Plans to convert house into nursery rejected

A proposal to convert a house into a pre-school nursery in Sheffield has been refused.

The plan would have seen an end-of-terrace house on Smith Road in Stocksbridge transformed into a two-storey nursery for a maximum of 22 children.

The applicant had said they wanted to create the nursery to cater for children from birth to four years old because "at present there are no nurseries within the Garden Village area of Stocksbridge".

However, Sheffield City Council planning officers rejected the plans on several grounds, including its impact on neighbours, harm to the character of the area, parking and loss of biodiversity.

The proposal was for the nursery to care for the children over two floors of the property, along with four staff members.

A two-storey side extension and a single-storey rear extension were also planned "in order to cater for the proposed number of children", according to the application.

In their submission to the authority, the applicant had also stated that plans for the nursery should go ahead because, from September, additional government funding would be made available for working parents with children aged nine months and up, to receive 30 hours of nursery provision.

"As a result, the demand for nursery places will increase," they said.

"Stocksbridge is also undergoing an expansion in the provision of houses with planning applications being recently approved."

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, a total of seven letters of objection were submitted to Sheffield City Council by people living close to the property.

They raised issues with the development, including access, inadequate space for 22 children, traffic and parking.