Residents voice concerns over plans for up to nine houses

PLANS for a development of nine houses in Stocksbridge have been met with concern by residents in the surrounding area.

The cruck barn is not a dwelling and is a Grade 2 listed building which was restored using DEFRA funding

The applicant has applied for planning permission for infill of the site on Bocking Hill to deliver up to nine dwellings.

The dwellings are to be accessed from Broomfield Road, served by a single private road.

As regards the scale of the development, the applicant has said in supporting documents that it considers dwellings of up to three storeys providing up to four bedrooms to be entirely appropriate for the locality.

However, the plans have been met with some objections. In the planning statement, it says that, “the setting of the listed building is already completely eroded”.

A resident of Bloomfield Road commented: “That is a subjective statement. Although there is some evidence of infill on the site, the barn and cruck are of significant historic importance and in good order. The Barn is not a “dwelling house” as stated in the Planning Statement.

“The barn and cruck are classified as agricultural and were Grade 2 listed in 1977. The Barn dates from the 17th century. DEFRA grantaided restoration funding in 2005, having deemed the structure of historic importance.”

Other objections include the use of greenbelt land, disturbance of the land during development and access.

An objection reads: “Broomfield Road, towards Watson House Green, is already at dangerous levels of parking causing difficulty for other vehicles to pass safely, and to pedestrians. Broomfield Road is already used as overspill parking for Broomfield Court and Horsley Croft as there is insufficient parking for residents living there.

“The width of the narrow road varies and at certain points vehicles cannot pass parked cars unless they are mounted on the pavement. This causes a danger to pedestrians. This road is never gritted, and the risk of injury to pedestrians, and damage to parked vehicles, is heightened in the winter.

“Bracken Moor Football Club have events and matches and parked cars stretches the full length of Broomfield Road, where the proposed access is requested, and prevents a safe flow of traffic.

“Creating an access here will make it virtually impossible to safely exit the proposed site. Further parking will inevitably result in cars encroaching on Watson House Green and causing erosion. This is a totally unsafe and dangerous proposal which is going to tempt people to enter the site illegally, and dangerously, (the wrong way up the lane) rather than drive the legal way round, putting other road users safety in jeopardy. Having lived here for 38 years we have witnessed this many times. This one time quiet lane is losing its character through over development and vehicle saturation.

“Insufficient parking is shown on the plan for the new properties, and we fear cars from the development will park on the road, which may lead to conflict within the community.

“An access exists alongside Ingfield House where it would be safer to enter from and exit onto Bocking Hill.”

The consultation expiry date is September 19 2019.