Loxley Valley: Environmental group opposes £40m plan for 'Center Parcs' homes in Sheffield's green belt

Sheffield Environmental said the proposal for houses on the 70-acre former Hepworth Refractories site along the River Loxley would ‘never’ get its support because they would be on a flood plain.

It posted : “Building properties worth more than £1m on the flood plain will never get support from Sheffield Environmental. The only sustainable development, no matter how you dress this up, is to turn it over to flood water storage.”

But David Cross, of developer Sky-House, said the site included 40 acres of concrete and asbestos roofing with no flood management and if the project went ahead they would introduce “much more natural terrain for soakaway and drainage.”

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A previous housing scheme was not refused on flood grounds, he added.

He said: “We feel very confident and excited. We’ve had lots of support both locally and regionally and we hope we have listened to all valid arguments.”

A planning application was due to be submitted in November, he added.

Refractory operations stopped almost 40 years ago and 20 crumbling buildings have been reclaimed by nature.

A previous proposal for 300 homes received 1,000 objections and was refused by Sheffield City Council. The decision was upheld by a planning inspector.

Sky-House and landowner Patrick Properties hope their smaller scale idea will strike a balance between redeveloping a brownfield site, meeting housing demand and protecting the environment.

Mr Cross previously said there would be 70 homes from one to five-bed costing from £150,000 to £1.5m, with 10 valued at £1m or more. Developers would also make a contribution to off site affordable housing.

He said it was closest in design to Center Parcs, with low density single-storey homes in green belt. 

The plan also includes a community centre, cafe bar, sports facilities, footpaths and ponds open to the public and “a few small holiday lets.” 

Mr Cross said the project would start with a £5m clean up of the site between Loxley Road, Rowell Lane and Storrs Bridge Lane.