Sheffield Council has requested government assistance to resolve a contentious dispute over its Local Plan, which proposes building on 14 greenbelt sites in South Yorkshire. The plan has sparked hundreds of objections from residents and high-profile opposition, including from actor Sean Bean, as it represents significant environmental concerns. An up-to-date Local Plan is essential for the city because without one, Sheffield has diminished control over future development and becomes more vulnerable to speculative building applications on greenbelt land.

The Local Plan proposes 3,500 homes, cemeteries, and schools up to 2039, but residents have protested that the majority of this development is concentrated in just two postcode areas: S35 and S12. The plan, already years overdue, has been delayed again whilst planning inspectors request further details, and a fifth round of unprecedented public consultation is now underway. Council leader Fran Belbin has explained that starting from scratch would be impossible without significantly increasing housing targets, as rewriting the plan would require extending targets into the mid-2040s for an additional 15 years.