Sheffield’s long-awaited Local Plan has been delayed after planning inspectors requested more information and another public consultation. The plan would guide development for the city over the next decade and beyond, including more than 3,500 homes on 14 green belt sites, while campaigners say the delay will postpone construction and protect farmland and wildlife.

The consultation runs until 26 October, after which inspectors will issue a final report on whether the amended plan is sound. Sheffield has not had a fully updated Local Plan since 1998 and 2009 strategies, and the council warns that continued delay risks development proceeding without adequate infrastructure or affordable housing; Labour and the Greens support the plan, while the Liberal Democrats oppose it.