Marie Tidball MP, Member of Parliament for Penistone and Stocksbridge, has called for Town End Farm in Ecclesfield to be removed from the Sheffield Local Plan, raising concerns about the loss of valuable agricultural land and a local economic asset directly with a Government Minister in Parliament.
During oral questions to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Marie highlighted the case of her constituent, Adele Riddle, whose farm falls within proposed housing allocation NES37 in the Sheffield Local Plan.
Marie expressed her frustration at the continued inclusion of Town End Farm in the Plan, particularly following the publication of new evidence suggesting that the agricultural land is of higher quality than previously assessed.
A recent update to the Council's site-selection evidence, published as part of the ongoing Local Plan examination, has changed the assessment of site NES37 from a neutral score to one indicating likely higher-quality agricultural land. The revised assessment draws on updated national agricultural land classification data, which provides a more detailed picture of the quality of farmland across England.
National planning policy states that where significant development on agricultural land is necessary, poorer-quality land should be preferred to higher-quality land where suitable alternatives are available.
In Parliament, Marie told the Minister:
"I'm deeply frustrated on behalf of my constituent, Adele Riddle, that her Town End Farm is currently included in the Sheffield Local Plan, and I want to see it taken out."
Highlighting the new evidence and the approaching deadline for the latest consultation, Marie asked the Minister whether she agreed that the quality of agricultural land should always be taken into account when considering Local Plan site allocations.
Responding, Jenny Riddell-Carpenter MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Nature, confirmed that the Government's Land Use Framework aims to ensure that England's most productive farmland is safeguarded while supporting more coordinated decisions on housing and infrastructure.
The Minister also confirmed that the Government will complete a technical review of the agricultural land classification system by 2028.
Marie's intervention follows more than a year of work challenging aspects of the Sheffield Local Plan, including her calls for a more thorough brownfield-first approach to housing development and a fairer distribution of proposed Green Belt releases across the city.
The local MP has previously raised concerns with Sheffield City Council, Government Ministers and the Planning Inspectors about the proposed loss of Green Belt and agricultural land across Ecclesfield, Grenoside, Chapeltown and the surrounding communities.
Marie will now raise the updated agricultural land evidence as part of her response to the latest Further Main Modifications consultation, which closes at 5pm on Wednesday 28 October.
Following her question in Parliament, Marie Tidball MP said:
"I'm deeply frustrated on behalf of Adele Riddle that Town End Farm remains included in the Sheffield Local Plan. I've listened to Adele's concerns about what these proposals could mean for her farm and her livelihood, and I want to see Town End Farm taken out of the Plan.
"The latest evidence makes this even more concerning. The Council's updated assessment now indicates that the land is likely to be of higher agricultural quality than previously assessed. Furthermore, we need to maintain the sort of local economic assets that Town End Farm represents. I believe this raises important questions about whether it is appropriate to allocate this land for development.
"I've consistently argued that Sheffield needs a much more thorough brownfield-first approach to meeting its housing needs. That means making better use of available brownfield sites, empty homes and opportunities within our existing urban areas before turning to valuable agricultural land and our Green Belt.
"I was pleased to hear the Minister recognise the importance of safeguarding our most productive farmland through the Government's Land Use Framework.
"I'll be making the case for Town End Farm to be removed from the Plan in my response to the Further Main Modifications consultation. I'll continue standing up for Adele and other constituents affected by these proposals, and pushing for a fairer, more sustainable approach to development across Sheffield."
The Further Main Modifications consultation is open until 5pm on Wednesday 28 October 2026. Residents can find further information and submit representations at:
https://haveyoursay.sheffield.gov.uk/sheffield-plan-further-main-modifications
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