Land at Medlock Close, Handsworth, Sheffield, S13

Situation

The site is located in Handsworth, a residential suburb to the east of Sheffield, 4.5 miles from the city centre. The area immediately surrounding the site primarily comprises residential use, with the Handsworth Recreation Ground located the north, and amenity use including several restaurant and takeaways, pubs and shops located on Handsworth Road (160 m south). The site is also located 0.4 miles north from an Asda Supercentre and an Aldi supermarket, and the Dore House Industrial Estate 0.8 mile east, providing further amenity use including several gyms, children's play centre and the DVSA Test Centre; as well as commercial use.

Handsworth Road itself connects the site to the A57 and the A630 which provide onwards access to Sheffield city centre and the M1 to the west and east respectively, and there is a bus stop along Handsworth Road, 160 m from the site, which provides routes to Sheffield and the surrounding suburbs. The closest train station to the site is Woodhouse, 1.3 mile south east, which provides regular, direct routes to Sheffield, Leeds, Lincoln and Nottingham. Meadowhall Shopping Centre, providing 290 shops and 50 bars / restaurants, is located 4.1 mile from the site.

Site Description

The site comprises a vacant parcel of land in the main; having previously been used as a community football pitch and tennis courts. To the south west corner of the site is a former sports pavilion, which is now vacant. Access is to the south via Medlock Close, through gates at the end of the cul-de-sac.

The site is broadly rectangular in shape and is flat throughout, and extends to 4.55 acres (1.84 ha). The site is bound to the north by the Handsworth Recreation Ground and commercial use beyond, to the east and south by residential dwellings, and to the west by St Joseph's RC Church and Primary School, and residential dwellings beyond.


Opportunity

Whilst the majority of the site it situated within the Greenbelt, a portion of the site to the south eastern corner is allocated for housing, we therefore consider it to represent a good opportunity to deliver housing in the local area.

The 2009 Sheffield Local Plan (the 'Core Strategy') identified a need for circa 30,000 new homes between 2004 and 2026, however the Local Plan is currently under review and it is expected that an increased number of houses required is identified for the coming period to 2034.