Housing on former sports ground set for approval

A proposed development of more than 150 homes on the site of a former sports ground in South Yorkshire is recommended for approval later this week.Barratt and David Wilson Homes Yorkshire West submitted an application to Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council in December 2020 for development on land South of Lodge Lane in Dinnington.The 11.9-acre site currently comprises unmanaged grassland with a disused multi-use hardcourt and overgrown abandoned mini-golf course. It was previously used as a sports ground but has been disused for about ten years, with the previous buildings demolished.Planning permission is sought for a total of 152 homes, with a mix of semi-detached, detached, terraced and quad style units, with a range of two-, three- and four-bedrooms. A total of 30 affordable housing units are proposed.The plans also include new areas of public open space, including a local equipped area of play (LEAP) and a trim trail.The application will go before the council’s planning board on 13 October and is recommended for approval, subject to conditions, in an officer’s report prepared for the meeting.The conditions include a £663,000 contribution through a Section 106 agreement to support new sports facilities in the area.The officer’s report said: “The scheme put forward will provide much needed new housing on an allocated housing site close to local facilities and in a sustainable location that would not result in significant impact on the local highway network, air quality or the environment.”