A Labour-run council has submitted plans to build over 3,500 homes across 14 green belt sites, leaving residents furious.

Sheffield City Council's proposals - which include 130 acres for business use, three schools, two graveyards and commercial developments - spread across 809 acres of green belt land in what would be the largest ever loss of protected green space in the Steel City.

The proposal represents 3.6 per cent of Sheffield's total green belt area of 22,390 acres, with 3,529 homes set to be built on the land.

The development sites include major allocations such as 868 homes between Bramley Lane and Beaver Hill Road, along with a secondary school and multi-faith burial site, and 870 homes at Handsworth Hall Farm on Finchwell Road.

Deborah Coleman, who lives in Chapeltown, told GB News that the problem is a national one.

She said: "I'm absolutely devastated to find out what the council have agreed to develop on our greenbelt sites that we all love and most of the country loves, and it's happening all over England.

"We need to try to put an end to this. It's absolutely devastating. It's the worst thing that this Government and the councils have ever come up with."

Jo Tunstall, secretary of the Save Our Green Belt Chapeltown, Ecclesfield and Grenoside campaign, also told the People's Channel: One of our big complaints that we've got with Sheffield City Council is how they've conducted the consultation process. They've overwhelmed us with technical information on an online portal that's not accessible.

"They've given us six weeks to make sense of that and form oppositions. They've not given any help to our community by way of getting the word out. So we've had to go out and distribute 10,000 leaflets to our community to make them aware of what's happening. Ultimately, the process has been an absolute shambles, a pure tick box exercise, and does not align to any of the principles for public consultation."

A Labour-run council has submitted plans to build over 3,500 homes across 14 green belt sites

Three areas have been designated for general employment use, including land bordered by the M1, Thorncliffe Road, Warren Lane and White Lane.

Residents have accused the Labour-run council of rushing through the consultation process, giving them just six weeks to review what they describe as a "deluge" of technical documents.

The campaigners claim that crucial information, including viability reports, was only released after councillors had already voted to approve the plans in April, arguing that the thousands of pages of documents would require "professional-level planning expertise, which neither they nor local councillors possess," to understand.

In an open letter addressed to Sheffield City Council, thousands of residents who oppose the plans questioned the council's justification for the scale of development, pointing to Sheffield's falling birth rate since 2012.

Sheffield City Council's proposals would be the largest ever loss of protected green space in the city

They wrote: "With such a flat demographic outlook, we question the claim that thousands of homes must be rushed through in this location, particularly at the expense of green belt."

The letter was described as a "final plea" to abandon the controversial green belt development plans and a public record ahead of potential legal and regulatory escalation.

The group argued that just one of the proposed developments in the area alone would effectively create "a new village or small town, without the necessary infrastructure, governance, or services in place to support it".

They have also raised concerns about the lack of assurance that brownfield sites will be prioritised first, writing: "Why release green belt when so many brownfield plots remain idle?"

The plans represent 3.6 per cent of Sheffield's total green belt area of 22,390 acres

The campaigners, who carried signs that read " 65 Football Pitches of Greenbelt. Paved Over Forever", fear that green belt proposals will be more attractive to developers and likely to be built before proper infrastructure is in place.

The group has also raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest, asking the council to check whether any exist relating to councillors and the development plans.

They have even threatened to escalate their concerns to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman if their demands are not met, also warning they will take the matter to the Secretary of State if necessary.

Freedom of Information requests submitted by residents were unlikely to be answered before the consultation period ended on Friday, the campaign group has alleged.

Tom Hunt was elected as Council leader in 2022

The letter concludes by offering to work constructively with the council to identify sustainable alternatives, prioritising brownfield land and smaller infill sites.

The controversial plans were approved by councillors at a special meeting in April, despite protests from crowds gathered outside Sheffield Town Hall.

Any objections that were received before Friday will be passed to the Sheffield Plan Inspectors, who will take them into account.

And the Steel City's local authority defends the plan due to its ambition of creating tens of thousands of new jobs over the next 15 years and beyond.

Deborah Coleman told GB News the problem is happening 'all over England'

The group has also raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest

Tom Hunt, who was elected in 2022 and is Leader of the Labour-run Sheffield City Council, said: "This is emotive, and I understand the depth of feeling. None of us take this lightly.

"The sites must have affordable homes, and we will ensure there is good public transport, road improvements, schools and GP surgeries.

"The sites must also have good access to green spaces."

The building blitz is also part of Labour's pledge to build one-and-a-half million new homes across the country within five years.