It was said the scheme, next to the historic remains of the 19th century Stepaside ironworks and colliery, would create 44 jobs. Since that approval, a successful legal challenge was launched by Stepaside & Pleasant Valley Residents’ Group (SPVRG Ltd), who had objected to the original application. In its lengthy submissions, Lichfields says “it is clear that members can reach a decision that is contrary to the development plan without setting a precedent”. The application was deferred in September pending a site visit; the scheme now returning to the October 7 meeting, where it is again recommended for refusal. The site visit call came from Cllr Simon Hancock, who pointed out there were many new members on the planning committee since a previous site meeting took place.