Council rejects camapigners call to stop 166 homes on Doncaster green space and to use land for Queen’s Jubilee Canopy tree planting

Rose Hill Residents’ Association (RHRA) are urging DMBC to reverse a decision to allow Miller Homes to build the properties on green space off Rose Hill Rise and instead use the land as part of future tree planting.

The piece of land – which borders Doncaster Racecourse – was originally designated for housing back in a development plan in 1998 and was incorporated into the new Local Plan despite anger from residents in the area.

But campaigners said the land may have been suitable for housing in 1998 but nearly 25 years on, they said it was completely inappropriate.

The site was once arable farmland but has since been left fallow and has ‘rewilded’ with new tree growth thanks to its proximity to the edge of Sandall Beat Woods. A footpath through the field provides access to the woodland.

Doncaster Council rejected the call and said many mitigations were in place to replace lost trees and green space through a new ‘habitat bank’ next to the site as well as 53,000 trees being planted since November 2021.

But campaigners said that allowing already-grown trees to be chopped down and replacing them with saplings is ‘accelerating climate change’ as newly-planted trees won’t provide any benefit for years to come.

Wendy Wright of RHRA, said: “The council faced protests following its decision to chop down 64 mature trees on Middlefield Road but it seems to have learned little from this and is now planning to allow more trees to be felled at Rose Hill.

Why on earth would a Council that says it cares about trees and the environment and wants greener communities allow a place like Rose Hill to be destroyed?

“One would think that a council that has declared a climate emergency and says they want Doncaster to be a place where nature flourishes and has a dedicated tree website stating at length how important all trees are, would want to protect and enhance a beautiful green natural habitat covered in trees. But apparently not.”

Dan Swaine, director of environment at DMBC, said: “With regards to Rose Hill and the surrounding area, plans are in place to facilitate positive environmental contributions such as new public open space on the site and buffering/protection of the woodland/ Redhouse Plantation Local Wildlife Site to the north of the site.

“Future layout of the development will be informed by a tree survey and existing boundaries are expected to retain trees and hedgerows where possible, with enhancement of the planting along the railway corridor.

The council has already served a Tree Preservation Order in 2020 which protects all of the oak trees along the race course boundary as well as three fine oak trees on the northern boundary of the site.

“In order to ensure the achievement of biodiversity net gain, we have gone further and have already identified large habitat creation projects, known as habitat banks, and one is planned directly next to Rose Hill.

“This illustrates a firm commitment to sustaining the environment and offsetting potential impacts from development, and seeks to leave the natural environment in a measurably better state than it was before a development occurred.”