Residents form Sheffield Greenbelt Alliance to challenge Local Plan Green Belt housing sites
Residents from across Sheffield who have been campaigning against Green Belt release sites in the draft Local Plan have now joined forces in a city-wide group: the Sheffield Greenbelt Alliance.
The Alliance is calling for a renewed focus on brownfield and previously developed land, and is asking the public to help identify vacant, underused and long-derelict sites that could be put forward as alternatives.
Campaigners say this follows evidence given during the Local Plan hearings that the Council does not have the resources to inspect every plot of land across the city to determine availability - while communities are also being told there is no reasonable alternative to releasing Green Belt land for development.
What the Alliance is saying
- The Council’s last formal call for sites took place in December 2019.
- The Brownfield Land Register should be updated annually, but campaigners argue it has not been refreshed in line with that expectation prior to preparation of the current draft plan.
- The Alliance believes this creates a risk that suitable brownfield land may not have been fully identified or assessed.
Spokesperson statement
"Sheffield needs homes and economic growth. This initiative is not about stopping development. It is about ensuring development happens in the right places.
"Once Green Belt is lost, it cannot be restored. Before irreversible decisions are made, every reasonable brownfield option must be visible and properly considered."
How you can help
The Alliance is asking Sheffield residents to identify sites anywhere in the city that could offer a realistic alternative to Green Belt release. If you know of a site, consider sharing its location and what makes it suitable for regeneration.
- ✅ Empty or boarded-up buildings
- ✅ Derelict or long-vacant plots
- ✅ Underused car parks or yards
- ✅ Previously developed land that could be regenerated
- ✅ Sites with existing infrastructure that reduce pressure on open countryside
Helpful details might include: the address or a map pin, photos, how long it has been vacant/underused, and any known ownership or planning history.
Why this matters
Campaigners argue the draft plan would place a disproportionate share of Green Belt release in certain parts of the city. They cite S13 as an example where, they say, the postcode area would lose more than 90% of its Green Belt, against a background of already-stretched local services.
Sheffield East MP Clive Betts has also criticised the distribution of sites, arguing it would ‘unfairly burden’ more deprived areas while other parts of the city have fewer allocations.
The Alliance says it will compile submissions from residents, landowners and developers and present them as a set of alternative options, aiming to ensure the most up-to-date information is available before final decisions are taken.