New homes plan for Miners Welfare Institute site in Maltby
EIGHT new homes could go up on the site of the old Maltby Miners Welfare Institute, under plans submitted to Rotherham Council.
If approved, four pairs of three bedroomed semis would be constructed on the site, by AR & MG Developments Limited.
The building, on Duke Avenue, was demolished more than four years ago and the proposal would bring the site back into use.
Planning documents state the intention was to provide “much needed low cost housing” on what is a brownfield site.
“With building land being scarce in the Rother Valley use of such sites is a sustainable use of derelict land and reduces the need to build on green field sites,” the application states.
The site has been subject to a previous planning application, but the current scheme is substantially different, because the site has been divided into three individual plots.
The portion of the site under consideration covers the site if a demolished bungalow and part of what was the bowling green.
Under the planning scheme, gardens of at least ten metres long have been designed in, with an overall aim of avoiding over-developing the site, according to the application.
Documents state: “The proposed new development will have generous gardens with extensive planting of insect and bird-friendly shrubs and ground cover plants, as well as several trees to promote bio-diversity and occupant amenity.”
Access to the site would be from both Duke Avenue and Muglet Lane.
When the earlier planning application was made, reference was made to the loss of the institute’s bowling green, as a community facility.
That has been addressed in the current application, which states that it had been unavailable for several years, due to the closure of the institute and the site being fenced off.
In addition Sport England were consulted about the issue in 2023 and hey confirmed that the green “is not considered to form part of, or constitute, a playing field” as set out in the rules they follow.
However, the site has attracted criticism from one neighbour, who has questioned information provided about the frequency of bus services, which they describe as being “exaggerated”, with some running infrequent services and others being school buses.
A decision on the application will be made later.