We, the undersigned, call on Sheffield City Council to urgently support the request made by Ecclesfield Parish Council (17th July 2025, at the request of Butterthwaite Action Group) for the introduction of a city-wide Article 4 Direction relating to allotment development.

The Request
That Sheffield City Council urgently implements a city-wide Article 4 Direction which would require planning permission to be obtained before:

The development of a new allotment site; or
The expansion of any existing allotment site (new plots) within the City boundary.
The Reasons
We believe that the exceptional circumstances required to justify such a Direction clearly exist. In particular:

There is growing concern about proposals for establishing new allotments or expanding existing ones, often on a large scale.
Some of these proposals appear to exploit gaps and ambiguities in the planning system.
With an average of around 27 plots per acre, such developments can be significant in scale - the new site in Ecclesfield is expected to be over 300 plots.
Under current permitted development rights, the planning system is often unable to properly assess key issues in advance, including:

Suitability of location relative to community need
Access and traffic implications
Environmental impact
Impact on the amenity of local communities
Overall scale and sustainability

The Safeguard
This proposed Article 4 Direction would only remove permitted development rights before new development or expansion takes place.

It would not affect existing allotments.
It would simply ensure that new proposals are subject to full local scrutiny through the normal planning process.

The Public Interest
Given the clear need to ensure that allotment provision is appropriate, sustainable, and genuinely meets community demand, it is both necessary and reasonable to remove these permitted development rights. This safeguard is essential to protect Sheffield’s Green Belt, its environment, and the wellbeing of its local communities.

We therefore urge Sheffield City Council to act without delay to introduce this city-wide Article 4 Direction.