Green Belt housing plan revealed in Rotherham village

If successful, the application would see the new homes on on a site off Morthen Lane, in Morthen, close to existing homes.

Planning documents submitted to the council state: “The proposal represents an appropriate form of infill development in the Green Belt and would deliver three much needed family homes in a location that is suitable and sustainable for the nature and scale of the development.”

The application states the land is ‘infill’, which means it is bounded by existing structures, so further development adjacent to the site would not be possible.

Documents state that: “in its existing form makes little positive contribution to Green Belt purposes and that there would be no substantial harm to Green Belt openness as a result of the development.”

A planning application in 2023 to build a house in the grounds of a neighbouring property was rejected on the grounds that the council “considers that the proposed dwelling would represent inappropriate development in the Green Belt, and would not safeguard the countryside from encroachment,” with an appeal against that ruling rejected last year.

The application cites recent planning decisions elsewhere as supporting the case for allowing development at the site, however, and also raises the prospect that a pavement would be installed on part of Morthen Lane, to the benefit of existing residents as well as potential new occupants.

A decision will be made later.