Homes on former Dinnington sports ground set for approval

Plans to build more than 150 new homes on a former sports ground in Dinnington are to be considered by planners later.

Barratt Homes wants to develop land to the south of Lodge Lane, including building 30 affordable houses, a play area and EV charging points.

The land has been out of use for about 10 years but objections opposing the loss of green space have been lodged by residents and Alexander Stafford MP.

A report to Rotherham Council recommends approving the plans.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service more than £1m has been promised by the developer, to fund education for children with special educational needs and disabilities, sports facility improvements and sustainable travel.

However, one objector stated: "The loss of recreation ground is a significant concern, it has strong links to generations of former miners in the area.

"It is not sufficient to just require the developer to spend money upgrading existing facilities, the pitches need to be replaced."

Mr Stafford added: "If communities such as Dinnington are ever going to truly address the health inequalities, we need to be investing in and preserving sports and recreation facilities, not concreting over them."

However, a planning officer's report suggests the scheme will create investment and provide much needed housing.

It added: "The formal use of the land for sports provision has lapsed over five years ago, when the previous landowner CISWO closed the site to formal sports provision and left the site to become overgrown and unkempt.

"It is therefore concluded that the site has not been used as a playing pitch for the last five years, this is acknowledged by Sport England in their pre-app response and responses to this application; and as such it is considered that the site's use as open space has been abandoned."

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.