Objections ignored

In 2009 residents of Cadman Street and Doncaster Road, Wath-upon-Dearne, objected to a planning application made by Gladedale to build houses on the land at the rear of the above location.

The land in question is jointly owned by Gladedale and RMBC. Residents made an application for the land to be designated a  village green as it has been used as recreational land by local people for many years.

Sadly after a public enquiry the application was denied. After two years of no further action the council appear to be taking action to prepare the land for development without a formal application for planning permission being in place.

Their actions have included fencing off the land alongside Cadman Street, digging sinkholes and installing other equipment.

Their fencing has caused the diversion of paths across the land which have been in existence for in excess of 20 years regularly used by miners and coking plant workers and more recently by workers from the industrial parks of the Dearne Valley and local residents alike.

Interestingly RMBC/Gladedale did not even adhere to current planning legislation during their recent actions as they installed a fence around 6 ft high when current planning legislation which states that a wall or fence which is built adjacent to a highway (which includes a footpath) should not exceed 1 metre (approximately 3ft 3 ins) in height.

Rumour has it that they will be shortly felling healthy trees on the land in preparation for development destroying the habitat for wildlife.

Not surprising when you consider that one of the reasons that Gladedale’s original planning application was objected to by residents was because of their statement that the land contained no trees which was totally untrue.

This time they obviously intend to remove anything that may cause an objection to any future planning applications in advance of such applications.

How can residents of Rotherham have faith in RMBC to make unbiased, impartial decisions on planning applications taking into account the view of local people when they act in such an underhand manner by working with developers make land as ‘development friendly’ as possible before a planning application is made and do not even ensure that their own actions meet current legislation?

Local residents have already raised concerns to RMBC regarding the recent activity on this land and will object to any future planning applications however it seems like their voices will go unheard once again just like many other Rotherham area residents objecting to development.

Caroline Clark, Doncaster Road, Wath Upon Dearne.