Is it sound? Is it Legal?

Here are some of the things you could stress in your personal consultation response to the Government Inspectors. However – don’t forget, that like all developments, this comes down to money! If the Government (and any subsequent developer) feels that the Wharncliffe Side site is COMMERCIALLY UNVIABLE then they will be forced to remove it from the scheme.

Commercially Unviable
Click for a fascinating report that explains why the Horse Field will be commercially unviable from a developers point of view. The document goes on to explain why any development will not meet the “golden rule” improvements demanded by SCC.

Preliminary Infrastructure Feasibility Assessment
Read this very useful document written by Wharncliffe Side Villager Joss Englert. Go to the page by clicking here.

NWS31 Suitability Assessment
The council have made a few claims in their own suitability assessment of NWS31 (The Horsefield, to you and I). So we decided to conduct our own suitability assessment with a property construction owner. Click here to go to the page

Some Simplified Arguments You Can Use
There’s a great deal of data and information on these pages, so if you’re just looking for a few quick simplified arguments, click on this link and copy and paste these points!

Loss of wildlife
The Council’s 2025 Housing Plan (Site Ref 1052) states the field may have “significant ecological value.” Local knowledge confirms it supports bats, badgers, pollinators and protected hedgerows. No updated ecological surveys have been shared since 2021. In fact, one local resident recently carried out a survey on the field – click here for a list of what they discovered!

Buffer to Glen Howe Park
The Horsefield acts as a green buffer to Glen Howe Park which is a registered Heritage Asset. The Council’s own report acknowledges the proposed development could cause harm to Glenn Howe.

“Any harm to the significance of a heritage asset… must require clear and convincing justification.” — NPPF Paragraph 200

Poor transport links = more traffic and pollution
The field is over 1200m from the nearest bus stop. With no train line and reduced services, this means even more cars and air pollution on our already-congested village roads.

Increased flood risk
This greenfield site naturally absorbs rainwater from the surrounding hills. Building here would worsen runoff and local flooding, not just in Wharncliffe Side, but potentially in downstream areas like Oughtibridge, Middlewood, and even Kelham Island during heavy rainfall. Manchester Road is a key access route and disruption here could affect the whole valley. Read more about flooding and other detailed arguments here.

A vital space for our mental health and fitness
Wharncliffe Side has higher-than-average numbers of elderly and disabled residents. According to the 2025 Local Insight report, 8.91% of residents have health issues that limit daily activity. The Horsefield is flat and walkable. A lifeline for those who can’t manage hills or long distances. People use it every day to walk dogs, get fresh air and manage their physical and mental health.

The site’s Suitability Assessment undertaken by the council does not acknowledge any recreational use. This is clearly incorrect.  The site, known locally and affectionately as the ‘Horse Field’, is a vital and much used recreational asset for the close knit community of Wharncliffe Side.  read more about recreation, health and wellbeing points by clicking here.

Poor infrastructure and poor site access
Stocksbridge and Upper Don have a worse Community Needs Index than the rest of Sheffield and England. Our schools, GP surgeries, roads and services are already under strain. The site itself is accessed via narrow lanes. The Council have made vague promises, but there is no published plan, budget or timeline to fix any of this.

Loss of our village identity
We’ll lose a beautiful rural view forever. The Horsefield gives our village its character. It connects us to Glen Howe Park, offers views of open countryside and gives us somewhere to walk, reflect, chat, and breathe.

Tips: Stick to the facts ✔️ Use evidence ✔️ Remember your voice is important ✔️

**Quote the Council’s words back and them! (Really useful!)
Here are some legal points and references to council publications you can blend in with your personal experiences and photographs. Please feel free to take or leave whatever is useful, do your own research and present evidence in your own words.

MORE DETAILED ARGUMENTS and Scoring on Green Belt Purpose
If you’d like to read a few more detailed arguments to do with flooding, site viability and housng density, heritage assets and protection of green belt, then click here!