Please help to save sections of the Owlthorpe Grassland Grazing and

Owlthorpe Heritage and Nature Trail Projects

Owlthorpe Local & Natural History Group - Email: owlhg@uwclub.net

Phase 2 of the Owlthorpe Grassland Grazing Project is not “Just a field” but a local community award winning project.

This Petition is to be presented to the independent Programme Officer as evidence of the local communities and visitors support to protect Phase 2 of the Owlthorpe Grassland Grazing Project (designated Site F in the Local Plan) and the associated section of the Owlthorpe Heritage and Nature Trail Project from being used as building land by developers. A copy of this petition will also be presented to Sheffield City Council (SCC). These projects played a large part in Owlthorpe receiving the gold award from Yorkshire in Bloom in 2012.  

The work on these projects was carried out to the plans of SCC’s Landscape Planning Officer by volunteers from the community supervised by Sheffield Landscape Trust. A large number of the 12,250 trees in the hedgerows were planted by over 150 Primary School Children from the South East of Sheffield. For the past ten years these projects were under Natural England’s Higher Level Stewardship Scheme.

These projects were funded using Section 106 monies from the developers of Woodland Heights and released by SCC for that purpose. Additional funding was provided by SCC’s South East Sheffield Ward Pot. The funding of the planting of new hedgerows came from SSC's Ward Pot with the objective of Carbon Sequestration. These hedgerows, designated by Natural England as of "High Environmental Value", will be destroyed if the proposed building development goes ahead.

Between 1980 and 2002 Sheffield lost 75.5% of its unimproved Grassland, therefore the grasslands of Owlthorpe are a valuable environmental resource. The objective of the Owlthorpe Grassland Grazing Project was to return the grasslands of Owlthorpe back into management and so safeguard the wildflowers and associated wildlife for future generations to enjoy. This project is a satellite site of Graves Park Animal Farm and provides grazing for their rare breeds of cattle, sheep and lamas to keep the foxes away.

These projects have created a green oasis, in the increasing urban development of Owlthorpe, for the local residents and visitors to enjoy the green lungs of Owlthorpe. These projects are important to their mental, physical health and wellbeing. Organised health walks continue to take place every Thursday for both striders and strollers. This is especially important because there are no local municipal parks in South East Sheffield. These projects provide access for walkers with or without dogs, runners, cyclists, wheelchair & mobility scooters also a safe route for the blind and visually impaired. 

The objective of this petition is to remove the housing land designation from Phase 2 of the Owlthorpe Grassland Grazing Project (Site F) and designate it as a local wildlife site.

Time is of the essence to save these projects. Please support us by signing this petition today