New community at Waverley gets green light

Members of the Council's Planning Regulatory Board agreed to support the outline application by Harworth Estates for a new community at Waverley - the former 230 hectare Orgreave Open Cast site owned by UK Coal.

The recommendation by the Planning Board, together with a second application for offices, a hotel, retail and leisure facilities for Helical Governetz on land off Highfield Spring, Catcliffe, will now be referred to the Government Office for Yorkshire and the Humber for consideration.

The application for the new Waverley community is the largest development that Rotherham has had to consider. It includes 3,890 residential units, a commercial development comprising office, retails, financial and professional services, leisure sites, such as restaurants and drinking establishments, a hotel, two primary schools, and health and community uses.

The new development will be serviced by roads, car and cycle parking, public transport routes, footpaths, cycleways and bridleways as well as parkland and public open spaces.

Cllr Gerald Smith, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Development Services, described the application as a "huge step" in both the regeneration of this particular site and the provision of new housing for the Borough.

He said: "Today's application has taken many years to complete and all credit must be given to all who have worked on it. I am obviously delighted that members of the Planning Regulatory Board have given their support because this is a much-needed development which, over the next 20 years, will transform this brown-field site into a whole new community providing good, affordable housing, including rented and shared ownership homes as well as privately-owned homes, together with all the necessary services and amenities."

Cllr David Pickering, Chairman of the Rotherham Regulatory Planning Board, added that the scheme was a "real winner and exceptionally worthwhile" for Rotherham.

He said: "The Waverley scheme, in tandem with the Helical Governetz application, can only be good for Rotherham with the number of homes and jobs it is likely to provide and create in the future. We have agreed to support both schemes but will now have to wait for the Government's determination."