Sean Bean joins Handsworth greenbelt fight as Sheffield plans face planning inspectors

Hollywood actor Sean Bean has joined a local campaign to block a plan to build about 1,638 homes on two areas of greenbelt land in Handsworth, Sheffield, saying he will not let go of the land. The proposed schemes would see 868 homes off Bramley Lane and a further 870 on farmland off Finchwell Lane, as part of Sheffield City Council’s broader local plan. The council voted to approve the greenbelt scheme in May, and the next step rests with Government planning inspectors who are set to begin hearings next week to determine if the proposals are fair and robust.

Bean, 66, has lent his support to the Save S13 Greenbelt - The Sapphire McCarthy campaign, named after Sapphire McCarthy, a mother of two who launched the fight against the developments before she died aged 39 in July. The actor praised Ms. McCarthy’s “valiant and impassioned campaign” and has helped mobilize local residents who say the plans would overwhelm infrastructure that is already under strain. Campaigners say the additional houses would worsen traffic, increase pollution, and place further pressure on health services and schools, which locals say are already stretched by a nearby development in the Waverley area of neighboring Rotherham.

Bean told campaigners that the effort has quickly grown from a community push into a formidable legal and planning effort, with Barristers and planning consultants hired and hundreds of objections filed despite limited assistance from the council. “It is incredible that within four months we have come up with barristers, planning consultants, hundreds of objections and with no help from the council - the only help has been from MP Clive Betts. We have got 4,000 signatures on a petition so it is incredible how the residents have brought themselves together and how they have managed to get all this armour around them in such a short space of time and shows they mean business - we mean business - we are not letting it go like that. We are not going to stop and we will see this through,” Bean said. He spoke of his long-standing connection to the area and the importance of the greenbelt to the community’s mental and physical health, noting how the S13 greenbelt helped define his childhood and underscoring that greenery acts as a calming influence for residents of all ages. “The greenbelt means a lot to me as I grew up around that area and so did all my friends and families from the area that was the hub and the centre of the area where we explored the countryside and had a laugh and played games. It is the only bit of greenery around that area so it was a magnet for kids growing up and seeing wildlife - it has for many years served the community of Handsworth and surrounding areas. It would be devastating if we lost it. You have to have greenery, it's a calming influence and good for your health and good for your mind - if you haven't got that space around you mentally and psychologically it is damaging not to have that around you because you become insular and blinkered and very claustrophobic. Its common land is the people's land. The council owns it but what are they going to do - just flog it and keep the money? It will then be gone - they will have a bit of the money in the pockets and we have nothing.”

Bean also drew comparisons with public green spaces in other major cities to bolster his argument about the value of common land and its role in public health, citing examples such as Central Park in New York and spaces like Wimbledon Common in London as widely recognized green lungs for city residents. He questioned why Sheffield would remove such essential spaces from working-class communities, especially when alternatives exist in other parts of the country.

Cheryl Hague, one of the campaigners who met with Bean, said: “We are delighted to have Sean's support on this crucial campaign and will carry on this fight with the planning inspector meetings which will be held next week. We really hope the independent Government inspectors listen to our very real concerns and take on board what we have to say - something Sheffield City Council have failed to do from the outset. They did not want to listen to their electorate - it has been shameful.”

The planning path remains uncertain. Sheffield City Council approved the greenbelt schemes, along with 12 others, in May as part of its local plan, a blueprint for future housing development across the city. The proposals will now be assessed by Government planning inspectors, who are due to hear the case starting soon. The broader national context includes a Labour government drive to deliver about 1.5 million new homes over the current parliament, a push that has intensified development activity across parts of the country.

Supporters of the campaign say the local area already struggles with traffic congestion and strain on public services, and that the loss of greenbelt land could have lasting impacts on residents’ health and well-being. They argue that new housing should come with commensurate investment in infrastructure, schools, and healthcare, rather than being approved without robust safeguards for communities.

The campaign has mobilized thousands of residents and community figures in Handsworth and surrounding areas, and organizers say hearings with government inspectors will offer an opportunity to present their case directly to decision-makers who can weigh the balance between housing needs and preserving green spaces. As the hearings approach, campaigners remain hopeful that the inspectors will recognize the unique value of the S13 greenbelt and the importance of maintaining accessible green space for current and future generations.