As part of the Gleadless Valley Masterplan, the council’s regeneration team have presented plans for a new green space at Spotswood Road. This is the first big project as part of their masterplan.
The Gleadless Valley Master plan is a future investment plan to make the overall area work better- including housing, open space, facilities, transport, health and employment which has been ongoing since 2018.
The council states that these plans link to the wider landscape of Gleadless Valley, and will also create safe spaces for children to play.
However, local residents have commented their concerns about these proposals under the Facebook post which announced these plans on Wednesday.
Zoe Revill, a local resident said: “It’s not what us who live there want, we need more spaces for cars, maintenance of the already existing trees and pathways, walls that are crumbling. Wild flowers will just end up looking like dead weeds like Gleadless Common in no time.”
The regeneration team are still at the early stages of this project, and will review feedback from residents after a six week consultation period. Then more detailed plans will be drawn up.
The council is hosting a series of in person events, to allow local residents to review the plans and give their feedback. The dates and times for these can be found here.
The council said: “The proposal aims to create a place in Gleadless Valley for local people to use, for example somewhere to play or meet friends. Also, somewhere local people can come together and hold events.”
The proposal suggested the planting of new native trees and flower meadows, creation of children’s play trails and new boundary walls made from natural stones.
Another was a new amphitheatre, which will be made of steep grass banking and have stones for seating. This will be used as a community space.
One user commented: “What about a play area with swings and slides and roundabouts in the area? That would be much more helpful than an amphitheatre.”
Another user, who lives locally said: “The areas for families to enjoy need to be more secure, some outdoor and indoor spaces that are affordable for the people that live in the area. If you put things like an amphitheatre in the valley this will be used for drinkers, drug users and off road bikers.
“People need to be thinking about what generations coming up will need and what the people of this area desperately need, not green spaces that will just sit there and not be used for what they should be intended to be used for.”