industrial operations is no longer required. With the resulting loss of jobs over recent years the main issue is how much of the unused industrial land should be kept to provide replacement local jobs to help take pressure of commuter traffic from the roads into the rest of Sheffield and how far the amount of housing should grow.
Preferred Option PST1
7.207 A proportion of surplus operational industrial land will be safeguarded in Stocksbridge for people to find work locally and new housing will be limited to previously developed land within the urban area.
7.208 The option seeks to maintain a degree of self-containment but recognises that, although there are benefits from providing local jobs, market demand will not be sufficient to justify keeping all the land released by closures. The revenue received from the sale of some land for housing may be necessary for existing businesses to go on investing to provide local jobs. There is also a need for affordable housing for those wishing to remain in the town. Proposed improvements to the Upper Don Valley transport corridor into Sheffield would help to accommodate some of the traffic generated by people needing to find jobs in the rest of the city.
Stocksbridge centre
7.209 Although Stocksbridge has its own town centre and potential to meet basic needs of its residents, it is relatively run-down and not sufficiently attractive to retain as much spending as it might. The issue arises how far this district centre role might be strengthened to reduce the number of trips made to centres and superstores that are more distant, such as Hillsborough or Chapeltown.
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Preferred Option PST2
7.210 Opportunities will be taken as they arise to improve the environment of Stocksbridge District Centre and to enable limited expansion when land becomes available.
7.211 The need of the centre is not so much for growth in size as improvement in the quality of the shops and services it offers. The centre is next to the industrial area and so opportunities may arise that would allow new development on a scale that could significantly improve the quality of the centre’s offer. Such redevelopment could make possible the environmental improvements that are also needed.
7.212 The following option has been rejected:
• Reflect market forces.
Hollin Busk
7.213 A large area of open land at Hollin Busk currently is currently designated as Open Space but this is anomalous as the area is farmed and actually meets the purposes of Green Belt.
Preferred Option PST3
7.214 Greenfield land south of Stocksbridge at Hollin Busk will be added to the Green Belt.
7.215 The land is proposed as an addition to Green Belt as it makes an important contribution to the rural character of the area and clearly performs a Green Belt function by preventing the settlements of Stocksbridge and Deepcar from merging. There is no foreseeable need for greenfield land for housing development in the area and new housing will be provided on some of the industrial land now no longer needed.
7.216 The following options have been rejected:
• Use some or all of the area for housing • Maintain the designation as open space.
Rural Settlements
Introduction
7.217 Sheffield’s rural area (not falling within the Peak Park) is relatively small but has some distinctive issues with its three small settlements (Oughtibridge, Worrall and Wharncliffe Side) and agricultural land.
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7.218 The rural north-west of Sheffield will continue to offer an unspoilt, attractive, rural setting for the urban area of Sheffield. The smaller villages will remain largely unchanged as integral parts of the rural setting. Services and facilities will be provided in the three larger villages of Wharncliffe Side, Oughtibridge and Worrall. New housing within the urban envelope of the three larger villages will help to provide new affordable housing, increasing housing choice and allowing local people who can’t afford to enter the housing market to do so whilst staying in the area.
Affordable Housing in the Larger Settlements
7.219 Local people are finding it difficult to enter the housing market in the area because of recent price rises. The option looks to meet the local need for affordable housing in rural areas in the more sustainable large villages.
Preferred Option PRS1
7.220 In Oughtibridge, Worrall and Wharncliffe Side, larger infill housing development may take place where it would make a significant contribution towards meeting needs for affordable housing.
7.221 House prices rises have been particularly acute in these areas as the very attractive surroundings add to the desirability of new and second hand homes. Brownfield sites have become available in the past particularly at Oughtibridge and others could become available. Requiring a significant contribution to affordable housing would provide a significant number of new homes within the reach of local people.
7.222 There is no need to expand the larger villages, as this would have a detrimental effect on the rural character of the surrounding countryside and would not be necessary to meet the city’s overall requirement for new housing.
7.223 The following options have been rejected:
• Consolidate new house building on brownfield sites (e.g. Loxley Works at Storrs Lane). • No significant increase in housing stock.
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