Plans for a £40M Center Parcs-style housing development by Sheffield based company Sky-House in Loxley valley has been updated.
David Cross of Sky-House said that the developers aims to submit plans for Loxley valley to Sheffield City Council this month.
The plan for 60 houses on the 70 acre former Hepworth factory site by the river Loxley has been slightly changed following advice from consultants including ecologists, landscape architects, archaeologists and city planners.
Mr Cross said: “The main changes from the public consultation is just the layout has been adjusted to take less land and the mix and types have shuffled around. The new community heart is now at the entrance off Rowell Lane rather than in the middle of the site.”
The project was unveiled in March last year with a planning application originally due to be submitted in November 2024.
A previous plan for 300 homes faced huge opposition before a planning inspector upheld Sheffield Council’s decision to refuse permission.
The proposal also includes a community centre, cafe bar, sports facilities, footpaths and ponds open to the public and ‘a few small holiday lets’. Developers would also make a contribution to off-site affordable housing.
Sky-House and landowner Patrick Properties hope their scheme will strike a balance between redeveloping a brownfield site, meeting housing demand and protecting the environment.
Mr Cross has said the project was “hundred per cent on”.
He also said it was the closest in design to Center Parcs, with low density single-storey homes and small unfenced gardens in a woodland setting, like the popular resorts.
Mr Cross previously mentioned the homes would be one to five-bed and cost from £150,000 to £1.5m, with 10 valued at £1m or more.
If approved, the project would start with a £5m clean up of the site between Loxley Road, Rowell Lane and Storrs Bridge Lane.
The planned site of the development also poses challenges due to its very close proximity to Loxley Water Treatment Works and the neighbouring fisheries.
Hepworth ceased operations in Loxley almost 40 years ago and since then the site has been left to crumble.