Friday 2nd May
In response to the Strategy and Resources Council Group vote to recommend the Sheffield Plan, and the inclusion of our horse-field in the development, we got going. We set up our WhatsApp group and our Public Facebook Page “Wharncliffe Side – Let’s Breathe”

Wednesday 7th May
We held a public meeting for villagers to share their thoughts and decide if we wanted to object to the plan. 160 villagers turned up, and we also welcomed the Deputy Leader of the Council and our two local councillors, Mark and Janet.

Thursday 8th May
With an incredibly tight deadline, many villagers sent in statements ahead of the Friday morning deadline. These statements are for the forthcoming council meeting, to be held on Wednesday 14th May, when the Council propose to vote for the plan, and the removal of our field’s greenbelt status.

Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th May
Hundreds of villagers came out into the sunshine to show the Council how many of us use our field and what a special place we think it is. We took pictures, filmed video and drone footage for future use, and stood shoulder to shoulder, young and old alike.

Monday 12th May
We issued our first press release, and the BBC got in touch. We wrote to our MP (Marie Tidball) explaining the worry and upset caused by the inclusion of the field, and asking for a meeting with her to discuss the field’s unsuitablity for development should the Council choose to vote it through on Wednesday. We launched our little film following our weekend meet-up.

Wednesday 14th May
The day of the council vote arrives… and press interest in our field is on the up, with four media requests received in the last 24 hours. Many villagers are planning to watch and listen to the Council meeting this afternoon. It is important to note that our green belt stays in place, protecting our field, until the end of the process in 2026, after consultation, and after the Government has examined the plan. So – remember – whichever way the vote goes today, we are still protected (for now), with chance to remove ourselves from the list through consultation and subsequent amendments to the plan.

The Council voted to adopt the Sheffield Plan, and the countdown to the consultation period has begun.

The story continues…