Throapham set to (almost) double in size?

Housing developers are seeking to open a new housing development in Dinnington which would be the largest by far since Limelands.

The fields surrounding Dinnington High are all now earmarked for building, with the one next to Throapham woods coming forward first. This would be initial development in the range of 250-350 homes, depending on density and would over 10-15 years scale up to an eventual total of around 850.

How sustainable this will be depends on lots of factors, not least the local market. Housing in Dinnington is by and large pretty inexpensive and in good supply. Any housing developer entering this market won’t want to flood the area with hundreds of houses all at once, after all why drive down the price of the commodity that you’re selling.

More likely that even this initial development will be phased over 3-5 years, like the one due to begin at Wentworth Way. Homes will be built gradually and sold as they go, with new residents moving in while building work progresses on the surrounding houses.

Let us now what your opinion is, do you welcome new homes and new people to the area, or are you conscious of the increased pressure on roads or school places? Leave your comments below!

New Houses to be built at Wentworth Way

Housing developer Taylor Wimpey is bringing forward long held plans to build on fields behind Swinston Hill Road and Wentworth Way.

Do you walk your dog over the fields behind Wentworth Way and Swinnie Hill?

You might have to change your route slightly as bulldozers are set to move in and residents of Wentworth Way are set to see some changes over the next few years.

Campaigns several years ago forced Rotherham Council to abandon plans to build on the Birkdale Avenue playing fields, but the two adjacent fields are private property and a development of just over 150 homes is planned.

The access to the new development is going to be contentious for anyone living on Wentworth Way as the access for the new development goes down that very road. The end of Wentworth Way will be opened onto the fields and will provide access to construction traffic for 3-5 years. Wentworth Way will then provide access for the new 150 plus households, their deliveries and visitors.

The Taylor Wimpey web page for the development can be found here:

https://www.taylorwimpey.co.uk/proposed-developments/england/south-yorkshire/dinnington-st-johns/dinnington

The development will attract a grant of Community Infrastructure Levy to Rotherham Council, however there is no guarantee that it will be spent in Dinnington.

The new development will include 25% affordable homes, these can be seen on the web site plan, strategically placed around the development.

As with the CIL money there is no guarantee that these homes will go to local people though.

 

What the Frack!

The barbarians have appeared on the horizon in the lovely village of Woodsetts in the shape of INEOS, the company who want to frack the hell out of South Yorkshire.

Gas drillers INEOS have followed up their appalling proposal for a test well in Harthill’s countryside with a second site for test drilling, just down the road from us in Woodsetts. This will only be the beginning as they look to embark on a 5 year rape of our countryside in both locations with a drilling rig the size of Big Ben.

Our local politicians have come running to our aid yet again with local Councillors doing what they always seem to so (f**k all frankly) and our MP Kevin Bas… I mean Barron still picking the splinters out of his arse from sitting on the fence.

The Harthill well has progressed to a full planning proposal whereas the Woodsetts site is still in the very preliminary stages.

The wells are not fracking as such, at least not yet. They are applying for a 5 year visit to drill a vertical shaft about 3000 metres into the earth to recover a core sample of the local geology. They will then use the well for a series of tests to further determine the viability of wholesale gas extraction via the controversial fracking technique.

What can locals expect from the 5 year stay?

1. Lots of extra heavy traffic on the roads, up to 60 lorries per day at busy times.
2. Noise from the 24 hour operation and diesel fumes from lorries and massive on site generators.
3. The charming site of a 60m tall drilling rig, along with cranes.
4. Possible long term ecological damage from an untested and experimental technique.

It’s quite hard to see an upside at the moment, we will be doing a series of articles on how to object to the planning application when it appears. In the meantime please tell your friends and urge your elected representatives to get behind local people for once and oppose this madness.

Both villages have active campaigns (links below) and I would encourage you all to give them every support you can.

Drill or Drop anti-fracking site

Woodsetts Anti Fracking Group

Harthill Against Fracking

The Bas… Sorry I mean INEOS

INEOS leaflet

INEOS on how they will run the site in Woodsetts

 

Anston Parish Council Considers Ban on Mountain Bikes in Anston Stones

In a move of almost “what foot shall I shoot myself in next” proportions Anston Parish Council decided tonight to move forward to study the possibility of banning bikes (of the push variety) from Anston Stones.

Some Councillors thought the idea ludicrous with at least two confirming they took their bikes there regularly. Others thought the sites SSSI protection (Site of Special Scientific Interest) meant that mountain biking was a form of criminal damage.

Deliberately damaging a SSSI is indeed a criminal offence but the gentle erosion caused by cycling (not to mention walking and horse riding) makes this tenuous at best.

One Councillor expressed surprise that groups of twenty cyclists were using the woods at time and wondered what would happen if such a group ran roughshod over a family group in one of the tunnels.

Cooler heads pointed out that cycling has been going on there for decades and it’s not happened yet (as far as anyone seemed to know)

It transpired that this all came about via an email sent to the clerk. A group of 20 (horror!!) cyclists were recently making their way through the wood and one of them ran out of talent on a tricky descent. An ambulance had some difficulty getting to him and were helped by a local contractor familiar with the layout of the Stones.

This led the Council to ponder whether the woods are suitable for cycling at all and they resolved to go away and fact find before bringing it back to a future meeting.

They also resolved to consider:

1. Banning fishing in Anston Stones
2. Banning Dogs from pay areas and playing fields on the rec ground.

This led to further questions about how such bans would be enforced and what could be done about the sheer amount of dog poo littering the local area. As the meeting ground to a halt no one had any answers but they resolved to meet again soon and discuss.

What do you think about banning cycling from the Stones?

Do you ride there? Have you ever sliced a family in half with your front wheel?

What about fishing?

And do you clean up after your dog? If so well done, if not a plague on you and your house!

Please feel free to comment below.

 

Walking: Harthill Reservoir

We are pleased to kick off our series on local walks and bike rides!

Now the weather is getting better it’s time to get out into the local countryside and spend some time outdoors. Dust off the walking boots and pump your bike tyres up!

First up is Harthill Reservoir and Sailing Club, a delightful little stretch of water which feeds this end of the not quite restored Chesterfield Canal.

First of all please ensure you are pronouncing “Harthill” properly. The H’s are essentially silent so it’s “Art-ill” Using the first H is acceptable (“har-t-ILL”) but try and emphasise the “ILL” if you must do that. Saying “Hart-Hill” just means you’re a wally.

Now that’s out of the way let’s get on with the walk!

Harthill Reservoir is three small but beautiful ponds/reservoirs reached via Woodhall Lane, Pryor Mede, Carver Close, then Carver Way from the main drag through Harthill. There’s a fairly ample car park and a nice path which takes your round the entire reservoir.

The best views are from the little bridges and the dam wall.

No real directions required, we went through the car park and past the Yacht Club to go round the reservoir clockwise, make sure you detour onto the little bridges as well. You can either follow the path around all 3 or make the walk shorter by crossing over the bridges.

In the woodland near the dam wall there also a lot of bird activity if you’re of the twitching persuasion. Sailing is also done on the lake, however I’m not sure of the arrangements at the Sailing Club and assume you need to be a member and have a boat. Fishing is also on offer, although I’m not a fisherman so couldn’t advise on seasons and permits, etc.

In Summary:

Accessibility: Good

Beauty factor: 8/10

Chav factor: Low

Dog muck factor: Low/Medium

Highly recommended!

 

Wild Flowers at the Pit Top

A waddle round Anston’s wild flower wonder!

 

 

                    

 

Wallow in the pond, watch the birds, wander where the Willows weep. In any weather, rain or shine or winter wonderland, our very own wellie-free footpath heaven.

Wild flowers are in magnificent abundance during summer months with an added bonus of the rare BEE ORCHID!

What was once a mucky spoil mountain from Dinno pit is now a special easily accessible get away with wonderful rural views out to the Derbyshire peaks.

Beauty, peace and quiet free for all, folks. Keep to the paths and protect flowers and ground nesting birds. Please take all litter home and pick up after your dog.

Flowers: Bee Orchid, Common Vetch, Dog Rose, Deadly Nightshade, Creeping Thistle, Meadow Buttercup, Common Spotted Orchid and Ox-Eye Daisy.

                  

What does the Future hold for the Dinnington Miners Welfare?

Kevin Barron and CISWO (the “owner” of the Miner’s Welfare) hosted a secret meeting with the Friends of Dinnington Miners Welfare and Dinnington Town Council last year.

The general public were not invited, indeed two members of the Friends group were thrown out before it started because Kevin doesn’t get on with them.

He does get on well with CISWO, however and the meeting agreed to give it’s blessing to the demolition of Park House (which was already wrecked) and a plan to use some of the greenbelt land down there for housing. Some of the funds from the housing may be given back to provide sports facilities, BUT there’s no written agreement or guarantee that this will happen.

The total farce of our green belt “consultation” with Rotherham Council is revealed when we view these plans for the welfare, prepared for CISWO as far back as 2010. They have been planning it for years and the opinion of Joe Public is not required as far as they are concerned!

LoveDinnington says:

1. Kevin Barron the ultimate champagne socialist rolling in riches while people live in poverty yards from his office door should get off his ass and involve the local community at large and ask that THEY want for Dinnington and the Welfare.

2. CISWO who should never have hoovered local assets up in the first place should GIVE THEM BACK to the people of Dinnington.

3. And Dinnington Town Council should stop behaving like a bunch of stooges and tell Barron and his ilk where to get off!

Have a look at what the Welfare could look like by clicking the images below. Do you have an opinion and would you like a say? Share it with us here or on the LoveDinnington Facebook page.

Rotherham Council to Consult Dinnington on Future House Building Next Week

Rotherham Council will be holding a drop in session in Dinnington next week to tell local residents about plans to build new houses and industrial units over the next 15 years.

6 Nov 2014      14:00 – 19:00   Dinnington Resource Centre, Laughton Road, Dinnington

Please do go along and have your say, also look online at http://rotherham.limehouse.co.uk/portal/planning/sp/finaldraftsandp and register your views for the record.

I would urge everyone who cares about our local area to take part and have your say, it’s no good doing nothing now and moaning later folks!

Housing Development near Swinston Hill and Lakeland Drive

This is a  scaled back version of the 2011 plan when RMBC wanted to go all the way out to the Butterfly House with 1200 houses, but it has probably sparked more opposition than any other in Dinnington.

It a 240 home housing estate, possibly partly “affordable” possibly not given recent government relaxation of rules. Access for the new owners would partly come from a new access road on Swinston Hill, facilitated by demolition of an existing home.

Approx 80 of the houses would be served by making Wentworth Way into a through road, a contentious decision on a road where parking is already something of a problem.

Developer’s idea of what the site could look like:

New Travellers Camp for South Anston?

Yet another of the recent “gifts” from Rotherham Council in their Local Plan, this proposed travellers site is situated on the RMBC works depot near Kiveton station. It actually falls within the boundaries of Anston, but appears on the Wales maps. Not that people in Thorpe Salvin, Kiveton or Wales are going to be chuffed about it, but a classic RMBC smoke screen manoeuvre to try and keep folks in Anston unaware.